Where to shoot outside of Gilbert, AZ

[vhasv]

New to the forum and new to Arizona. I have a 1924 hex, a Finnish model 39 and a Chinese type 53. Sadly all are still packed. Are there convenient places to shoot in the Forest service or public lands near here. Thanks. Steve

[Longcolt44]

We have several Arizona members that can help you out.

[awalker1829]

Arizona Fish and Game operates the Ben Avery range which is just north of Phoenix. Some USFS lands are open to shooters-you have to check the agency website to see which lands permit shooting. Please note that use of exploding targets is prohibited on all public lands. We had a major wildfire ignited by an off duty Border Patrol agent at the beginning of the year.

[Darryl]

New to the forum and new to Arizona. I have a 1924 hex, a Finnish model 39 and a Chinese type 53. Sadly all are still packed. Are there convenient places to shoot in the Forest service or public lands near here. Thanks. Steve

So .... Steve. Are you from Arizona or GA like your website say you are?

www.verebhitt.com

Dolk
Owner

[vhasv]

Last location was Georgia for 24 years but we just moved to Arizona. I do some consulting which can be done from anywhere but I'm a retired LEO.

steve

[Darryl]

OK, I just notice details like that. I have to go over every new forum member and their info.

It's good to see you make a post!!!!

Dolk

[millman]

Welcome aboard.

[Rowdy1]

You can go up to the Four Peaks recreational park. They are lots of place you can pull off to shoot to you hearts cntent. Off of the Beeline Hwy State Route 87

[AMCHornet]

Hi, I'm in Flagstaff, Arizona. I've lived here for most of my life.

Arizona is the land of loose gun laws. You're free to shoot on any public lands so long as it is 1/4 mile away from buildings. For me up here in the high country that means going out into the national forest to shoot. For you down in the hot part of the state, that probably means finding some spot in the uninhabited desert.

PM me if you're in the Flagstaff area. Maybe we'll go shooting together.

[awalker1829]

One thing to bear in mind when shooting on public lands is that exploding or incendiary targets are prohibited on federal lands and most state lands (for good reason). We had a major fire last year that was due to an idiot (off duty Border Patrol agent no less) shooting a Tannerite target. The sporting goods stores here in Southern Arizona no longer sell Tannerite or other similar targets for that reason.

Also, do take care to clean up after shooting targets. The US Forestry Service will close lands to recreational shooters if they find too many people trashing an area.

[AMCHornet]

We had a major fire last year that was due to an idiot (off duty Border Patrol agent no less) shooting a Tannerite target.

Funny you mentioned that. I live up in the Coconino National Forest up here around Flagstaff. I went shooting in the woods about a month ago which was just about the start of hunting season around here, so just about every cleared area in the woods had a pickup truck with camper trailer there for hunters scoping out the area and zeroing their rifles. Normally there is nobody around. I finally found a place to shoot about 1/4 mile from a group of about 5 trucks and 5 matching trailers. I could hear them shooting stuff like crazy and whooping and hollering like they were drinking and partying. Nothing makes me feel more comfortable than being near a bunch of guys drinking while handling firearms.

So I go about my business. I'd just bought my Tokarev, so I was testing it's accuracy on targets up against a hill as a backstop. I'm firing off one round every 15-30 seconds to get really good grouping. Meanwhile, behind me it sounds like WWIII. Several of them are just unloading magazine after magazine rapid fire. Every time I paused they would pause, then every time I squeezed off a round they would cut loose. It's like they were trying to out-do me.

Then suddenly through the staccato of rapid fire going on behind me I hear a massive BANG!!! and feel a small shockwave. I turn around to see a massive cloud of white smoke and an entire tree falling over. The remaining stump of the tree was on fire.

They put it out with beer. Probably Keystone.

Welcome to Arizona.

[tomaustin]

google----big sandy shoot.................read about what we do twice a year a couple of hours north of Phoenix.....big time fun...at least plan to come for a day trip to see what it is all about....tom austin

[awalker1829]

Down here in Tucson, folks used to go out to Reddington Pass to shoot. However, they’d take old appliances to shoot and wouldn’t clean up afterwards. Forest Service cleaned up the site and closed it to recreational shooting.

Options for shooting on public lands in the Tucson area are somewhat limited as much of the land south and west of here is Indian Country. Pima County Parks and Recreation operates a public shooting and archery range here in Tucson and an unstaffed shooting range at Ajo-about a hundred miles west of town.