Shooting Friendly States

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roy reali

New member
There is another thread here about gun-friendly states. There are some states that have bettter gun laws then others. If purchasing guns and being allowed to carry is difficult, then quality of life is diminished as far as I am concerned. But just being able to have a gun is only half of the equation.

No matter how liberal a state's gun laws are, sooner of later the guns need to be shot. Ranges are fine, but for me they get boring. There is nothing quite as fun as good old-fashioned plinking sessions in the great outdoors. The occasional vermin control outings are enjoyable too.

What are the friendliest shooting states? These are states that have easy access to public land. "No Hunting" signs are few and far between. There are plenty of open spaces that have low population densities. The local LEO's don't fret about hearing gun shots. Locals don't dial 911 everytime they hear a shot.

Having reasonable gun laws is great. But having no place to shoot or hunt almost voids them. How shooting-friendly is your neck of the woods?
 
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RETG

New member
This would probably be any western state that has high availability of BLM lands. BLM (Bureau of Land Managment - US Department of the Interior) is present in 12 states and allows shooting on most of their lands as per state law. (CO, WY, MT, UT, NM, AZ, NV, OR, WA, ID, AK, CA).

Example, here in Utah, you can shoot on almost all of the lands controlled by the BLM. You must follow state laws, but in UT those are quite friendly.

You CANNOT shoot across a trail (either foot, or motorized vehicle), inside a campground area, or in most wilderness study areas. As for shooting animals, BLM leaves that totally to state laws.

Since NV and UT are over 70 percent owned by either the BLM or NFS (national forest service), these would be the top states for just going out and shooting.
 
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riverwalker76

New member
In Kentucky you can shoot just about anywhere outside city limits. Even though I live in the country and have a neighbor within 100 yds. of either side of my house ... I can still shoot off of my back deck since I don't have anyone behind me. It's like this in most areas of the state. The only exception I can think of would be Jefferson County, but that's the greater Louisville Metro Area. That covers almost the entire county in and of itself.
 
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Stiofan

New member
Idaho. I've lived 6 blocks from a nice indoor range for the last 2 years, and have never stepped into the place. Ten minutes in any direction and I'm into national forest, we're free to shoot just about anywhere.
 
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oneounceload

Moderator
I used to live in NV - it is 110,000 square miles where approx. 85% is Federal land, most of which is open to the public (Nellis and test site are not)

Find a coulee or draw and have fun
 
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nathaniel

New member
North Dakota is pretty good about these kind of things only around the bigger cities like Fargo, Jamestown, Bismark, ect do they frown upon the usage of guns close to the city.
 
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Boatme98

New member
Tennessee is great! Like Riverwalker in Ky., I can shoot about anywhere, although my favorite spot is off my front porch. Love that easy transport. :D
 
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DanThaMan1776

New member
My only input is this: Illinois sucks as far as shooting goes. I can't set off a damn firecracker without the cops at my door before I light the next one. When I was still in Junior High and High School, I would paintball and airsoft with buddies and we go the cops called on us regularly.

However, I went on a roadtrip with a buddy when I turned 18 and we brought our rifles. We shot a lot in the Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia.. that was awesome.
 
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Funeralfog

New member
Washington is great, for as liberal as the NW is, its really good over here. open carry, shooting outside city limits. it's really suprising
 
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Xfire68

New member
When I lived in South Dakota I could go out into the Black Hills and shoot just about anywhere and south of Rapid City there was a free outdoor range that had 100,200 and 300 yard concrete bench rests and a Prairie dog town not far from there as well!:D
 
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docpadds

New member
My kids can hear me shoot at the house when they are at the school, 2 fields away (opposite direction to shooting area). School is inside city limits, i am outside and in a township, therefore am allowed to shoot all day long as long as its safe. There is nobody behind the house for a 1/2 mile.
 
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orionengnr

New member
I would like to live in WY, MT, ND, SD, ID, UT.
However, I have my misgivings about the high percentage of BLM-owned land.

One stroke of a pen (via Executive Order) could make shooting illegal on all BLM land...and with the current regime in power, I'm not sure I would put that past them. Concerns with lead would be just one approach.

Yes, it would have to go through the courts, but remember who is pulling the strings behind "Justice" thse days...Eric Holder, anyone?
 
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oneounceload

Moderator
I would like to live in WY, MT, ND, SD, ID, UT.
However, I have my misgivings about the high percentage of BLM-owned land.

One stroke of a pen (via Executive Order) could make shooting illegal on all BLM land...and with the current regime in power, I'm not sure I would put that past them. Concerns with lead would be just one approach.

Yes, it would have to go through the courts, but remember who is pulling the strings behind "Justice" thse days...Eric Holder, anyone?
Click to expand...

When I lived in NV, the city had a public "park" that was the shooting range. They also had a shotgun club that was designated a "park".

The metallic range had over 30 ambi concrete benches (covered) and an open silhouette/hi-power section with berms at 50, 100, 200 and 300. No costs, no RO's, all was well-taken care of. The pistol section had over a dozen covered tables. Then there were "alleys" set up around a hill for doing whatever. Full auto, etc. all OK - only no-no was incendiary due to wildfire concerns (OK in winter when snowing). These are inside the city limits.

Besides, even if something like you mentioned was done - it would be too hard to enforce with the vast areas of unoccupied land. The average territory for game wardens in NV is about 10,000 square miles
 
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Don H

New member
Besides, even if something like you mentioned was done - it would be too hard to enforce with the vast areas of unoccupied land. The average territory for game wardens in NV is about 10,000 square miles
Click to expand...
Ain't that the truth! BLM oversees just under 23-million acres in Utah alone with a total of 824 employees, many of whom are not field staff!
 
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Kreyzhorse

New member
I've been on hunting trips in Wyoming and they have a ton of BLM land so it's easy to find a place to shoot. Generally I'd have to agree that almost any western state would be a great place to live and shoot.

I live in Kentucky and we have a lot of public land as well. One of them very close to where I live has a great public shooting range for both long guns and handguns. Kentucky also supports 2nd Amendment rights and is overall a very gun friendly state.
 
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