I've been a member, (off and on for 30 years), of a private ($20 daily fee) rifle range located about half way between The Valley and Anchorage. It's a good range, but over the years, as things do, it "changed". It has finally gotten to where I REALLY have to be motivated to go there.

Last year - for MANY reasons - the Department of Natural Resources, (NO affiliation with Fish and Game in any fashion), spent $600,000 on a "public" shooting range in The Valley. (Turns out it's only about 5 miles closer to my house that the private range is. ) It's free, :) and there is no range officer . The first year it was fairly Spartan: Only 4 lanes for shooting, no benches, no pavilion, and only 100 yd. This summer the State upgraded/enlarged it. (It was closed until Aug 22, thereby making it useless for most of the summer. :frown) It now has about 16 lanes at 100 yd, NICE benches, a pavilion over the benches, and a very nice pistol range. It's open from 1000 to 2000 daily except Wednesday when it is closed. I went yesterday to shoot the Riedl and the AR-10, but mostly to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised. Here are some pictures.

Here's the pistol range:




And here's the rifle range:










So far, so good. I expect there to be either vandalism or an injury that will require a range officer. However, until that time comes, I'll try to enjoy it.

Paul

WOW!!! That's pretty nice!!!

RJ

I don't know what the "upgrade" cost, but considering what $600,000 got for the first version, it's difficult to imagine that this didn't cost close to a million.

Paul

Stunning 'back stop'. Hope it does not get vandalised.
You would not see ANY public money being used like that over here...enjoy while you can!

That's awesome Paul.

Love the landscape scenery.

I am sorry/ashamed (as an American) to say that it is not possible for me to imagine it not getting vandalized. I simply just can't see it. The primary reason is that I live in The Valley, which is the "creation" of The Pipe. The Valley is populated essentially with the 'spawn of The Pipe' that were not intelligent enough to manage the WILD salaries they got during the Pipeline construction, and didn't have enough money to leave. The men found the women and vice versa, and voila', "spawn of the Pipe" - the uneducated spawning a cohort of offspring with irresponsible parents, the "good" one's of which couldn't care less about the education of their children and the "bad" ones despising education.

Part of the reason for the construction of this range was that this general area had become the "playground" of riff-raff that had utterly trashed an area of about 10 square miles. There was so much complaint by the home-owning residents that the state designated the area the Knik River Public Use Area. Thereby allowing "special" regulations and enforcement. There has been a pretty aggressive presence of Troopers and other State personnel, but sooner or later they'll tire of 'policing' and when they do, the vandals will return with a vengeance - literally.

I know I sound pessimistic, but I've been watching this for the past three decades. And it's not just me. Ben Stevens, a state senator, (the son of Ted Stevens former federal senator), got his head handed to him politically for PUBLICLY saying what has been a widely-used pejorative term for those that live in The Valley - "Valley Trash". Great indignation, and of course the liberal Press ate him alive for his "insensitivity", but EVERYONE knows it's the truth.

But I digress. I'm just in a cranky mood.

It's a VERY nice place. I hope I can get to use it for some lengthy time to come. However, I am fairly confident that the government will find an excuse to have a Range Officer on site. When they do, it will mark "the end" for me. I am very seriously pursuing a land purchase that will allow me to build a private range. I move farther and farther into the woods and farther and farther from the Madding Crowd.

Paul

We have "Spawn of the Powerplant" here. I know EGGSAKKLY what you mean.
I have a special name for them that cannot be repeated here.

RJ

Wow !. Cracking range !.

Its hard to believe anyone could trash such beautiful countryside.

That's a nice looking range. How did the guns shoot?

In response to

Quote from: Hunterbug;140805That's a nice looking range. How did the guns shoot?

there was a pregnant silence.

Paul

Quote from: gitanoIn response to  there was a pregnant silence.

Paul

Insert chirping crickets here. :D

I only took the Riedl and the Ar-10. The Riedl to test it without the MagnetoSpeed. It shot OK in that it didn't key-hole, but the 'scope ain't werkin'. No windage adjustment. I'm werkin' on that. MAY have fixed itself when I took it off and threaten to beat it on the ground. In the mean time I have installed a 'scope that works.

The AR-10 failed to fire. It's a long story, but suffice it to say that when you have a inanimate object that you made and it doesn't work, it isn't the "thing's" fault. It has very picayune headspace inter-relationships. I works now.

I was planning to head back to the range today, but got sidetracked by Biopar stuff. I might make it tomorrow. I have meetings in the morning and a wedding at 1800. We'll see.

Paul

At least you guys have a spawn. Linn County Missouri has been shrinking ever since Walt Disney and JJ Pershing left. No dams, no pipelines and Hwy 5 is turning into a goat trail. I do have a nice rifle and pistol range, however. Too bad there is no Mountain in the background! I guess no place is perfect.

I would welcome "shrinking" with open arms. BUT... "shrinking" doesn't keep kids 'down on the farm'. Bright lights and glamour draw children like moths to a flame, or young men to "black" rifles.

Paul

Duhh, surely you jest!
Something did not work?