Author Topic: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots  (Read 514 times)

DaveyC

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PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« on: January 23, 2023, 01:59:27 PM »
Hi all,

I am a recent transplant to the Philadelphia area from the West Coast. Being still relatively clueless, I figured I'd ask: are there any open places in the Philadelphia/Bucks County area where a guy could go for some casual recoil therapy? We had several decent quarry-type spots in Oregon, but I haven't found anything like that here.

Brad Johnson

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2023, 02:07:09 PM »
Not from that area, but I bet we have some folks that can help.

Also, welcome to APS!

FYI ... New users get to buy everyone a bottle of their favorite beverage and box of preferred ammo. I'll take Tito's and .30-06.

Brad
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HeroHog

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2023, 02:16:39 PM »
DaveyC, no help here, seeing as I am down in Shreveport, Lousyanna, but I drink Coke Zero and shoot 9mm these days.

Welcome to the asylum...  :P
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RocketMan

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2023, 02:33:49 PM »
Welcome aboard APS, DaveyC.  We are a wretched hive of scum and reprobates, but relatively easy to get along with.  I'll take a sixer of good craft IPA and some .30 carbine.  Sorry. can't help you with shooting spots around Philly.
Whereabouts in Oregon did you move from?  I relocated from Oregon to Hickory, NC nine years ago this month my own self.
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DaveyC

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2023, 03:04:15 PM »
Thanks all. I'm actually a retread from the old APS/TheFiringLine crowd; does that count?

Also, RocketMan: I moved back in August of 2021 for a job, from the Corvallis area. Job didn't pan out, so now I'm starting next week with BAE Systems as a Systems Engineer in Mt. Laurel.

230RN

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2023, 03:34:52 PM »
"Recoil therapy."   That's a new one on me.  That alone qualifies you for admission to the APS NUTHOUSE. Welcome !

Can't help you on the shooting spots since I'm in Commierado.

Liter of club soda and 9s for me.  I'm low-maintenance.  (Meaning frugal.)

Terry, 230RN AKA "Oh, HIM again?"

Brad Johnson

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2023, 03:39:36 PM »
Thanks all. I'm actually a retread from the old APS/TheFiringLine crowd; does that count?

Yes. Now, rather than boxes and bottles, it's cases of each.

Brad
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
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WLJ

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2023, 03:43:54 PM »
Welcome to the forum

Yes. Now, rather than boxes and bottles, it's cases of each.

Brad

Well in that case a case of Wild Turkey 101 and a case of M193.

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RocketMan

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2023, 06:33:58 PM »
Thanks all. I'm actually a retread from the old APS/TheFiringLine crowd; does that count?

Also, RocketMan: I moved back in August of 2021 for a job, from the Corvallis area. Job didn't pan out, so now I'm starting next week with BAE Systems as a Systems Engineer in Mt. Laurel.

I'm quite familiar with Corvallis.  We used to go over that way now and again.  Wifey and I moved to Hickory, NC in Jan. 2014 so she could look after her aging parents.  She's from there originally, and I am from Oregon.  We sold our house in Lebanon, and my employer transferred me to another regional distribution center in Newton, NC.
If there really was intelligent life on other planets, we'd be sending them foreign aid.

Conservatives see George Orwell's "1984" as a cautionary tale.  Progressives view it as a "how to" manual.

My wife often says to me, "You are evil and must be destroyed." She may be right.

Liberals believe one should never let reason, logic and facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

Perd Hapley

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2023, 08:31:34 PM »
I would like a cold glass of whole milk, and several boxen of .380 HP, in various flavors. Thank you.
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Cliffh

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2023, 06:54:59 PM »
Welcome DaveyC!

A bottle of rum & box of 5.56 - your choice on both.

gunsmith

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2023, 08:51:30 PM »
 welcome aboard!

    I see on youtube that there are a lot of zombies in the Kensington area of Philly,  but I doubt the local constabulary would approve of harvesting some.
 I bet in the Allegheny national forest in the north western part of the state would be ok, turn over rocks for the rich fossil deposits too , Hearts Content was great camping 40 yrs ago, I bet it still is, you may want to wait for summer.
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sumpnz

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #12 on: January 24, 2023, 10:39:32 PM »
"Recoil therapy."   That's a new one on me.  That alone qualifies you for admission to the APS NUTHOUSE. Welcome !

Can't help you on the shooting spots since I'm in Commierado.

Liter of club soda and 9s for me.  I'm low-maintenance.  (Meaning frugal.)

Terry, 230RN AKA "Oh, HIM again?"

It’s a response to women seeking “retail therapy” that I’ve used (though maybe not much on here) for many years.

DaveyC - I went the opposite direction many moon ago.  Malvern/Valley Forge area to Eugene.  After many other stops I’m now in the northern Puget Sound.

Oh yeah, and I’ll take a dram of a peaty single malt and some large rifle primers.

MikeB

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2023, 08:00:04 AM »
Hi all,

I am a recent transplant to the Philadelphia area from the West Coast. Being still relatively clueless, I figured I'd ask: are there any open places in the Philadelphia/Bucks County area where a guy could go for some casual recoil therapy? We had several decent quarry-type spots in Oregon, but I haven't found anything like that here.

There are no longer any Quarry/Open Space/Free shooting areas that I'm aware of in the Philadelphia/Bucks area. I'm in Bucks myself. We do have a fairly large number of good outdoor clubs and indoor ranges all around the area. Many of the clubs however and some of the indoor ranges have stupid rules about rapid fire and many/most have waiting lists on joining(for the clubs); some of the waiting lists can be years long since they cap the number of members per bylaws. Some are also expensive to join and/or for yearly dues.

We also have a fairly good number of competitions in the area, IDPA, USPSA, Falling Plates, fun Subgun, etc. If you go a bit farther west in PA, there are also quite a few regular Rifle matches.

Depending on where you are located and how far you are willing to drive I can make some recommendations. If you have questions about other ranges I may be able to answer them.

Off the top of my head though some quick recommendations.

Lower Providence Rod & Gun Club (technically Montgomery County) has nice facilities. I've never been a member, they have waiting lists, need a sponsor, etc. You can meet sponsors by going to a match, IDPA/USPSA, I also assume Clays/whatever else shotgunners do. I've been their for IDPA matches several times.

New Falls Rifle and Pistol Association is more open to join, still need a sponsor, but I don't recall waiting list. I'm not a member for two reasons, it is an hour drive for me and they are a little pricey to join. You can get money off dues by working at the work days. I've been going back and forth in my head about joining, but the drive keeps telling me not to. I do a Submachine Gun shoot their almost every month. It's on Sundays I think it is currently second Sunday of the Month, there has been talk of changing that. They have a calendar on their website that will show when it is. Usually their are about 5 to 10 shooters with various Subguns. We often get a few spectators as well. Normally we let the spectators shoot some of our Subguns a bit after the competition. If you wanted to come by I can introduce you to the board members that run the Subgun match and let you shoot a 9mm M16, or Uzi or both depending on what I bring that month.

Easton Fish and Game I do belong to. They are inexpensive compared to many others and you can currently join online without needing a sponsor or dealing with a waiting list. They also happen to be the closest one to me(about 30 min drive) that allows rapid fire. The rule is no uncontrolled rapid fire, vs many of the clubs are more of a no more than 1 shot ever 3 or 5 seconds or something stupid like that. The facilities are not quite as nice as Lower Providence, about the same as New Falls at least for outdoor shooting. We also have monthly IDPA and Steel Challenge matches during Spring/Summer/Fall. If you want to see the club, I could meet your there sometime, I have a quest pass.


 
« Last Edit: January 25, 2023, 08:29:51 AM by MikeB »

MechAg94

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #14 on: January 25, 2023, 08:43:26 AM »
Sounds like where I am a ways South of Houston.  Lots of rural areas, but few official gun clubs or ranges.  The one I belong to is cheap to be a member but they cap the total members so the few spots open every year are claimed in a few minutes. 
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MikeB

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #15 on: January 25, 2023, 09:50:47 AM »
Sounds like where I am a ways South of Houston.  Lots of rural areas, but few official gun clubs or ranges.  The one I belong to is cheap to be a member but they cap the total members so the few spots open every year are claimed in a few minutes.

We surprisingly have a plethora of clubs and ranges in the area. There are at least 15(20+ including indoor gunshops with ranges) in just a 20 mile or so area around me. The issue is about 3 or 4 are in New Jersey which is absolutely a no go zone for me without pre-planning. I wouldn't recommend most of the others, at least the clubs. The indoor ranges in the area are ok mostly, just expensive and I prefer shooting outdoors. For the clubs they are either too hard to join, too expensive to join, or silly rules. I'm all for Safety rules, but things like no rapid fire are basically hard no's for me. Most of the clubs are still controlled by fudds. Some I will go to for matches, where rules like rapid fire don't apply while matches are going on, but would not join.

Often I shoot in my back yard, most of my neighbors do as well. My area of Bucks county is very rural. When you get South in Bucks County though it becomes much more urban in places. I generally don't let others shoot at my home though for liability reasons. I also have a noise ordinance in my area that has an exception for shooting, but only for 30 mins. So to testing something, or get in a short practice it's fine, but not for an extended shooting session.

I also have the issue of where to shoot the NFA toys. That is trickier as even most of the good clubs don't allow Full Auto. There are a small number of exceptions. Many of the indoor commercial ranges do allow Full Auto. Some more friendly to it than others.

DaveyC

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Re: PA Transplant Looking For Shooting Spots
« Reply #16 on: January 26, 2023, 12:16:47 AM »
Thanks Mike. I'm in North Philly, the Cedarbrook/Wyndmoor area, just southwest of Arcadia College.

Some of these places I've heard of, and was intrigued by EF&G, although they are a touch out of the way.