New to AZ!

[jacobg_98]

Hello!

I’m pretty new to Arizona. I came to Phoenix from Northern Nevada. In Nevada a 5 minute drive could get us dee enough into BLM land to shoot, but here it doesn’t seem so easy. My brother and I just bought our first handguns, but we’re not even sure where to take them to get some practice shooting. I know of some indoor shooting ranges, but for 3-4 people that gets expensive quick. Any suggestions for where to go to shoot on some BLM land relatively close to the south side of town?

[AZ_Five56]

Welcome to AZ! I used to live in the southeast valley, but it's been years since I've gone shooting out there. For now, it's all closed for fire restrictions anyway, but hopefully that will open up in the next month or two. I would go to your local BLM office and pick up a free map in the area you're looking to shoot at. Talk to the people there and tell them what you're looking to do. They usually point you to the right spots. Not all BLM land is fair game.

You mentioned that you and your brother just bought your first handguns. I don't know if you're experienced shooting or not, but I'm would guess not if those are your firsts. I would recommend taking a class and getting some private instruction to make sure you're being safe and to help hone your technique. Dave at Dynamic Comative Solutions teaches a lot out in the east valley, so you might want to hit him up. Another guy down your way is Thomas at Smokngun Firearms Academy.

[xerts1191]

Welcome

[Bill Poole]

welcome to AZ

here's my usual response to such intro posts:

Folks often post questions about Shooting in AZ on forums, I often reply, I finally saved my replies so I won't have to retype everything each time. This probably gives more info than you asked for but its easy to copy/paste. latest update in June 2020.

Websites:
http://www.arizonashooting.org/ web group
http://www.azshootingzone.com/forums/ web group
https://arizonagunowners.com/ web group
https://www.ar15.com/forums/hometown/Arizona/13/ another web group

http://www.phoenixrodandgun.org/ A club with a range in south phoenix
http://www.rsscaz.com/ A club with a range in east Mesa
https://www.azgfd.com/shooting/basf/ A range with clubs in north phoenix.
all 3 have public ranges and competition ranges and active competition groups
http://arizona-rifleshooting.com/ my website about competition

orgs:
http://www.asrpa.com/ our state association they do: competition, training, education, run a range west of phoenix and civil rights advocacy.
http://www.azcdl.org/ is 100% civil rights

AZ has open carry and constitutional carry. Take the AZ CCW class anyway, its useful info and the permit is your proof of background check so you don't have to go thru NICS when you buy.


There are 4 or 5 nice outdoor shooting ranges in the Phoenix area. See below. (As well as several indoor ranges I don't know much about.)

I've been a member of both PRGC & RSSC for over 20 years, (and have been a volunteer, match director, coach or club officer in those years).

Both RSSC & PRGC are true member-run clubs, both lease their dirt (RSSC from AZGFD, PRGC from PHX city park).

Ben Avery is an AZGFD owned and run facility, landless clubs reserve the various ranges and run shoots there.

A smaller range, Joe Foss range in Buckeye, an hour west of Phoenix, is run by ASRPA.

All 3 larger ranges have a public range, the 2 clubs offer membership. All 3 have lots of competition style events. Every scheduled competition or practice style event at the 2 clubs and the clubs that use Avery are open to everyone, most by walk-on, some shoots take advanced entry reservations.

Both PRGC and RSSC cost about the same to join. Each has a main range and 6 or 8 specialty ranges. RSSC faces north, PRGC faces south (low winter sun is unpleasant to shoot in) PRGC High Power range is configured properly with 1 pits and 3 firing lines, Rio is backwards, 1 firing line and 2 pits.

RSSC tries to run itself like a business, all members have to leave when the last RO clocks out, even if there are still 3 hours of sunlight remaining. All the specialty ranges (except shotgun) require a lengthy approval process to gain access. On top of that, there is a tedious process to get the after-hours pass that allows weekday shooting till 9. RSSC has the best sporting clays field in the state, perhaps all the states. But they don't allow carry.

PRGC is much more member-friendly. members can use most (but not all) ranges without a special qual process. PRGC is very friendly for members bringing guests and allows carry.

BASF has about 80 firing points on the public range and 15 or 20 trap/skeet/clays fields and a huge archery area. The facility also has about 15 other ranges reserved by clubs for shoots including 100 firing points to 1000yds on high power, 2 silhouette ranges and about a dozen practical bays.

PRS-style shooting is monthly at a private shooting site called "Cowtown" in the west part of the valley not far from Ben Avery. And a monthly shoot at RSSC.

BLM is opening some formal maintained shooting sites in the west valley desert.

There are some nice outdoor ranges in Tucson, also near Casa Grande, Flagstaff, Payson, Kingman, Yuma and other parts of the state.

As to shooting in the Desert, BLM and National forest permit shooting most of the year. State Trust Land permits hunting but NOT target shooting. Indian reservations do not permit anything. Check the national forest websites, Tonto NF, the one closest to phoenix, has closed off shooting on hundreds of square miles nearest town due to dirt bike infestation and bans water jugs. Steel and paper are still OK, but plan on an hour drive to find a safe legal place. During hot weather fire seasons all the NFs ban shooting, camp fires and smoking.

Hunting is by drawing for tags to hunt anything larger than a quail or coyote. But lots of public land to hunt on.
https://www.azgfd.com/



Shopping in the Phoenix area:
BassPro in Mesa
Cabela's in northwest valley
2 or 3 Sportsman's Warehouse stores
lots of Local gun Shops.

Hope this helps, welcome to AZ, shoot good!

Poole

[olemal]

Fire restriction https://firerestrictions.us/az/
Land ownership map. Click layers and Land Ownership. http://gis.azland.gov/webapps/parcel/
Map of ranges and desert spots. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewe ... 070851&z=8

Man I wish it would rain!

found on /r/AZGuns

[xerts1191]

Feast or famine this year, weather included

[Harley66]

Welcome to AZ, you will love it here