Any HTF folks in the area?

How is it from a shooting standpoint?

I talked to a jeeper who told me there are a massive number of jeep trails in the area...from the western foothills of the Catalinas all the way west to the next mountain chain and even over them, so I suppose finding a place to go shoot should not be difficult? True? He was a real nice guy...invited me to go jeeping with him right then and there.

Any other thing I should know about the area before I sell my house in Kansas?

We are also considering the Mesa / Gilbert area but prefer OV due to the altitude and more rural nature.

The whole area is growing a lot and many of the areas are state trust land and closed for shooting.  There are some places to shoot, but there tends to be a lot of other traffic, mainly off-road vehicles in the area north of Catalina.  OV is run mainly by Democrats and taxes are going up in that area, so you might want to consider Marana or even Oracle if you don't need to commute in to Tucson for work.  Pima Pistol Club is in Catalina and is a very nice range.

All of my family lives there. There used to be a lot of places to shoot on public land, not so much anymore. As others have said it's growing so some of the trails and what not have dried up. There are still a lot of places to go off-roading and the PPC is up in Catalina. There is a 2 gun action match at the PCC every third Saturday as well as a number of other competitions. It's a nice range, so overall pretty shooter friendly IMO. My dad used to patrol up there not long ago, there isn't a lot of crime but what little there is tends to originate either from the entitled kids living in OV, or the trash that comes out of the boonies of catalina. Also, as mentioned, DO NOT speed, and definitely be careful hopping behind the wheel after  a beer or two. The police up there love handing tickets out like candy for the infractions that would be a warning anywhere else and they are very well known for  that.

I live in OV.


It's a nice place.  Shooting can be had in the desert within an hour without trouble.  As mention PPC is nearby and very nice.   There are some nice jeep trails close.


If you need to get into Tucson it's fine, if your looking for a place to retire I'd seriously consider Oracle.  It's about 20 minutes out of town but a lot different.  They'll hold snow on the ground and it's 10-15 degrees cooler.  Much more rural.


All depends on what you want.


Don't speed here.

Thank you all for your advice. I see I was mistaken at assuming shooting was allowed because there was jeep trails and open desert. Sigh. I don't really like formal ranges, but PPC does look like a nice range. I'm retired so I'm hoping if I go there during a weekday it might not be too crowded.

I am currently considering moving to four places..... Oro Valley, Oracle, Sun City West (in NW Phoenix) and the Mesa / Gilbert area.

I am leaning to Oro Valley because:

1. It is cooler and less populated than Phoenix / Mesa. It looks like the days are generally cooler and the nights are much cooler. Seems like a better place to be in the summer and yet not much cooler in the winter. And yet it is close to shopping and entertainment.

2. It is not as cool and nor as far out as Oracle.

It appears to me that Oro Valley is a decent compromise.

Anyone have any other comments comparing and contrasting these four places?

Thanks again for everyones comments.

OV will have the highest property taxes of the four places you mentioned.  It will be 5-10 degrees cooler than Phoenix, but the difference between 100 and 110 is barely noticeable, especially if you spend the majority of your time in air conditioning.  I liked the OV area 15-20 years ago when it was fairly undeveloped and mostly nice homes on larger lots.  Now it is filling up with track homes, apartment complexes and strip malls.  Personally I'd go Oracle first based on your four options.  It is quite a bit cooler than the rest and definitely has a rural feel, but it's only 20 minutes into OV and maybe 35-40 into Tucson.  I'd also suggest taking a look at Prescott area, Fountain Hills and Gold Canyon.  The last two are relatively close to Phoenix.

Take note of the previous poster, AZ Trust Land is a trap, unless you are hunting or sighting in for hunting, you can get hammered.

I live in Oro Valley.  I moved here from Phoenix 2 years ago.  I like it much better than Phoenix.  It's much cooler here, especially in the evenings in summer. There is still a lot of open space even in the more dense areas of town unlike Phoenix.  The main downside compared to Phoenix is that getting anywhere in Tucson area is a pain in the ass as I10 is the only highway and it only goes N to S on the West side of town.  You are stuck fighting traffic on the surface streets to get anywhere.  Probably not an issue if you're retired, you can go places not during rush hour.  The Catalina mountains seem to make for more monsoon rains in the summer as well.  The area is less developed the further North you go on Oracle road so I'd look up there.  You are going to have to have big money to get any type of acreage though.  Pima Pistol Club is great.  I am off Mon, Tues from work and if I go there in the afternoon it's never busy.   If you join the club you can use the private bays and usually I get one to myself.

Tucson is nice for outdoor activites.  There is a lot off roading in reddington pass and sabino canyon areas.  For shooting, the desert areas in redddington pass recently closed so its harder to get to a shooting spot.  Pima pistol club is a nice range as well as three points.

I'm currently living in prescott and the temperature is much nicer.  We had snow just last week and summer temps aren't too bad.  Lots of retired folk and retired military.  Plenty of off roading and hiking up here as well.

Good community however be careful that when travelling up Oracle Rd watch the speed or you will get a ticket.

I just moved to Catalina last weekend. When you find some good spots, help a brotha out would ya?

All my shooting spots are on the south east side of town.

All the pros that commented on here make me pessimistic about any desert shooting nearby. Sigh. But PPA sounds as good as any formal range could be.

What else you into?  Jeeping?  Hiking? Photography? RVing? Ham Radio? Still slaving for the man or living the retired good life?

I'm a shooter, hunter, and hiker. I have an old beat to hell Ford Exploder I take out and beat on but that's It as far as offroading. Still working and have a long long ways to go till I can stop.

I need a spot where I can find some damn 'yotes and cottontails!


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Only been in Az about a year Amd haven't got a coyote yet. At least I can wabbit hunt on State trust land.

I've seen people shooting off the road to Pepper Sauce on multiple occasions.  I believe the area back there is NF, it's a nice drive up to Mt. Lemmon, especially if there is a late snow storm in March.  The road is closed part of the way up from I believe October to February.

I have a place out there I've gone a few times for long range stuff.  Could put targets out over a mile if you want to hike out there that far, it's pretty rough terrain.