The best place to shoot is on your own property, and in my case, the old family farm.  The state ranges are nice, but they no longer allow full-auto, so I built my own.

[img]http://bob.msiunix.com/webpictures/1919/range1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://bob.msiunix.com/webpictures/1919/range2.jpg[/img]

I still have more work to do.

The propane tank in particular is VERY amusing...from a good distance, that is!

And is that a computer on the right?

Nice little homebrewed range!

I settled for a bale of hay (round type) in front of three layers of 2x6's on the family farm property.  The bale by itself almost completely stops .223 and all handgun calibers, and what it doesn't stop never gets through the first 2x6.

You should hang ping-pong balls from your hanging targets stand...ping-pong balls filled with Pyrodex, that is!  HUGE fun!  Wear good ear protection!

CJ

The best place I have ever gone shooting was at a national forest range just outside of Blacksburg, VA.

It was pretty popular on weekends.  Everyone always seemed to be pretty safe except for one occasion... and the idiot only put himself in danger.  He walked down range about 30 yards to set up targets while the range was hot... hes fucking lucky he didn't get shot.

The only regulated range I have been to was the most boring shooting experience of my life.  Nice facility though.  I'm hoping to join one of the clubs in the area so I can use thier facilities... just need to meet a sponsor.

Yup, that's a computer case.  I get 20 to 30 a year as trade-ins where I work.  After all usable parts come out, they get shot up.

Our area has been over run with houses.  We still shoot at the old farm.  We have 60 acres there.  It is enough ground, but I wanted a very safe backstop.  The same day we shot last, an incident occured a 1/4 mile away.  Someone put a round through a house.  It was interesting because we were paid a visit by the Sheriff.  They wanted to verify that our backstop was safe.  It turns out one of the neighbors (who I don't know), was shooting cans off a saw horse and put one round into a house.  So next weekend, the range gets a bigger backstop.  One good thing for us, there are no houses for about a mile beyond the backstop.

Go get one your speakers out of your car, hold it up to your eye, and say...ABBRACAADABRA...[:D]

Sadly, chances are greater that someone ELSE will get shot by one of those "unloaded" firearms that were being wiped down or otherwise handled while the victim is down range.  

Why? Because other than you, there is a general sense that people want to respect the ability of others to be downrange without having to gamble on the infallibility of a total stranger.

So they are willing to wait a few minutes to wipe down their rifle or tinker with it, out of respect and concern for the safety AND comfort of the others.  Evidently it's difficult, maybe a major problem, for you to put yourself in the place of others and return the favor.

To take your argument a little farther, in your world you could go downrange while the rest of us practice dry firing in your direction with our "unloaded" rifles.  Or hey, maybe we could shoot blanks.

Now you're getting fucking stupid. Let's make up stuff to put in other peoples mouth to make your arguement sound a little better. What a great idea!

Well, to take your agruement a little farther, you would be completely incased in a bullet resistant box at every range you shot at. Nobody that you didn't know intimately would be allowed to touch their guns at any time you were on the firing line, and everyone would shoot one at a time with only the shooter allowed to have live ammunition.

[b]I've already admitted that highly regulated ranges with RO's are safer, what else is there to argue about? Why are you even posting? If you want to call me a careless jackass then just come right out and say it instead of beating around the bush. Let's get to the meat of the arguement if that's what you want. I'm a big boy, I can take it.[/b]

Unless the guy next to you is left handed, then he'll likely turn the other way. I usually take the slot on the far right, because I'm usually the one slinging brass and I don't want to be pelting everyone else all day.

ok, i'll bite, I think what you propose is being a careless jackass!   [:d]

what's wrong with following the basic safety rules of firearms again?