Shooting range in Cottage Grove area?

[BemidjiDweller]

When I was taking my firearm safety class many years ago, I remember we had our range day at this little 25 yard range with a shotgun field right next to it. I think it was off Co. Rd. 19, but I cannot be sure. I've asked my father about it multiple times (he is the one who drove me there) and he doesn't even remember me taking any firearm safety class. What I am asking, is if anyone in SoWash county knows of the place I am talking about. And any information related to who runs it, membership info and all such. I've searched this site hoping someone has talked about it, but no luck. Thanks for all the help!

Edit: A few more tibbits of memory, the range part was down a hill from the parking area.

Edit2: Added Co. Rd.

[Sigfan220]

According to the DNR website that would put you right at the Mid-continent range. They say 3 or so miles SW of Welch MN whish would put you down on 19. That's all I have, just kind of bored so I looked it up. I have never seen or heard of it. Contact info in link below.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/shooting_ran ... +Gun+Range

[Sigfan220]

I found it on Google maps. Now how to get the directions... It's just like you described one trap house and a short range. Give me a sec

[Sigfan220]

I think this will work

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=welch+mn ... s&t=h&z=18

If not it is on the corner of Sand Rd and Sunset Tr, maybe 1/4 mile south of the river.

OK I'm really bored, don't want to weld...

[BemidjiDweller]

I'm sorry, I should have been more specific. County road 19 in south Washington county. I'm pretty sure the range is one of those unofficial community shooting spots, but it is entirely possible it was a private range too. Thank you for your help.

[Sigfan220]

Maybe the 3M range, I know they have/had one in the area

[Sigfan220]

Yeah I found the 3M range, right off 19(in Cottage Grove this time) I see the trap fields and what looks like a short range. Too hard to tell though...

I can't figure out how I got the link before... It's right by the plant though. Just past the field of test strips or whatever they are testing in the field. Just south of 61.

[BemidjiDweller]

There were no buildings on site, but they could have built some in the last 10 years. Hmmm, I can't help but feel that it would be further into farm land. There were trees right behind and on top of the backstop. The shotgun range was nothing more than a moveable thrower setup in a field. The directions in the next sentence are examples as I had no idea which direction which. Let say the pistol range was pointed to the north, the shotgun are would be pointed west and the hill with the parking would be towards the east.

I'm sorry I can't provide any more details, it was a long time ago (for me, 22 years old). But I do thank you Sigfan for all your help. On a side note, I wouldn't mind working for 3M, they have very nice facilities down here in CG and up north by Bemidji.

[xd ED]

I've heard of a (now long gone) range in Cottage Grove. I've never seen it, but it seems to me the talk had it located N/ E of 61 near 95.
The mentioned range in Welch sounds like the place along the Cannon Valley Trail; about midway between Welch and Cannon Falls. I thinks it's a rather small, short(looks like <200yrd) rifle/ pistol range in a ravine near the river, but I could be wrong about the facilities, as I've never been able to stop and check it out.

[BemidjiDweller]

I've heard of a (now long gone) range in Cottage Grove. I've never seen it, but it seems to me the talk had it located N/ E of 61 near 95.

This sounds promising, thank you very much. I might drive around over there tomorrow to see if anything sparks some memories.

[xd ED]

I got curious as to what google might offer up:

I got this:
Hideaway Shooting Range
Shooting
9225 St Croix Trail S, Hastings, MN
(651) 436-8292
But the aerial photo makes it look more like a junk-ridden farmstead than anything resembling a range:

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&rls=en&oe=UTF-8&q=9225+St+Croix+Trail+S&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x87f7dd354c2db235:0x6caee60b55867b4e,9225+St+Croix+Trail+S,+Hastings,+MN+55033&gl=us&sa=X&ei=-hKnUO_tIpP7yAHjnYCQDA&ved=0CC4Q8gEwAA

Appears to be about 1 mile N of the county park

[Rip Van Winkle]

The Hideaway has been closed for 20 - 30 years. It was run by a father and son. I liked the Old Man but the son was kind of flakey. The old man died and the son had some kind of domestic violence conviction in his past. IIRC there was some kind of conditional use permit which prohibited the sale of the range to someone else so it ended up closing.

It was located in Denmark Township next door to the Afton Apple Orchard just down the road from Ex-Ed's map.

[Rip Van Winkle]

There's not too much left of it. In the middle just under the center of the map you can still see a small open area with a backstop. The apple orchard is in the upper right.

http://mapq.st/103M9aY

[xd ED]

Mystery Solved, I believe;

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&rls=en&oe=UTF-8&q=9445+Oakgreen+Avenue+S&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x87f7c32a6daaf071:0x99801c580ecd3945,9445+Oakgreen+Ave+S,+Hastings,+MN+55033&gl=us&sa=X&ei=E6ynUO_IGOmkyQHV3YGgBA&ved=0CC4Q8gEwAA

Looks like the range was south of what's now part of the apple orchard's corn maze:

http://binged.it/XliNak


ETA:
Didn't see RvW second post before posting this.

[BemidjiDweller]

That looks like it, I wonder how the guy who taught the class got permission to hold the range portion there? Either way, thank you guys for helping me track this down. I only wish it was still open so I don't have to drive all the way to OCG or BPR.