Western NC ranges?

RR

RR

....glutton for punishment.....
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A buddy of mine (not a forum member) will be spending some time in the Asheville area in January. He's looking for a daily rate/public range, indoor or outdoor, that he can take a newbie to shoot. Any ideas I can pass along to him? Handguns and AR/Lever rifles.
 
OnTarget gun shop has an indoor range that will accommodate him. They are located on Busbee road just off Sweeten Creek road about 5 miles from the Biltmore house area.
@Tim might have some suggestions. He plays at the Asheville Rifle and Pistol club. Pretty sure that's a member only gig though.
 
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Asheville Rifle & Pistol is a members only club. Depending on the day, I’d be happy to host there. January is a bit busy though, so it may be tough.

I’d have him check out Big Ivy just north of Asheville. They are open to public and have pistol bays, rifle out ti long distance, clays, etc.

@RR, this is the place to go:

Silas Branch Resort

Shooting range in Western North Carolina featuring everything from 3 yards to 1000 yards, skeet and trap courses, and a 200 yard pistol and rifle range!
www.silasbranch.com www.silasbranch.com
 
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SCshooter57 said:

Western North Carolina's Premier Indoor Shooting Range and Gun Shop

We are located in Waynesville, but serve Asheville, Jackson County, Macon County, Hendersonville and Transylvania County. We are the only Indoor Gun Range in the area. We also have a full service gun shop!
www.mountainrangewnc.com www.mountainrangewnc.com
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Hope they have updated their policies in the last few years. Used to hit this range several times a month to take new shooters and get in practice. They were also one of the very few who had women's classes and set times which really helped build up the local community. Sadly the RSOs were always a joke. (Safety is of course always your responsibility as at any range.) Remember complaining several times trying to point out various safety and range issues. But when they started making you buy only their stupid targets because they came to the genius conclusion that was the only thing that could stop people from shooting the walls and ceilings instead of trying to put forth some common-sense gun rules and having an actual on duty RSO instead of a general walk thru and watching the camera. Tried trying to work with them thru numerous suggestions about their dumb targets and size as well as how they could work and improve the inexperienced shooter and aid others by simple common sense safety and rational common range rules they lost all my respect and future business. This was for a long time my favorite range in NC, have many memories dear to me still. Don't mean to derail or sidetrack but I believe in the support of our community and expect more out of those who have the power to help mold and influence it.

*If this post is not desired or allowed mods can delete *
 
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The Wayne Smith range is a good one, would always have it to myself unsupervised years ago but it got crowded with the pandemic. They did build an additional smaller range for pistols, but now you have to check in with a RSO and watch a video, no big deal it's still free. Haven't been out in a few months so not sure what the attendance is like currently, but I'd recommend weekday mornings as opposed to Saturday afternoon...

On Target is fine for pistols, but no go with rifles (too short a range to do anything anyway). Heard good things about BIG but haven't been myself. If simply shooting in the National Forest is more your/their speed, pm me and I'll mention a few good spots that are short hikes and almost always other-human-free, long as "don't post locations publicly and don't trash the effing spot!!" gets passed along. This is my preference for sighting in and just keeping my chops up, but if you want to shoot 5 boxes each out of 5 different guns, the range is definitely the way to go.
 
On target is great if you want absolutely no RSO or safety enforcement. Last time I went I got flagged by some moronic 20ish year old. When I said something his dad gave me some douchy look like I was in the wrong. “It’s not loaded” he said. Never will go back there to shoot. The owners have always been really nice and knowledgeable though.
 
4seasonhunter said:
If simply shooting in the National Forest is more your/their speed, pm me and I'll mention a few good spots that are short hikes and almost always other-human-free,
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I asked one of the game wardens about shooting in Pisgah NF…he flat out refused to answer if it was kosher or not. He just kept saying “It’s not a good idea”. When I asked if he’d arrest me for doing so, he just repeated “it wouldn’t be a good idea”

I’d love to hear where you go. PM me if you don’t mind.
 
Tim said:
I asked one of the game wardens about shooting in Pisgah NF…he flat out refused to answer if it was kosher or not. He just kept saying “It’s not a good idea”. When I asked if he’d arrest me for doing so, he just repeated “it wouldn’t be a good idea”
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Shooting | US Forest Service

www.fs.usda.gov www.fs.usda.gov

From all the info I've found, it's legal to shoot on USFS land in general within the laws of the state/county, unless specifically posted otherwise. The NC WRC specifically states no target shooting on state-managed game lands. It's interesting that Pisgah is marked both USFS and NC Game Lands, so there may be some gray area. I have had no problems (including during interactions with wardens), but I am very careful to be in areas that are vacant for a good breadth, which are simply unavailable in some sections of the forest (e.g. Bent Creek, Mills River etc). If you choose to shoot in the forest, PLEASE take your trash with you. Please. It piles up and imo gives shooters a bad name. (not directed specifically at Tim, just the random internet reader) Anyway.
 
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Is Rex's still open in Hendersonville? I actually liked that better than On Target due to the fact that you could shoot rifles inside. There was a caliber limit, but can't remember what it was.
On Target is good, but the rifle thing moved my druthers to Rex's.
Haven't been to either in several years though.
 
Snal~ said:
Is Rex's still open in Hendersonville? I actually liked that better than On Target due to the fact that you could shoot rifles inside. There was a caliber limit, but can't remember what it was.
On Target is good, but the rifle thing moved my druthers to Rex's.
Haven't been to either in several years though.
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Yes they are still open. You can still shoot rifles (556 and 762). Don’t know what the max caliber is but those are good to go.
 
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