I'm done with Freestate

[Bertfish]

I gave up on Free state about 4 yrs ago when I first started seeing the "yoots" coming in with their girlfriends and cameras. Bad combination. I decided it was safer to drive 30 miles to Delta Peachbottom to shoot.

Sounds like the situation has only gotten worse at Freestate

I'd get on the list at Delta right now if I was able

 

[18wheeler]

It’s true, Freestate sucks Azz. Just lol @ their prices too.

 

[mauser58]

We were thinking about starting a range in a one of the old 600' chicken houses at my buddy's farm.
Maybe call it Fudd's or something.

I have done that before. A friend I used to work with lived in Princess Anne. He had a huge property on I believe the Pocomoke River. Had his own boat ramp and several Chicken houses not used anymore. His family farmed crops and chickens also. I was shooting out over a field many times beside his house. He had an indoor range set up for bad weather. I used to sight in my rifles and loved to shoot my mini14's and AR's there.

 

[Ponder_MD]

Bert, you're no fudd. You're a solid, responsible guy. We shoot guns, this isn't "wine & paint" on Saturday nights. There's no appropriate room or time for making Tik-Tok or Insta videos on a hot range. That's how people get distracted and end up with a ND.

I equate the mag dumping with power boaters vs sailors- Annoying, but the power boats/mag dumpers aren't really doing anything wrong...until they make a mistake. When taking out new people for the first time, I really think a quieter, more controlled environment is best until the guests become more experienced and accustomed to the racket.

 

[Bertfish]

The issue is availability of a quieter environment for many people. Its definitely better but for many folks not available.

 

[Stoveman]

I'd get on the list at Delta right now if I was able

Delta is run by a bunch of FUDDs who like it as is which is a shame because most of them don't shoot except to sight in their deer rifles or the occasional Turkey Shoot. The place has always been deserted when I've shot there with a member.

Their Steel Challenge matches are open to the public and there is one coming up this Sunday that I believe still has slots available. These are pretty laid back shoots and a great time.

 

[Pinecone]

I wrote them off 5-6 years ago when they wanted $90 to transfer a $100 rifle. There was some woman working the counter who was not a friendly person when I was there.

I gave up on them around then also.

I order a CZ455 VPT from Bud's.

Called them and was quoted $50 transfer fee. Which was high for a long gun, but I had already ordered the rifle and another FFL either did not send a copy of Bud's was screwing up. Freestate was on Bud's list.

I went to pick up the rifle (it arrived the day before) and they wanted to charge me $65.

Because (this was later 2013) of all the safes they had to buy to hold the delayed handguns.

I explained that 1) I had been quoted $50, and 2) that it was there overnight, not months.

After a lot of back and forth, including me telling them to send it back to Bud's, I will transfer through another dealer, they finally agreed to the $50 fee.

I don't need that crap.

 

[csxt602]

https://www.slcfsa.org/


Take a look. I think you'll really like it

Thank you for the info! I think my son and I will attend the April 10 new member orientation. It's only a little over an hour drive, which I'll gladly make for a nice outdoor range.

 

[Bertfish]

Delta is run by a bunch of FUDDs who like it as is which is a shame because most of them don't shoot except to sight in their deer rifles or the occasional Turkey Shoot. The place has always been deserted when I've shot there with a member.

Their Steel Challenge matches are open to the public and there is one coming up this Sunday that I believe still has slots available. These are pretty laid back shoots and a great time.

Scuttlebutt I've always heard was Peach Bottom (the nuclear plant) fronted money to help build it under the agreement they could use it as a training facility when needed. Went a few years then found themselves no longer welcome. Or so I've been told.

 

[Art3]

Definitely, take the newbies outside whenever possible. SLCFSA would be a bit of a hike, but definitely worth it for bringing new folks into the sport. If you can get one of the pistol bays (either block or dirt sided), you have that bay yourself as essentially your own range. The targets get set at the berm, but you shoot from whatever distance (within the bay, obviously) you want to, and call your own cease fires. Even if there are shooters on adjacent bays, you can go downrange in your own for less distraction during instruction. Guests are free, but you can only bring one per badge holder. If you do like I did and get your wife to join too, you could each bring a guest for a total of 2. They also have rifle ranges (100 and 300yd), trap, and archery.

Even if you could get into Delta, they don't have a very inviting guest policy. You can bring a guest one time, and then they are expected to join (...sigh...good luck with that)

AGC lets you bring as many guests as you like (at $10 each) on your shooting lane. Getting the wife a range badge gets another range to share with your guests. Depending on how far off of 95 you are, I'd think it should take you about 45 min to get there.

AGC is a great facility, and inviting to new shooters. The "intimacy" of SLCFSA's pistol bays, in my opinion, makes it better for first timers though. It will be a bit more of a drive though.

 

[PapiBarcelona]

Lol. The Delta guest policy, I've tried to clarify it for years but you get different answers

Ive brought a few people here and there but usually always go by myself.

Unlike the majority of people here, I didn't care for the "public" steel challenge. I'd rather show up and have one of the pistol ranges to myself (as noted by the absence of members using the club) or shoot steel on my friends farm.

 

[AntiGun]

Freestate is a victim of it's own success. Too busy for it's size. A decade ago it was my go to place, now not so much. Not that I have much time for shooting, but I prefer to not do it where people are shooting downrange while looking backwards at their date who is snapping pics. That guy was putting holes in the next lane's targets.

 

[ground chuck]

I was just in there the 2 week ago to do a transfer for a buddy. Started talking to mark
I told him the lay out to get to the check in was a too cramped. Display cases to close together, etc. He said this configuration worked best for him, so i dropped it.

Being minutes from freestate, ive found the best time to go was as close to 4 as possible during the week. I wont go on the weekends to shoot.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[Moon]

I was just in there the 2 week ago to do a transfer for a buddy. Started talking to mark
I told him the lay out to get to the check in was a too cramped. Display cases to close together, etc. He said this configuration worked best for him, so i dropped it.

Being minutes from freestate, ive found the best time to go was as close to 4 as possible during the week. I wont go on the weekends to shoot.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

I was a member their first year, and loved the place.
There was talk back then about expanding into the space next to them, I guess it didn't happen. I agree, it's generally too crowded there to be comfortable.

 

[Bertfish]

Definitely, take the newbies outside whenever possible. SLCFSA would be a bit of a hike, but definitely worth it for bringing new folks into the sport. If you can get one of the pistol bays (either block or dirt sided), you have that bay yourself as essentially your own range. The targets get set at the berm, but you shoot from whatever distance (within the bay, obviously) you want to, and call your own cease fires. Even if there are shooters on adjacent bays, you can go downrange in your own for less distraction during instruction. Guests are free, but you can only bring one per badge holder. If you do like I did and get your wife to join too, you could each bring a guest for a total of 2. They also have rifle ranges (100 and 300yd), trap, and archery.

Even if you could get into Delta, they don't have a very inviting guest policy. You can bring a guest one time, and then they are expected to join (...sigh...good luck with that)

AGC lets you bring as many guests as you like (at $10 each) on your shooting lane. Getting the wife a range badge gets another range to share with your guests. Depending on how far off of 95 you are, I'd think it should take you about 45 min to get there.

AGC is a great facility, and inviting to new shooters. The "intimacy" of SLCFSA's pistol bays, in my opinion, makes it better for first timers though. It will be a bit more of a drive though.

I was going to reach out and see if getting her and I badges would be a way to bring a pair of guests. I dont see why not. For the price her and i agreed it's worth the little bit of a drive.

 

[PapiBarcelona]

Delta is run by a bunch of FUDDs who like it as is which is a shame because most of them don't shoot except to sight in their deer rifles or the occasional Turkey Shoot. The place has always been deserted when I've shot there with a member.
.

Lol. No problem with a small club in rural-ish area that doesn't want thousands of members, pretty much all those "fish and game" clubs in that area are like that

Me? I shoot steel on my friends farm and you're right, when I go to Delta I have an entire pistol range (and sometimes the 100 yard range) to myself.

 

[Boondock Saint]

I shot quite a bit at Freestate when they first opened. I haven't shot there in years, despite living 15 minutes from the place.

Strike one was simple overcrowding. That's not their fault, in fact it's great for them, but I don't want to wait an hour to be bumping elbows with people, much less with people who are less concerned about firearm safety than myself. Even at the counter, I had to correct patrons and staff on several occasions regarding their muzzle discipline.

Second strike was pricing relative to my use. I was a member for the first year or two that they offered membership, but once I started using the range less because of crowding/wait times, it was no longer a value to me.

Third strike came following a conversation with Randy(?), one of owners who is a former LEO. We were talking about loaded magazines, and while I understood why they might not want people bringing loaded mags to the range, that there was no law against it. He said that it was absolutely illegal to transport loaded mags without a carry permit. I asked him to direct me to the actual statute that restricts this activity, and his response was that if he had pulled me over and found out that I had a loaded mag in the vehicle that he would arrest me on the spot.

"I might be wrong, but you wouldn't beat the ride," or something to that effect was part of his response. I found that attitude abhorrent and have since declined to support their establishment. It doesn't sound like I'm missing much there these days, nor does it sound as if they miss my business. We're both happy about the decision, I suppose.

 

[randomuser]

I too always lock open and have no mag inserted so that a visual is all that is needed. Still sometimes get my gun fingered and wonder why. I open the case in a manner to be clearly visible.

 

[MattTheGunslinger]

I remember when Freestate first opened. Walked in the second day they were open, talked to Randy and Mark for probably an hour. Great guys. Bought a year membership as soon as they had that program. Went regularly, often several times a week. I took my mom, dad, brother, and other friends several times. My wife also loved to go there with me. I always met pleasant, safe people at the range that you could strike up a good conversation with. Tried other guns that people had and allowed others to try mine. It was what shooting is meant to be. Safe fun and practice for family and friends. It was a fantastic range. As someone here said, it is a victim of its own success. The people that frequent the range now aren't just inexperienced new shooters. They are down right stupid and careless. They know it all already and can not be correct even when clearly in the wrong. My experience with a lot of the people behind the counter has often left much to be desired. Never short on advice, regardless if it was not needed or even completely wrong. Agency training has also brought in some less that pleasant people. I know things change and I am happy for Mark and Randy's success. Im also happy that others still find this range satisfactory. But, I miss the old days. I miss when it was small and family oriented. I miss when idiots didn't know about the place. I still go back once in a while. I never get to enjoy myself like I used to and it only reminds me of how much I miss the old range from 10 years ago. Sometimes I hate change.

 

[Moonlighter]

I took a couple of new shooters to Heritage Saturday, the staff at the place are consistently awesome. My only gripe is that the shooting bays are a little too dim for me and my aging eyes. I much prefer to shoot outdoors but Heritage is an excellent range. Always have an RSO prowling around and gently making sure people are following the rules, which I respect and really want in a range operation. One of the new shooters dropped a full mag and it went about 1 foot downrange. RSO smiled and grabbed a squeegee to get it for us.