Can you shoot on public land anywhere specific in MN?

View · by **jshuberg** on Thu Feb 05, 2015 3:32 pm

Gopher Rifle and Revolver has some very nice facilities, including 1000 yard range and a campground you can keep a camper in year-round.

http://www.grrc.org/

View · by **MJY65** on Thu Feb 05, 2015 3:38 pm

jshuberg wrote:Gopher Rifle and Revolver has some very nice facilities, including 1000 yard range and a campground you can keep a camper in year-round.

http://www.grrc.org/

I'm sure they must have nice facilities to go along with the 111 rules for their use.

View · by **xd ED** on Thu Feb 05, 2015 3:45 pm

MJY65 wrote:
jshuberg wrote:Gopher Rifle and Revolver has some very nice facilities, including 1000 yard range and a campground you can keep a camper in year-round.

http://www.grrc.org/

I'm sure they must have nice facilities to go along with the 111 rules for their use.

Probably more than 111 rules, I'd guess.
Yep. Lots of silly **** like shooting safe, driving slow on, and around the premises, and cleaning up after oneself. I sense it's not your kind of place.

View · by **xd ED** on Thu Feb 05, 2015 3:49 pm

MJY65 wrote:
xd ED wrote:I've never had any problems acquiring information from the respective clubs' web sites to attain membership.
Gun clubs are not country clubs. The maintenance and safe operation are cooperative efforts of/ for the mutual benefit of the membership.

Granted, you can't dump that old couch down range and proceed to shoot it up at midnight.

I must be looking in the wrong places. I don't want or need a country club, but if I can pay a bit extra to hire a kid to cut the weeds, I'd be up for that. I also don't need to shoot a couch, but being able to shoot some steel, or something other than a paper target on a frame would be nice. I'm generally sleeping at midnight, so dawn to dusk would be fine.

given the real estate most clubs have, a kid in shorts and a runout lawn boy isn't going to cut it.
Most use commercial and Agro mowing equipment operated by trained volunteers.

View · by **MJY65** on Thu Feb 05, 2015 3:56 pm

xd ED wrote:
MJY65 wrote:
jshuberg wrote:Gopher Rifle and Revolver has some very nice facilities, including 1000 yard range and a campground you can keep a camper in year-round.

http://www.grrc.org/

I'm sure they must have nice facilities to go along with the 111 rules for their use.

Probably more than 111 rules, I'd guess.
Yep. Lots of silly **** like shooting safe, driving slow on, and around the premises, and cleaning up after oneself. I sense it's not your kind of place.

I may have miscounted, but it's right around that number. You're right, it's not my kind of place. Driving carefully and being safe go without saying. The fact that someone felt the need to put 100+ rules in written form reminds me too much of the busybodies that run homeowners associations and the politicians running our country.

View · by **Rip Van Winkle** on Thu Feb 05, 2015 8:59 pm

I'm not a member of Gopher and I haven't read their range rules, But I'd bet there's a good reason for everyone of their 100+ rules. Some of us have spent a lot of our free time making our respective clubs nice and safe places to belong to. It would be nice if all of our clubs had deep enough pockets to afford enough land space for adequate safety buffers. Things like urban encroachment, conditional use permits and other safety factors limit what most clubs in this area can do or will allow.

View · by **carbide** on Thu Feb 05, 2015 9:12 pm

MJY65 wrote:Seriously, I wouldn't mind paying a fairly substantial fee for use of a shooting range at my convenience and without a self appointed retired range guardian hovering over me. Someplace that takes the money and hires people to mow, maintain, etc., or just a plain old gravel pit with a bench.

THIS is what I am seeking

View · by **CZscout** on Thu Feb 05, 2015 9:12 pm

Most clubs are run by volunteers, so responding to emails may not be Bill or Ted's #1 priority over the weekend. I've emailed my own club and never got a response, oh well. Go to a local club monthly meeting and they will be sure to sign you right up or start the process. Meeting times / locations are usually posted on any clubs home page.

Please, go up north or down south a bit and shoot safely on public land - great, just be sure to do it lawfully and safely. Be careful of other shooters on public land as mentioned in another response.

OR

It is a great idea to join one of the many safe and well maintained clubs for "less than a cup of coffee a day" right here in the metro area. Sure, there are rules just like at a McDonald's playground - follow them and have fun!

OR

Buy your own hunting lot up-nort and build your own range - that would be sweet!

Good Luck!

View · by **gman1868** on Thu Feb 05, 2015 10:08 pm

Monticello Rod and Gun is a good place to go. I've been a member there for the past 7 years and they are a great group of people!

http://www.monticellorodandgunclub.org/

Only $100 per year. Much less for an "active" member.

View · by **carbide** on Thu Feb 05, 2015 10:26 pm

So most of the clubs, its kosher for new people to just show up at club meetings and go from there?

I have no problem paying membership dues or what not, but I'd rather not wait 1+ years to join.

View · by **xd ED** on Fri Feb 06, 2015 1:47 am

carbide wrote:So most of the clubs, its kosher for new people to just show up at club meetings and go from there?

I have no problem paying membership dues or what not, but I'd rather not wait 1+ years to join.

Unless you are advised otherwise, show up early, introduce yourself as a prospective member (some portions of some clubs' meetings are private-they'll ask non-members to leave the room temporarily).
Re waiting lists- most clubs have member limits due to bylaws, or conditional use permits. If they are below maximum, you should be able to begin the induction process immediately.
Even if there is a waiting list, get on it; time passes, eventually.
Some clubs only accept members once a year, but that's the exception.
Most will require an NRA membership, and possibly a PTC (serves as proof of a background check).

View · by **yuppiejr** on Fri Feb 06, 2015 7:13 am

carbide wrote:So most of the clubs, its kosher for new people to just show up at club meetings and go from there?

I have no problem paying membership dues or what not, but I'd rather not wait 1+ years to join.

That's how I joined Beaverbrook, no sponsor, filled out the form in advance and brought it along with a check and a positive attitude to a board meeting... I was not the only one, we were all able to join without fuss.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

View · by **Erud** on Fri Feb 06, 2015 8:00 am

Just from reading this thread, I'd have to say that some of you folks just aren't "club" material.

View · by **MJY65** on Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:35 am

Erud wrote:Just from reading this thread, I'd have to say that some of you folks just aren't "club" material.

I'd say you're right. I'm looking for more of a commercial shooting range than a club.

View · by **Rip Van Winkle** on Fri Feb 06, 2015 12:10 pm

MJY65 wrote:
Erud wrote:Just from reading this thread, I'd have to say that some of you folks just aren't "club" material.

I'd say you're right. I'm looking for more of a commercial shooting range than a club.

Maybe you and some like minded folks could pool your money and start one.