Where to go shooting near Phoenix, AZ

4T4MAG

New member
We just relocated to the Phoenix area, it seems that there are plenty of fine shooting ranges all over town. Packed with hundreds of people waiting in line in the 110 degree temps to shoot. Where can a person shoot? Looking at the BLM/public lands website, they say no shooting due to fire danger. I know shooting can cause fires, but, is this not just another way of gun control? You can own all the guns you want, buy them by the case, but don't plan on shooting them anywhere but the ranges. I am not wealthy enough to buy private land to shoot on. Does anyone in the Phoenix area know were to go that is legal to shoot?
 
Rio Salado is a great outdoor/indoor range complex, and the public range is large enough you don't have to wait. Yes, it's hot. Located East of the valley. Scottsdale Gun Club is a great indoor range, but can be very busy. North valley in Scottsdale.

As for shooting in the desert, that's pretty much a no-no right now because of fire risks. No, it is not a form of gun control, we don't want our resources and homes burning down!!
 
Up until a month ago BLM land was all I shot on. It's free and you can bring your own stuff to shoot. Steel, cans, whatever. Just make sure you clean it up after or you won't have to worry about fire warnings. They will shut it down due to the garbage.

+1 for Rio Salado. When I was in the east basin that was my go to range. Yes it is hot here, but the benches are covered. I have gone there many times in the 100+ and have never been uncomfortable. Just remember to always have water with you. That goes for anything you do here though. If Rio Salado is your closest range I would highly recommend getting the membership. $85/year for unlimited free range time. I would also recommend paying the extra $15 for the early access gate pass. Range opens at 7am, the pass lets you in as early as 6am. You get in and setup before the lines start. $100 for that deal cannot be beat anywhere.

I am now in the north basin and Ben Avery is my go to range for now because of the fire warnings. Another very nice setup, but they only offer daily rates, no memberships. Rod and Gun Club is membership only except on weekends they offer daily rates for the public. Those are the 3 outdoor ranges here. All very nice. There are also plenty of indoor ranges around if you don't mind spending the extra money. I would rather spend $7/day and be a little hot than $15/hour. There are tradeoffs. Indoor has AC, but outdoor has fresher air. Also my wife went to an indoor once and won't go again because it is just too loud for her even with ear plugs and muffs. Outdoor she has no problem.

As far as the fire warnings. This is why they are there. Something with the electric lines out there started a fire and shooting got postponed most likely for the duration of the summer. I saw it happen. I was out there that day shooting at the far end of the allowed area. I finished up and was heading out and by the beginning of the allowed area I saw some smoke underneath the huge power line tower up the hill. Then a couple Sheriffs trucks passed me going in. Turns out it was a small fire about 2 miles off the road and burned a little over an acre. I went back a couple weeks later and the "FIRE WARNING NO SHOOTING" signs were posted.
 
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Number 1 on Rio Salado.

I have a family membership and a gate badge so I can get in at 6am.

It is a nice place to shoot and the ROs run a pretty tight ship.

I meet a lot of really interesting people and some really fantastic guns that I am sometimes lucky to shoot.

I used to have a membership at Caswells in Mesa as an indoor range.

There have been a bunch of changes there over the past year or so.

I dropped my membership.

It is probably not such a good idea to shoot in the desert. Fire danger and having too far to drive to find a place remote enough to shoot without running in to people one should avoid...


Geetarman:D
 
Avoid it now yeah due to the fire warning only because you will get in trouble if you are caught, no other reason.

If you ever go to Ben Avery, BLM land is just 10 minutes north of that and is about a mile off the Interstate. Far if you live down south or east, but not if you are north. I have been going there for awhile and have never run into anyone I should "avoid". There are various places for shooting established off the road there and no one shoots where someone else is shooting anyway. If you are parked somewhere no one is going to turn off the road and be driving up to you. They will go to the next area. The only incident I have ever heard of there was about a year/year and half ago a family was up there and their 2 year old ran in front of her 8 year old sister just as she pulled the trigger. Not a happy ending. Your own gun handling safety precautions is the only thing you have to worry about. If the implication is "illegals will get ya" that is categorically false.
 
You didn't say where in the Valley you're located but in general I would suggest you purchase a membership at one of the clubs mentioned. There are several others as well so check the internet to see which is closest to you. The issue with BLM land is that many years will see gun restrictions as our fire hazard is always high spring thru early fall.
 
Thank you for your help. I went to the Ben Avery Range today. It was fine. I am located in the Northwest Valley. Next week sometime I will go try the Rio Salado. How's the Scottsdale Gun Club?
 
There is an indoor range CASWELLs in Mesa. It is just East of Mesa DR.

I have shot at Usrey and really enjoyed the events.
 
There used to be a public range south of town behind one of the hills.
Also check with the local forum wethearmed.com for info.
The Scottsdale Club has to be one of the best indoor ranges ever.
Check it out; you won't be disappointed.
 
Maybe this will help you out regardIng the fire danger. It's the web site for the National Weather Service office in Phoenix. Go ahead and book mark it and you can get current temps, the forecast all all kinds of info. You'll notice the bright red area. That's for a red flag warning, meaning high temps, low humidity and windy with some very high gusts. You sure don't want to start any kind of fire during one of these periods.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/psr/

Anyway, that's the link. Use it as you see fit. FWIW, it's where the TV people get most of what they need.
Paul B.
 
Lots of folks look at the desert, see all the sand and dirt between the shrubs, and think it won't burn, or they can put it out if they start a fire. Not true. In extreme fuel conditions, a fire will explode in minutes and run before the wind as fast as you can run. So go to the public range and enjoy the day.

Start a fire on public land, get caught, you pay for it.
 
The Scottsdale Gun Club is one of the finest in the country. The stock, the staff, the rentables (including a massive NFA collection you can rent), they've even shot national tv bits and instructional video there. The lanes are top of the line and well ventilated. Nice and cool inside, escape from the heat. They even have great prices a lot of the time on firearms and ammo and accessories (something I hadn't expected in Scottsdale.) They sell everything from safes to 5.11 gear to NFA items and everything in-between. You should check it out at least once. Rent a machine gun and have a blast :) If you get a membership, you get a free machine gun rental on your birthday each year.

If I had more time i would still have a membership.

I sound like a rep for the place, lol. I just admire a class act.
 
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