Livermore Range is a joke

[tuolumnejim]

I went to a range in Livermore once and it fine and not crowded at all, it was 1974 so I might be a little off.

[Merc1138]

Seems like you just want to get into a pissing match about your perspective versus mine. I think someone else said what I tried to convey better. Groups should be encouraged to share/consolidate benches during peak times. That's all.

So...I hope you are behind me and my group during a peak time when we all ask for individual benches and happen to grab the last available benches while you end up waiting an hour or so for the next bench to open up...and we'll be sure not to use/occupy all our benches we so had to have, but instead huddle around a single bench.

Happy shooting.

It's pretty much always peak times at the ranges in the bay area.

And yeah, if you're with a group of 2, 5, or 10 people. Then take that many benches. Complaining about a group of people occupying 1 bench per person makes no sense, and neither does your silly complaint about "groups" not being stuck sharing benches just because the people in the group know eachother.

Do you complain about people not sharing seats at movie theaters and sporting events too? Sheesh.

[MrOrange]

Regulations would be a major stumbling block, but the biggest problem is simply the cost of real estate in the Bay Area. For whatever given acreage, it would be far more valuable for almost any other use than an outdoor shooting range.

Yep, business-wise, the idea of opening a range anywhere around the Bay Area stinks on ice. It would have to be some Bill Gates dude, or a group of mini-Bills, willing to run one at a loss just for the principle. Even then, the politicians and the types of nattering nabobs that closed Chabot will be out in force, with the full propaganda machine of the media behind them, to stop it.

It's also a classic case of suburban encroachment as well; back in the day both Chabot and Livermore were pretty much in the boonies, along with the Brentwood range, the Pittsburg range, and a few dozen more I'm sure others could name.

Would you believe a Chabot machine gun range, not even a mile from modern day upper-income homes in Castro Valley?

http://www.militarymuseum.org/LakeChabotMGRange.html

[dwalker]

I was thinking of heading over there tomorrow...

[CouchOperator]

Sometimes i take 5 Dogs for granted.... If i head to the range its right after work at 7 AM. Everyones always chill, very rarely is there a bad apple present, and i have never struggled to find a "lane" to shoot.

[M76]

The staff at LR&GC are great folks, glad they're in business, waiting for a bench is never fun; not many outdoor options in the 925. My only gripe is their membership and ammo prices are steep - perhaps due to operating costs in CA?

[jbolton]

I was thinking of heading over there tomorrow...

Better get there early. The weekends are CRAZY.

[Duesenberg]

Had Friday off and figured I'd hit the range as I had not been back since February. Get there 15 minuts after the 10 am opening, and every table was full even before the office was open to pay.

Seems they have changed policy and now allow you to stake a bench, unload, and sit while waiting around for the opening and pay. Meaning a person will need to get there at least 30 minutes before opening to get a bench.

Yea I know it has been busy the last 5 years (why I stopped going), and is now worse due to closures at Chabot and Concord, but what a joke.

The Pacific Rod & Gun Club too...

[CMBrowning]

Filled up on a friday? Sheesh.

Looks like I'll be driving east to shoot...what are the best outdoor ranges in San Joaquin county?

-- Michael

Nunya...... Go fight for your right to party.

[John Browning]

I just flat out don't enjoy shooting at a CA range. I do probably 98% of my shooting by round count in Nevada now. Their ranges are nicer (Washoe, Carson, Douglas) and their desert is free.

I honestly won't have a problem taking most of my guns out of state rather than registering. There isn't anywhere decent to shoot around here anyway.

[MrOrange]

I just flat out don't enjoy shooting at a CA range. I do probably 98% of my shooting by round count in Nevada now. Their ranges are nicer (Washoe, Carson, Douglas) and their desert is free.

I honestly won't have a problem taking most of my guns out of state rather than registering. There isn't anywhere decent to shoot around here anyway.

Berry interestink... So what are we talking here, round-trip from CoCo? 8 hours on the road, $60 - $120 just in gas, lunch, bathroom breaks, so maybe 4 hours on site in order to get home by say 2000 with a mighty battle to stay awake on the way home and pray to Jebus you don't get pulled over and have to explain yourself?

Or do you make a mini vacation out each trip? Not trying to test you, I'm genuinely interested. I imagine most of my first trip would be figuring out where it's okay to shoot without upsetting the indigs or their lawful protectors, regardless of any technical legality.

[XDJYo]

Livermore is my favorite range. It has gotten VERY crowded and a lot of new rules that went into place because of it. It's a shame, but I totally understand. As shooters, we shouldn't get our panties in a bunch over it. This is what the anti's do. I'm sure some of the rules are reactionary, but there is probably good reason for them. Having shooters fight with shooters is just silly. OK, well, maybe it's a Calguns tradition.

Anyways, I was shocked with some of the new rules the last time I went. I'm glad they are finally putting that area to the left of the office to use. I wish there was more land that they could dedicate to pistol/rifle shooting.

As far as opening up a new shooting range in California, Chabot and Bullseye just closed. The number of Bay Area ranges is dwindling. Every square inch of land is being developed for housing etc. Much bigger $$$ in that endeavor than a shooting range. Even a plain jane gun store faces such a huge problem in operating in this area that the last remaining gun shop in SF closed due to the new laws enacted by the state.

Really a sad time to be a shooter in California. A lot of way worser laws are on the horizon too.

Love the weather, hate the laws.

Yes, yes, I know. Move why don't you? Cuz' my mom is here and I need to take care of her. My father just passed away a week and a half ago and I'm all she has now.

Happy shooting and be safe.

[dwalker]

Berry interestink... So what are we talking here, round-trip from CoCo? 8 hours on the road, $60 - $120 just in gas, lunch, bathroom breaks, so maybe 4 hours on site in order to get home by say 2000 with a mighty battle to stay awake on the way home and pray to Jebus you don't get pulled over and have to explain yourself?

Or do you make a mini vacation out each trip? Not trying to test you, I'm genuinely interested. I imagine most of my first trip would be figuring out where it's okay to shoot without upsetting the indigs or their lawful protectors, regardless of any technical legality.

I shoot matches in Reno a lot, driving over from the Hayward house. I wake at 330am and leave the house by four to get to the range at about 8-830. I shoot until 4/4:30 usually and then drive back. I get home around 8 or 9pm, depending on if I stop at Cabelas or Sportsmans Warehouse or Scheels.

Occasionally I will drive over Friday night and get a hotel room, but honestly the traffic sucks so bad getting out of the Bay ad through Sac its a pain and you might not get to your hotel until midnight.

I spend about 60 bucks in diesel fuel, maybe a little more if I really hustle over Tahoe. I figure it costs me about 100 bucks when you factor in lunch, drinks, etc. on top of fuel.

Some folks might think this is excessive but in Colorado to go shoot at Pawnee from Denver was a two hour or so drive each way, CRC was an hour from my door in the middle of nowhere, Lake George was at least an hour and a half, and Pueblo was two hours or more. Sure there was a range where i could sit at a bench and shoot 15 minutes from my door- Cherry Creek, and another 15 minutes away for action shooting matches- Aurora Gun Club, but If I wanted to shoot further than 100 yards or draw from a holster or shoot a match, it meant driving. I was also lucky enough to have access to a private range where I could do what I wanted out to 100 yards, but it was still 45 minutes from my door.

ETA In Colorado now I am less than 45min from Pawnee and 30 minutes from the private range, and lots of places to shoot within an half hours drive. In Tennessee if I want to go to a range I have to drive about 45 minutes to an hour, but I generally just shoot in the field. At some point I am going to aquire more acreage and have my own little shooting center, and I am seriously considering purchasing a shooting center in Colorado. I would put money and time into a range in California because honestly, there is probably a dozen metric assloads of money in it, BUT to put it bluntly with the current regime in place your legal team cost would fund a much nicer range in many other states.

[Rosebud22]

Livermore Range is a joke

Why being crowed is it the Range's fault? If you can not figure out that you have to get there early, then wait. I always went 30min before opening and always got a bench.
BTW, it is the start of hunting season, every range is busy now. Was at the Range yesterday and it was full house. Man, those 308s are loud.

[essjay]

If I'm going to drive an hour or more to go shoot, it's going to be somewhere that I can shoot offhand. I can shoot off a bench basically anywhere.