Hey everyone!

Hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy. I am considering a move to AZ, but I need some help in the following:

- Looking to regain my 2A freedom back. What can I own? Do I need a permit?
- Where can I find the best school districts? Bringing a family with me
- I heard Tucson is a nice place. Any input is appreciated
- Any good Mexican food around? How is it going close to the border?

Thanks!

What can you own? Are you coming from deep behind enemy lines? This is still AZ, you can own anything without a permit, even carry without one to an extent, even own NFA once the king's men gives their blessings on it

You heard Tucson is a nice place?  

I guess it's all based on where you're coming from.  The cities surrounding Tucson are nice with pockets of decent area's in Tucson.  But I see Tucson proper as a dump.  What's nice about the Tucson area is you can still find a home for under 300K.  Although it's been going up over the past few years.  And with Covid & everyone working from home, I only expect more people.   Some of the nicer areas are Vail, Sabino Canyon/foothills, Oro Valley, Parts of Marana, & Sahuarita.  There's a ton of border patrol activity south of Tucson, but you probably won't see much of it.  The area is also pretty diverse racially.  Tucson proper leans left, while the outlining community are probably more conservative.  And as such, if you live in Tucson proper, your taxes will fund that lefty agenda.  They even had a nice BLM banner hanging on city hall for awhile.  Tucson is also still a Military town with the Airbase here.  This area is a mix, of Military, Seniors (with an increase of Snow Birds during the winter), College & Artsy Lefties, Cowboy's, Gun nuts, Native Americans, Hispanics, & people that just want to live their life's and be left alone.  That's how I see it after being here about 2 years.  But I'm sure someone that's been here longer can give you a better perspective.

You really need to come out and visit the area.   If you like nicer & newer, the Phoenix area is the place to be.  Although the housing will be $50 to $100K more than the Tucson area.

Tucson I think is around 60 miles from the border.  For perspective, San Diego is about 20 miles.

As far as school district, you'll have to talk to a realtor, but usually the more affluent the area (expensive), the better the school district.  Send me a PM if you want a good realtor in the Tucson area.

I find Mexican food is hit and miss.  I'll go to one place for good enchiladas, but a different place for taco's.  There's no shortage of Mexican Restaurants & pop-up food trucks out here.  You just have to find what you like at a certain location.

Get your CCW, walk into any gun store in AZ, fill out your 4473, show your CCW, and walk out with any gun you want (minus NFA).  No CCW, than pass the instant check & walk out.  Pretty much that simple.

more Phoenix centric info below
add for tucson
http://www.tucsonrifleclub.org/
https://pimapistolclub.com/
https://tucsontrapandskeet.com/

Folks often post questions about Shooting in AZ on forums, I often reply, I finally saved my replies so I won't have to retype everything each time. This probably gives more info than you asked for but its easy to copy/paste. latest update in June 2020.

Websites:
http://www.arizonashooting.org/ web group
http://www.azshootingzone.com/forums/ web group
https://arizonagunowners.com/ web group
https://www.ar15.com/forums/hometown/Arizona/13/ another web group
http://www.phoenixrodandgun.org/ A club with a range in south phoenix
http://www.rsscaz.com/ A club with a range in east Mesa
https://www.azgfd.com/shooting/basf/ A range with clubs in north phoenix.
all 3 have public ranges and competition ranges and active competition groups
http://arizona-rifleshooting.com/ my website about competition

orgs:
http://www.asrpa.com/ our state association they do: competition, training, education, run a range west of phoenx and civil rights advocacy.
http://www.azcdl.org/ is 100% civil rights

AZ has open carry and constitutional carry. Take the AZ CCW class anyway, its useful info and the permit is your proof of background check so you don't have to go thru NICS when you buy.


There are 4 or 5 nice outdoor shooting ranges in the Phoenix area. See below. (As well as several indoor ranges I don't know much about.)

I've been a member of both PRGC & RSSC for over 20 years, (and have been a volunteer, match director, coach or club officer in those years).

Both RSSC & PRGC are true member-run clubs, both lease their dirt (RSSC from AZGFD, PRGC from PHX city park).

Ben Avery is a AZGFD owned and run facility, landless clubs reserve  the various ranges and run shoots there.

A smaller range, Joe Foss range in Buckeye, an hour west of Phoenix, is run by ASRPA.

All 3 larger ranges have a public range, the 2 clubs offer membership. All 3 have lots of competition style events. Every scheduled competition or practice style event at the 2 clubs and the clubs that use Avery are open to everyone, most by walk-on, some shoots take advanced entry reservations.

Both PRGC and RSSC cost about the same to join. Each has a main range and 6 or 8 specialty ranges. RSSC faces north, PRGC faces south (low winter sun is unpleasant to shoot in) PRGC High Power range is configured properly with 1 pits and 3 firing lines, Rio is backwards, 1 firing line and 2 pits.

RSSC tries to run itself like a business, all members have to leave when the last RO clocks out, even if there are still 3 hours of sunlight remaining. All the specialty ranges (except shotgun) require a lengthy approval process to gain access. On top of that, there is a tedious process to get the after-hours pass that allows weekday shooting till 9.  RSSC has the best sporting clays field in the state, perhaps all the states. But they don't allow carry.

PRGC is much more member-friendly. members can use most (but not all) ranges without a special qual process. PRGC is very friendly for members bringing guests and allows carry.

BASF has about 80 firing points on the public range and 15 or 20 trap/skeet/clays fields and a huge archery area. The facility also has about 15 other ranges reserved by clubs for shoots including 100 firing points to 1000yds on high power, 2 silhouette ranges and about a dozen practical bays.

PRS-style shooting is monthly at a private shooting site called "Cowtown" in the west part of the valley not far from Ben Avery. And a monthly shoot at RSSC.

BLM is opening some formal maintained shooting sites in the west valley desert.

There are some nice outdoor ranges in Tucson, also near Casa Grande, Flagstaff, Payson, Kingman, Yuma and other parts of the state.

As to shooting in the Desert, BLM and National forest permit shooting most of the year. State Trust Land permits hunting but NOT target shooting.  Indian reservations do not permit anything. Check the national forest websites, Tonto NF, the one closest to phoenix, has closed off shooting on hundreds of square miles nearest town due to dirt bike infestation and bans water jugs. Steel and paper are still OK, but plan on an hour drive to find a safe legal place. During hot weather fire seasons all the NFs ban shooting, camp fires and smoking.

Hunting is by drawing for tags to hunt anything larger than a quail or coyote. But lots of public land to hunt on.
https://www.azgfd.com/



Shopping in the Phoenix area:
BassPro in Mesa
Cabela's in northwest valley
2 or 3 Sportsman's Warehouse stores
lots of Local gun Shops.

Hope this helps, welcome to AZ, shoot good!

Poole

As suggested above, you need to visit.  Things are very different in various parts of the state and only you can decide which is best for your family.  Overall AZ is very 2A friendly and, except for a few cities, mostly conservative.  Finding GOOD Mexican food will keep you busy.

I love the border area south of Sierra Vista around the Huachuca mountains.  It has been my stomping grounds off and on for 40 years.  For 17 years I lived 1.5 miles from the border.  Prior to the border wall being built in the area (2nd Bush administration)  trafficking was bad.  But, the wall made a huge difference in reducing trafficking.  

I camp, trail dust, 4 wheel, hike, mountain bike, and target practice in this area.

If you're talking about food close to the border, it's pretty much just like anywhere else. If you're talking about travel, it's kind of like "AN American Werewolf In London". Stay on the roads, and out of the moors, (replace "moors" with open desert) and you'll be fine.