Moving to Virginia school me plz….

[beltfedgoodness]

Hello all, so my wife and I are sick of 5months of cold crap, we are headed to Virginia, Charlottesville area-ish. 
 

My question for those of you that are familiar; what local ranges have USPSA and how many are around my area? I’ve played with practiscore and I’m not seeing much unless I’m missing something?  Thanks in advance! 

Edited August 15, 2023 by beltfedgoodness

[Joe4d]

at one time VA was pretty gun friendly, but even then seemed to be a big black hole in USPSA,, One of the things that had me lose interest. A single match in Fredericksburg that with traffic was a 5 hour round trip.  Although 10 years ago the monthly club matches tended to be on pair with many level 2 
You will have to use club finder as I havent kept up.
FYI VA is circling the drain, Id head farther south r west,
I moved to kansas 2 years ago, love it out here hopefully it stays the same till I die.

[THS]

I've lived in VA for well over 20 years.

 

I'm in Fredericksburg area.   C-Ville is a leftist stronghold   If you like wine it will be OK.   If you are conservative you will be in the minority and an outcast.

 

That said:   Fredericksburg Rod and gun has expanded their monthly to 2 days and it fills.  

Montpelier, west of Richmond fills up every month.

NVGC is only 2 squads, 4 stages, and full within minutes.

NRA HQ in fairfax has shoots- I think both mid-week and weekends.

Quantico sometimes does USPSA, some PCSL.

Black Creek, northeast of Richmond, might still be active.

 

I dont know when Joe4d was talking about as I took time off from the game, but in the late 90's and early 2000's we had the Nationals at F burg, and I could shoot every weekend driving less than an hour.   York PA, Black Creek (Richmond), Quantico, Fredericksburg, and Waldorf MD all ran good shoots.   If that is a black hole then I guess only Rio Salado with weekly's is going to be good enough.

[beltfedgoodness]

1 hour ago, THS said:

I've lived in VA for well over 20 years.

 

I'm in Fredericksburg area.   C-Ville is a leftist stronghold   If you like wine it will be OK.   If you are conservative you will be in the minority and an outcast.

 

That said:   Fredericksburg Rod and gun has expanded their monthly to 2 days and it fills.  

Montpelier, west of Richmond fills up every month.

NVGC is only 2 squads, 4 stages, and full within minutes.

NRA HQ in fairfax has shoots- I think both mid-week and weekends.

Quantico sometimes does USPSA, some PCSL.

Black Creek, northeast of Richmond, might still be active.

 

I dont know when Joe4d was talking about as I took time off from the game, but in the late 90's and early 2000's we had the Nationals at F burg, and I could shoot every weekend driving less than an hour.   York PA, Black Creek (Richmond), Quantico, Fredericksburg, and Waldorf MD all ran good shoots.   If that is a black hole then I guess only Rio Salado with weekly's is going to be good enough.

 

 

 

I really appreciate the feedback, I’m not left or right and I’d like to keep political aspects outta this. I understand the climate that way. I like that you have lived there and participated in the sport. And have a good grasp it seems on what’s happening around there. 
 

 

Keep the feedback coming please I appreciate it all

[dannyd]

I escaped from that part of the world 48 years ago, unless your coming from Alaska or Buffalo not going to be very much improvement on the weather.

[beltfedgoodness]

I’m coming from northern Wisconsin, anything is better…..other than northeast

[Joe4d]

2 hours ago, THS said:

I've lived in VA for well over 20 years.

 

I'm in Fredericksburg area.   C-Ville is a leftist stronghold   If you like wine it will be OK.   If you are conservative you will be in the minority and an outcast.

 

That said:   Fredericksburg Rod and gun has expanded their monthly to 2 days and it fills.  

Montpelier, west of Richmond fills up every month.

NVGC is only 2 squads, 4 stages, and full within minutes.

NRA HQ in fairfax has shoots- I think both mid-week and weekends.

Quantico sometimes does USPSA, some PCSL.

Black Creek, northeast of Richmond, might still be active.

 

I dont know when Joe4d was talking about as I took time off from the game, but in the late 90's and early 2000's we had the Nationals at F burg, and I could shoot every weekend driving less than an hour.   York PA, Black Creek (Richmond), Quantico, Fredericksburg, and Waldorf MD all ran good shoots.   If that is a black hole then I guess only Rio Salado with weekly's is going to be good enough.

I shot USPSA in VA from about 2008-2013 Black creek didnt have USPSA, IDPA and steel on occasion   Yeh if you lived in Fredericks burg,, but rest of state was a black hole.. and that Fred burg Quantico area is gridlocked traffic jam constantly...  I was SE of Richmond,,, and geting home from match was a 3 hour drive.  I shot Waldorf Md once,, but again 3 hour drive home. Plus match made up their own rules.
I heard the Montpelier started up with a new group and is much better. I shot IDPA there once and they were really really bad. Lots of unsafe things going on. 
 

[dannyd]

1 hour ago, beltfedgoodness said:

I’m coming from northern Wisconsin, anything is better…..other than northeast

Basically your coming from Alaska, been there cold place in October.  I moved to Florida to get warm.  Good luck my family as been in Virginia from the 1700's, remember everything is taxed but the air you breathe.

[THS]

Montpelier has a well run shoot now.   I dont IDPA- nothing worse that some tactical timmy who has never heard a shot fired in anger tell me "failed to use cover" or some other crap 'procedural' about my tactics.   

 

As for the weather- you will have all 4 seasons here, but the snow will be gone in a week or so after it hits, even in big blizzards.   There is very little snow moving equipment so plan on that complicating things.   Average winter day is high around 40 and low in the upper 20s.   Summer gets hot and humid!

 

C Ville used to be a really nice place.   Downtown walking area has the Omni resort, the Whiskey Jar (Great bourbon selection) and a host of other shops.  Used to be a great place to take your wife and walk around.  Sadly it is now a LOT of homeless and people looking for handouts.   After the guy drove his car into protesters 6(?) years ago it has been a flashpoint for both sides.   Seemingly they go there just to create friction- each side with their own objectives.

 

The traffic comment is spot on!   In a few years I will also leave F-Burg and traffic is HUGE reason.   The flip side to that is salaries are comensurate with the hassle.   Add in that there are no "public" ranges and you are waiting to get a membership slot at a club just to practice.   

 

Do your research on the area you are looking at.  There are 2 clubs I know of near C ViIle.   One is south and has Trap, Skeet and an indoor range.   One is NE a little and has shotgun stuff, but I don't know about handgun.

[dannyd]

If your retired look over in the Shenandoah Valley and also the border counties of West Virginia.  The place is expensive my grandparents house that's 103 years old just sold again for 369.500 dollars.  To me that's crazy money for that house and it's location.

[dannyd]

1 hour ago, THS said:

Montpelier has a well run shoot now.   I dont IDPA- nothing worse that some tactical timmy who has never heard a shot fired in anger tell me "failed to use cover" or some other crap 'procedural' about my tactics.   

 

As for the weather- you will have all 4 seasons here, but the snow will be gone in a week or so after it hits, even in big blizzards.   There is very little snow moving equipment so plan on that complicating things.   Average winter day is high around 40 and low in the upper 20s.   Summer gets hot and humid!

 

C Ville used to be a really nice place.   Downtown walking area has the Omni resort, the Whiskey Jar (Great bourbon selection) and a host of other shops.  Used to be a great place to take your wife and walk around.  Sadly it is now a LOT of homeless and people looking for handouts.   After the guy drove his car into protesters 6(?) years ago it has been a flashpoint for both sides.   Seemingly they go there just to create friction- each side with their own objectives.

 

The traffic comment is spot on!   In a few years I will also leave F-Burg and traffic is HUGE reason.   The flip side to that is salaries are comensurate with the hassle.   Add in that there are no "public" ranges and you are waiting to get a membership slot at a club just to practice.   

 

Do your research on the area you are looking at.  There are 2 clubs I know of near C ViIle.   One is south and has Trap, Skeet and an indoor range.   One is NE a little and has shotgun stuff, but I don't know about handgun.

I take it your a Fleet Marine.  

[beltfedgoodness]

Well I’m only 34 so got a ways before retirement haha. I’m very lucky tho that I can remotely work from anywhere on earth so I’m not limited to being near a city. My wife and I want something more in the country with a little land (1-5acres) 

[dannyd]

20 minutes ago, beltfedgoodness said:

Well I’m only 34 so got a ways before retirement haha. I’m very lucky tho that I can remotely work from anywhere on earth so I’m not limited to being near a city. My wife and I want something more in the country with a little land (1-5acres) 

Then definitely check out the border counties of both Virginia and West Virginia.  Land will be less expensive, but internet maybe a problem.

 

I retired the first time at 37 getting ready to retire for the last time in January.

[beltfedgoodness]

Congrats on the second retirement haha, we actually were originally looking at Florida but that will be a later time in our life. 

[THS]

2 hours ago, dannyd said:

I take it your a Fleet Marine.  

 

I was, for 21 years.    Then about 15 with the 3 letter.   Now a DoD civilian

[dannyd]

1 hour ago, THS said:

 

I was, for 21 years.    Then about 15 with the 3 letter.   Now a DoD civilian

Years ago I was stationed on a Gator Freighter  

[dannyd]

2 hours ago, beltfedgoodness said:

Congrats on the second retirement haha, we actually were originally looking at Florida but that will be a later time in our life. 

Retired from the military almost 30 years ago.  The military was the only way out of Virginia for some of us.  Even back then the state was starting to have two kinds of people; Rich and the people that worked for the Rich people.

[davsco]

greater richmond blasters (montpelier) i think will be the closest.

Fredericksburg at least IMO has the best uspsa in a several hour radius but it's off I-95 and very traffic intense.

quantico does uspsa but a smaller venue than fburg.  also off I95 and traffic.

shadow hawk defense does uspsa, 2gun etc, about 1/2 hour above winchester about 15 minutes west of I-81.

thurmont (tcsc) is <1/2 hour above frederick, MD and does uspsa, 2 gun etc.

 

unfortunately if you're in or around cville, you're in for some driving to do uspsa.  i shot at shadowhawk last weekend with a guy that drove from charleston wv some 3-4 hours each way!

 

give winchester a look.  more north and a little cooler than cville.  but some rural areas where you can get some acreage.  shadow hawk has some sort of match almost if not every weekend.  hour or so to thurmont.

 

or map out fredericksburg, shadowhawk and thurmont and locate centrally to them.

[beltfedgoodness]

34 minutes ago, davsco said:

greater richmond blasters (montpelier) i think will be the closest.

Fredericksburg at least IMO has the best uspsa in a several hour radius but it's off I-95 and very traffic intense.

quantico does uspsa but a smaller venue than fburg.  also off I95 and traffic.

shadow hawk defense does uspsa, 2gun etc, about 1/2 hour above winchester about 15 minutes west of I-81.

thurmont (tcsc) is <1/2 hour above frederick, MD and does uspsa, 2 gun etc.

 

unfortunately if you're in or around cville, you're in for some driving to do uspsa.  i shot at shadowhawk last weekend with a guy that drove from charleston wv some 3-4 hours each way!

 

give winchester a look.  more north and a little cooler than cville.  but some rural areas where you can get some acreage.  shadow hawk has some sort of match almost if not every weekend.  hour or so to thurmont.

 

or map out fredericksburg, shadowhawk and thurmont and locate centrally to them.

 

Thank you so much! This is all great to have for looking for a place to call home! I’ll check out Winchester and I also love the right in the middle of all of it idea haha 

[dannyd]

18 minutes ago, beltfedgoodness said:

 

Thank you so much! This is all great to have for looking for a place to call home! I’ll check out Winchester and I also love the right in the middle of all of it idea haha 

Fredrick County (Winchester is the county seat) is where I escaped from, but you my want to check out Hampshire county, it's first county to the west of Winchester on Route 50 in West Virginia.  There's also Mineral to the west of Hampshire, at one time it was all one county, but after the war the people would always get in a fight at the county seat in Romney, so the state spit the county, Mineral county seat is Keyser. 

 

That one gentleman in the post about is from Hamilton, those are the Rich people out on Route 7 east over in Loudoun County, stay away from there because them really Rich people.

Edited August 16, 2023 by dannyd

[THS]

I've looked at the area Dave is talking about.    Beautiful country and some land deals still can be found.

 

Question:   Does Maryland law allow mags with more than 10 rounds?  

[beltfedgoodness]

Good to know! I’ll start looking at plots. 

[davsco]

6 hours ago, THS said:

I've looked at the area Dave is talking about.    Beautiful country and some land deals still can be found.

 

Question:   Does Maryland law allow mags with more than 10 rounds?  

Merryland allows the possession, use etc of regular/hi cap handgun and rifle mags.  It just that you have to go out of state to purchase them.  Dumb but i guess not unexpected.

[davsco]

22 hours ago, dannyd said:

 

That one gentleman in the post about is from Hamilton, those are the Rich people out on Route 7 east over in Loudoun County, stay away from there because them really Rich people.

hey, we're on the poor side, north of Rt 7, outside the town proper.

[beltfedgoodness]

Lmfao hmmmm, well I’m not rich, but I’m not poor… where do I belong lol