Bay Area Places to Plink?

[oldrifle]

I live in San Jose and I'm looking for a place where I can go and shoot stuff without anyone bothering me. I used to live in Wyoming and we could just drive out to the national forest a few miles from town and shoot at whatever we wanted and no one would bother us. I know WY and CA are nothing alike when it comes to attitudes towards guns, but I'm wondering if there is some place near me in the North/South Bay where I could play with guns without getting hassled... preferably for free.

[berg]

Click on the link to Los Altos range: http://www.dragunov.net/bay_area_ranges.htm

[oldrifle]

Click on the link to Los Altos range: http://www.dragunov.net/bay_area_ranges.htm

That looks like a pretty cool place but I'm looking for more of an open land situation where I can do my own thing without having to follow range rules and stuff. I think I found what I'm looking for here:

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/recreation/hunting.html

"Target Shooting is allowed on public lands. However, you must provide your own targets and remove your debris when you leave your site. It is illegal to shoot at trees, signs, outbuildings, or other objects on federal lands that are for the public's enjoyment."

[ohsmily]

That looks like a pretty cool place but I'm looking for more of an open land situation where I can do my own thing without having to follow range rules and stuff. I think I found what I'm looking for here:

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/recreation/hunting.html

"Target Shooting is allowed on public lands. However, you must provide your own targets and remove your debris when you leave your site. It is illegal to shoot at trees, signs, outbuildings, or other objects on federal lands that are for the public's enjoyment."

This is the closest thing to you (not close). http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/holli...he_tumeys.html

[gimmejr]

Make some freinds who own some land in Gilroy or Hollister.

[oldrifle]

This is the closest thing to you (not close). http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/holli...he_tumeys.html

Close enough! Thanks

[SJshooter]

Be very, very, very careful where you plink outside. This is California and you can't just plink like you can almost anywhere else.

I'll tell you a story just to get your blood boiling. I had some friends take a trip to Death Valley area. One day, they were out the middle of nowhere - no people around for miles. So, they set up some cans and stuff and started shooting. They were having such a great time that they didn't even notice the ranger/sherriff (can't remember which one it was) drive up to them, despite the fact that they could have seen a car coming for 10 minutes had they noticed. Well, LEO gets there and says "What are you guys doing?" "We're just shooting some cans."

Long story short: BUSTED. All of their handguns on site and at home in the safe were confiscated and they no longer have handgun privileges in California for 10 years (well, 8 years by now, this was in '05).

With very few exception, you can't plink in California. Sorry.

[oldrifle]

Long story short: BUSTED. All of their handguns on site and at home in the safe were confiscated and they no longer have handgun privileges in California for 10 years (well, 8 years by now, this was in '05).

With very few exception, you can't plink in California. Sorry.

Uh, what laws were broken? The NRA would have a field day with that one. If they didn't break any laws, how could they have had their handguns taken away? The website says clearly that target shooting is permitted on BLM lands with a few reasonable conditions.

[SJshooter]

I'll have to ask my buddy, but I think it was negligent discharge, and they must not have been on BLM land. All I know is that California is like no state in the union when it comes to stuff like this, so proceed with caution. I can't even carry a gun while hiking in areas near my home where there are mountain lion signs.

[MudCamper]

With very few exception, you can't plink in California. Sorry.

Nonsense. It all depends on where you live. There is more NF and BLM land in California than in any state besides Alaska. And you can shoot in any of it. Now oldrifle lives in San Jose, so there is nothing like this close by...

[MudCamper]

I can't even carry a gun while hiking in areas near my home where there are mountain lion signs.

See: http://www.paul.net/guns/CaliforniaOpenCarry.pdf

[SJshooter]

Nonsense. It all depends on where you live. There is more NF and BLM land in California than in any state besides Alaska. And you can shoot in any of it. Now oldrifle lives in San Jose, so there is nothing like this close by...

That was my point -- if he wants to plink outside, he is going to have to make a special trip somewhere. I don't know of any BLM land nearby. So it's not that you can't do it, it's that you just can't causally do it where it might seem otherwise acceptable if this was, say, Arizona and not CA.

[SJshooter]

Yeah, just try and open carry on a hike. The first California liberal who passes you on the trail will whip out their cell phone and you'll have LEO descend on you. You'll have to go back and forth for way too long to convince them you aren't some dangerous loon, even if the area is clearly open-carry friendly. Maybe if you are in Kern County, or another rural area, fine... but try that up in Marin County where I love to hike and you are only asking for a giant headache.

I was camping once with friends. You are 10000% percent perfectly legal to have a loaded firearm on a campsite, no question. Well, nearby campers saw the gun, called the cops, and you would not believe the third degree and argument that ensued when the ranger showed up. At the end of it, he obviously was allowed to keep his gun on the campsite, but you would think a slam-dunk rule like this would cause no grief or arguments. Not.

Simply put, California is not a gun-friendly state. Ironic given its history, but true.

[SJshooter]

Just called my friend. He wasn't home, but his wife said they were in Death Valley National Park, and not on BLM land. She did not know the charge, but thought ND sounded familiar. More info when my bud calls me back.

[oldrifle]

Simply put, California is not a gun-friendly state. Ironic given its history, but true.

Yeah, and not exercising our rights out of fear is not going to help. We should all do it more to get cops and civilians used to the idea of open carry. It only shocks people because it's unusual. It's unusual because we're too afraid to exercise our rights. The solution seems clear.