So I detest bench shooting, I just want to say that up front. I find it uncomfortable and unnatural. So I was very disappointed when I found that they were really hammering down on safety at Elk Neck and not allowing anything other than bench fire. Now I can understand WHY they are doing this, but it's still annoying. A buddy of mine went to Hap Baker and said they did the same. So I'm wondering if there are ANY public ranges where I can fire a rifle standing. I won't be living in Maryland for much longer so I can't justify paying for a membership anywhere, so I'm looking for someplace I can just walk into, slap down a few bucks, and shoot.
Any public rifle ranges allow standing fire?
- Thread starter Varnski
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good guy 176
R.I.P.
You can join one of the over 30 clubs that make up the Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore (see their user friendly web site) and for roughly $200 per year you can shoot some 362.5 days each year.
You must join one of the clubs, attend a 2 hour range orientation with the club's orientation officer and get your range badge (part of the $200) before you can shoot. You must possess a club membership before you can shoot. There are no daily fees.
AGC has superior ranges for pistol, rifle, shotgun, archery, indoor air rifle/pistol and trap. The longest distance is 200 yards.
The AGC facilities are some of the best on the East Coast.
Lew--Ranger63
You must join one of the clubs, attend a 2 hour range orientation with the club's orientation officer and get your range badge (part of the $200) before you can shoot. You must possess a club membership before you can shoot. There are no daily fees.
AGC has superior ranges for pistol, rifle, shotgun, archery, indoor air rifle/pistol and trap. The longest distance is 200 yards.
The AGC facilities are some of the best on the East Coast.
Lew--Ranger63
Threeband
The M1 Does My Talking
I too hate shooting from the bench. I mostly shoot at private clubs where I can practice prone, sitting, and offhand.
It just baffles me that so many places have fixed benches at every position and make it impossible to shoot from other positions.
Still, you might be able to stand at the bench. Check with the RO. I've never shot at Hap Baker, but I hear you can stand there.
Where abouts you moving in Texas? I used to live in Dallas, and shot at the Garland Public Shooting Range a lot. Nothing but concrete benches- you can't move them out of the way for position shooting. However, I used to stand at the bench and do a lot of offhand shooting there.
Here's a view of the line at Garland:
Hey, I just remembered: Check out DelMarVa Sporting Clays on the Eastern Shore. You pay by the day, and apparently you can do pretty much anything as long as you're safe and clean up afterwords. Machine guns are okay, shoot out to 300 yards at least. It's worth a day trip. Do a search for more info.
It just baffles me that so many places have fixed benches at every position and make it impossible to shoot from other positions.
Still, you might be able to stand at the bench. Check with the RO. I've never shot at Hap Baker, but I hear you can stand there.
Where abouts you moving in Texas? I used to live in Dallas, and shot at the Garland Public Shooting Range a lot. Nothing but concrete benches- you can't move them out of the way for position shooting. However, I used to stand at the bench and do a lot of offhand shooting there.
Here's a view of the line at Garland:
Hey, I just remembered: Check out DelMarVa Sporting Clays on the Eastern Shore. You pay by the day, and apparently you can do pretty much anything as long as you're safe and clean up afterwords. Machine guns are okay, shoot out to 300 yards at least. It's worth a day trip. Do a search for more info.
I too hate shooting from the bench. I mostly shoot at private clubs where I can practice prone, sitting, and offhand.
It just baffles me that so many places have fixed benches at every position and make it impossible to shoot from other positions.
Still, you might be able to stand at the bench. Check with the RO. I've never shot at Hap Baker, but I hear you can stand there.
Where abouts you moving in Texas? I used to live in Dallas, and shot at the Garland Public Shooting Range a lot. Nothing but concrete benches- you can't move them out of the way for position shooting. However, I used to stand at the bench and do a lot of offhand shooting there.
Here's a view of the line at Garland:
Hey, I just remembered: Check out DelMarVa Sporting Clays on the Eastern Shore. You pay by the day, and apparently you can do pretty much anything as long as you're safe and clean up afterwords. Machine guns are okay, shoot out to 300 yards at least. It's worth a day trip. Do a search for more info.
...damn...I haven't been to a range where you couldn't stand- but I'm not in MD either...Im kinda surprised they don't ban rifles and make your opportunity by going to the range where it's chain locked/ cable locked to a post to prevent you from moving it anywhere...
You can stand at Myrtle Grove near LaPlata. Open to the public. $5.00 daily fee.
Stevie Boy
Ultimate Member
Congrats on the move. As others have mentioned, Delmarva is good.
ultraplanet
Shooter
Peacemaker allows standing, sitting, prone and has steel 200 and 300 yards. Heritage makes you stand. You can sit but it's not the norm. Both charge fees.
Gaspasser19
Active Member
- Oct 17, 2015
- 132
I don't know how you could do anything but stand at an indoor range. So, just search for your nearest indoor range. TMGN in Frederick, OnTarget by Ft. Meade, etc
Maryland Small Arms Range allows you to do that. Plunk down a few bucks, ask for the rifle range, and you're good to go.
Also a full list of Maryland ranges, which indicate whether or not they allow rifles (standing v. not standing is not called out however) is at the Maryland Shall Issue wiki.
Also a full list of Maryland ranges, which indicate whether or not they allow rifles (standing v. not standing is not called out however) is at the Maryland Shall Issue wiki.
Threeband
The M1 Does My Talking
I think you generally can stand at these "benches only" ranges, as long as you stand at the bench. You just can't shoot prone, or sitting, or "urban prone", or any actual practical position.
It's not a Maryland thing, though. I think it's common all over. I've seen it in Pennsylvania, at a private club. The photo in my previous post is of a Texas range with fixed concrete benches (where Oswald sighted in his Carcano, btw).
I would challenge anyone who only shoots from the bench to take off the training wheels and stand on your hind legs like a man and be humbled.
(Of course, that's not touching on the subject of "90 degrees on, and no movement".)
But for the OP, DelMarVa Sporting Clays is probably your best bet.
But even there, you'll find these fixed benches. I guess you can stand behind them, or maybe between them. If you want to practice prone, kneeling, or sitting, you'll have to crowd yourself between them, which doesn't look good at all. "Urban Prone" or any improvised position, you're SOL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EhIhcLJNwo
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Thanks for all the input so far.
You USED to be able to shoot standing at Elk Neck, but they recently put in signs that say you must shoot sitting. They also used to allow multiple targets on a single stand to be put up as well, but the last time I was there (which admittedly was a month or two ago) the RO was very strict about their new target rules that say the center of a target must be so many inches off the ground and multiple lanes could not fire at the same target stand. I built my stand larger specifically so that I could put a bunch of targets on it so that i didn't have to go change them out as much or so that if I had someone with me we could both us it.
I know they've always had issues with people shooting the baffles and I think they are trying to force people to shoot this way to try and limit the damage done, but it's quite annoying for people like me who aren't there just to fire off a few rounds to zero their deer rifles, which is what the majority of shooters go there for it seems.
Indoor ranges are also unfortunately a no go for me, I only own full sized rifles and a shotgun. While I know Freestate will allow .30-30 to be shot depending on how busy they are, several of my friends only own Mosins.
Myrtle Grove and Delmarva both look like they might work, but they are also far outside the range that my party is willing to travel. I'll take a look at the wiki and hopefully I'll find something that will work.
You USED to be able to shoot standing at Elk Neck, but they recently put in signs that say you must shoot sitting. They also used to allow multiple targets on a single stand to be put up as well, but the last time I was there (which admittedly was a month or two ago) the RO was very strict about their new target rules that say the center of a target must be so many inches off the ground and multiple lanes could not fire at the same target stand. I built my stand larger specifically so that I could put a bunch of targets on it so that i didn't have to go change them out as much or so that if I had someone with me we could both us it.
I know they've always had issues with people shooting the baffles and I think they are trying to force people to shoot this way to try and limit the damage done, but it's quite annoying for people like me who aren't there just to fire off a few rounds to zero their deer rifles, which is what the majority of shooters go there for it seems.
Indoor ranges are also unfortunately a no go for me, I only own full sized rifles and a shotgun. While I know Freestate will allow .30-30 to be shot depending on how busy they are, several of my friends only own Mosins.
Myrtle Grove and Delmarva both look like they might work, but they are also far outside the range that my party is willing to travel. I'll take a look at the wiki and hopefully I'll find something that will work.
Threeband
The M1 Does My Talking
Are these City people?
Some City people think the Beltway is the Wild Frontier and everything beyond is a terrifying mystery world called "The County": Here There Be Monsters.
If they won't go to Delmarva, they sure as hell won't make the easy drive out to
http://www.340defense.com/shooting-range-facility/
which is too bad for them. I've never been to this place, either, but you might want to check it out.
Google Maps puts it 1:17 from the I-70/695 interchange.
If you drive out there, you might's well go just a little further to Peacemaker.
http://www.peacemakernational.com/
Some City people think the Beltway is the Wild Frontier and everything beyond is a terrifying mystery world called "The County": Here There Be Monsters.
If they won't go to Delmarva, they sure as hell won't make the easy drive out to
http://www.340defense.com/shooting-range-facility/
which is too bad for them. I've never been to this place, either, but you might want to check it out.
Google Maps puts it 1:17 from the I-70/695 interchange.
If you drive out there, you might's well go just a little further to Peacemaker.
http://www.peacemakernational.com/
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1970swifty
Active Member
The target height of 54 to center the shooting from seated position and one stand per person is to help reduce damage to range baffles at elk neck They spend a lot of money and effort to keep range usable and open as long as possible. The RSOS are all volunteers who are there to help maintain a safe atmosphere for all. Without them this range may have been shut down years ago. They don't make the rules the state does they are tasked with ensuring they are followed
Major Major
Member
I have seen standing shooters there, not sure that it changed. OP what did they say? Was it just the firearm, the crowd, the lane?
PapiBarcelona
Ultimate Member
- Jan 1, 2011
- 7,362
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