Place to shoot in/near Cheyenne (Sheridan: for sale, dangerous, club)

[crimson30]

I just moved from Spokane, where I was used to using very nearby public land for handgun/rifle shooting. (There was some public land in Cheney that was a stone's throw away)

I just got new pistol and wanted to put a few rounds through it. Is there somewhere nearby where I can pull over and fire a few rounds?

Or is there a cheap public indoor range in town? (Again, no need to make a day of it... I just want to feed some different sorts of ammo through my new pistol)

[ElkHunter]

There are several good facilities in Cheyenne. Here's a couple.

http://www.cheyennerifleandpistolclub.org/

This one not only lists Cheyenne, but others close by.

http://www.huntingnavigator.com/SRWY1.htm

Keep your powder dry. ElkHunter

[crimson30]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

There are several good facilities in Cheyenne. Here's a couple.

http://www.cheyennerifleandpistolclub.org/

This one not only lists Cheyenne, but others close by.

http://www.huntingnavigator.com/SRWY1.htm

Keep your powder dry. ElkHunter

Yeah, I saw the Cheyenne Rifle & Pistol Club and figured I'm not a member, nor do I know any, so I sort of brushed that one aside. The Cheyenne Municipal Trap & Skeet Club is listed as being open on Wednesday and Sunday, so I might end up calling them tomorrow, but really I was hoping to find a cozy spot I can go to whenever I choose. I thought surely Wyoming has enough public land that shooting would be as easy as in eastern Washington or Alaska... :|

Shooting at organized ranges would seem pretty weird to me given the reputation that Wyoming has. I'd think this to be one of the last places I'd have to resort to that.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by crimson30

Yeah, I saw the Cheyenne Rifle & Pistol Club and figured I'm not a member, nor do I know any, so I sort of brushed that one aside. The Cheyenne Municipal Trap & Skeet Club is listed as being open on Wednesday and Sunday, so I might end up calling them tomorrow, but really I was hoping to find a cozy spot I can go to whenever I choose. I thought surely Wyoming has enough public land that shooting would be as easy as in eastern Washington or Alaska... :|

Shooting at organized ranges would seem pretty weird to me given the reputation that Wyoming has. I'd think this to be one of the last places I'd have to resort to that.

Up here in Sheridan, we have the sportsmans club. I, like you, thought I'm not a member. But when I checked into it, it's only $50 a year to have full access to all ranges. Indoor, outdoor, trap, skeet, everything. So it was well worth throwing coins at them. Wonderful club. You might find the same thing in Cheyenne.

Shooting in organized ranges is the only way I will do it. I've been a competition shooter for many years. I well prefer the sound advice I get, the structured shooting for safety. I used to go out to the local sand pit, or gravel pit and site in my rifle. I was on my own, probably unsafe. With a organized range. You have safety. You have comeradery of the other shooters that you will become familiar with. Organized shoots. Poker matches, competition. Targets for sale at the office. Your safe, secure, have new friends, and most importantly, you have fun.

I shoot about 5000 rounds a year. Nice benches, can bench rest a weapon and make sure of whether it's your fault or the gun. haha Shaded benches for when it's hot. Good accurate target back stops. Can really plan on what your doing. It's well worth it.

Open shooting, for me, is when I'm out hunting. But I put to practice, what I learned on the secure range.

[crimson30]

You raise some good points, so I think I'll check out the Trap Club.

The other place seems awfully offputting, however: $100 initial + $65 annual and there's a waiting list. I was hoping to go some time before the end of the year. $165 + waiting is not appealing at all.


I still think there's something to be said for the non-organized way. I could drive about 15 minutes, shoot a few rounds and leave without any bother, time constraints or fees. Not to mention, I could shoot at whatever I wanted (soda cans, metal plates, fruit, bowling balls... you name it!). Nobody to ask permission or hassle me in any way. No worries about safety or security. And the hood of a truck makes a fine benchrest

[sunsprit]

There's a lot of wide open public lands around the Cheyenne area to discretely get in some target practice/plinking.

Head West of town to the county park open spaces off Happy Jack Road ... there's several entrances on both sides of Happy Jack, and go back in where it's a "safe" spot to set up your target by a backstop area. This time of year, you'll need your 4x4 wheel drive to get back in there, but you don't have to go in but a few hundred yards off the road. If you want to take a slightly longer route to get there to those places, but on the highway, head West on I-80 to the Lincoln Memorial exit, then loop back around to the North, then Eastward on Happy Jack a few miles.

There's no fee for access and use of these county open spaces. Be aware that others may be in the area, riding horses, hiking, etc., so choose your plinking site carefully to not put others at risk who may not be aware of your location.

The only indoor pistol range I know of in Cheyenne is the sheriff's dep't. range, which is not open to the public. With all the local access to outdoor shooting, I don't think a retail indoor for-fee range would fare very well in Cheyenne. Also, there's so many folks with adequate private property for their target shooting that they wouldn't support a public facility ... although there are plans for a new comprehensive shooting park facility at the Archer County Land development. I've joined that (and I urge you to, too) to help support the shooting sports in the area, but it will most likely be some years before we'll see any facilities built with the bond issues up for the next election.

[crimson30]

Thanks!!!!

[Wyomiles]

Get a map that shows land ownership, A local BLM office will have good maps. There is lots of public land in Wyoming you just have to have a map to find some of it.

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by crimson30

Not to mention, I could shoot at whatever I wanted (soda cans, metal plates, fruit, bowling balls... you name it!). Nobody to ask permission or hassle me in any way.

Don't forget if you take anything outdoors to use as targets, you need to take it back with you when you're done. Many of the shooting areas around Los Angeles were shut down partly because of the amount of trash that was left behind.

Originally Posted by crimson30

No worries about safety or security. And the hood of a truck makes a fine benchrest

The other reason many of the shooting areas around Los Angeles were shut down was because they were becoming very dangerous due to a large number of shooters having a complete disregard for the safety of others around them. These shooters were shooting across roads and into areas where they did not have a secure backstop for what they were shooting, among other dangerous acts. They also had no regard for others that were going downrange to set up their targets. It is imperative that you practice the utmost of safety when handling firearms, whether shooting indoors or out, or in the woods or a public range.

Don't mess up Wyoming the way too many people messed up California.

[ElkHunter]

It was just a suggestion. If you want to be a safe, reliable sportsman and want to shoot on a safe reliable shooting range instead of a range that has no reliable backstops. But it's up to you.