[pocat]

I ran into this problem a few years ago. I'm rural, but my property has a few houses around it in all directions and I have no suitable backstop. My brother and I used to regularly shoot on his mother-in-law's property until a subdivision started developing behind her land. Complaints about "noise" started so that soon stopped. I used to travel about a half-hour to my parents' farm to shoot, but due to a "spat" with them about a year ago (not gun-related), I don't go there anymore.

Most of the "sportsman's clubs" in the area are nothing more than drinking teams with hunting and fishing problems, and their yearly fees are outrageous with sometimes a year or two waiting list just to get in - provided you have the bucks.

However, there is a country store/gun shop just down the road from me where the owner lets me shoot out back. (My wife works there and I'm one of his best customers.) It's only 100 yds, but a good place to shoot handguns or get a new scope to hit the paper. I just recently did some work for a fellow who owns land near the Licking River (yes, that's the real name). By my best estimate so far, his flats along the river are in the 400+ yd. range. I offered to pay him to use the area. He only asked that I don't drink or litter in the area. I told him the only sign of me being there would be an occasional stray casing. The .308 will surely get a workout this summer.

Finding a decent range to shoot is sometimes frustrating - even though I live in the country. Since I'm a strong supporter of private property rights, I don't think fighting "urban sprawl" is necessarily the answer. If someone wants to develop his land, that's his right. I think once the anti's get the "environmental hazard" ball rolling to shut down ranges, urban sprawl will be the least of our worries.

Any of you guys have problems finding a suitable range? When it comes time for me to buy another house, range area will be priority number one.

[Dan from Michigan]

I'm lucky in Lansing or back in Livingston County. In Livingston County - The Howell Gun Club is cheap($40 I think to join and they back MCRGO) and 10 miles away from where I used to live.

In Lansing, I'm about 1/2 hour from a fairly range in Eaton Rapids, Family Shooter's Corral. I'm 15 minutes from Total Firearms in Mason, which has a good indoor. There's also Capitol City in Williamston nearby.

Luckily outside of NW Ingham County, there is still much rural area, especially compared to the Detroit Area.

[Dawgsquat]

Any of you guys have problems finding a suitable range?

Nope. Got 38 acres. It's good to live in the woods.

[coloradan]

You could take up a collection for the tax on a silencer from these neighbors - at $200, a mere 20 people who could pony up $10 would cover it. Of course, should they refuse, you could tell that to the cops who came to talk to you about noise. "But officer, I asked them to pay just the tax on one, and they refused, so clearly it isn't really that important to them..."

[sit-rep]

I don't like public ranges due to the fact they have a one round at a time policy. Since I like to load about 10 - 30 round mags when I shoot, I go to a private farm about an hour from me. It is a pain in the ass, but, I can zero in at 200, then walk slightly out of the range line and back up to 1500 yards. An ideal area that has no immediate plans to shut down.

SR

[AAABEST]

Any of you guys have problems finding a suitable range?

I don't shoot .308 so there are a lot of good places to shoot where I live.