Looking for a place to shoot

[902nik]

Hey everybody, I realize this is a bit of a long shot(pun intended) but I’m trying to find a place I can practice shooting long range. To make a long story short, I almost died last year, and it has always been a goal of mine to be able to hit a target from 1,000 yards. Since last year I’ve been working on that, got myself a rifle that’s capable, and was able to hit a target somewhat consistently at 1,010 metres.

My next goal is to find a place where I can attempt to hit a target from a mile away. I’d also like to find a place I can practice from 300-900 metres, I’d like to get good enough to eventually compete. It’s hard to find public land that’s accessible with enough distance that’s not shooting over roads, train tracks, trails and the like that’s also facing a safe direction.

I live in Sylvan lake, obviously the closer the better for me, but if you have a spot I’ll drive.

Thanks in advance folks!

[Dmay]

I have a private range where we shoot out to 2600 yards. I am likely about 3 hours away from you, but if interested send me a PM.........

[tikka250]

Nose hills gun club by consort goes out to 1400 with steel all over the place. It would be about 2.5 hours away but it gives you lots of chance to practice.

[902nik]

I appreciate the info. Dmay I sent you a message.

I’ll check out nose hills, thanks tikka250

[Dean2]

You can also check the range at Edson. Great facility and goes out to 1000 yards. Likely the closest option to you.

[Landshark]

Hello everyone. I live in Spruce Grove, AB.
I want to practice shooting my new 22 rifle. I would like to set up paper targets on a stake and practice aim etc. I am not looking for a place to shoot living things of any sort. Nor am I interested in shooting at anything but my own targets that I bring along with me.
I have the Alberta Discover Guide and it shows a lot of the Conservation Sites and the symbols of what's allowed. A lot of the Conservation listings have the "shooter" symbol just above the description. However, when I visited the Alberta Conservation Rules site, it explained that you can't discharge a firearm in a Conservation Site. So which is it?
I have discovered that you may discharge a fire arm on crown land following safety rules of course, but I cannot find a map that shows clearly where the crown land is.
So, where may I target practice and not set the whole world off on a verbal tangent?

[pikergolf]

Hunting is allowed on most conservation sites, target shooting or plinking is not.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

Hunting is allowed on most conservation sites, target shooting or plinking is not.

Ok that's fair. So where can I go plinking then?

[pikergolf]

Either crown land or make friends with a farmer. County land owner maps are great for identifying who owns land.

[Salavee]

Originally Posted by Landshark

Hello everyone. I live in Spruce Grove, AB.
I want to practice shooting my new 22 rifle. I would like to set up paper targets on a stake and practice aim etc. I am not looking for a place to shoot living things of any sort. Nor am I interested in shooting at anything but my own targets that I bring along with me.
I have the Alberta Discover Guide and it shows a lot of the Conservation Sites and the symbols of what's allowed. A lot of the Conservation listings have the "shooter" symbol just above the description. However, when I visited the Alberta Conservation Rules site, it explained that you can't discharge a firearm in a Conservation Site. So which is it?
I have discovered that you may discharge a fire arm on crown land following safety rules of course, but I cannot find a map that shows clearly where the crown land is.
So, where may I target practice and not set the whole world off on a verbal tangent?

You could think of joining Stony Plain Fish& Game and the Wabamun Gun Club.
200 yd range and 25 and 50 yds for .22 and the like.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by Salavee

You could think of joining Stony Plain Fish& Game and the Wabamun Gun Club.
200 yd range and 25 and 50 yds for .22 and the like.

With the Wabamum Gun Club, you must be a member for one year then you can buy into the range facility. 180 will be the total. Seems expensive as well.

[Smokinyotes]

If you don’t have access to private land where you can shoot safely the best option is to join a range.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Landshark

With the Wabamum Gun Club, you must be a member for one year then you can buy into the range facility. 180 will be the total. Seems expensive as well.

The year wait seems silly, but $180 isn't a huge amount if it gives you a safe place to shoot, and is close to where you live. You could spend a lot more than that in extra fuel, if you have to drive farther to shoot on crown land.

[Landshark]

I have belonged to many clubs in my life and I'm not about to join another. Just not my thing. I will keep looking for a land owner or some crown to shoot on. It's difficult to find a map that shows crown land so I think I'll get a Parkland map and see if it's more detailed.
BTW Wabamun is a fair distance from me as well so If I can get to a place that's closer and friendly, I'll be there. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

Are there any landowners on this site near Spruce Grove that would allow a target shooter like me to use a small piece of property to shoot? Please let me know.

[32-40win]

Had to go read their site to figure out what they do there, looks like you have to be a member of SPFG for a year before they give you the range priveleges at Wabamun. SPFG is 50.00/yr, Wabamun is another 130.00/yr when it kicks in. I expect, you can go with an existing membar as a guest in the first year. Bit of a different way of doing things. Still cheap in comparison to say going out to Hwy 22 or 753 or so to find crown land you can shoot on. Best thing to do is go buy a membership and attend a general meeting to see if there is a couple of people that will call you when they are going out to the range, see what you can work out for going out as a guest, maybe meet some more people when out there.

[Smokinyotes]

Originally Posted by Landshark

I have belonged to many clubs in my life and I'm not about to join another. Just not my thing. I will keep looking for a land owner or some crown to shoot on. It's difficult to find a map that shows crown land so I think I'll get a Parkland map and see if it's more detailed.
BTW Wabamun is a fair distance from me as well so If I can get to a place that's closer and friendly, I'll be there. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

Are there any landowners on this site near Spruce Grove that would allow a target shooter like me to use a small piece of property to shoot? Please let me know.

If wabamun is too far for you, you may be out of luck as I just looked on the parkland county map and I can’t see any crown land between wabamun and the grove that you can safely shoot on.

[Salavee]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The year wait seems silly, but $180 isn't a huge amount if it gives you a safe place to shoot, and is close to where you live. You could spend a lot more than that in extra fuel, if you have to drive farther to shoot on crown land.

I think the year wait is to see if the Club has a real member, opposed to someone who just wants a place to shoot Not much of a problem that I can see. The Range is a perk, secondary to an AF&G active membership. A bit different than a Gun Club only membership.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Salavee

I think the year wait is to see if the Club has a real member, opposed to someone who just wants a place to shoot Not much of a problem that I can see. The Range is a perk, secondary to an AF&G active membership. A bit different than a Gun Club only membership.

The year wait is total silliness, I belong to two ranges, and was a long term member of another range, and none have such a condition. As far as an AFGA membership is concerned, more and more ranges are not affiliated with AFGA, because more and more range members are not hunters, and have no interest in joining AFGA, so they want all of their membership going towards the range, not to some conservation organization. If you have been watching the membership at local ranges, the disciplines that are growing in popularity, are handgun shooting, and precision rifle shooting, the number of big game hunters buying a membership to sight in and practise, is actually shrinking. So where many ranges used to include an AFGA membership, that situation has changed dramatically recently, especially since AFGA significantly increased their membership fees.

[Salavee]

[QUOTE=elkhunter11;4579273]The year wait is total silliness, I belong to two ranges, and was a long term member of another range, and none have such a condition. As far as an AFGA membership is concerned, more and more ranges are not affiliated with AFGA, because more and more range members are not hunters, and have no interest in joining AFGA, so they want all of their membership going towards the range, not to some conservation organization. If you have been watching the membership at local ranges, the disciplines that are growing in popularity, are handgun shooting, and precision rifle shooting, the number of big game hunters buying a membership to sight in and practise, is actually shrinking. So where many ranges used to include an AFGA membership, that situation has changed dramatically recently, especially since AFGA significantly increased their membership fees.[/QUOTE

.. At least, that's the way you see it. I know most Ranges are not affiliated. Nor is AF&G Assn. associated with most Ranges. Pick one or the other. They are two totally differtent entities,and serve different types of individuals with, undoubtably, different goals... most notably , Conservation. Some will support the AF&GA for what it is, others wont. We have a range that supports it's members and to be a member, you are required to support the Stony Plain
Chapter of AF&G . Pretty darn simple as I see it. The Wabamun Gun Club is there for it's supporting members who support it's conservation goals... not for the masses who could care less.