im moving to our beloved capitial next month, and altought about half of the state lives there, i cant recall any des moines members here.

so if you live in the metro area speak up.

and wheres good to shoot(or do anything for that matter)?


edited to add,

WOOHOO 3000 posts

I dont, but you knew that.

I'm in Des Moines.  There's a range up by Polk City (pay range).  There's a public range south of DSM about half way to Indianola (Take e 14th st South, if you get to Indianola you missed it), It's called Banner.  I just recently went by and it has been cleaned up and didn't scare me like the last time (2-3 yrs ago it looked like a garbage dump).  PM me if you like I'll be happy to have some company.  Matt

Where are you moving from?
edited to fix hillbilly grammar.

mjydrafter, im moving from aurelia (a small town in NW iowa, near storm lake if that helps. this fall i begin classes at Drake. i dotn know how much time i will have on my hands, but want to try to get a little shooting in.

Just let me know if you'de like to go some time, happy to show you around town if you like.  Usually some decent fun shows (about every 2 months, although the fairgrounds shows quarterly are the best).


Just a kind word of advice about the Drake area, (I used to live about 3-4 blocks from the main campus, on the wrong end of campus), it's kind of a ruff area.  I only had a couple of problems (nothing serious)while I was there, but none-the-less excersize some caution if your going to live in that area and keep firearms around.  There were good things about where I lived, the mayor lived across the steet, so if someting "fun" was going on and the law was called, there were like 10 squad cars instantly patroling the area.  Plus we were up on the 3rd floor with a corner apartment, so we had a nice 270 degree view of the area, and we were safe from street level cross-fire.  Not trying to scare you, just a heads up.  Only one double murder in the 2+ years my wife and I lived there.  Some sort of backalley deal gone bad I believe, two guys shot each other, about a block over in an alley (less than a block away from the infamous Drake-diner.)  The other was the crack house across the back parking lot, no real action, just the usual traffic and occasional guy throwing small rocks at the upstairs window very early in the morning.

What are you studying?  

Des Moines Rifle & Revolver Club has a beautiful facility at Van Meter, about 20 miles west of DSM.  Big Creek by Polk City has a public range, haven't been there in years so I can't say much about it.  The Banner Pits is the place down by Indianola.  Kind of scary the last time I was down there but its been a while.  There are Izaak Walton Leagues in Indianola, Ankeny, and Ames with assorted shooting facilities.   Boone County Sportsmans Club in Boone also has ranges.  There is a club down by Osceola that I've heard of but never been to.  

Hard part is getting hooked up with memberships.  I belong at Ames, know people in the Ankeny and Boone clubs.  Have shot at Van Meter a number of times, last I heard they weren't actively looking for new members.

Quoted: Just let me know if you'de like to go some time, happy to show you around town if you like.  Usually some decent fun shows (about every 2 months, although the fairgrounds shows quarterly are the best). Just a kind word of advice about the Drake area, (I used to live about 3-4 blocks from the main campus, on the wrong end of campus), it's kind of a ruff area.  I only had a couple of problems (nothing serious)while I was there, but none-the-less excersize some caution if your going to live in that area and keep firearms around.  There were good things about where I lived, the mayor lived across the steet, so if someting "fun" was going on and the law was called, there were like 10 squad cars instantly patroling the area.  Plus we were up on the 3rd floor with a corner apartment, so we had a nice 270 degree view of the area, and we were safe from street level cross-fire.  Not trying to scare you, just a heads up.  Only one double murder in the 2+ years my wife and I lived there.  Some sort of backalley deal gone bad I believe, two guys shot each other, about a block over in an alley (less than a block away from the infamous Drake-diner.)  The other was the crack house across the back parking lot, no real action, just the usual traffic and occasional guy throwing small rocks at the upstairs window very early in the morning. What are you studying?

im aware of the perils of the drake neiborhood, specificly east of the campus. im living in a dorm, so i will not have instant access to my beloved firearms(dammit). im keepign them with a family member of mine. if you have ever gotten your face smashed in you may know him(he is a oral/facial surgon). i will keep your email and drop you a line when i get settled and establish some kind of an idea about how my school/study routine will go. wouldnt want to get off to a bad start and lose my scholarship. im majoring in Poly Sci and History (double major).

any des moines dwellers able to give out of towner directions to the Lumberyard? not my idea of fun, but some buddies and me are commin down tuesday to have a session at Skin Kitchen (tattoo joint) and they want to make a big night of it. were also lookin for a good BBQ place in des moines.

thanks for all the friendly advice

The Lumberyard, eh?  NE 14th st.  I think 2 or 3 blocks north of I-80, take right (you should be able to see it from the stop light).  It'll be on the left.  It has a red metal roof.  Never been there but they tell me it's nice.  

Quoted: Never been there but they tell me it's nice.

sure, thats what they all say

Quoted: Quoted: Never been there but they tell me it's nice.   sure, thats what they all say

<homer> mmmm, strippers, mmmmm </homer>

I was in the Drake area the last 3 nights as we had an open house for our Czech crystal glass import business at the Holiday Inn Express on 25th street next to the Drake Diner.  If you're looking for great food at a reasonable price the Drake Diner is where it's at.  As far as BBQ, Famous Dave's is probably the best that I've had in Des Moines.  But the best authentic Texas BBQ is Battles BBQ up in Ames right off the campus, I've known George for over 20 years back when he had his little restaurant on Forrest Avenue east of Drake.  I live in Colfax about 20 miles east of Des Moines on I-80, the in-laws have a farm that I go plinking on.  Good Luck and hope to see you around!

I live in madrid 20 miles N of Des Moines and about 10 min N of the polk City range mjydrafter talked about.

Snipe...you're back online now!  So how did your remodeling go?

hey guys, im living here in des moines. our network is all messed up so i cant realy get on here too often, i guess hopefully i get it sorted out soon

Keep us updated and maybe we can all get together somewhere in Des Moines for supper or something, plinking is high on my list but I work on weekends.  There's a Des Moines gun show coming up in September I believe out at the Fairgrounds.

the universitys network is still a littel shakey, but over all i think i am now capable of semi-reliable communications.

Quoted: Snipe...you're back online now!  So how did your remodeling go?

My online time is a min here and their a week.  Still working my arse off on the house. Damn I miss this place.