Shooting on public land in MN

[autobahn]

Nothing wrong with supporting ranges, but we should be looking for these public places to shoot. I recently traveled to Yuma, AZ to find they have a free open to the public range. By range I mean a huge range, multipul distances and multipul ranges. If the area is safe and legal we should be informing others.

I agree. I think for the benefit of the sport it would be nice to survey these locations and get a list/map going.

[JJ]

Chengatana State forest just east of Pine City has an area that a lot of people use. In the spring it is shut down though to prevent tearing up the roads.

[Heffay]

Chengatana State forest just east of Pine City has an area that a lot of people use. In the spring it is shut down though to prevent tearing up the roads.

I've been there a few times. The backstop isn't as robust as I'd like, and there are always 4-wheelers scooting around somewhere out there in the woods. Makes me a bit nervous. But it seems like a popular site.

[JJ]

Chengatana State forest just east of Pine City has an area that a lot of people use. In the spring it is shut down though to prevent tearing up the roads.

I've been there a few times. The backstop isn't as robust as I'd like, and there are always 4-wheelers scooting around somewhere out there in the woods. Makes me a bit nervous. But it seems like a popular site.

I agree, I've been there a time or two, but the complete lack of a safe backstop is certainly concerning. That and some of the tacticool operators I have seen out there shooting scare the heck out of me. I'll take the confines of my close to the metro gun club any day, over a completely unregualated situation. Not every shooter has any common sense about safety.

[rugersol]

Depending on what kinda gas-mileage ya get, and what yer time's worth, maybe just join a gun-club?

Well I've been thinking about that, but it's nice to be able to shoot in a more... relaxed environment and be able to use steel, cans, water jugs, etc...

None of the local ranges nor really any range that I've been able to find allows anything but paper. Paper's fun but sometimes you just want to make a jug of water explode.

So from what I gather, state forests are OK just not areas designated as WMAs, as those are for hunting only?

The one behind my house is posted "no target shooting".

I'd also be VERY hesitant to bring anything BUT paper, to a state forest "range". There's usually other folks' cans, water jugs, bottles, etc. garbage laying around. Should a CO find you amongst it, I don't know that he could do all that much about it ... but ya'd have a heckuva time explaining which of it is yers, and which ain't.

Shooting cans, bottles, etc. is fun ... 'specially if someone else cleans it up. Otherwise, shootin' paper ain't all THAT bad.

Also, while most public RO's can be real ***holes, most clubs have non-public hours ... and it's been my experience, ya might run into one of the same half-dozen guys anytime ya go. So long as ya git along with them, it's jest like shootin' with yer best bud.

It's kinda amazing to me jest how many club members, don't actually shoot ... at least, not at their club.

[Heffay]

The problem with ranges is they generally frown at the use of tannerite. Especially the indoor ones.. Takes all the fun out of shooting if you ask me...

[Nemo]

Anyone familiar with this?

The MN DNR has a lot of stuff talking about hunting being legal on most public lands in season, but nothing about target shooting and such in general.

Just wondering if people have experience in this area and/or know some places near the metro area that would qualify.

There is such place in every State Forest, except for Sand Dunes. The closest one is about 80 miles from here. Unfortunately, the range was closed in Sand Dunes (it was only 35 miles from here) after some idiot managed to shoot into a living room of a nearby house. Legally, you can discharge firearms in any State Forest, however you better find the designated place, and please use common sense, otherwise they will close everything. Remember to keep your blood alcohol level at or below .04 ml/mg.

[autobahn]

I'd also be VERY hesitant to bring anything BUT paper, to a state forest "range". There's usually other folks' cans, water jugs, bottles, etc. garbage laying around. Should a CO find you amongst it, I don't know that he could do all that much about it ... but ya'd have a heckuva time explaining which of it is yers, and which ain't.

Shooting cans, bottles, etc. is fun ... 'specially if someone else cleans it up. Otherwise, shootin' paper ain't all THAT bad. ]

I'm one of those people that would clean up after themselves, and would probably bring a few extra bags to clean up others' mess, too.

I hate when other irresponsible folks ruin things for the rest of us.

[grinja]

There is a hunting and fishing regulation PDF at the following link: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/regulations/hunting/index.html

After reading the regulations, I have found that you can target shoot on all State Forest land with the exception of Walk-In Access (WIA) property and Wildlife Management Areas (WMA)

The closest I can find to the twin cities is Sand Dunes State Forest in Sherburne County between Zimmerman and Big Lake. Hunting is specifically mentioned and I don't see any mention of no target shooting. It does have a Wildlife Refuge, but I don't know if there is a difference between that and a WMA.

[OldmanFCSA]

You cannot do any target shooting on State land. Only Hunting.

Thanks for the info!

Please adjust your sights while HUNTING to achieve a proper "Point-of-Impact" at "Point-of-Aim". as Target shooting is not allowed to properly "zero" your rifle to achieve a humane kill upon first shot.

Some rules are "meant-to-be-bent".

[Need4Speed]

Have shot at Chengatana State forest a few times. For me the drive is four hours round trip. Kinda sucks. Just went to Rum River state forest last weekend, 2 hour round trip. Much better. had about 30 hard drives I needed to render useless. Mission accomplished. Also shot the hell out of numerous old pots and pans we retired over the years. Good clean fun.

Had an "oh chit" moment with some 1/2 lb cans of tannerite. We shot a couple from about 100 yards, nifty little boom as you would expect. Me and the boys thought it would be fun to stick an old aluminum pot over the tannerite, and cap it off with a thicker steel sauce pan. Got much closer this time, and took a shot from 15 yards away....hit the tannerite, "boom" as you would expect. We figured to see a couple pots coming down from maybe 50 feet in the air. We saw one, that was the steel sauce pan. It was coming down from maybe 250 feet instead. No more handle, just the pan. The aluminum pot was nowhere to be found. That's when one of the boys said he thought something whizzed by after the "boom". Sure enough, we didn't find anything bigger than a pack of smokes in about a 20 yard radius around the blast site. That pan was shredded.

We now have a healthy respect for tannerite. No more metal pans. We will stick with paint balls, pumpkins, and other "soft" targets.

[hard h2o]

Have shot at Chengatana State forest a few times. For me the drive is four hours round trip. Kinda sucks. Just went to Rum River state forest last weekend, 2 hour round trip. Much better. had about 30 hard drives I needed to render useless. Mission accomplished. Also shot the hell out of numerous old pots and pans we retired over the years. Good clean fun.

Had an "oh chit" moment with some 1/2 lb cans of tannerite. We shot a couple from about 100 yards, nifty little boom as you would expect. Me and the boys thought it would be fun to stick an old aluminum pot over the tannerite, and cap it off with a thicker steel sauce pan. Got much closer this time, and took a shot from 15 yards away....hit the tannerite, "boom" as you would expect. We figured to see a couple pots coming down from maybe 50 feet in the air. We saw one, that was the steel sauce pan. It was coming down from maybe 250 feet instead. No more handle, just the pan. The aluminum pot was nowhere to be found. That's when one of the boys said he thought something whizzed by after the "boom". Sure enough, we didn't find anything bigger than a pack of smokes in about a 20 yard radius around the blast site. That pan was shredded.

We now have a healthy respect for tannerite. No more metal pans. We will stick with paint balls, pumpkins, and other "soft" targets.

Didn't some innocent bystander to some similar shenanigans just die from shrapnel from a tannerite explosion?

[xd ED]

Didn't some innocent bystander to some similar shenanigans just die from shrapnel from a tannerite explosion?

Yep:

Man killed after explosive target detonates at party- Lacrosse Tribune.com

UTICA, Minn. — An invitation to join in the fun led to tragedy on a Fillmore County farm Saturday night.

A bachelor-bachelorette party was in progress at the residence on the farm where Jeffrey Taylor, 47, of Utica kept some cattle. When Taylor and his sons arrived in the evening to tend the cattle, they were invited to stop by the party before leaving, Fillmore County Sheriff Daryl Jensen said.

As Taylor and his sons prepared to leave, some of the party-goers were shooting exploding targets with a high-powered rifle, Jensen said. Taylor joined a group of spectators standing behind the shooter. Just before 9 p.m. a shot exploded a target and Taylor immediately collapsed with a wound to the abdomen, Jensen said.

He was driven to a nearby location where the Rushford Ambulance and Mayo 1 helicopter attended to him. He was pronounced dead at that location.

An autopsy found the cause of death consistent with a shrapnel injury from the exploding target, Jensen said.

[coltpython123]

alot of the laws for shooting on your own property are designated ny the city i lived in hermantown for years right next to proctor mn you could shoot in proctor on your own yard and not in hermantown because of the city laws.

[hunterfreakhd]

Are we to assume you cleaned up every piece of shrapnel?