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Best States for shooting


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So I'm getting PCS'd in April and want to know what state has the best shooting opportunities. I currently live in NW Florida and there isn't much in my area. I have to get up at 4am to drive to Tallahasse for a monthly match. It's 2 1/2 hr drive with a time change on I-10. Looking for for suggestions on staes with looks of shooting opportunities that have Air Force bases. I'm am originally from Glendale, AZ and if I could get back there that would be awesome.

Thanks for the help.

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Seymour Johnson AFB in NC might be an option for you. You can find all kinds of shooting in NC and could probably shoot 8-10 times per month time and money permitting. While people shoot both there does seem to be more IDPA matches than USPSA if that makes a difference to you. Seymour Johnson is about an hour from The Range in Oxford, NC, home of the Carolina Cup, one of the premier IDPA matches in the country.

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I was stationed @ SJ from 04-08. That was before I shot USPSA. I wouldn't mind getting back there. I work at Four Season Sports off ash street. And spent a lot of time at the range out slocum gate.

Are there matches out near Wilmington or Jacksonville? What about towards the triangle?

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Patrick AFB in Central Florida has two (maybe three if you drive like a cheetah) active clubs within 45 minutes, and a few more if you increase that to 90 minutes. Shoot every weekend and then some if you want. Great place to live (almost all base housing has either a river or ocean view) and the surfing is pretty good, too! Shoot every weekend and then some if you want. Good Luck in your quest!

Edit: I should add Cape Canaveral AFS, also. As you probably know they are just a few miles apart.

Edited by Bamboo
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What is your AFSC? That might narrow it down a bit? If you can get MacDill AFB in Tampa, you will have it made as far as shooting goes. Over a dozen matches per month within a 2 hour drive, and the local range has weekly matches in the evenings.

Look into Nellis AFB...Vegas. The USPSA Nationals are going to be there in 2012.

Edited by ErichF
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1323048082[/url]' post='1585771']

What is your AFSC? That might narrow it down a bit? If you can get MacDill AFB in Tampa, you will have it made as far as shooting goes. Over a dozen matches per month within a 2 hour drive, and the local range has weekly matches in the evenings.

Look into Nellis AFB...Vegas. The USPSA Nationals are going to be there in 2012.

I'm cross training into EOD 3E8X1. I have Tampa on the wish list as well as Nellis.

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Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Southern Florida.

No particular Order. I'm trying to get to Arizona from Oklahoma right now. The only thing that I enjoy about Oklahoma is the shooting...

South FL stinks from a shooting range point of view although we have a few different matches going on.

Mostly indoor ranges or 5 second per shot outdoor ranges.

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This site gives you a pretty good idea of what's going on in NC shooting-wise -

http://ncsection.org/

Here are three of the more active clubs within an hour of the triangle. There may be something closer to Seymour Johnson AFB. I've never looked.

http://www.sirwaltergunclub.com/

http://www.the-range.com/

http://caswellranch.com/default.aspx

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Cape Canaveral AFS has a pretty strong AF EOD presence.

I work with them from time to time and they seem to be a great group. The building where I'm based is only a couple miles from their EOD disposal range and it is always amusing to hear over the PA “The EOD team will be performing disposal detonation in 5 minutes, net explosive weight….xx pounds.” Anything over about 20 pounds rattles the windows pretty good.

Anyway, best of luck in with your decision.

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So I'm getting PCS'd in April and want to know what state has the best shooting opportunities.

Are you in EOD school now? If so, first thing you need to do is finish it. If you don't, do you stay at your current assignment? I don't remember how that works.

2d, since you'll be EOD, you may not have much time for shooting. The deployment schedule for EOD is ridiculous.

After all that BS I wrote, the best thing for you to do is get on AFPC secure and do some checking into what bases have EOD...unless it is one of those AFSCs stationed everywhere, like SF. Then go to USPSA.org and click through the links and cross reference bases to clubs. http://www.uspsa.org/locate-uspsa-clubs.php

Bottom line, AF needs will send you where they need you. After you get there, make the best of it.

McConnell AFB (Wichita, KS) has a great group of EOD techs (the Segways are fun to ride, too), 2 outdoor USPSA matches within driving distance (Ponca City, OK and Augusta, KS) and an indoor match 3 Fridays a month. Plus it is a nice base right in town. I prefer Fla weather compared to KS.

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1323517923[/url]' post='1589990']
1323042673[/url]' post='1585685']

So I'm getting PCS'd in April and want to know what state has the best shooting opportunities.

Are you in EOD school now? If so, first thing you need to do is finish it. If you don't, do you stay at your current assignment? I don't remember how that works.

2d, since you'll be EOD, you may not have much time for shooting. The deployment schedule for EOD is ridiculous.

After all that BS I wrote, the best thing for you to do is get on AFPC secure and do some checking into what bases have EOD...unless it is one of those AFSCs stationed everywhere, like SF. Then go to USPSA.org and click through the links and cross reference bases to clubs. http://www.uspsa.org...uspsa-clubs.php

Bottom line, AF needs will send you where they need you. After you get there, make the best of it.

McConnell AFB (Wichita, KS) has a great group of EOD techs (the Segways are fun to ride, too), 2 outdoor USPSA matches within driving distance (Ponca City, OK and Augusta, KS) and an indoor match 3 Fridays a month. Plus it is a nice base right in town. I prefer Fla weather compared to KS.

Yes you are a 100% right, finishing school is number 1 for me right now. Although I am pretty close to the end. As a new guy in an EOD flight I have to do all my upgrade training before I would be able to deploy 6-8 months.

I have a eod buddy up at McConnell, Mike Gibson. Good dude. Well thanks for the advise. Although I have to put my shooting hobby on hold for a while, I got an assignment to Germany. So we will see what I can do for shooting over there.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I don't know of JB Lewis-McChord has EOD, but I can think of at least two places (Puyallup and Renton) within an hour of there that have competitive shooting. The High Power guys in Puyallup are friggin' assassins.

Texas has lots, but, well, it's a big state. But you do have two biggies for 3 Gun - LaRue and Fallen Brethren.

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