Target Shooting & Shooting Courses/Classes

[Jim]

Interesting reading these posts. Differing views are well represented here.

Where do you go target shooting in Roswell? Handguns or rifles?

In my case the targets have a way of moving just before my bullet gets there. Maggie's drawers! If it was horseshoes I'd have a good score.

Anyone here teach that CCW refresher course?

Is there a PPC course here?

How about night firing? Stats used to show most shootings by police occur at night. Laser sights help.

Anyone here gone thru the Secret Service range in MD?

[oladcock]

Jim, About 3 miles northeast on the south side of 70 is the Roswell Gun Club, 7 or 8 different ranges from a 25-50-100 meter "LE" range, to a 1000 meter range and everything inbetween including a 6 bay IPSC range. $60 a year gets you a key to use as you wish. On weekends there's always a match of some kind going on. www.roswellgunclub.com

On the north side is the trap/skeet range and cowboy action range..All different clubs.

Look at the DPS web site, they have a list of certified CC instructors. We got ours through Levi Moody of the RPD but there are several others local.

"How about night firing? Stats used to show most shootings by police occur at night. Laser sights help."

All the LE agencies night fire out there, I don't know of any problem for members doing the same. Barring that, we got millions of acres of public land to do with as you wish, shoot to your hearts content. Better hand load to afford it! :)....O.L.

[Jim]

I was at the gun club range a couple of times. No rangemaster and I was alittle concerned about people nearby and how they were handling weapons. I went there with a member as his guest and I suppose any member can bring as many guests as they want.

We fired at that range beside old Walker AFB. Nice range with safety people there.
Is there some spook outfit out there?

I was never thrilled about having a coach shouting at me as I fired but if someone
handled a weapon unsafely I was glad they were there.

Ammo is expensive! Reloads cost less. Then you have to clean the weapons.

When I was a mere lad we had to throw our rifles in the sand, have the platoon march over them several times, retrieve them, clean them blindfolded and be ready for rifle inspection a few minutes after that. Those were the fun times.

[Daisy]

My husband belongs to the Chisum Cowboys Gun Club - they dress as Cowboys and shoot several stages, all with different scenarios. The members have built an awesome 'cowboy' town out there. Very cool - here is the site for anyone interested in joining or watching. (be patient, it takes awhile to load) Chisum Cowboys (http://www.chisumcowboys.com/)

When we go out to shoot for fun (target practice), we go to different places out in the county. My husband works out in the oil fields and knows lots of safe places surrounded by dirt berms. We bring our own targets and shoot handguns and rifles. Fun stuff! :shoot:

[oladcock]

"We fired at that range beside old Walker AFB. Nice range with safety people there.
Is there some spook outfit out there?"

Yep, that's Mystic..And what they do is an inigma wrapped in a riddle. Very nice range. Some LE stuff, some foreign students from what I understand. I'm sure we'll meet some of them at some point! :)

"No rangemaster and I was alittle concerned about people nearby and how they were handling weapons."

There are rangemasters during organized events. Everyone is a SAFETY officer..See something you don't like, say something..If that doesn't remedy the situation, move to another range and report the behavior to the club safety officer. The Roswell Gun Club doesn't have the best facilities around but that's in part because some of it is private land mixed with public. The public land you don't want to dump a bunch of $$$ into cause it could be lost by a stroke of a political pen. They are in the process of taking care of that problem, at which time there will be a lot of upgrades.

Alamogordo has a nice private range, costs $3 a day I think to use and Carlsbad has a very nice public range owned by the city....O.L.

[Jim]

Do RPD officers have to qualify monthly? Do they fire a PPC course? Does the city provide the ammo?

Have they ever had jail inmates pick up brass and police up the range area?

Is that part of the gun club range that's public property city property?

[Jim]

I guess that nice range out by the old base where mysterious Mystic is now was the Walker AFB range. Years ago we'd go in that area with Chief Spears of the ENMU-R Police Dept. Is that city property? Leased to Mystic? Can RPD use that range?

[oladcock]

"Do RPD officers have to qualify monthly? Do they fire a PPC course? Does the city provide the ammo?"

I'm not sure whether it's monthly or quarterly and I think they do provide the ammo. Eric Madsen is their training officer last I knew.

"Have they ever had jail inmates pick up brass and police up the range area?"

No, My wifes a brass buzzard, we pick up a lot of it or use to. Others pick it up as well. The wages officers make, it's not cost effective for them to pick it up or supervise others to do so.

"Is that part of the gun club range that's public property city property?"

None of it's city, BLM...

"Can RPD use that range?" (Mystic) It's a for profit business so I guess they could if they wanted to pay. I'm not sure the arrangement they have with the Roswell gun club, pretty certain it's free or small yearly fee, the game dept uses the gun club for firearm safety as well. The CCSD uses RGC as well.....O.L.

[Neil]

The gun club is a little bit bleak. The toilets, well the male ones anyway are European, a hole in the ground. The range is closed on Monday morning for cleaning which means that there's not a single empty casing to be found, well not a brass center fire one anyway, you are still ankle deep in alloy, steel and rimfire cases.
The PD would love to use the old range at the base but I was told we didn't use it because of EPA issues with the lead.

[Serio Aldenevich]

It's a great range by the base. Someone is using it and presumably there are lead bullets. EPA won't allow that? Is it city property?

[oladcock]

"Someone is using it and presumably there are lead bullets. EPA won't allow that?"

They (EPA) tried to ban lead bullets in CA, the courts shot them down, no pun intended. You can't use lead shot for federal "migatory" birds and some indoor ranges won't allow lead bullets in them, mostly so they can sell more costly ammo, not for any legitimate health reasons.....O.L.

[saw]

Which range are you folks talking about the one on the Northwest corner of the base or the one on the Southeast portion of the base?

The one on the Northwest I think is for handguns only and I have seen some of the LE agencies shoot there.

[oladcock]

Saw, I didn't know there were 2...Mystic, the one on what would be the northeast side, behind big fences with a cypher lock gate and cameras! :)...O.L.

[Serio Aldenevich]

If Mystic is leasing that property from the City (Is it??) There should be a provision allowing our RPD officers can use the range at specified times to requalify. They won't interrupt their spook classes. The range is off by itself after you go thru the gate, Mystic may have one of those lucrative beltway contracts with DOD, DIA or whoever and feels they must have a secure area.
Letting local LE use the range is not going to compromise their security.

[Daisy]

I was out at the Chisum Cowboys range yesterday and the place looks amazing! They have created an old western town with a jail, church, saloon, blacksmith, graveyard, and yep, even a brothel. ;)

The Chisum Cowboys hold their matches the first Sunday of each month. If you want to take a step back in time, I encourage you to go out and watch. It's a fun thing to do on a Sunday morning. :smk3:

[saw]

Turn West on Hobson Road off of Main (The old base gate) follow the airport fence West and turn South with the fence (Yo Acres) and you will run into the range. It is on city property and I have seen LE folks shoot there.

I think that it dates back to military days.