recommend a range in the DFW area?

[Billmanweh]

I'm looking for someplace to shoot regularly in the DFW area, closer to Ft Worth/Mid Cities if possible.

I'd really like to find someplace outdoors where you can practice the GSSF/IDPA type shooting versus bullseye type stuff. (Or is drawing from a holster and shooting at multiple targets usually a range no-no?)

I’ve been out to TacPro and TDSA and both those places are great, but both are also almost a two hour drive from me.

Any suggestions?

[short_round]

Try going to the USPSA Website and typing your zip code in the club finder at the lower right. Even if you are not interested in shooting IPSC (is that even possible?), you will at least get the address to the ranges and they will probably have other activities there. I just tried the GSSF website and it looks like it's down for construction.

[Billmanweh]

I'm just thinking that with as many people who shoot GSSF, IDPA, IPSC, etc in the metroplex, there must be somewhere here to practice that kind of shooting.

[mpolans]

It's way south of you, but there is Central Texas Rifle and Pistol Club. They hold matches here every month. See www.ctrpc.com for more info.

[MikeyG23]

www.tdsa.net

[SJ]

Midcities is pretty low on ranges. Grand Prairie Gun Club used to have 2 matches a month but no more (thanks to club politics I guess). I don't know if you can still use the bays for practice, and membership is $$$++.

Gibson's Range on Lawson Road in Mesquite may be the free-est/best public range in the area (not saying much really). Pistol range is fixed targets at 10, 15, 20ish (but it's usually empty so you could put up several), but no limits on speed and you could probably practice drawing etc if you're obviously safe.

Collin County Gun Range on 380 west of US75 is good too, a bit more expensive but they do have memberships available. The last few times I was there you were restricted on speed due to being threatened with closure over BS noise concerns (the real reason is the city wants their land to expand the airport). You could do doubletaps but no more. If it's not too busy you could probably do holster drills. Unlike Gibsons they do have rangemasters on the line to help out, usually they are good guys and most competition shooters too. If you're shooting rifles, Gibsons and CCGR are about the only public places in the metroplex that allow FMJ and don't have a snit about black rifles.

Alpine in SE Fort Worth has pistol bays but pretty strict I think, haven't been there in years. No FMJ for rifles, but they do have free use of the manual shotgun traps if you buy the clays there.

There's an indoor range of some sort at the Winchester Gallery at Lancaster (or Rosedale) and IH820 in east Fort Worth. Good gun shop called Military Gun Supply across the street. A couple other indoor places are in Dallas, Garland, and Plano.

There's the Fort Worth Gun Club (I think that's the name) that used to be in NW Fort Worth, but I heard sold out and moved somewhere. They had a good steel plates setup I wished I could have spent alot more time using.

Let me know what you find... I've gotten off shooting many matches since Grand Prairie shut down and my dying truck limits my range. I need to get back to going to the weekday indoor matches at Targetmaster in Garland, just to shoot something...

[MstngLX50]

I was in Dallas over the weekend and shot an IPSC match with Ferris Practical Shooters. I was at UT Dallas, I am not the least bit familiar with the DFW area but it took me about 30 mins to get there down 45 if that helps, or about halfway to the strip at Ennis(if only there was a dragstrip/gun range I would be in heaven). Maps to the ranges are also on the site. It was a really nice range setup and nice people. Also the match started at 11 so that was cool. I just spent 3 and a half years waking up at 5:30 so sleeping in is nice. I don't remember the specifics but somone mentioned that IDPA matches are run at that range. I found out about it at the North Texas Section website, link below.

North Texas Section

And should you find yourself with an empty N2O bottle on a saturday I can tell you where to get that filled as well.

Good Luck,

Alan Elam

[SJ]

Ferris is a fun club, Ves is a great guy. That's where TDSA shoots, they have the classes and IDPA matches. I missed out on their 1000-round 1911 vs Glock challenge, I need to remember to sign up early next year.

There's also a new group called Tiger Valley that has popped up in the last few years. They have a range near the old Winchester range on Luna Road in Irving/Dallas. They also run 3-gun matches near Waco. Tiger Valley is supposed to have an open house at the Luna range this week I think. Check out the ar15.com -> Hometown -> Texas board for more info.

[sfinney]

The Dallas Pistol Club in Carrolton shoots steel twice a month, usually has about 30-40 shooters show up..... great fun. 3rd and 4th Sundays.

I live in Wichita Falls, there are two ranges there if you want to make the drive (1.5 - 2 hrs) - Red River Shooters in Burkburnett, 4th Sunday

Double Tap Ranch (brand new range w/ 12 bays) 2nd Sunday, 4t Saturday.

www.doubletapranch.com

Both are fun matches!

Used to live in DFW, lets just say that for a city so big, the outdoor IPSC options blow - unless you want to drive at least 30-40 minutes.

Grand Prairie used to run 2 good matches a month, club fell apart. For the birth place of so many SVs and STIs, its really a shame there isn't more IPSC shooting.

Plan on doing a lot of driving to shoot IPSC in DFW.

[Fibber_Magee]

I'm facing the same problem. I live outside of Gainesville and the closest range is an hour and twenty minutes away.

CCGR has a well run IDPA match every weekend (hwy 380 just east of 75) figure a twenty dollar bill and bring your own drinking water. They run "lost brass" so while you can hang around afterwards and pick up range brass, chances are you will find little if any of yours. CCIDPA has a web-site for more information.

Near as I can tell, closest CAS shooting is either way-west of Dallas or way-east (looks to be 2 1/2 or 3 hours drive). Same for IPSC (I'll have to try Wichita Falls) and I've not found ICORE or a pin match anywhere. Just can't bring myself to face Dallas traffic so my experience is limited to north of there.

If you come accross any that are worth a long drive please post here or send me an e-mail....

[ranger]

I moved to Dallas in 1986 when I left active duty. I joined the Dallas and Pistol Revolver Club and started shooting USPSA, Steel, and Bianchi. Is DPRC closed? Also, In the last 80s. the DFW area was covered up with shooting - I could shoot every Saturday and SUnday in a 75 mile radius of Dallas.

I moved to Savannah, GA in 1989 and my pistol shooting slowed to a halt. I started aIPSC club in the Savannah area (actually across the river in SC) but it closed when we lost the range to development.

Scott

[sfinney]

The Dallas Pistol Club is still open, but they only shoot Steel, Bullseye, airgun, and "tactical" matches (notice I didn't say IDPA). The club made a unilateral decision to not affiliatte with any group, whether its USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, or whatever. Lots of bad blood between IPSC shooters and current Club leadership, steel shooters..... bad history of the old USPSA club not getting along with the rest of the club, so it was kicked out.

The club can't even hold the Texas State Steel Championship because they are so gun shy about joining a "group" they won't sign up with Steel Challenge.

The only USPSA IPSC clubs running right now within 30 minutes are an indoor range in Garland, and the Ferris range..... besides that, drive to Waco, Tyler, Breckenridge, or Wichita Falls.

But if you want to drive 1.5 to 2.5 hrs, yes, you can shoot IPSC almost every weekend. Just not in Dallas proper.

[SJ]

Shooter40, is the DPC steel match a Steel Challenge-esque shoot? I'd really like to find a place to shoot falling plates or pins on a regular basis, even just for practice.

What I really need to do is fix my truck so I could go to Waco, TacPro, etc., on a regular basis, but that's one for the hate forum.

[sfinney]

Its static steel, no falling plates. But you shoot 5 strings of each of the 5 stages, 25 runs per match. 3rd and 4th Sundays..... one match has a designated stop plate, one is freestyle, forget which.

.22 class, Stock, or Open - good fun. Great practice for steel as well.

[dfwmiket]

I'd say if you don't mind a little bit of a drive, come down Highway 80 to Tyler......should take about an hour, depending on traffic. Very solid group of shooters there, and everyone is VERY friendly and helpful. If you decide you want more information, send me an email and I'll put you in touch with the guys that run it.

MiKeMaN