NC town exploring idea of public firearms park

[JJEH]

Sounds good to me...

NC town exploring idea of public firearms park - FOX Carolina 21

 

[rwsmith]

A public firearms park??

What a fantastic idea. The closest outdoor range to me is 45+ minutes away and it's an awful place. I'd love to have a public park that has some supervision. That would be a dream come true.

 

[italiansport]

I've often wondered if a real estate developer built a subdivision around a shooting facility(indoor and outdoor ranges including trap and skeet fields,clubhouse etc.) much as has been done over and over with golf courses if it would financially work?
Does anyone know of an attempt to do this anywhere?
I don't want to Hijack this thread and I think the original idea is a good one but what if it's taken to the next step? I also realize that my anology is 100%. Although many people don't play golf there are very few people that are anti-golf.
Jim

 

[CatSnipah]

What a fantastic idea. The closest outdoor range to me is 45+ minutes away and it's an awful place. I'd love to have a public park that has some supervision. That would be a dream come true.

Twin Ponds and Boggy Head. The only two real choices we have for outdoor ranges in the area. Both are "ok". I've discovered that going later in the evening (about 1-2 hours before dusk) reduces the likelihood of encountering a full range, as well as reducing the chances of having a range full of miscreants and children running around with no hearing protection. Of course, that timing is tougher to manage in the fall and winter.

I've gone a few nights after I get home from work this summer. If I can get away from the office a bit early, and have my stuff packed up and ready to roll from the evening before, I can get in a good 60-90 minutes during peak daylight hours.

Still, I've been to MUCH better outdoor ranges in my day. With real RSOs who toss people for being stupid and unsafe.

I go to my indoor range for pistols, but go outdoors for rifles.

 

[Ogandydancer]

Gastonia is not all that far from me. I had not however heard of it but, I think it's a great idea.

 

[mr-mom]

We have a managed shooting range facility which is part of a county park, located on the very edge of a growing community of around 15,000 people. The range is very near dwellings, hiking trails, shelter houses, etc. The park/range preceded residential development, so the homeowners don't have a lot of room to complain.
Dave
SWCA #2778

 

[Marshwheeling]

Although many people don't play golf there are very few people that are anti-golf.
Jim

I'd be one of those. A golf course is a waste of good real estate that would better serve as a motocross course or OHV park. And of course, the water consumption is outrageous.

 

[rcnixon]

Wake County, NC has an indoor public shooting range complete with a 100 meter indoor rifle range.

Wake County Firearms Education and Training Center

Russ

 

[Grog]

I used to live in Gastonia. They already have a shooting range (pretty much all shotgun and very limited hours when I inquired).

It's nice that they are thinking of another range, better than the .gov shutting down private ranges (like around me).

 

[the ringo kid]

I'd be one of those. A golf course is a waste of good real estate that would better serve as a motocross course or OHV park. And of course, the water consumption is outrageous.

Same here. Ive always said Golf is a 4 letter word--and cant stand the sport myself. However, I love miniature golf.

 

[wbraswell]

I like golf, I just don't get to play it, and when I do I score in 3 digits. There are quite a few anti golf folks. Mostly liberals, who view golfers as elite, racist snobs. Like George Carlin. They want to tear up the courses and clubs and put up Gov't housing projects.
The range I use the most is a public range in a county park. I like it.

 

[Straightshooter2]

I'd be one of those. A golf course is a waste of good real estate that would better serve as a motocross course or OHV park. And of course, the water consumption is outrageous.

Wasn't it Mark Twain who said, "Golf is a pleasant walk in the country, ruined."

It would be nice to have a local public shooting range except it would be ruined by the public who would be using it around here. That's why I belong to a private gun club. It's expensive but the membership is, for the most part, well behaved.

CW

 

[dmar]

I thought the only city that has established public shooting parks was Chicago...?

 

[shaggist]

The current Gaston Skeet and Trap Club is located on the edge of Rankin Lake, which has become a park with walking trails. Although the range has been in existence and active since a least the 1960s, the users of the new facilities at the lake don't like the range noise and proximity, since the range is open 7 days a week. Hence, the projected plans for a new facility. It would be very nice, if it happens, as the current fields are very dated and the trap equipment very old. They have a registrar/RSO on site at all time the range is open, so there is little stupidity to be seen there. Time will tell as to whether it happens or not, but I have my fingers crossed.

 

[Erich]

I wish them the best of luck with it. This sort of thing can work well: the City of Albuquerque has a terrific shooting range park, where the NRA holds its NPSC championships each year.

Shooting Range Park ? City of Albuquerque

NRA Law Enforcement Division|National Police Shooting Championships