Where to shoot in the desert

[Billy the kid]

Where can I go to shoot in the east
Past the lake?
It seems everywhere is marked congested area now

[QuietM4]

I hear Kansas has quite a bit of open land.

"east past the lake" is a good spot.

Not many people are going to give you directions to "the" shooting spot...too many people are trash-leaving a-holes.

Use this map, http://gis.azland.gov/webapps/parcel/
Turn on the "land ownership" layer, and look for areas that are BLM or Forest Service land. Some of these roads will have "no shooting" signs...you really won't know until you drive there.

Google is your friend;
https://www.blm.gov/arizona/target-shooting

[Sharky]

Good luck lots of places shutting down due to too much trash, carelessness etc. Used to have a place close to home in the east valley people were allowed to shoot on being private property and in the desert. People started trashing bringing electronics etc to shoot at and then started shooting the property owners stuff so that got shut down and gated up by the owner. Few people ruin things for everyone even though multiple people took their own trucks and trailers to help clean the place up.

[Viperdisorder]

Never understood bringing electronics to shoot

[rockbronco]

Never understood bringing electronics to shoot

I’ll be honest I made that mistake one time and one time only. The clean up along was sucky enough not to ever want to do that again!

[Gunslinger55]

Make sure you pick up your garbage

[AZ_Five56]

Make sure you pick up your garbage

I've been trying to take more out than I brought in when I go out to Table Mesa, but it never seems to be enough. There's so much bulk trash accumulating, and I'm afraid it'll get shut down soon.

[toepopper]

I used to be able to drive a couple of miles and shoot all I wanted. Then one night the gang bangers from the city decided to come out at 2am and shoot for hours. That area is now closed forever to shooting legally. Ya just can't fix stupid.

[nimrag]

Anybody remember when you could shoot on the west side of the mountains that are east of I-17 at the carefree road exit?

[jrleen]

Yep, kids loved it cause it was a short drive and had exploring spots behind the firing line. Then every once in a while we would drive back south into the city cross country.

[mtuck]

I tend to start looking with Google maps and then check land ownership either on the county site or just use OnX Hunt for everything. Once I find a few potentials sites, I'll head out for a day of driving through the desert. I always bring a few plastic bags for haul out extra trash. It drives me nuts that people can;t even pick up shotgun shells. .22 brass is a pain to scrounge for, but shotgun shells are too damn easy to not pickup every single one. I've picked up more brass than I can count. Lots of .223, 9mm, and some .40. The other day I picked up 100+ .308 brass.

[officerbogus]

I tend to start looking with Google maps and then check land ownership either on the county site or just use OnX Hunt for everything. Once I find a few potentials sites, I'll head out for a day of driving through the desert. I always bring a few plastic bags for haul out extra trash. It drives me nuts that people can;t even pick up shotgun shells. .22 brass is a pain to scrounge for, but shotgun shells are too damn easy to not pickup every single one. I've picked up more brass than I can count. Lots of .223, 9mm, and some .40. The other day I picked up 100+ .308 brass.

Great idea !!
I have two younger boys that I am looking to introduce to .22 soon. I dont feel like the indoor range is a great place for them to start, it can be a bit intimidating when the guy in the bay next to you whips out the Howitzer and every shot makes them piss themselves a bit.

We disperse camp a lot and I have a fully capable off road vehicle. Are there any areas to completely avoid? I know its like asking for a fishing honey hole, but I want to make sure the boys are safe and we are legal. But.... if anyone has a solid spot, feel free to PM me to keep it off the radar.
We'll leave it better than we find it, promise. TIA

[nimrag]

What area of town are you in? I know of places to the north off of I-17 and NE off the beeline. Only problem now is fire restrictions are still in place.

[officerbogus]

I'm up in NE Scottsdale. Thanks