Rifle range near northern Calvert?

[Slackdaddy]

I have come to the conclusion that no range will ever be built in Calvert.
I have not had any "range time" in over 6 months, driving ~ 2 hour round trip is just not going to happen.

My shooting needs are rifle: Black powder, general 7.62, 223, 45-70, 44, etc. 100yards (60-80 yards would be an absolute min)
Pistol: wife and I need to become proficient (again)

AAFG is 55 min with no traffic,
Berwyn is 50 min, no traffic
Myrtle is 65 min, no traffic,
Sanners is 60 min, no traffic.

If I have 2 hours to spare,, I can't drive 2 hours to a range and back.

Am I missing something?? is there I range I have missed all these years ??

I will be honest,, the thought has entered my mind,, and discussions have been had about selling off most of my guns,,, many have never been fired, ever, most have not been fired in years/decades.

I thought about Berwyn, as I am in Bowie most weeks working. But that would require me to be driving around with a work truck full of guns all day and would not help the wife and I shooting together.

 

[Inigoes]

MSAR?

9801 Fallard Ct, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
www.msar.com

 

[Slackdaddy]

MSAR?

9801 Fallard Ct, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
www.msar.com

Went twice,, never set foot in there again.
both times I was flagged,, 1 time constantly by some dude showing his gal how to shoot. Range seamed very "Free for All".
Also the are limited to 50 yards and no BP.

 

[CaptChaos]

There isn’t anything you’re missing as far as I know. I’m sure it’s the same for you but living around here I can regularly hear gun shots, so my assumption is that many shoot on private land. Along with the fact that we don’t have a lot of things in this county (big box home improvement stores, etc.) it’s also my assumption that demand is presumed lower. Hell there was awhile there where I don’t even think we had an actual retail gun store.

Over the years I’ve seen a few threads here about planned ranges in Calvert but they always seem to fizzle out. Hopefully with wear carry being “allowed” now, we’ll see a range or two built as most of these people probably want to practice with what they’re carrying.

 

[antco]

So... what are you selling???

 

[Slackdaddy]

So... what are you selling???

Hope and change,,, If that does not sell, SEX

 

[Wjmarshall84]

I have come to the conclusion that no range will ever be built in Calvert.
I have not had any "range time" in over 6 months, driving ~ 2 hour round trip is just not going to happen.

My shooting needs are rifle: Black powder, general 7.62, 223, 45-70, 44, etc. 100yards (60-80 yards would be an absolute min)
Pistol: wife and I need to become proficient (again)

AAFG is 55 min with no traffic,
Berwyn is 50 min, no traffic
Myrtle is 65 min, no traffic,
Sanners is 60 min, no traffic.

If I have 2 hours to spare,, I can't drive 2 hours to a range and back.

Am I missing something?? is there I range I have missed all these years ??

I will be honest,, the thought has entered my mind,, and discussions have been had about selling off most of my guns,,, many have never been fired, ever, most have not been fired in years/decades.

I thought about Berwyn, as I am in Bowie most weeks working. But that would require me to be driving around with a work truck full of guns all day and would not help the wife and I shooting together.

Berwyn seemed a bit closer if your in north Calvert but with their range only being 50yards I'd say spend some time with the locals in your area and Im sure you'll find someone with at least 100yrds of private property who'll shoot with ya. 50 yards should give you a good sight in for hunting though unless you're planning on getting into the competitive ELR competitions(something Ive only read about,besides shooting prairie dogs in MT when I was young) Berwyn may be your best bet. I took my nephew there from southern Calvert for the free nra (under 18) classes and the people seemed nice but the drive was like 45minutes from Solomons. Not sure about their fees(probably a bit high if you're only sighting in) but I simply use a boresighter, nothing fancy just make sure its laser is adjustable. My grandfather used to have a range in prince frederick it was in a gully that stretched about 200yrds along an old backroad but about 25years ago they started building developments in the area and no one used it, just out of respect. After his boys, my uncles moved I didn't do much shooting in Maryland but I'm looking myself at the moment too. Good luck.

 

[Slackdaddy]

Berwyn seemed a bit closer if your in north Calvert but with their range only being 50yards I'd say spend some time with the locals in your area and Im sure you'll find someone with at least 100yrds of private property who'll shoot with ya. 50 yards should give you a good sight in for hunting though unless you're planning on getting into the competitive ELR competitions(something Ive only read about,besides shooting prairie dogs in MT when I was young) Berwyn may be your best bet. I took my nephew there from southern Calvert for the free nra (under 18) classes and the people seemed nice but the drive was like 45minutes from Solomons. Not sure about their fees(probably a bit high if you're only sighting in) but I simply use a boresighter, nothing fancy just make sure its laser is adjustable. My grandfather used to have a range in prince frederick it was in a gully that stretched about 200yrds along an old backroad but about 25years ago they started building developments in the area and no one used it, just out of respect. After his boys, my uncles moved I didn't do much shooting in Maryland but I'm looking myself at the moment too. Good luck.

I was looking at Berwyn,, they say 50 feet, 50 yard and 100 yard ranges.
Besides the 45-50 min drive,, looking at their website, they want you to be "involved". I am honestly not looking for a social club, I prefer to be left alone while I am shooting.

I need/want more than sighting in for hunting season.
1/2 of my rifle/slug shooting will be for hunting,, but I enjoy shooting and practicing at diff distances,, working up loads for Muzzle Loader.
And am looking at getting a 44mag for deer, and reloading,,, so dialing in my loads.
And, the wife and I need to work with our pistols.
Bumming an occasion shoot at someones farm would not be enjoyable to me.

 

[Wjmarshall84]

Well most of the time you'd usually make a trade depending on what your skillset is you find a person with decent land you get along with and they don't want to bum anything off ya either so say you hang out on the weekends for a few at say the amish market in ST.MARYS when its opened and not to busy I'm sure you have something or some skilled work you can trade for the ability to shoot at certain times, there's a ton of land over there to shoot and hunt.. or just see if anyone who eats breakfast at your local restaurant alone would have a spot or know of one... when you come to check out the work for them or dropoff your trade check out the spot and bring a rifle to see how they act when you go to shoot it, you can read whether its a good spot or not(no one elses property or someone is going to be disturbed)

Good luck on your hunt..lol

Also you can shoot anytime in your own basement, checking loads and so on right where you work em up is great.. if you can dig a trench outward with a protected camera and lights and a target pully system im sure for your specific use it might be the cheapest and best Idea if you have the space it doesn't have to be a hallway just as large as a body target so you could probably get it done under 2k renting a backhoe then framing with wood durrock then covering it in concrete, I'd leave an access door at the end. My driveway is about 150yrds so now you've got me thinking... ive got some serious 3m ear protection but I also have a good place to shoot behind my house, close to a school though so I really can't shoot here much even though it meets all legality Im not trying to have to deal the local sheriff's department.. they tend not to care much about laws and such laughing when I said "this community" they(good guys im sure)have a few bad habits I don't want to be on the other end of.

 

[Biggfoot44]

I was looking at Berwyn,, they say 50 feet, 50 yard and 100 yard ranges.
Besides the 45-50 min drive,, looking at their website, they want you to be "involved". I am honestly not looking for a social club, I prefer to be left alone while I am shooting.

I need/want more than sighting in for hunting season.
1/2 of my rifle/slug shooting will be for hunting,, but I enjoy shooting and practicing at diff distances,, working up loads for Muzzle Loader.
And am looking at getting a 44mag for deer, and reloading,,, so dialing in my loads.
And, the wife and I need to work with our pistols.
Bumming an occasion shoot at someones farm would not be enjoyable to me.

Well , you're not up for doing 10hrs of club work hours/ per year , or making friends with shooting neighbors , or driving 2hrs .

That leaves :

Realtor to look for your own acreage of sufficient size and topraghpy in North Calvert.

 

[Slackdaddy]

Well , you're not up for doing 10hrs of club work hours/ per year , or making friends with shooting neighbors , or driving 2hrs .

That leaves :

Realtor to look for your own acreage of sufficient size and topraghpy in North Calvert.

LOL,, It sounds so bad when you put it that way ,,
But yes, 2hrs of driving to shoot,, it just won't (does not) happen.

I have shot on friends property, it is typ more of a social event and based on their schedule. My shooting is more of a technical, solo thing.

The older I get, the less time I seem to have, Berwyn is almost a 2 hour round trip,, If that does not work for shooting, it is not going to work for club work. If Berwyn was 20-30 minutes away,, it would be very attractive, even with the work days.

The lack of any shooting opertunities has lead me to kayak fish more (surrounded by water) and ponder selling all but a few of my hunting guns, most have never been shot and a few it has been years.

 

[Wjmarshall84]

I hear you on that, apparently there are a ton of ppl having the same problem all throughout South Maryland, it would be a great Idea for the state to appropreate some time in its parks after winter hours and charge a 10$ to join then a 20$ (to pay for the park worker staying after hours and his hearing protection) for all you can shoot nights they have soo much good land that is good and shootable in Southern MD just doing nothing. I mean if Calvert can spend millions on a golf coarse for just a few citizens then letting people use their parks not to hunt but just to shoot on is the least they can do.

With the cronic waisting diseases and other ons spreading fast into our area from lack of hunters its more of a need if you talk to local fish & wildlife... luckily you have the only state senator with a hunting license representing South Calvert and St.Marys so see if you can work something up with him or his people get a statement from fish and wildlife plus a few other people and create either a league or multiple events I know in St.Marys there's a park on its way to laplata that has a good shooting spot with 200-250yard distance w a burm and very little surrounding housing. And calvert has a spot in every one of its parks from the old powerlines trail in Calvert cliffs, the open area in cove point parks furthest back left parking lot all events like this could last 8 hours and sure theres a social aspect but you'd get plenty of time to do your thing. IF YOU GUYS ARE IN LET ME KNOW i can start making some phone calls each place should have plenty of area for a separate pistol range. Maybe even classes. Who knows, their are already some ranges in St.Marys that are set up right across the bridge that don't get much use.

 

[Staccato2011]

I'm a Northern Calvert resident as well and there isn't anything close for shooting sporting rifles, etc. I am a member at Twelfth Precinct and like the facility there, but they only have a 50 yard .22lr range and also a 50 yard pistol range where you can't shoot rifle calibers. I have purchased a couple pistol caliber carbines to scratch the rifle shooting itch there, but sure wish there was something closer for getting out the ARs, etc. I am a member at Sanners Lake, but I find the distance (two hours round trip) is proving to be an obstacle for me getting there regularly. I usually end up at Twelfth Precinct. I sure do wish I knew someone with land who was firearms friendly.

 

[Wjmarshall84]

I've actually been in talks with department of parks and rec along with a few others about getting together open shoots. While some of these parks close early in the winter time it leaves thousands of acres unused. Some of the parks in calvert as well as St. Marys i know have good 200+yard lines of sight with ample backstops and no close neighbors who would be bothered by the noise. I floated the idea of a small fee to pay for the park workers hours as well as safety equipment. Even though I know of a few who would do it for free I wouldnt want the county to have to pay workers even though they can afford millions for a golf club for a elite few they still dont have backup generators at their urgent care in calvert. But its land our tax dollars paid for and sighting in our arms before hunting only makes things safer even though most hunters are Very safe and considerate in these parts to begin with... you guys should hit up the parks service if you would support something like this. There's no reason its not do-able so just put your voice out there Im in Lusby and the people just shooting in their back yards isnt going to end up well, also it sets a bad example for any kids making them associate firearms with crimes instead of treating them with the respect they deserve.. they had a spot in St.Marys there you could shoot down indian bridge road and I know calvert has one area thats close to a 700+yrd stretch with nothing but a large hill behind it. If we are teaching firearms safety Im pretty sure we dont even need permission unless we plan on shooting. Not sure but the head lady at parks and rec sounded interested, she forwarded my info to someone else and ive yet to hear back.

 

[Harrys]

Myrtle Grove WMA

An official website of the State of Maryland.

dnr.maryland.gov

 

[Blacksmith101]

Maryland Department of Natural Resources ​

Elk Neck State Forest Shooting Range Complex​

Shooting Range

An official website of the State of Maryland.

dnr.maryland.gov

Maybe you should talk to the DNR about building a range in your area.

 

[Slackdaddy]

Maryland Department of Natural Resources​

Elk Neck State Forest Shooting Range Complex​

Shooting Range

An official website of the State of Maryland.

dnr.maryland.gov

Maybe you should talk to the DNR about building a range in your area.

While a very slim chance that would ever happen,,, it is 1000 times more likely than the ALL Republican board of county commissioners doing something.

 

[44 Bulldog]

There's an outside range on MF Bowen Rd. In Prince Frederick. Not sure who the owner is though

 

[Slackdaddy]

There's an outside range on MF Bowen Rd. In Prince Frederick. Not sure who the owner is though

Nothing jumping out on google maps sat view,, how far from rt 4,, and left or right side of MF Bowen ?

At this point I am willing to knock on doors and say things like "Can I be your friend" ?

 

[44 Bulldog]

It's on the left side of MF Bowen, very discreet, it's like a farm rd right before a barn maybe 2/10ths of a mile in from 4