I know this must seem odd, and in all honesty I am feeling rather silly asking, but I think it is for the best.

I am soon to be 21, from a family who hates guns, and no one I have ever known has ever liked guns or its sport. My fiance dispises them, and the few friends I had after school are long gone. It leaves me pretty much alone in my free time, which is spent mostly in entertainment or learning about guns. The little experience I do have in guns is minimal, and more factual than applicable. I've never been to a gun range before, and 99% of my experience with firearms has been with rimfires. Never even held a handgun before, and even had to teach myself how to clean my rifle.

That said, I want to put myself out there. Is there anyone, or a small group, that would be interested in getting a shooting buddy eager to learn anything you can teach them? I just want to find someone so we can call/email each other and set up shooting days from time to time, or who would be willing to tell me when I am doing something wrong, show me the proper way to hold a handgun, etc. I'm not asking for any obligations, nor am I asking for to comply with my every request.

I just feel like I am on my own, and it would be nice to have some good company.

i got four words for you "Burro canyon monthly shoots"

Quoted: i got four words for you "Burro canyon monthly shoots"

Yeah, but the only problem is the shoots are ALWAYS on Saturday, and I work on Saturdays, and Saturday is one of the few hells days to try and get off because I am the only manager working on the ranches, instead of the usual 3-4.

Quoted: Yeah, but the only problem is the shoots are ALWAYS on Saturday, and I work on Saturdays, and Saturday is one of the few hells days to try and get off because I am the only manager working on the ranches, instead of the usual 3-4.

 I live just a mile or two from the road up to Burro, and it usually doesn't take a lot of convincing to get me to go to the range. I have a few different guns that you are more than welcome to shoot.

How big are the ranches and would they be opposed to letting a seriously commited varmint shooter come down to lay waste to some of the vermin?


I've got a varmint gun or two that do wonders on the little buggers, non-neutered Ca. registered AR15s of course...

I'm up in the Bakersfield area but occasionally go down to Ventura to visit family and swinging through the area to do some varmint shooting before finally heading off to Ventura wouldn't be something I'd be opposed to.

Quoted: Quoted: i got four words for you "Burro canyon monthly shoots" Yeah, but the only problem is the shoots are ALWAYS on Saturday, and I work on Saturdays, and Saturday is one of the few hells days to try and get off because I am the only manager working on the ranches, instead of the usual 3-4.

The Burro Canyon shoots aren't "ALWAYS on a Saturday." Keep watching the announcements for them, as we schedule a Sunday shoot every 2-3 months. We just find that Saturday shoots yield the biggest turnouts, and the people who bitch the most about us not having Sunday shoots never show when we DO have them on a Sunday.

Quoted: Quoted: i got four words for you "Burro canyon monthly shoots" Yeah, but the only problem is the shoots are ALWAYS on Saturday, and I work on Saturdays, and Saturday is one of the few hells days to try and get off because I am the only manager working on the ranches, instead of the usual 3-4.

If you have Sundays free, the .50bmg (and everything else!) shooters meet the 3rd Sunday of every month at Angeles Range  (http://www.angelesranges.com/)
If you have an interest in any other firearm type, let me know.  I may have one and will certainly bring it along for you to try out.

Quoted: If you have Sundays free, the .50bmg (and everything else!) shooters meet the 3rd Sunday of every month at Angeles Range  (http://www.angelesranges.com/) If you have an interest in any other firearm type, let me know.  I may have one and will certainly bring it along for you to try out.

I did make a .50 BMG reciever but currently don't have the funds to get the upper. It would be nice to see one being fired, and possibly fire it myself, to know what to expect. Is it more of a rifle type of meet, or are there pistols and shotguns also? Don't have a HUGE interest in Shotguns, but it would be nice from time to time.

As for the Burro shoots, of all the times I have checked the dates, I have seen like one that is on Sunday and I forget eactly why, but I couldn't make it (I was actually really dissapointed that time). If they are scheduled fairly regularly, then I will definitely keep an eye out for them, and hopefully I can make the next one. Any idea when that will be?

If you still live in the area Im from, When I get down to visit the family this October, I will take you out and let you shoot the snot out of the .45's, Garands, and M1 carbines. I hear the hills behind the Golf Course are now full of houses, but I have access to some pretty good privat land avail to shooting in Cherry Valley area.

Neo,
As Ben said, our .50 shoots are the 3rd Sunday of every month. The next one is on the 21st and you're welcome to come out. You don't need a .50 to shoot with us and if you feel like trying one just ask, the guys in the group are always willing to promote the sport.

The pistol range is right next to the rifle range, makes for an easy walk to go and shoot some pistols. If you feel like coming just show up, range opens at 9 am and we're at the far end of the rifle range, can't miss us. Ask for Ben or Shawn or you can talk to Don if both of us aren't there yet.

Quoted: If you still live in the area Im from, When I get down to visit the family this October, I will take you out and let you shoot the snot out of the .45's, Garands, and M1 carbines. I hear the hills behind the Golf Course are now full of houses, but I have access to some pretty good privat land avail to shooting in Cherry Valley area.

Yeah, it's actually a really crappy track home community that even has a new elementary school in it. Most of the area around here has gone downhill, and the few open hills left are usually privately owned. I found out there was an old shooting range in the hills above my parents house, but it was bought out to put in new homes.

As for the shooting, sounds like fun. I would be up for it.

Quoted: Yeah, it's actually a really crappy track home community that even has a new elementary school in it. Most of the area around here has gone downhill, and the few open hills left are usually privately owned. I found out there was an old shooting range in the hills above my parents house, but it was bought out to put in new homes. As for the shooting, sounds like fun. I would be up for it.

I used to hunt the Golf course, and the Hills, but I used to shoot the bigger rifles, and fly the Model Airplanes out behind the chicken ranch. Im not so sure that the Yucaipa/Calimesa area is going down hill, I think it has just overgrown itself. Im about 15 years older than you Im guessing, and you more than likely went to school with my Brother,sisters,and cousin. But I remmember when the Yucaipa lakes, was the Dump, and Im sure you remmember when Yucaipa Blvd was all orange groves. Or Bibleland still had the old guy running around in it doing his sculptures.

The hills across from Crafton Hills College just got graded down for a new development too...
The big chicken ranch at Cherry Valley blvd and the 10, just sold to developers I've heard as well...

Better hurry if you want to get any shooting in before there're neighbors to complain about it!

//Ben  (down on 14th/Kentucky)

Ok, I was born here, but grew up mostly in Highland and moved back maybe 5 or 6 years ago,  so my fond memories of Yucaipa are very minimal. I do remember Bible Land, it was actually about a block from the processing plant that my family own to clean their eggs. It's shame he had to close; I heard he was tired of kids chopping Jesus' head off .

MrBen is right though, that chicken ranch (It's Sunny Cal if I remember right) is gone now. Well, not gone, but it is sold. They are actually trying to get my family to temporarily put chickens on it and use it for free. They don't want to loose their randfathered rights if the deal goes through.

Also, as MrBen said, the hills around crafton are being smoothed out. The gold course was redone, and that track home community went in all around it. I remember there was a waiting list to get in those homes, and they were going for like $500k. Now I have heard there are several class action law suits against the constructor and the homes have trouble selling for $250k.

On top of that, above Bryant is ALL getting developed. One of my families biggest ranches is up there and there are approximately 1,000 homes going up all around it. Something like 400 on the block above us, and 300 each on two of our sides. It's pretty much been accepted that the ranch will be gone in less than 5 years.

We are looking into alternate means of ranching, like free range or organic, but I fear that with the market it will not last. That's why I am going back to school, just like everyone in my family: we are all getting ready to jump ship.

But besides all that, Yucaipa hasn't become a dump, it's just not the rural town that made it great when I was younger. Now you have 50% of the vehicles being raised trucks, more off road recreational vehicles than you count, and no one cares about anyone anymore. I guess it couldn't be stopped, but dang does it suck.

Quoted: On top of that, above Bryant is ALL getting developed. One of my families biggest ranches is up there and there are approximately 1,000 homes going up all around it. Something like 400 on the block above us, and 300 each on two of our sides. It's pretty much been accepted that the ranch will be gone in less than 5 years. We are looking into alternate means of ranching, like free range or organic, but I fear that with the market it will not last. That's why I am going back to school, just like everyone in my family: we are all getting ready to jump ship. But besides all that, Yucaipa hasn't become a dump, it's just not the rural town that made it great when I was younger. Now you have 50% of the vehicles being raised trucks, more off road recreational vehicles than you count, and no one cares about anyone anymore. I guess it couldn't be stopped, but dang does it suck.

You're too close to the major cities for ranching because the land will be too valuable, unfortunate but that is a sad fact in So. Calif. My old hometown of Barstow is not the same when I left it in 1968.

Quoted: The hills across from Crafton Hills College just got graded down for a new development too... The big chicken ranch at Cherry Valley blvd and the 10, just sold to developers I've heard as well... Better hurry if you want to get any shooting in before there're neighbors to complain about it! //Ben  (down on 14th/Kentucky)

I forget the name of the little German Deli in between the dairy and plaza on Calimesa Blvd..

I would give my eye teeth for a black forest sandwich from there right now.

Formerly of 35250 Ave E, and family on Myrtlewood and on Pondarosa trail, and over by the radiator shop where the BMX track used to be.

George's Market

I like that place, though I rarely get to eat there. Got to love the authenticity.