KY native now in MO for past 18 years going to Knob Creek MG shoot in October.  Will be taking my 12 year son and older cousin who is fighting liver cancer.  This is one of those bucket list items for him.  He lives in Jeffersonville so we would pick him up on way in for Saturday night shoot.  Can't come sooner due to son's football game.  May come back on Sunday morning or may skip Sat. night and come on Sunday morning depending on what you guys tell me.  Looking for advise to maximize fun trip for all of us.

well depends for fun the night shot is pretty neat but anytime i go i more focused on table hunting and looking at all the for sale items. I have actually gone and not watched a second of the shoot. I say for family fun the night shoot is your best bet, Or to totally out do WATCHING the shoot why not rent a machine gun and join the fun.

Night shoot is neat to watch.  +1 on renting the young man a machine gun to shoot as well

If you have never been to the MG shoot, the night shoot is a MUST SEE.
..at least once..

But make sure you bring COMFORTABLE  ear muffs or ear plugs for everyone

If you want to rent a gun to shoot at the lower range bring some money.  If you go early in the day the line isn't as long for the rentals.

Comfy shoes!!!! You will be doing a good bit of walking depending on where you park.

I treat it like a day hike. Be prepared to be in burning sun, and be prepared to be in torrential downpour. Bring water and food, maybe not a meal, but some stout snacks are a good idea. People who come with just street clothes look miserable by the time the night shoot rolls around.

Bring money. Cash. As much as your budget allows.

The food in the cafeteria isn't too bad and its not insanely priced, but there is always a line.

Bring a NOTEBOOK! Write down the price and booth number of the deals you find on your first pass to do your price comparisons.

Bring good, comfortable ear protection. The cheap foam plugs suck.

Get your shopping done before 7 then stake out a spot for the night shoot.

Make sure you head down the hill behind the range house and watch a few stages of the pistol match. Head down the other hill past the covered vendors and watch the subgun match.

At the end of the day, take your time getting back to your car. Matter of fact, just plan on hanging out for an hour or two after the night shoot.

Its not always bad weather, or bad traffic, but if you prepare for both its no big deal when it happens. If its nice weather and easy driving, call it a bonus!

The above guide has worked for me for 4 years since I moved to this lovely state.

Thanks for the advise on making the trip to Knob Creek.  Yes, will make the night shoot and have saved some$$$ for my 12 year old.  He really wants to shoot old Ma Duce so will really need to bring some $$$$ for that big .50!

Do people bring in chairs with them or just sit on the ground to watch the night shoot?  And how long does that the shoot last?

Step 1 - Take plenty of cash, a hat and maybe something to cover your nose and mouth when the dust, burning ballistol, gun smoke and smoke from burning cars, boats, cable spools, ATMs, voting booths, various and sundry appliances and the like.

Step 2 - Wear ear plugs AND muffs.

Step 3 - Get there EARLY.  Wear comfy shoes.  Take advantage of the lift they give you from your car to the gate.  If you plan on buying ammo, bring a folding hand truck.

Step 4 - Have an awesome time.




ETA:
There are thousands of people standing on their tippy-toes, often with young'ns on their shoulders, vying for a good view.  The only thing you guys will see from chairs are the hind ends of a whole bunch of firearms enthusiasts and a few narcs.

This is pretty much spot on by me. I would add to get there early if you want to shoot any of the rentals and you will not be able to sit in a chair and see much of the shooting.
If your gonna shoot a 50, I seem to recall that being $130 or $150 for a short belt.
The night shoot is a must see if you are not there regularly.
Comfy shoes and effective hearing protection is a must.
I would not make the trip just to be there Sunday.

There are bleacher seats you can sit on behind the main firing range.  



As far as the rentals go, you can only rent what they offer.  They might not have everything you would like but have most of the popular stuff.  It just depends on the person that is renting them out.

Comfy shoes and effective hearing protection is a must for sure !
If it rains Thursday or Friday bring comfy shoes that you don't mind gettin' muddy !

Oh... Did we mention hearing protection !

WHAAAAAT?!?

If you want really good ear pro, bring $60-70 and see the nice folks at the Brite-Ears booth for a set of custom molded earplugs. Worth every dime and more. They're usually just behind the range house.

There are not very many bleacher seats and they fill up fast.

4 wheel drive might help out.  ;)
Parking lot gets kinda messy.

good earpro
good walking shoes/boots
cash money for shopping 90% of the vendors dont take credit
backpack (to carry what you buy)
gatorade in the backpack
small snack in the backpack if you dont feel like waiting in line for a snack
hat
sunglasses

In addition to the above,

BRIDGES OUT
The I-64 Bridge is CLOSED, and it is not looking like it will be back open before the MG Shoot. For anyone coming from the North / West plan on having to take a detour from New Albany to Clarksville via I-265 to the I-65 Bridge. Depending on the day of the week and time of day this can obviously be a major issue. During rush hour it can easily take 1-2 hours to get from Southern IN into Louisville.  

The bridge at Knob Creek was recently taken out by a logging truck, and there is a temporary fix in place. Not sure how this will impact access into and out of the event, but I am sure it is going to slow things down. Given the volume of traffic that will be going in/out of the place, I really hope the temporary bridge will hold. We have also been getting a very steady stream of rain which could come into play.

PARKING
If you get there early enough (no later than 06:30-07:00) you can park "fairly close", beyond that it is a crap shoot where you will end up. FYI - you park where they send you, not where you want to go. If you have a "legit" handicap parking pass/plate they will try to work with you, but it is first come first serve and those limited areas will fill up quick. Rain will also play a major factor, and we have been getting plenty, so things are already going to be saturated. In some past years it pretty much took a a 4 wheel drive to get in/out of some of the parking areas. Please see the map below for an outline on the parking situation



HOTELS
There are hotels in the Radcliff/Ft Knox area, but watch out because many of them are old and run down. If you are looking at that area I would make sure you do some research on the hotel to make sure it is OK.

"Brooks Area" which is at Exit 121 off of Interstate I-65, just south of the center of Louisville, hotels are newer and there is also plenty of stores and resturants in the area.
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=38.06426212821433~-85.69934412897825&lvl=15&sty=h&ss=yp.hotels~pg.1~rad.1,14752320380913

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Hillview
365 Brenton Way, Shepherdsville, KY
(502) 955-4984

Ramada
191 Brenton Way, Shepherdsville, KY
(502) 955-5566

Fairfield Inn-Louisville South
362 Brenton Way, Shepherdsville, KY
(502) 955-5533

Quality Inn & Suites
716 Brooks Hill Rd, Brooks, KY
(502) 955-6272

Comfort Inn Pirate's Bay Indoor Water Park
191 Brenton Way, Shepherdsville, KY
(502) 955-5566

Hampton Inn
180 Willabrook Dr, Brooks, KY
(502) 957-5050

Best of luck with everything,
M Richardson

i am going for the first time, i have a lexus gs300. should i park on the side of the highway? i do not mind walking a mile or two to get down there if needed.

also, anyone who has been before... do you know if they sell ar15 barrels at decent prices? i am looking for 20" chrome lined barrels(not uppers, just barrels) and definitely not some model 1 garbage. also what about .40 cal ammo?

Odds of finding barrels are very good to excellent. But you never know for certain what you'll run across. It just depends on what the vendors bring.

Parking can be a challenge, especially if you get there late. The map posted above gives you a good idea of where everything is.

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK IF ITS FLOODED BEFORE YOU LEAVE! With the bridge out I don't think it will take as much water to flood it as it did in the past.

I always park on the road, if it rains, deffinately park the lexus on the road. The parking is not always a mudhole after rain, but spots can get bad with tons of traffic. I have also experianced extreme dust one year.

If you want to watch the night shoot, later in the day I would take the family to the bleachers and take turns walking around while the others hold the spots down. Make sure you are all up there at least an hour before the shoot.

thanks. i was going to try to get there around 6am and just kind of hang out until it opens up. maybe have breakfast, but i dont want to have to use the port o johns... i HATE public toilets.

park on the road, I drive a G35 and ive parked on the side of the road since ive had it. its really not a bad walk unless your packing ammo.

you shouldnt have any problem finding a barrel, or ammo


ETA: for those of you looking into a hotel, we stayed at the holiday inn at radcliff, nice and clean with a nice heated indoor pool and a GREAT FREE breakfast in the morning. bacon, celeral, omlets, waffles, good stuff.

I always park on the road now and walk in.  It is not a bad walk if you are in half decent shape

If I see deals I buy some walk it out to me vehicle and come back and buy some more

Sometimes you can get a space close on the highway.