Hello all,

They wife and I are thinking about making a life change, to a slower pace.  We been looking at properties all over southern MO, and have found a few around the Chadwick area that look good.  What do I need to know about the area???  locals NFA friendly??  Any shooting ranges in the area??  Any Gun stores I should check out when we drive up to scope things out??

Thanks in advance,

Brock in AR

You're from Arkansas and you are moving to Missouri for a slower  place??? damn...

Christian County is a nice place to live, I lived in Nixa for a couple of years.  If you are around the Chadwick area you will be
pretty rural but will have easy access to Springfield and Branson areas for shopping and entertainment.  Ozark and Nixa are
both nice towns and they are booming.  Bedroom communities for Springfield.  Chadwick is pretty much in the middle of  
Mark Twain National Forest which means lots of hunting, hiking trails and camping if those activities interest you.  
Beautiful county.  Check out Hercules Glades wilderness area and Busiek Conservation area.  
Busiek CA has a 3 lane unsupervised range that can be a lot of fun.  Ozark Shooters Sports complex on 65 south of Saddlebrook
is good for sporting clays trap and skeet and have a limited selection of guns.

As for guns, Missouri is very NFA friendly, anything goes.  All of the sheriffs offices are gtg on signing forms.
We don't have constitutional carry yet.  Open carry for CCW permits only.  

I’m in the jonesboro area, and it seems like the memphis crowd is headed this way.  Many, Many thug wannabe types.  Its starting to get to be a common occurrence for armed robberies.  Meth is absolutely terrible here.  

I hunt in Scottland county MO, and just love it.  The wife would like to be in the hills, with some type of creek/river/caves type terrain.  South west MO seems to fit the bill.  We have chickens, and she wants a Dexter cow.  I just think we would fit in nicely around there.....

Great points otherwise, but open carry is legal as far as state law goes. Municipalities are a different matter, I think we're waiting for a ruling on the validity of Amendment 5...

Grew up in Douglas County. Vanzant area.
Family dairy farm is still there.
I love the area, you might find a liberal transplant here or there but mostly they tend to mind their own business in regards to guns,hunting,etc.
Hard drug use seems to be on the rise in the surrounding areas or the drugs just seem to wreck people more nowadays and make them easier to spot.

I have my BOL in Ava, Douglas co.  I love the area so far but its very hard to find anyone who will do work to the property locally so I have to contact people in Springfield which then usually means a trip charge.

Thanks to all who replied....

Tell me, is there any downside to buying a property in or against the national forest??

Buzzard's Bluff? If so, I'm just a couple miles away.

I grew up about two miles North of Topaz. Thats where I was baptized and spent a ton of my summer time swimming.
Now I like to take my kids there whenever we are down in the summer.

i grew up in ozark county.  very laid back country living and pop density is low.  only like 7000 people in all of ozark county.  i'll move back there some day.  

i still deer hunt on my parents land down there.  good stuff.

Stay away from blue areas and those that are pink and not the 2 darker shades of red just to be safe. ;)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_in_Missouri,_2012

I should know your name, since I'm pretty sure I've heard the neighbors mention them, but I don't recall it now... I've been here 3 years now, used to live down by Mansfield. They sure had lots of water this summer:



Ah, the Grease Rack! I've been exploring that area some this year. Lots of interesting things down the roads around here.

Hah, my brain is taking in the similar places I've seen, and is filling in the details I guess. There are also similar-looking spots near the Wilbur Allen access. I'm on E, and sure like it out here. Being west of the river makes it easier to get into Springfield, and it's really quiet.

I've sat on that back porch of Alley Spring Mill and drank moonshine with a lady on a date one time!

I'd pass on land neighboring national forest for the simple reason that anyone can be looking at your house from the public land.
With neighbors - you only have them looking at your house. The neighbors most likely will not be trespassing through your land or sitting on your fence line hunting.  

I live in Ozark County and work overseas. Love it here. Good friendly people.

If I did it again, I'd buy land closer to Ava. It's a little easier to get to Springfield from Ava than it is where I live.

I agree! I like Ava so far.

Did the cow eggs still hatch or did the water drown them?