A Home for Shooters, or a Home for Homes?

New York Times ^ | September 6, 2006 | PAUL VITELLO

[neverdem]

YAPHANK, N.Y., Sept. 1 — In the musical revue “Yip Yip Yaphank,” based on his time as an Army trainee here during World War I, Irving Berlin wrote with uncanny augury about what the repeated exposure to sudden loud noises can do to a person’s otherwise good nature.

“I’ll amputate his reveille/and step upon it heavily,” Mr. Irving wrote about the Army bugler in “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning,” the most famous song from his revue.

The Army’s training camp here, Camp Upton, is gone, as is Mr. Berlin, but the spirit of jangled nerves endures in Yaphank in a simmering feud between people who have since taken up residence in this woodsy eastern Suffolk County community and those who come here to fire their shotguns hundreds of times a day, five days a week — at a local skeet shooting range.

“A deaf couple might find this a perfect place to live, but I can’t think of anybody else who would,” said Robert Davis, who lives so close that hot shotgun pellets once burned holes in his plastic swimming pool, he said.

While he spoke in his kitchen, there came the crack of shotgun blasts in clusters of three or four, followed by moments of uncertain silence, then by renewed exchanges of fire.

There is not much wilderness left within what the census refers to as the Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas of the United States, one of which comprises the two counties on Long Island, Nassau and Suffolk. What wilderness there is is mostly a brush-stroke of the past, like the woods around Yaphank, a stretch of forest that, though bounded by major highways to the north and south, attracts ever-expanding and fiercely competing tribes of wilderness huggers.

On one side of the fight...

[neverdem]

Robert Stolarik for The New York Times
The shooting range in Yaphank is one of only two remaining on Long Island. It dates back decades, but some neighbors live very close to it and have filed a lawsuit to have it closed permanently.

[bobby.223]

PULL!!! damm. okay again!

[saganite]

My local range, of which I am a member, was once isolated and far away from the suburbs. Recently it is seeing building on all sides. I don't expect it will be many more years before the neighbors object to the noise and drive it away. The closest outdoor range then will be a 2 hour drive away. Sigh

[Myrddin]

The range was there first. If the new residential property owners want to take the range property and close it, they should be required to purchase and develop an equivalent range property in a new location for the current owners. If they are unwilling to do that, then they should buy some earplugs or move.

[Myrddin]

My outdoor range is a 5 mile drive from the house. It is surrounded on all sides by BLM land and set aside specifically as a range area. There is my club range and a separate law enforcement range. The only thing special we have to do is watch for livestock that might wander onto the range. When that happens, it's actions open and time to do some cow herding.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[saganite]

You are indeed a lucky person.

[NoCurrentFreeperByThatName]

Might as well kiss this range goodbye.

[neverdem]

High-flying Spitzer hits ethical turbulence ( Culture of Corruption )

Illness Persisting in 9/11 Workers, Big Study Finds

FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list.

[Myrddin]

You are indeed a lucky person.

Luck is half of it. The other half is spending $60K out of pocket to escape San Diego to move 905 miles north to a much better place. It was a great investment. I'm so much happier living in Idaho. The lower cost of living has offset the initial expense over the last 6 years.

[Hong Kong Expat]

That's why you need zoning laws. Keep the suburbanites out.

[absolootezer0]

That's why you need zoning laws. Keep the suburbanites out.

they buy those properties for a reason, they're living beyond their means and need to get the land as cheap as possible. they know that certain areas, like those near gun ranges, cemetaries, powerlines, traintracks, etc, sell for cheaper because of the area. the only one that they have a chance to move after they get the place is a gun range.

[freedomlover]

hot shotgun pellets once burned holes in his plastic swimming pool

---

Is this possible? If so they guy better watch out for holes in his trampoline, flamingos, etc.

[Inyo-Mono]

My outdoor range is a 5 mile drive from the house. It is surrounded on all sides by BLM land and set aside specifically as a range area. There is my club range and a separate law enforcement range. The only thing special we have to do is watch for livestock that might wander onto the range. When that happens, it's actions open and time to do some cow herding.

I was startled to read your comments for it describes the range near my home to a "T." Then I realized by reading your profile that you are in Idaho.

[absolootezer0]

sounds far fetched, unless he means a kiddie pool or something. heck, most bird shot wouldn't punch thru a swimming pool at 50 yards. not to mention for as far as the shooter probably was he'd have had to have been aiming like a howitzer and getting *really* lucky with the lob.
if the guy has burn holes from shotgun pellets, i'd be more likely to believe they were intentionally heated and set on the pool.

[Sergio]

While he spoke in his kitchen, there came the crack of shotgun blasts in clusters of three or four, followed by moments of uncertain silence, then by renewed exchanges of fire.

Don't ya just love media bias, "exchanges of fire", makes it sound like the folks at the range are shooting at each other.

If reporters were only allowed to write about things that they know about, there would be a lot of unemployed reporters.

[freedomlover]

What I'm really curious about is the heat aspect (the phrase used was "burned" - I know it could just be reporterese huff).

I went hunting last weekend and as usual I had birdshot falling all around me. I have had it hit me several times, including on the skin. Never noticed if it was hot but really didn't try to find out. This is a big reason I wear safety specs hunting BTW.

I just wonder how hot lead shot is after it has a chance to be aired out 30-60 yards.

[Atlas Sneezed]

The "hot lead" burning holes in plastic is preposterous nonsense.

Pistol and rifle brass gets very hot because it absorbs the heat of propellant gases (which is a good way to keep the chamber from over heating, since most of the heat gets tossed away each shot - one of the big challenges of caseless ammo).

Pistol and rifle bullets get hot because they are in contact with the propellant gases, and because of the friction of being formed to and pushed down the barrel.

Shot is insulated from the propellant gases by the plastic wad, and is protected from the barrel friction by the wad as well. The shot that landed on the moron-liar's kiddie pool was probably warmer when it landed then when it exited the muzzle, due to the effects of a few seconds in the sunshine.

[Myrddin]

Sounds like there is a common thread to a successful site selection for a range.

[Lancey Howard]

The area where I live has the 'Langhorne Rod and Gun Club' and the range is surrounded by newer subdivisions of upscale colonials. Whenever I go to one of these neighborhoods on business during the day you can see kids all over the place playing ball and riding bikes up and down the street with the background sound of rifle and pistol blasts, just beyond the treeline, a hundred yards away. It's hilarious.