Onamia Gravel Pit Range

[photogpat]

To be fair, the douchnozzles out west are going to ruin shooting on BLM land too.

I just don't understand what's so hard about cleaning up after yourself...

[Seismic Sam]

I just don't understand the mindset of many people these days. How can you not clean up after yourself? Obviously the folks littering have never had to fight for preservation of any type of rights or access before. I have a lot of years trying to keep snowmobile trails open in a near-metro area and I know many of the same types of challenges. People also abuse that type of stuff.

I think this same littering is also rampant with ice fishing people. Hearing a lot about all the crap left on the ice lately. Beyond stupid.

And Sam, jump back under the bridge and cut this guy some slack. Not everyone who wants a little flexibility in target shooting is an unsafe jerk.

BB

You point is noted and well taken, but as far as what the Las Vegas oddsmakers would say, it's 90% likely that somebody making initial comments about being "forced" to join a range and/or "not getting the hairy eyeball from an RO" is a douchnozzle and NOT responsible shooter.

[Zombinie]

90% likely that somebody making initial comments about being "forced" to join a range and/or "not getting the hairy eyeball from an RO" is a douchnozzle and NOT responsible shooter.

100% false, thank you for your input though
if wanting to be left alone in general, and especially from RO's because I have been raised right and am very safety conscious so I feel RO's are unnecessary, and not wanting to be treated like a danger makes me a douchnozzle,then I guess i am a douchnozzle
if wanting to avoid paying fees and running through hoops to join a club that I will visit 6 times a year makes me irresponsible, then i guess I am irrisponsible

[BigDog58]

If you are willing to pay a reasonable membership fee and be able to basically shoot and be left alone, check out Rainbow Sportsmen's Club. It's just North of Cokato. $60 a year or $170 for 3 yrs.

[MJY65]

You point is noted and well taken, but as far as what the Las Vegas oddsmakers would say, it's 90% likely that somebody making initial comments about being "forced" to join a range and/or "not getting the hairy eyeball from an RO" is a douchnozzle and NOT responsible shooter.

Some shooters AND some ROs are douche nozzles. Perhaps a special range can be formed for them to hang out with each other so the ROs will have real policing to do and the shooters will have someone to chase them away.

It seems like most ranges start out with a reasonable set of safety rules. Each year, or each new president adds just a few due to some real, perceived or potential problem. Soon you have the 4 rules turn into 40. "No glass targets" becomes "Paper targets only" and the shooting range version of zero tolerance is in play.

[Sigfan220]

Any state forest is legal. Chengwatana is a popular spot.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

This was the case. The state is closing down parts of state forest land to non hunting shooting related activity. The only spot I know of is by the Red Wing dam. People shoot on the river bottoms but would leave trash. The state put up signs closing the area to shooting. It is still open to hunting.

Whenever you are shooting in a non range type place do your homework. Look at satellite images to see if there are houses in the area and other building or trails. Look at state provided maps again looking for trails.

But yes for the most part state forest land is still open to recreational shooting. Provided the people using these areas pick up. I have a feeling the pit in Pine City will get shut down. It is always a mess.

[Sigfan220]

You point is noted and well taken, but as far as what the Las Vegas oddsmakers would say, it's 90% likely that somebody making initial comments about being "forced" to join a range and/or "not getting the hairy eyeball from an RO" is a douchnozzle and NOT responsible shooter.

Some shooters AND some ROs are douche nozzles. Perhaps a special range can be formed for them to hang out with each other so the ROs will have real policing to do and the shooters will have someone to chase them away.

It seems like most ranges start out with a reasonable set of safety rules. Each year, or each new president adds just a few due to some real, perceived or potential problem. Soon you have the 4 rules turn into 40. "No glass targets" becomes "Paper targets only" and the shooting range version of zero tolerance is in play.

Exactly!! Man some of the rules these places come up with are bizarre. But the world is full of idiots so if you don't spell it out they will try it. You would think people would not use target frames as targets but they do.

[Zombinie]

If you are willing to pay a reasonable membership fee and be able to basically shoot and be left alone, check out Rainbow Sportsmen's Club. It's just North of Cokato. $60 a year or $170 for 3 yrs.

Just checked them out it sounds great, I will definitely join at that price, however they seem to have not updated the membership forms for 2017

[Pat]

I grew up in Onamia. The gravel pit is west of town on Highway 27 - just after the Lutheran Camp. As far as I know, folks still go there to shoot.

BTW there is another range in Isle, about two miles south of the high school. 100 yard outside range. Go to the gun store in Isle (an amazing place on its own...) and they will give you more info on the range. It is part of a club, but nobody goes there this time of year.

You should be fine going there without anybody hassling you.

Have fun and be safe!

[Rip Van Winkle]

Some shooters AND some ROs are douche nozzles. Perhaps a special range can be formed for them to hang out with each other so the ROs will have real policing to do and the shooters will have someone to chase them away.

It seems like most ranges start out with a reasonable set of safety rules. Each year, or each new president adds just a few due to some real, perceived or potential problem. Soon you have the 4 rules turn into 40. "No glass targets" becomes "Paper targets only" and the shooting range version of zero tolerance is in play.

This topic comes up every now and again, and I was going to let this thread slide into obscurity but the above got a little under my skin.

The first thing everyone needs to understand why things are the way they are is simple. Every range within a 2 hour drive from the twin cities is only one f/u away from being closed for safety violations. Those thick rulebooks you guys hate, every rule in them was necessary because some asshat didn't have the sense God gave lettuce.

A lot of us put a lot of our free time into making the clubs we belong to into nice, safe places to belong.

I'm probably the biggest A-hole you'll meet on the range, I have no tolerance for safety or rule violations.

[hard h2o]

It might just be winter, but H&H invited me out to Oakdale Saturday and there were at least a dozen people there while we were there, but there were no issues of any kind. We had 4 shooters on the 100yd range, 3 on the 50, and there was a group of 6 using the manual pigeon chucker before we arrived over there. They finished up, and we used it until end of hours. Whole afternoon was spent there, and it was FUN!

That's the busiest the place has ever been in my experience, outside of coordinated MNGT events.

I shot at water filled bottles. No one took issue with it. We've had various steel targets there in the past as well (mine, David's, maybe others too but I don't recall them).

It's a nice club. I've been on the fence about joining lately. The waiting list issue was part of it in the past, but H&H also mentioned that there's enough turnover that it's not so bad now with 1600 memberships when it used to be 800 and those core people stuck around.

The waiting list is only long if you never get on it. It is free to be on the waiting list. I tell people thinking about it to get on the list. When your number comes up you are ready to go. If you never get on the list your number will never come up.

[BigDog58]

If you are willing to pay a reasonable membership fee and be able to basically shoot and be left alone, check out Rainbow Sportsmen's Club. It's just North of Cokato. $60 a year or $170 for 3 yrs.

Just checked them out it sounds great, I will definitely join at that price, however they seem to have not updated the membership forms for 2017

I forgot to check the "Range Conditions" before I posted. The only bad part about this club is it has part of the Crow River flowing next to it. When the waters rise, it floods a good part of the shooting ranges (they are in the bottom land) and the ranges are closed. It appears that they had flooding in December and the water is now ice, and the ranges are closed. I'm sorry I forgot to check "Range Conditions" as I am no longer a member there.

[BigBlue]

I just don't understand the mindset of many people these days. How can you not clean up after yourself? Obviously the folks littering have never had to fight for preservation of any type of rights or access before. I have a lot of years trying to keep snowmobile trails open in a near-metro area and I know many of the same types of challenges. People also abuse that type of stuff.

I think this same littering is also rampant with ice fishing people. Hearing a lot about all the crap left on the ice lately. Beyond stupid.

And Sam, jump back under the bridge and cut this guy some slack. Not everyone who wants a little flexibility in target shooting is an unsafe jerk.

BB

You point is noted and well taken, but as far as what the Las Vegas oddsmakers would say, it's 90% likely that somebody making initial comments about being "forced" to join a range and/or "not getting the hairy eyeball from an RO" is a douchnozzle and NOT responsible shooter.

I can't dispute your numbers assessment because I just don't spend that much time at ranges. But I can chime in from the other side of the fence. One that really doesn't like being around anyone else (unknown to me) while shooting at a range. Frankly I have never shot at a range with a RO (except perhaps if some of the indoor ranges have one hiding behind a window somewhere). Definitely no ranges where a RO is there commanding action and giving orders or corrections. I don't even like shooting with anyone else on the line with me. Fortunately when I was a member at MGFC I could always find an empty range to use on my own. Not that I like to do things a RO would object to, just that I don't want to have to fart around coordinating when I can go down to my target or when I can fire away. Now I have my own acreage and don't need to hit the range any longer so I'm golden. But my point is that not everyone who dislikes ROs is an irresponsible shooter.

BB

[MJY65]

Those thick rulebooks you guys hate, every rule in them was necessary because some asshat didn't have the sense God gave lettuce.

Really? What aspect of safety or common sense is violated by allowing members to shoot at self healing rubber gongs up off the ground on target frames? They are no more likely to cause a ricochet than paper, yet they are not allowed. Why? Easier to just say "paper only" than use some discretion. No different than the zero tolerance rules that get a kid suspended from school for a plastic butter knife in their lunch.

How about the unwritten rules some ROs like to make up? A friend and I went to shoot at a range where I had a membership (guests are allowed). I signed us both into the book on separate lines. RO must have felt the need to bitch that day and came over to us.

RO:"You guys both need to sign in"

ME: "We did"

RO: "No, you each have to write your own name in the book"

WTF? That rule does not exist anywhere. He made it up. I could have told him to get lost, but I ignored him and went on with my day. The point is: I'm a paying member with no safety violations or complaints against me. I go there for some relaxation. I don't really care to be on the defensive about such trivia. THAT is the kind of thing that sours a lot of us on certain ranges and ROs.

[Rip Van Winkle]

Those thick rulebooks you guys hate, every rule in them was necessary because some asshat didn't have the sense God gave lettuce.

Really? What aspect of safety or common sense is violated by allowing members to shoot at self healing rubber gongs up off the ground on target frames? They are no more likely to cause a ricochet than paper, yet they are not allowed. Why? Easier to just say "paper only" than use some discretion. No different than the zero tolerance rules that get a kid suspended from school for a plastic butter knife in their lunch.

How about the unwritten rules some ROs like to make up? A friend and I went to shoot at a range where I had a membership (guests are allowed). I signed us both into the book on separate lines. RO must have felt the need to bitch that day and came over to us.

RO:"You guys both need to sign in"

ME: "We did"

RO: "No, you each have to write your own name in the book"

WTF? That rule does not exist anywhere. He made it up. I could have told him to get lost, but I ignored him and went on with my day. The point is: I'm a paying member with no safety violations or complaints against me. I go there for some relaxation. I don't really care to be on the defensive about such trivia. THAT is the kind of thing that sours a lot of us on certain ranges and ROs.

Not knowing the history of your club I don't know. Maybe it's an insurance issue, perhaps the BoD got tired of members bending the rules (it doesn't say I can't therefor I can) or perhaps they got tired of members complaining that "if he can shot that why can't I shoot this"? Have you asked the board why? do you go to the membership meetings? I can tell you from experience most members have wonderful ideas to improve the club, but few if any will volunteer to help.

Several years ago I had my eyes opened to range safety and how vulnerable gun clubs are to being closed for safety reasons when a member, who was a firearm safety instructor, lost a bullet over the berm and into a neighbors out building. You would have thought he would have had the "common sense" to know better than do a mag dump with a rifle on the pistol range.

After 9 months and tens of thousands of dollars in range improvements we reopened, with a thicker rulebook.