TexasCHLforum.com

lkd wrote:

newTexan wrote:Can anybody elaborate a bit more on their "Range Safety Evaluation"? Is this a set of drills you have to perform or what? I still consider myself a new shooter and while nobody has ever said anything negative about my gun handling and safety skills, I'm not the most comfortable person when it comes to submitting myself for evaluation on anything shooting related. Maybe I'm too self-conscious.

I'm trying to decide between either a yearly membership at Reds or trying to join the ARC. Reds is more expensive, but ARC doesn't seem all that inviting. You have to attend a class they offer once a month, pass a "Range Safety Evaluation", submit either your CHL or a background check from DPS, pay them, and then about two weeks later, people (most of whom you probably didn't meet) vote on if they should let you in.... I've dealt with government agencies that require less paperwork.

I think you're over-stressing.

Range safety eval is just a once time thing where the range officer/trainer makes sure that anybody that's an ARC member understands the range rules. (Would YOU want somebody futzing with their rifle before you walk to your target on a cold range?).

Background check is $5 or a copy of your current CHL. At least you know there's some kind of baseline. :)

Yes, there is a "voting in" process. It's a club, not an open range. Yes, you probably don't know the folks (I sure didnt'), but it's not like there's some grizzled, tobacco-spitting codger sitting in the corner, pointing a cane at you saying, "I don't reckon I like the looks of that one!".

Keep in mind that the ARC is growing and will continue to grow by contributing members making the ARC something awesome. The action shooting bays are one example of the ARC membership dues at work. Our biggest focus, however, is on youth programs. There are some amazingly cool things that kids can do through the ARC, and it's always great to see shooting sports being passed down to another generation.

One final comment: The weekend matches, like the USPSA or IDPA shoots, do NOT require membership in the club. However, the supervised practices in the action bays do.

Here's the calendar for this month's events: http://austinrifleclub.com/index.php?op ... Itemid=124" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yep, it's no big deal. I actually went through all of the stuff necessary to get a membership a few years ago, and then lost my job and couldn't afford to join. You show up, go over the rules and whatnot, and then head down to the plinking range with whatever you brought to shoot. They ask you to load up X number of rounds and then fire several rounds into the backstop until they tell you to cease fire. You then immediately clear your weapon and put it on the bench. That's it. The only point of the exercise is to make sure you already have safe gun-handling skills and that you can follow range commands and make your firearm clear in a safe and timely fashion. There's nothing stressful about it, and the whole process is pretty laid back.

Once you've done that, you just come back for a confirmation with other members, and you're in (from what I understand).

HankB wrote:

sixline wrote:Red's south is fine if you want to just go in, shoot, then leave. The range guy leaves you alone (if you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, of course). The employees can be prickly, especially if you ask a lot of questions. I try to just pop in, do my thing, pay and get out. No one seems to really care

I really enjoy Eagle Peak, and prefer it over any of the other ranges. I live downtown Austin, so it's a bit of a trek, usually 40 mins or so. But I like the hills, the atmosphere, the sunshine. The range officers are actually quite personable if you follow the rules and stay calm. I really like their clay range as well.

I've never had difficulty at Red's South . . . a few times I was practicing quick 'double taps" and when I turned around while loading a magazine noticed the range officer was looking at me . . . when he saw I was keeping all my shots well-centered on the target he gave me a "thumbs up" and left me alone.

Eagle Peak is OK as far as the facility itself is concerned, but I detest their prohibition of FMJ rifle ammo.

My problem is other ranges are quite a drive. I live a bit west of Austin . . . Hill Country Rifle Range on Hamilton Pool Road was nice and convenient, but the owner always was about half a bubble off plumb . . . he tended to leave me alone, but I guess he just kept getting a little more . . . off . . . alienating his regulars (the IDPA, USPSA, and Cowboy Action groups) until he finally closed things up. Today he's probably huddled in one of his trailers, waiting for the End Times.

Hill Country was tolerable, though usually in poor maintenance. That depended on how nigh the newly-determined "end of the world" was, and he'd usually spruce things up a bit when the date got too close and a new further-off date was procured. I'm pretty sure the place shut down because the county took too much land (due to his refusal to pay taxes) for the range to be operable any longer. Lone Star in Lockhart ended up buying his rifle stations and steel canopy. He was a... colorful character (they don't call him "Crazy Richard" for nothing), to say the least.

I've avoided Eagle Peak for the same reason as HankB, as I simply cannot afford to buy SP ammo for my Mosin-Nagants. I am going to be visiting the place in the near future, due to its proximity to my future in-laws in Cedar Park and their need to get some training and experience with their new Bersa Thunder. It is, however, and outdoor range with all-day admission (I dislike indoor ranges on many levels), so it has that going for it. For shotgunning, I've found Capital City Skeet and Trap to have an outstanding setup with decent prices.

While I do enjoy Lone Star, I'll likely be shifting most of my shooting to Austin Rifle Club in the near future due to proximity and brass policy (Lone Star has recently enacted a no pickup rule, and I've started reloading), once all my current wedding expenses and preparations are in the past.

I only shoot at Red's as a last resort (see my dislike of indoor ranges above) or when meeting another experienced shooter who prefers to meet there.