OT kinda: I needed some incouragement-NOW W/ pics

[J Miller]

I have enough guns to keep me busy for a while. More than enough ammo to shoot. Several project guns that need to be tested, and I've almost lost interest in shooting.
Well, not shooting per sea, but shooting here in IL. My choices are an outdoor range 45 miles away, or an indoor range maybe 10 or so miles away.

Outdoor range charges $15.00 per 5 hour day, indoor range charges $8.00 per hour as of the last time I was there. That was last year.

I've been shooting twice this year. Once in another indoor range I refuse to patronize again, and last April when jd45 and I got together.
I just hate to go alone. My wife's hours preclude her going with me. It seams that every time she gets a day off when the range is open, the weather turns crappy or something happens at her work and she can't go, or one or both of us get sick. Always something.

The biggest thing is the outdoor range does not have an on duty RO. The owner is on premises but usually inside the store part. That's a couple hundred yards away from the range. So I have to keep my gun(s) with me as I go to or from the target stand. The targets are fixed, the shooter moves from range to range. It's not too bad at 25 or 50 yards, but at 100 yds someone could snatch your stuff and be gone before you could stop them. So, I won't go alone.

The indoor range is only 25 yds. Is dark to my eyes. Only allows handgun calibers. And the ventilation is such that I always come home with my sinuses inflamed. So I've pretty much quit going there too.

I'd be out shooting every weekend if I were still in AZ. Lots of places, both ranges and open desert, to go shoot. Here, almost nothing.

The strange thing is, there are forum members from Leverguns and other forums in central IL that I have talked to on occasion. I've yet to be able to hook up with any of them to go shooting. Only jd45 and I've gotten together and he came down from the Chicago area. I'm beginning to wonder if I smell bad or something .

I just need some encouragement I guess.

Joe

[Old Savage]

Joe - you may smell bad - no way to know but the problem is likely that you are just too far away.

[Modoc ED]

Joe -

Take just one gun to the line and take that gun with you when you go down range to check/fix your targets. I know it's a pain to do it that way but it would be safer.

We have a guy that comes to the range with several guns. Just for insurance, he brings a pre-made cable with eyes on each end and runs the cable throug the trigger guards of his guns and around a table leg or the like and locks the two eyes together with a small lock.

Lots of other guys are in your situation where they have to travel to shoot.

As far as smelling bad, well, I wouldn't think so or worry about it.

Maybe after y'll take care of the wife's eye situation, you and the wife could take a 1-day or 2-day trip down to the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois for a little shooting.

[Nath]

I just thought you was using Pyrodex or regular BP! Don't worry about the smell we'll soon get use to it!

Could you make your own range or have you got silly laws?

Nath.

[Griff]

I'll provide some encouragement... Joe, the NRA lists 125 ranges in IL... NRA National Shooting Range Registry - in Illinois. Hopefully, there'll be more than just the 2 you're know of near you.

Edit: Surprisingly, they only list 45 in AZ... who'd a thunk it!

[jnyork]

Joe -

Take just one gun to the line and take that gun with you when you go down range to check/fix your targets. I know it's a pain to do it that way but it would be safer.

We have a guy that comes to the range with several guns. Just for insurance, he brings a pre-made cable with eyes on each end and runs the cable throug the trigger guards of his guns and around a table leg or the like and locks the two eyes together with a small lock.

Lots of other guys are in your situation where they have to travel to shoot.
.

Ed and Joe, this sort of stuff just astounds me, I cant conceive of living in an area where this is something you have to worry about. In fact, it is something that has never occured to me until reading this thread. On another board, a fellow from California was talking about he was afraid to lie down in the woods and take a little nap while out hunting for fear someone would "jump him". On another board, a lady from Maryland was asking what type of small semiauto she should buy to carry IN HER HOME WHILE DOING HER HOUSEWORK!!! Either I am living a very protected life here in Wyoming and Arizona, or I am not nearly paranoid enough to survive in today's world. Should I go get fitted for a tinfoil hat?

[AJMD429]

Our range is thankfully on our property behind our house, but for convenience, we use a bicycle-wheeled garden cart to take guns and ammo and stuff back there. They make folding ones as well (ours isn't) that would likely fit in most car trunks.

You could keep the bulk of your stuff on the wagon, and tote it to the targets and back.

[J Miller]

I just thought you was using Pyrodex or regular BP! Don't worry about the smell we'll soon get use to it!

Could you make your own range or have you got silly laws?

Nath.

Nath, I do on occasion shoot black powder. Our laws in IL are stupid. You can't carry a loaded gun unless you are on your own property, or on anothers property with their permission, or hunting with a license. There is no carry permits here of any kind. If you're caught carrying a loaded weapon it's a felony charge and there goes all your guns forever.
Add to that 95% of the land in IL is either city land or farm land. There is very little public land. Even on public land you can't carry unless your hunting.

Joe -

Take just one gun to the line and take that gun with you when you go down range to check/fix your targets. I know it's a pain to do it that way but it would be safer.

We have a guy that comes to the range with several guns. Just for insurance, he brings a pre-made cable with eyes on each end and runs the cable throug the trigger guards of his guns and around a table leg or the like and locks the two eyes together with a small lock.

Lots of other guys are in your situation where they have to travel to shoot.

As far as smelling bad, well, I wouldn't think so or worry about it.

Maybe after y'll take care of the wife's eye situation, you and the wife could take a 1-day or 2-day trip down to the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois for a little shooting.
Joe -

Take just one gun to the line and take that gun with you when you go down range to check/fix your targets. I know it's a pain to do it that way but it would be safer.

We have a guy that comes to the range with several guns. Just for insurance, he brings a pre-made cable with eyes on each end and runs the cable throug the trigger guards of his guns and around a table leg or the like and locks the two eyes together with a small lock.

Lots of other guys are in your situation where they have to travel to shoot.

As far as smelling bad, well, I wouldn't think so or worry about it.

Maybe after y'll take care of the wife's eye situation, you and the wife could take a 1-day or 2-day trip down to the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois for a little shooting.

Ed, been thinking of the one gun at a time thing. You're right it's a PITA, but doable. The traveling isn't really the problem. I used to drive farther than that in AZ to find a quiet place in the desert. It's just, well, for the few hours a day he's open I don't want to drive that far.
As for driving down to the national forest, well, IL laws still apply there. I hate to drive that far down state to someplace I don't know. In AZ it didn't matter. AZ had a preemption law on the books. Same law everywhere. Not so here in the Peoples Socialist Republic of Illinois.

Joe - you may smell bad - no way to know but the problem is likely that you are just too far away.

OS, Too far away, no kidding. Way to far away.

I'll provide some encouragement... Joe, the NRA lists 125 ranges in IL... NRA National Shooting Range Registry - in Illinois. Hopefully, there'll be more than just the 2 you're know of near you.

Edit: Surprisingly, they only list 45 in AZ... who'd a thunk it!

Griff, In Arizona you don't need a range to go shoot. With all the public land you can just go out and shoot. All you gotta do is stay off private property and away from the few prohibited places.
When I lived there I only went to the established ranges to verify my rifles sights on measured ranges. Otherwise I went deep into the desert and had all the shooting fun I could stand.

Ed and Joe, this sort of stuff just astounds me, I cant conceive of living in an area where this is something you have to worry about. In fact, it is something that has never occured to me until reading this thread. On another board, a fellow from California was talking about he was afraid to lie down in the woods and take a little nap while out hunting for fear someone would "jump him". On another board, a lady from Maryland was asking what type of small semiauto she should buy to carry IN HER HOME WHILE DOING HER HOUSEWORK!!! Either I am living a very protected life here in Wyoming and Arizona, or I am not nearly paranoid enough to survive in today's world. Should I go get fitted for a tinfoil hat?

jnyork, you are neither paranoid, nor do you need a tin foil hat. Arizona and Wyoming might as well be on different planets from Illinois. They ARE that different.

Our range is thankfully on our property behind our house, but for convenience, we use a bicycle-wheeled garden cart to take guns and ammo and stuff back there. They make folding ones as well (ours isn't) that would likely fit in most car trunks.

You could keep the bulk of your stuff on the wagon, and tote it to the targets and back.

AJMD429, I've been looking at the wagons Harbor Freight has. They look light the old red wagons we knew as kids, but they got big fat inflated tires and wooden stake sides to them. That would carry a lot of stuff to and from the firing line. Just might go get one.

Joe

[mescalero1]

Those of us in the west have become spoiled, we shoot anywhere, anytime commen sense tells us we can.

[Mike D.]

Everyone whines about Kalipornya, but I can shoot anywhere away from the cities. The club range is too far, so I just hit a nice spot by the levee and blast away. This one is our property, but there are plenty more free places nearby. Not a lot of libs to poke fun at once you get away from town.

[Pete44ru]

I would encourage you to join a gun club, Joe.

I haven't been to one yet, where the range wasn't open to members for their use at no extra charge - although I'm sure there must be some out there.

The range fees you will save can somewhat offset the dues - and some clubs offer a 50% discount to seniors, after an initial membership period (say, 2-3 years).

I was paying $50/yr for unlimited use at my gun club, but last year the dues were raised for all members, and I now pay $75/yr.

Look/ask around.

.

[Sixgun]

Joe,
Its easy to find a place to shoot---just go downtown, hook up with a couple of the Obama types, and blast away. You can shoot streetlamps, cars, or occupied buildings. You can even get in your car and blast away at people standing on the corner.

OK, enough of my hate---(my wife tells me I'm full of hate---I tell her THEY make me this way.)-my son, who lives in Colorado (of all places!) also has a hard time finding a place to shoot in the Denver area. After some dedicated researching, he has come up with a few places that just are not "advertised". I suggest hitting the local gunshops and gunshows and just start asking around.-----------Sixgun

[Old Ironsights]

Well...

Lessee...

The place where I shoot most is... in my basement. With .22 Super Colibri.

Since turning my back on the Old Guy Politics of my local range, I've found a range that I have been able to shoot at once a month. So things are looking up... just in time for gun ownership to be seriously jeprodised.

However, now that I have a Key to the range, I will hopefully change that. It is still about 40mi away, but the respect they show to adult shooters is worth it.

Look around for a Sillhouette club. You could be suprised.

[brucew44guns]

Joe, you might be surprised to learn that there are many who are in your boat at this time. Where would a guy go shoot a 45-70 or some such powerful round if you lived in Long Beach, Calif? or any populated horror story such as that? Yet,here I am out on 2 1/2 miles of gravel from the black-top hwy, in Kansas, no neighbors for miles, wide open country, and still no shooting buddy. Got a trunk full of levers and big bore wheel guns. But it's not a lot of fun for me to go out by myself and just plink, (unless it's hedge balls this time of year )
I hope things turn for you Joe, but you're not the only one in this kind of thing.

[bogus bill]

Joe, maybe you can suck up to some farmer nearby. Maybe drive around and spot a nice safe spot to shoot and look up the owner? I really never had nerve for that either, but you might? When I was a boy in wisconsin we had favorite spots like that, that I kind of inherited into. I dont know how to go about it, but if you could find that perfrect spot and give the farmer money, or favors like feeding his stock if he wants to go somewhere? I bet some farmer even might like to get hooked up with a deal like that. You probley could leave your target frames set up there etc. Good luck!

[swshooter]

I was going to suggest the same thing. Find a local farmer who has a varmint problem and he'd probably welcome you on his place. I shoot woodchucks on two farms a short drive from my house. I also belong to two gun clubs within easy driving distance. One has an indoor pistol range thats available 24/7 when no organized matches are being shot, plus a 50 and 100 yd outdoor range. The other has 50, 100, 200 and 300 yd outdoor ranges. Both clubs charge less than $100/yr in dues. Hang out at the local gun emporiums and get acquainted with people. My long time hunting partner recently left the area and it sure can take away the pleasure in shooting. I pray the Lord will lead you to new friends, and in the mean time we're here for you partner.

[Ysabel Kid]

Joe -

Encouragement sent! I'm in a similar boat - I'm not getting out to shoot nearly enough, and especially not with my rifles. I need to get off my can and go join an outdoor range before I blink and YKK is off to college!!!

[mescalero1]

And you can bet your posterior that will be the case if you do not act.

[adirondakjack]

Joe, I can't believe what yer saying. Central ILLINOIS and nowhere to shoot? Man, the IL I remember from 30 years ago was such a high percentage of farms, I can't believe you can't find a farmer who will let ya drive down in the back and shoot, so long as ya carry out yer trash. I was USAF at Chanute (Rantoul), and all I had to do was drive the car out the back of the trailer park I lived in and into a soybean field, down to the back hedge row, and we could shoot with no issues.

[Bruce Scott]

Here in Western Australia shooting is limited to private land and ranges. Every so often I see an ad in the local paper from someone looking for farms to shoot on. That may also be an option for you...

I'm fortunate in having my own 200 acres plus a club range only 15 ks away.

[J Miller]

Hey Bruce,

I got an Enfield .303 and some catridges. You think they'd let me immigrate and bring it with me?



OK, about shooting here in IL. For all youse guys who do not know this area, think WIDE OPEN FLAT with nothing to stop bullets. All the flat is farms.

Occasionally you'll find a hilly area. The outdoor range I mentioned above is in one of those areas. Across the road from him is ..... you guessed it, a farm.

Mescalero1 has pegged it on the nail head. Being raised in the wide open free west, it's just me. I cannot get used to this zero freedom back here.

So I'll keep on keeping on and some time in the future I will get back to the west.

And when I do ..................................... I'm gonna celebrate. I'm gonna buy my old trailer back from my aunt, if she'll sell it to me, and I'm gonna go out in the desert and spend two weeks out in the big wide open NOTHING.

After that, maybe I'll come back to being human. Maybe not.

J e

[Bruce Scott]

Hey Bruce,

I got an Enfield .303 and some catridges. You think they'd let me immigrate and bring it with me?
J e

I can provide you with a farmer's permit to shoot letter....

[Old Ironsights]

Hey Bruce,

I got an Enfield .303 and some catridges. You think they'd let me immigrate and bring it with me?
J e

I can provide you with a farmer's permit to shoot letter....

How about a plane ticket and all the burros we can stand to shoot?

[J Miller]

Bruce,

I'm gonna start packing. Send me and OI the letters. Oh, do we get paid to shoot the burros? Gotta show the govt we're employed .... right.

Joe

[86er]

Mr. Miller:

Here's a bunch of encouragement for ya:

When we have the next leverguns safari you will be coming along as my guest at no expense to you. You better practice whenever, wherever you can so you don't miss in front of our forum friends.

Good 'nuff?

Joe

[J Miller]

Mr. Miller:

Here's a bunch of encouragement for ya:

When we have the next leverguns safari you will be coming along as my guest at no expense to you. You better practice whenever, wherever you can so you don't miss in front of our forum friends.

Good 'nuff?

Joe

Joe,

I was without words to respond last night, so I slept on it.

This is much more encouragement than I expected. Not only is it encouragement, it's a challenge. And at the time when so many things are happening in my life too. Not to mention the change in the weather. It's 32° here right now.
However I accept the challenge. So as long as the next Leverguns Safari isn't too soon it's a plan.

So much to get ready, and so many questions.

I'll make a list and get an email to to you.

Thanks a bunch. Joe

[C. Cash]

Good for you Joe Miller! That ought to clean the sand out of anyone's wicket. Good on you Joe R! Once again...great to see good being done here. Mucho pics Joe if you can!

[J Miller]

Our range is thankfully on our property behind our house, but for convenience, we use a bicycle-wheeled garden cart to take guns and ammo and stuff back there. They make folding ones as well (ours isn't) that would likely fit in most car trunks.

You could keep the bulk of your stuff on the wagon, and tote it to the targets and back.

Well, I got me the 'lil red wagon.
When I was a kid I never had a real honest to gosh Radio Flyer. Always wanted one, but money was supposedly hard to come by. Oh well, I got me a 'lil red wagon now.

It came in a box all wrapped up in plastic and I had to tear it all open.
Then I had to assemble it:




Think the tires are big enough? Almost as big as my Pathfinders. Ready for off roading.


All done.


I think this will work real good at the gun range. HA HA, you cowboy shooters got nothing on old Joe .........
If the weather tomorrow is as nice as today was, I'm gonna head to the range. Gotta do a range report on my new "off road range wagon".


J e

[Modoc ED]

Good on ya Joe but I gotta say -- If yer goin to display a plate of chow in yer pictures, then you've got to have enough for all of us!!!

[bogus bill]

Just today the wife bought a similar green "garden wagon". Sides let down etc. It came with a attachment to pull behind a mower, lil tactor, but I see it could also be towed with our quad. I have similar plans for this baby! Got it at Ace hardware.

[J Miller]

Good on ya Joe but I gotta say -- If yer goin to display a plate of chow in yer pictures, then you've got to have enough for all of us!!!

Bill,

Sorry about that. I made a pig out of myself and ate it all. The reason I had the food outside is the four little kittens I wrote about last week, the sick ones. Well they are recovering and trying to make up for lost chow. They smelled the fish and attacked. I had to take my eats out side just to get it eaten.
Next time I'll get enough for all.

Joe

[AJMD429]

I'm glad you found the 'wagon' suggestion useful.

A good wife is your next best asset in life next to a firm religious foundation. Good kids add to that and are something to be proud of (the only change you'll likely leave behind on passing).

After that, is the friends (and strangers) you'll help through rough times, and those who will help you likewise. Some of them are on this forum. Help will come emotionally, spiritually, financially, and physically.

Next is the rewards of an occupation you enjoy and/or a hobby you enjoy, which for us on this forum, involves one way or another - the levergun!

Nurture all of those things, and they will reward you with a good life, whether or not you get 'rich' or 'famous' or ever feel 'important' in the tracitional sense, you'll have done all a person can do - enjoyed the opportunity to live, help others, and contribute what you could to the big picture.

Get the wagon, go on the safari, cherish the family, and God and friends will help you get through the rough spots.

Read some of James Thom's books - they put the world in perspective real fast, (and sometimes make you wish you were living two hundered years ago).