Desert shooting in AZ

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Desert shooting in AZ

Posted: 1/9/2002 12:13:49 PM EDT

From Tempe/Chandler/Mesa area - any close (~30-45min) places to go desert blasting?

I've tried searching for a past post regarding places to shoot just outside Phx but couldn't find any.

I'm looking for a place to do some desert shooting (non-range) but not too far out of the valley area. Recently they've restricted even more parts of Tonto Nat'l Forest and I'm see more and more "NO TARGET SHOOTING" signs.

Quite discouraging.

Posted: 1/9/2002 12:35:04 PM EDT

[#1]

Contact the following members from this board:
Treetop, GarryOwen, topcrest, sinistralRifleman.

They are around/near that area and I'm sure if there's a spot around there they know about it.
I'm in South Scottsdale/North Tempe area and I shoot in the following places:
Rio Salado (Range)
Mandall's in Scottsdale (Range/Gun Shop)
Off I-17 North, Table Mesa Rd. exit bear to the left go over the bridge take first right that road turns into a dirt Road bear to the right for about a mile or so and you will see a large valley with an upper parking and lower parking area where a lot of us go shoot. AR15.com Shoot was there about 3 months ago or so.

Take it easy......

John

Posted: 1/9/2002 12:48:38 PM EDT

[#2]

I guess I have it made out here in NM.
I have access to over 120 sections of private land to hunt and shoot on not counting all the public land out here. You hunt all day and sometimes not see another person.
On the other hand we have more pumpjacks in this county than we do people.

Posted: 1/9/2002 1:28:51 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Contact the following members from this board:
Treetop, GarryOwen, topcrest, sinistralRifleman.

They are around/near that area and I'm sure if there's a spot around there they know about it.
I'm in South Scottsdale/North Tempe area and I shoot in the following places:
Rio Salado (Range)
Mandall's in Scottsdale (Range/Gun Shop)
Off I-17 North, Table Mesa Rd. exit bear to the left go over the bridge take first right that road turns into a dirt Road bear to the right for about a mile or so and you will see a large valley with an upper parking and lower parking area where a lot of us go shoot. AR15.com Shoot was there about 3 months ago or so.

Take it easy......

John

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Tanks!

Posted: 1/9/2002 1:52:05 PM EDT

[#4]

... I know where the sweet spot from Heaven is but I don't like to broadcast it for reasons you can imagine.

Posted: 1/10/2002 9:55:29 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
... I know where the sweet spot from Heaven is but I don't like to broadcast it for reasons you can imagine.

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Can you e-mail me? :-)

Posted: 1/10/2002 3:15:55 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:

Quoted:
... I know where the sweet spot from Heaven is but I don't like to broadcast it for reasons you can imagine.

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Can you e-mail me? :-)

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OK

Posted: 1/10/2002 3:44:32 PM EDT

[#7]

c'mon guys, it's a great big desert out there. i don't think anybody's looking for your favorite fishin' hole. just a general place where shooting is allowed and safe.

Matt_S and i are looking around for a desert shooting locale in the east valley area too. we're trying to convert a fence sitter. she admits to being afraid of the loudness of the reports. so we really don't want to take her to a range where someone's got a real whopper of a noisemaker there.

do it for the cause! [:D]

Posted: 1/10/2002 10:27:10 PM EDT

[#8]

I am looking also.

All my old spots are now peoples yards or some parking lot. Aaaarrrrggghhh I should have never taken a break from dirt bike riding and shooting.

One thing that I have done is to get a map, one that show where BLM is. That is truely the only safe places to shoot (without worrying what the rules are). Big thing to worry about in the Valley, is to stay off the Indian Reservations. Big NO NO to have a firearm (unless you get all the paperwork).

The only crappy thing is now I have to drive at LEAST AN HOUR to get out to no-mans-land. I have gotten a few leads here and there. Only to check the maps to find that they are not the most legal places to shoot. It is no fun to be blasting away, have the sherrif dept show up and be told that I have to move on to a new spot. Then to ask them, "You have any suggestions on where to go?" They just shake their head and sigh and say "Not really, I used to shoot here also, and I haven't found a good spot yet."

Posted: 1/11/2002 10:32:07 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
...Big thing to worry about in the Valley, is to stay off the Indian Reservations. Big NO NO to have a firearm (unless you get all the paperwork).

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I second that. Heard some horror stories of being caught on their land holding a "fire-stick", even with paperwork. Play it safe - stay off the reservations!

Posted: 1/11/2002 10:39:29 AM EDT

[#10]

... Neighbors, I e-mailed [b]Beagles747[/b] with directions to a GREAT spot (you can't even imagine how kewl it is). Perfect for pistols, medium range, long range and full-auto.

... E-mail him for a copy

... Happy shooting and please, police your brass and targets.

Posted: 1/11/2002 11:17:36 AM EDT

[#11]

I'm going Saturday morning to one of my favorite spots...... It's off the Bee Line Hwy, near Saguaro lake. Plenty of places to shoot there, it's basically a dry river bed. You have to go back a ways to get away from all the moorcycle and ATV riders, but it's a great place.

From Mesa, take Hwy 87, which is Country Club Dr. You go about 25 miles, toward Saguaro Lake. Immediately after the turn off to go towards the lake, there will be a left turn off of the Bee Line. (DO NOT take the turn to go to the lake, stay on the Bee Line.) Take the left turn and you'll hit a dirt road on the other side of the hwy. A 2WD vehicle will be fine until you get down to the river bed, about a mile, but after that you probably should have 4WD. Although on the weekend, there will be someone there to help get you unstuck.

E-mail me if you want more info.... or if you want to tag along. I'm going at 10:00a.

Posted: 1/11/2002 1:39:34 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
... Immediately after the turn off to go towards the lake, there will be a left turn off of the Bee Line. (DO NOT take the turn to go to the lake, stay on the Bee Line.)

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... I believe that is called the "Lower Sycamore Creek" turnoff. Nice spot but like you say, many ATVers and it can get quite populated with shooters.
... [b]223-Buckaroo[/b], do you go up towards Sugarloaf mountain or downstream towards the Valley to blast?

Posted: 1/11/2002 1:53:40 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:

Quoted:
... Immediately after the turn off to go towards the lake, there will be a left turn off of the Bee Line. (DO NOT take the turn to go to the lake, stay on the Bee Line.)

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... I believe that is called the "Lower Sycamore Creek" turnoff. Nice spot but like you say, many ATVers and it can get quite populated with shooters.
... [b]223-Buckaroo[/b], do you go up towards Sugarloaf mountain or downstream towards the Valley to blast?

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I usually go up towards Sugarloaf. There are some good camping spots in there too..... If you head down the river bed, you'll hit very deep, very loose sand. I've gone a few miles down that way but that's it.

Posted: 1/11/2002 1:57:31 PM EDT

[#14]

Avoid the Indian reservations!!

Otherwise, just head northeast, out of Tempe.
When you see a nice secluded spot that looks like a good place to take a walk and do some shooting.....that'll do.
You will notice that there will be empty shell casings around.
You aren't the first person to do this.

Posted: 1/11/2002 2:03:24 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Avoid the Indian reservations!!

Otherwise, just head northeast, out of Tempe.
When you see a nice secluded spot that looks like a good place to take a walk and do some shooting.....that'll do.
You will notice that there will be empty shell casings around.
You aren't the first person to do this.

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... Uh, er, comic relief huh? That is the [b]Salt River Indian Reservation[/b] just north and east of Tempe!

... knucklehead [B)]

Posted: 1/11/2002 2:04:52 PM EDT

[#16]

Hell, all I know is there's a spot on the map to the northeast of Tempe, where it's ok.

Posted: 1/11/2002 2:13:17 PM EDT

[#17]

... Alright [b]Major-Murphy[/b] its kewl, I just have to say one more thing about this.

... Flat, wide open desert is [b]NOT[/b] optimal shooting terrain. When shooting F/A with newbies or sighting in the 50BMG a solid [u]backstop[/u] is paramount. And finding spots where you can obtain the range is not as easy as one might think. Then when you do find that spot one of your neighbors will go buzzing by on his Banshee 90 degrees opposed to your line of fire and everyone puckers.

... Premium spots well, are premium; and are usually overpopulated as is the reason I like to give directions with some discretion.

(spl error)

Posted: 1/11/2002 2:17:26 PM EDT

[#18]

If your heading towards payson on the 87, the turnoff to Sycamore is 1.4 or 1.5 miles past the turnoff for saguaro lake. The turnoff is marked by signs and cuts across the median to the left.

Posted: 1/11/2002 2:17:53 PM EDT

[#19]

When I was "passing though" that area, a few years ago, I'd just keep my eye on the map, and the signs, and look for berms.
EVERYTIME I found a spot, that I thought looked like a good spot.
I would always find that I wasn't the first one to discover this. There would be MOUNDS of casings.

(BTW, not everyone is lookig for a F/A or .50 range)

Posted: 1/11/2002 2:32:23 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
If your heading towards payson on the 87, the turnoff to Sycamore is 1.4 or 1.5 miles past the turnoff for saguaro lake. The turnoff is marked by signs and cuts across the median to the left.

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That's it.

Why is it that my AR is the only one I've seen out there? Where are you guys?
I'll be there this Saturday in a White GMC Sierra Ext. Cab 4x4.

Posted: 1/11/2002 2:35:59 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
If your heading towards payson on the 87, the turnoff to Sycamore is 1.4 or 1.5 miles past the turnoff for saguaro lake. The turnoff is marked by signs and cuts across the median to the left.

View Quote

That's it.

Why is it that my AR is the only one I've seen out there? Where are you guys?
I'll be there this Saturday in a White GMC Sierra Ext. Cab 4x4.

View Quote

I usually go out on sunday's, but not this sunday.

Posted: 1/11/2002 2:39:12 PM EDT

[#22]

The best spot used to be the area just north of the General Motors proving grounds.

Posted: 1/11/2002 2:46:17 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
The best spot used to be the area just north of the General Motors proving grounds.

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Yeah, about 7 years ago.

Posted: 1/11/2002 2:48:23 PM EDT

[#24]

Saturday Super shoot, Lotboy. Call in sick you monkey.

Posted: 1/11/2002 2:49:58 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The best spot used to be the area just north of the General Motors proving grounds.

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Yeah, about 7 years ago.

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What part of "used to be" don't you understand sailor?

Posted: 1/11/2002 3:45:46 PM EDT

[#26]

would love to hunt/ and or target shoot from atop a large mesa

Posted: 1/11/2002 5:06:50 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
would love to hunt/ and or target shoot from atop a large mesa

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Is that you Charles Whitman?

Posted: 1/11/2002 7:06:57 PM EDT

[#28]

lol

Posted: 1/12/2002 6:11:36 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
If your heading towards payson on the 87, the turnoff to Sycamore is 1.4 or 1.5 miles past the turnoff for saguaro lake. The turnoff is marked by signs and cuts across the median to the left.

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Thanks for the directions LotBoy - had no trouble finding it. Just took a drive out there this afternoon.

HOLY COW!!! That place is LOADED with ATVers and dirtbikers!! How the heck do you find a place to shoot? Is it always like that? Do you have to drive like ten miles offroad to get away from the crowds? I'm going to try again next weekend early morning. I'll probably have to go even further north if that place is the same as it was today.