300 meter range in MA???

[MadRussian]

I'm looking for a 300+ meter range in MA. I have a rifle that's just begging for something over the 100 yard that I go to now.
Haven't been able to find one....anyone know where there is one?

[Big Daddy 45acp]

I'm looking for a 300+ meter range in MA. I have a rifle that's just begging for something over the 100 yard that I go to now.
Haven't been able to find one....anyone know where there is one?

Reading Rifle. Out to 600 yards.

[amb]

+1 on Reading. It's also the only formal range in the state for 600 unless you can get access to Ft. Devens or Camp Edwards. Depending on where you are, Nashua (also 600 yards) may be another useful option.

Harvard Sportsmen's is very very highly regarded by many here and has ranges out to 300 yards, as does Ames in Easton. (Probably others, too.) There are more 200 yard ranges than you can shake a stick at. (Up here north of Boston, there's Mass Rifle and Woburn Sportsmen's Assn.)

Here's an awesome map someone here made of regional full-distance (600+) ranges:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...95313&z=7&om=0

(Anyone know what's up with 600 at Pelham?)

[bpm990d]

Here's an awesome map someone here made of regional full-distance (600+) ranges:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...95313&z=7&om=0

(Anyone know what's up with 600 at Pelham?)

Glad you like it! Here is another one of short 200 + 300 yard ranges in New England. Not as complete as the other one though.

Last I heard about Pelham there was some delay. Dave Lavoie (Nashua) would know better than I.

If you have Google Earth installed and you want one of the entire planet you can get the .KMX file here.

B

[MadRussian]

It's also the only formal range in the state for 600 unless you can get access to Ft. Devens or Camp Edwards.

I've been to Devens and Edwards with my unit for BRM/Qual before but I didn't know I could get in there with my personal weapons... I'm pretty sure that's a No-Go.
Anyone done that before and could tell me how to go about it?

[bpm990d]

There use to be a Ft. Devens R&P club. That was the only way that I'm aware of.

I've never heard of anyone using Edwards.

B

[amb]

I've never heard of anyone using Edwards.

Might just have been wishful thinking, but there was discussion a while back about civilian use of Edwards. (There was also talk of a 1000 yard range, which I didn't know they had.) There's also a downloadable form to request civilian access, so I figured it might not be totally out of the question. Maybe just police use, though? They do allow some hunting, too.

Oh, here's the thread, and indeed, it didn't seem to have gone anywhere:
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbu...ad.php?t=13583

There's certainly some precedent; VSRPA shoots on Ethan Allen Firing Range just about weekly, Camp Smith has at least a bit of civilian shooting, and the club at Quantico has pretty good access for both matches and recreational shooting. Probably just wants the right person with some pull to get it going, and once it's routine nobody will really question it. At least if they ever solved their "no lead ammo allowed" environmental problems from a while back.

PS: thanks for the maps! Now I've saved your name as well as the links.

[bpm990d]

All very good points. I'd love to see some of the places open up but with only a tradition and knowledge base of unit marksmanship training, I find it unlikely.

The thing about EAFR, Quantico, Camp Robinson and other places, is that there is exposure to using the ranges without all the foolishness. Usually they require things like medics, fire extinguishers, radio contact, formalized training of range safety personnel and no commander is ever going to get in trouble by making you jump through the same hoops as he makes the military jump through.

Even at Camp Smith the NYANG is requiring the NYSRPA to rod people off of line after each shooting stage in the civilian matches. I've never seen a military manual that requires that, it's simply NCO lore or unit SOP. They also had some issues with .30 cal M1s I believe. Something about the range fan not being large enough.

Like I said, I'd love to see it but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Glad you like the google earth map. It was a huge effort to put it all together.

B

[MadRussian]

Thanks a lot guys. Those maps are pretty good - I'm going to check out those ranges when I can.

[SteveCase]

SSC out here in western mass has a 300 yard rifle range