Looking for a place to shoot near Huntsville

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Just moved to the Huntsville area from VA. I'm looking for a place to shoot. I shot at Larry's today, but I was wondering if there were any outdoor places to shoot. Also, if anyone knows of any out of the way back woods places to shoot as well.

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Welcome to Alabama!

The Swan Creek Management Area near Decatur and Athens has a very nice outdoor range. IIRC, two 100 yd, one 50 and one 25. Someone who has been there more recently may correct me.

You need a hunting license and the mgt area permit to use the ranges, I believe. The guys at Larry's will probably know all the specifics, good people over there. Depending on which side of Huntsville you live on there are two easy routes to get there. I 565 towards Decatur to Hwy 31 or Hwy 72 through Athens and hang a left at the tractor dealership on the West side of town. If you need more detailed directions, let me know and I'll try to dust off the memory. Used to shoot there all the time, but haven't been there in years since I joined the range over here in the Shoals.



Jay



PS: If you do any competitive shooting, The North Alabama Shooting Association over here in Sheffield hosts four rimfire matches a month and one IDPA match a month. Matches are open to anyone and it's not too long of a drive. www.nasaclub.com for all the info.

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If you want to get to the Swan Creek outdoor range from Huntsville, just take I-565 west toward I-65. Go under the interstate toward Decatur. Follow US31 north towards Athens as it splits off from US72Alt. About the 3rd light going north, there will be a Caterpillar truck lot on the left, turn left and follow the road about 2-3 miles and the Swan Creek outdoor range will be on your right. You will need a wildlife license to shoot at the range. You can get one from the office (watch for signs) or some of the local bait shops/convenience stores in the area sell them.

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I've been shooting at Swan Creek. It isn't bad, I just wish people would pick up their trash and their brass / shotgun shells. I'm out there about every other weekend.

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There is a place in Sharon Johnson park that you can shoot shot guns and pistols. No center fire rifles tho. Non members can shoot Sat-Sunday from 10 AM until 3PM. If you become a member you can shoot during the week, but there are some requirements. I am not a member, but I like it out there because everyone is nice and it is laid back. It is located in New Market. Basically go North east on Winchester road until you see the sign for the park.

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There's the Arab Practical (Shooting Club?). That's down 231 away from Morgan City. Not a large range, and you'll have to provide your own targets, and target holders. I should point out that you'd have to join the Arab club by degrees. I think there's a vouch requirement. Since it's not a range with a full-time rangemaster, safety is of the utmost importance. Also, if you don't know someone who goes there, you can't get into the site physically.

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I just shoot in my back property. I live a ways from both Sharron Johnson park, and Decatur. I only have a 100 yd max right now, but am going to try to get a 200yd range set up as well.

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soloban wrote:

Just moved to the Huntsville area from VA....

Click to expand...

Welcome to Huntsville! I'm one of those rare, lifetime residents of this city and I was hoping that with BRAC we'd see a lot more of the OC folks from VA here and maybe get critical mass for the OC movement in AL.

The others have pretty much given you the lay of the land with regards to shooting ranges in the area.

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The Blue and Gray Rifle and Pistol Club has a range near Guntersville Dam, 20-odd miles SE of Huntsville. Their website lists some other regional ranges:

http://www.bgrpc.org/content/Directions.html

Another gun club, whose name escapes me, has a range immediately west of the race track off Hobbs Island Rd -- you can see the range just tothe left of theoval in this aerial photo:

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=34.56781533087059~-86.53650927504964&lvl=17&sty=h

They were somewhat more closed in membership practices than the B&G when I visited them 20 years ago.



If you have a connection to Redstone Arsenal, you may be able to join the Marshall Space Flight Center MARS Rifle and Pistol Club. I haven't been active for years, nor investigated it lately, but at one time they were able to sponsor shoots on the rifle range on the south end of Redstone Arsenal, and 20 years ago they had an arrangement to use the pistol ranges used/maintained by the Marshall Security Police.

If you are willing to push the system a little bit, this law:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/10/usc_sec_10_00004309----000-.html



seems to imply that any citizen should be able to use the rifle range on Redstone (and possibly also use the Blue and Gray Range without being a member, since it is on TVA land). I've never heard of anyone making use of it, though.



The range at Sharon Johnston Park has been mentioned:

http://www.mcssa-al.org/