Any advice before i head to the Osceola on Friday morning? Just moved to the state.

I'll have a saw horse with some hanging steel and some cardboard boxes to sight in and shoot some groups. I'll have a new 6.5g rifle to test, along with a ton of 223 and 9mm brown bear ammo to test in my guns.

I've been to the free public ranges in sc and had to deal with bugs, mud and a trashy range. Crowd should be minimal early on a Friday I hope.

I'll have a gemtech trek and multimount if anyone wants to shoot some cans. BYOA.

Public ranges are crowded... go at dawn.

Check the rules and regulations, most prohibit shooting at anything NOT attached to the supplied target stands, at least that how it used to be at the state ranges I've been to. In other words, no shooting at objects on the ground or on the berm.

Range Rules

ETA- general safety precautions apply such as taking someone with you; remove from your vehicle only what you are actually shooting; leave someone with your stuff when you go down to fix/paste/replace targets; OPSEC watch for iffy folks.

Are they staffed with a range safety officer from dusk till dawn? I'm used to the unsupervised ranges in Sc. Planning to go early in the morning

What kind of frames are they? Like I can staple my targets to them? Or I need to build a specific type and bring it.

I've been at a range in Hawaii where we had to bring a very specific frame to put in the holders in the ground.

So that sounds like a no go on my steel. It is built on standard 2x4s so it should be high enough to be level with their stands

No RSO... the range is self-regulating. The target stands are 2x4 frames that sit down in PVC lined holes.

It's a great range and has wooden target stands already. It does have an RSO who pops in and out. When he is there, people are more conscious of the no-rapid fire rule.

Went today. Much nicer than the public range I was used to in sc. Middle range was closed, looked flooded.  2 guys were there in the morning restocking cardboard in the frames. Maybe volunteers, didn't look official like a RSO.

They informed me shooting some steel targets I brought was illegal and I could get a ticket. But they said just say they aren't mine, then left.

I guess the don't shoot anything but paper rules keeps trash off the range. My sc range was frequently covered in trash, cans, bottles, Tvs etc. but damn shooting holes in paper gets boring.

Side note, I just discovered 6.5 Grendel. It's awesome and steel cased wolf is cheap and shoots well. No issues with brown bear .223 or 9mm. My sig p290rs did not like the hard primers. Took 2 strikes on at least one or two Rds per mag. Sig 226 and PSA 9mm ar ate it up no problem. Sucks driving from north of Jax though.

Sounds like you had a good time.

When I lived in SC I had access to the range on Ft. Jackson, I would actually go RO the range, volunteer to collect the $2 shooting fees, and close the range at the end of the day and turn any funds in.

I used a public range north of Columbia several times and remember it as small but nice and clean.

I've only had one bad range experience at an indoor range in SC involving some urban gentlemen, a rented ar15 that shot the target line down at 7 yds and a pistol grip shotgun that was missing the target that was now stuck at 7 yds.

Usually if it's not crowded, I'm ok. My spotting scope sucks unless it's super bright out.

I also wish I had discovered 6.5g before I built an ar in 308.

best advice I can offer, and I use the range a fair amount, is to NOT go on the weekend.  Tue or Wed morning, early, and you have it pretty much to yourself.
Second thing, is to never take your eye off 'the other guy'.  You have to be your own range officer.
Oh, and I always wear a handgun.  You never know.

Where exactly is this range? I'd like to check it out asap. Thanks

Ocala Public Shooting Range

Marion County
Forest Road 11
north of S. R. 40 in the Ocala National Forest

GPS Coordinates
29 11' 16.64" N
81 46' 13.77" W

Contact
Ocala Conservation Center
(352) 625-2804

Hours
Daily from sunrise to sunset
Closed until 1 p.m. every Wednesday

Rapid fire
4th Thursday of each month from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Facility Features
?100/50/25/15 yard rifle/handgun - 12 positions
?Self-Service Shotgun - 1 shooting pad

Closed Wednesday mornings to clean until noon.

There were only 10 other people there and i was the only one there with a visible pistol. Maybe they were all concealed.

Thank you, Sir.....

I haven't been there in years even though I live locally. I have a dried up creek on my property that saves me the drive across town.