Shooting in the Desert

[tileman_1969]

Originally Posted by Mouser

I agree 100%

For the seven dollars I spend once a month @ Ben Avery
it's well worth it plus I've met some Fantastic people that
have shared great tips & stories plus I really enjoy chatting
with the the Game and Fish officers

what do they require to use the facility's? in other words is an ID gonna be good enough or do you have to bring all kinds of permits and do background checks also?

[kelly indy]

You cant go shooting off of table mesa rd anymore

[desertskies]

Originally Posted by Zippyman

Seriously - go to the range.

...and Buckeye is legendary for annexing halfway to California as "city" to collect on any future tax revenue. In RE class they mentioned it was the "largest" city in the US by area...

Be safe...

No! That can't be true. Buckeye being the "largest" city in area? Understand that one can drive westbound on I-10 and see the "Buckeye...next seven exits" signs but all they can offer is cookie cut homes and a Walmart DC.
Oh well. My brother and I would go west on I-10 to 339 Ave (about 14 miles west of the Watson Road turnoff), turn north and drive about a mile in to target shoot. Lot of range there.
Just don't shoot towards the interstate.

[nitram]

Don't shoot at Saguaro Cacti, it is illegal and there is a heavy fine if caught. It also can be dangerous to your health. Read story below.
snopes.com: Death by Saguaro

[AZ bound]

Originally Posted by JDish2000

Just go west on I-10 to 339th Ave, then South to Harquala Valley Road, the go West about 8 miles...

We used to go out there all the time - just make sure you clean up after yourself and do not shoot wildlife!

339th and Harquahala Valley Road are about 16 miles apart, and both run north/south.
Where do they ever intersect?
I know, old thread, probably won't get an answer, but some people and their directions......

[AZ bound]

So does anybody have updated info since some of these directions are bogus

[Ponderosa]

Got you DM, but I'll reply here in case others are interested as well:

You can shoot on BLM land. Most of the land west of Phoenix is BLM. Buy some maps or a book showing the boundaries and roads going in. Exceptions to the shooting rule are the Agua Fria monument and Table Mesa area.

Some specifics.

1. Hassyampa River: This river runs west of Phoenix from Wickenburg area all the way down to the Gila River. Almost all of it is BLM land. You can get there by taking I10 west. You can access the river from the exit that is just west of the bridge over the river. There are many places to shoot (you need a truck or a quad or something if you plan to go into the river bed. Deep sand. There are many ways to get to the Gila. Look for directions from where you are to Aguila. That will cross the river at some point. The parts of Hassyampa north of Wickenburg make for an awesome hike (it is a wilderness area) Take your handgun.

2. Harquahala Mts. Take I10 to exit 81 which is Buckeye Salome Highway. Follow it a few miles to the road to Aguila. Go north a couple miles and you are in the mountains. There are dozens of roads leading off the road and hundreds of places to shoot.

3. Castle Hot Springs. Find your way to Lake Pleasant and go north on Castle Hot Springs Road. The west side is a rugged off road and biking area. It's all open for shooting IIRC. Keep going on the unpaved portion as long as you want. You are in the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains and there are hundreds of places to shoot.

4. Bloody basin/Crown King: Go north on 117 to Bumble Bee exit. Follow the road. It goes up the mountains to a tiny mining town called Crown King. There are a couple bars at the top. It is a great trip and there are, again, many many places along the way you can stop and shoot.

That'll get you started and open your eyes to some AZ back country. From there you can figure out more. If you are into the outdoors and shooting etc, get yourself a 4wd truck, an ATV or both, or even a 2wd truck with limited slip rear end. There is so, so much to do here in that regard. Basically, it is millions of acres of public land and you can drive or shoot or whatever on virtually all of it. You need a couple books to get you started on where to look. In checking those places out, you will find even more.

If you have a smart phone, there is an app called Backcountry Navigator that is pretty decent. You can preload maps and aerial photos of where you are going to be going and then "see" yourself on them while you are out there.

[AZ bound]

Thanks for your info.
This is all god stuff.
You're right, taking these routes will definitely allow me to do some good exploring.
I would give you some positive rep for that post, but I have to "spread it around first" LOLOL