barrysuperhawk Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 This is actually a several part question. I would like to attend a 3 gun match that is more than 300 miles from Illinois and use Amtrak to get there and back. I always drag my Girlfriend to the matches I go to and I always drive, so my current distance limit is around 300 miles. Lately the girlfriend [who is an absolute trooper when it comes to not complaining about much of anything] mentioned that going to shooting matches, while fun, does not resemble a typical vacation. This has inspired me to try to incorporate vacation type activities into the mix. For CMMG this year it was the nicest resturaunts I could find for dinner, and a bit of shopping. This went over well, so I am looking to expand my game. The facts: I have always wanted to shoot some of the bigger matches out west, but 2-3+ days of driving out and back doesen't sound pleasant. I do not fly. Flying with guns is actually a secondary concern to the fact that I don't fly anymore, at all. I like trains and since Amtrak is now allowing guns, this is a possibility. My basic plan would be to take train to close to the match, rent a car, drive to match doing tourist-ey things on the way, shoot match, drive back from match doing tourist-ey things on the way, get back on train and go home. This is going to be a 2013-2014 trip to be sure I have plenty of time to get vacation, get into match, etc. Train routes can be seen here: Amtrak Interactive My first idea was the FNH 3 gun in West Virginia, but since they moved it to September it is much less convenient if I still plan to RO the Ozark 3 gun [that would end up to be a LOT of time off in a row]. Then I thought of going west, and the Ironman, but that seems to fail the "stuff to do" on the way there & back test, and that's also a miserable lot of ammo and guns to bring/ship. So, what I am looking for is some local advice from those of you that have been to the western matches, as to which ones sport the easiest access to a railroad, and have cool stuff I can take the girlfriend to see, in addition to the match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMBOpen Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Not sure about Amtrak routes, but Ironman would be passing Yellowstone/Grand Teton. Rocky Mountain 3-gun (Raton, NM) is midway between Colorado Springs and Albuquerque/Santa Fe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerlimits Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Amtrak will NOT allow firearms last i checked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
promod1385 Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Raton is actually on the Amtrak route. I was doing some searching today for my honeymoon and recognized the name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim/GA Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 There are some rules, but according to their site you can. Amtrak firearm policy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveU Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 (edited) Edit - deleted Edited June 11, 2012 by Steve Umansky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick romero Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 i like the idea of using amtrak. i fly to matches and events alot but flying can be tiring and stressful, i think the train could be a great alternative. they are comfortable and offer more options than an airline does Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlamoShooter Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I did a trip search for going to Virginia from San Antonio, and it was cheep $200 + but it would take hrs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrysuperhawk Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 I did a trip search for going to Virginia from San Antonio, and it was cheep $200 + but it would take hrs Yeah, some of the longer trips seem like they take forever, until compare it with driving. after 24 hours of solid driving, most of us would be pretty wrung out and in poor shape to shoot a match. After 24 hours on the train...fresh as a daisy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlamoShooter Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I did a trip search for going to Virginia from San Antonio, and it was cheep $200 + but it would take hrs Yeah, some of the longer trips seem like they take forever, until compare it with driving. after 24 hours of solid driving, most of us would be pretty wrung out and in poor shape to shoot a match. After 24 hours on the train...fresh as a daisy... my spell check left off the 46 , as in 46 hrs with layovers of 4 to 5 hrs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviesterno Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 um, have you ever spent 24 hours on a train? You will not be fresh as a daisy, I promise you that. It is better than driving though. I used to take the Amtrack auto train from DC to florida because it cost less than gas and a hotel, plus it was easy on the car. I will say that without a private room you don't sleep well, so if you're making a vacation out of it, plan a fun night and a real bed between arrival and shooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshooter3 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I just traveled on Amtrak with firearms. The only weird thing is you need a reservations for each piece of luggage that has either firearms or ammo in it. They did not charge anything extra it just needed the reservation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Fatboy Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 We rode the train to San Antonio and it took about eight hours from OKC. It was great and get a sleeping room Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrysuperhawk Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) I did a trip search for going to Virginia from San Antonio, and it was cheep $200 + but it would take hrs Yeah, some of the longer trips seem like they take forever, until compare it with driving. after 24 hours of solid driving, most of us would be pretty wrung out and in poor shape to shoot a match. After 24 hours on the train...fresh as a daisy... my spell check left off the 46 , as in 46 hrs with layovers of 4 to 5 hrs Ok, point taken, and I have noted the amtrak site does some REALLY odd routing, but I think if I plan my trip carefully, I can at least get to where I am going in a comparable amount of time. The route you mention is [roughly] 1700 miles per mapquest and allegedly would take 29 hours of driving. If you figure 15 hours of driving a day, you could make it within the 46 hours the train would take, but it wouldn't be fun. I have ridden the train for 24 hours twice before, from Springfield to DC and back while I was in College. It was very nice especially considering there ended up being a heavy snowstorm on both trips that I was able to safely ignore. If I had been driving, I would have had a bad time.. um, have you ever spent 24 hours on a train? You will not be fresh as a daisy, I promise you that. It is better than driving though. I used to take the Amtrack auto train from DC to florida because it cost less than gas and a hotel, plus it was easy on the car. I will say that without a private room you don't sleep well, so if you're making a vacation out of it, plan a fun night and a real bed between arrival and shooting. I'll give you that we might have differing concepts of how fresh a daisy would be after a 24 or 46 hour train ride, but it would certainly be better than driving... I do also have a distinct advantage in this mental exercise, I can sleep pretty much anywhere, like a rock, so even if I chose a regular seat instead of a room, I would be good to go. The train to Raton seems to have real potential... if I could only get Amtraks website to stop routing me via busses or Chicago... Edited June 21, 2012 by barrysuperhawk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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