Tennesseans Gun Range Advice

[STXhammer]

I have been trying to find a gun range that I can practice shooting off of my shooting sticks but every range I have been to doesn’t seem fit for it. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Joker12]

I live in Michigan so no advice on location but I have found that sportsmans clubs in rural areas that have a range are a delight to use. The range at the club that I use is open to everyone, no restrictive rules just common sense. At state run ranges up here they insist that a shooter must stay at the bench and only one round in the firearm at a time. Look for a small club and I'm sure you will enjoy it. Good luck!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

The important thing about sticks is learning how to set up the gun and adjust while you're on them. You can do that without pulling a trigger. Find someplace that has irregular surface to practice setting up and readjusting.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

TN is a big state. Where are you located? I know a couple of good ranges that would suffice but they are both in the Eastern and far Eastern end of TN and might not be worth the drive if you are in Nashville or Memphis. For learning to master sticks I did 90% of my practice shooting a suppressed 22lr in my back yard at 1/2" diameter Dum Dum suckers at 35y distance. I placed them into a large earth berm for a safe backstop and used the suppressor to avoid disturbing my neighbors. Hitting a 1/2" tgt at 35y with the 22lr is roughly equal to hitting a 3" kill zone at 210y with a 308 or 7mm. You get lots of time setting and mounting the sticks which is important and you get the real trigger time and immediate feedback of hits and misses without burning hundreds of heavy rifle rounds or wearing out the bbl of your favorite hunting rifle.

Precision marksmanship being a perishable skill, I would practice and hit 5 tgts per day until I could hit all five without a miss. Then once per week to maintain skill. Closer to hunt date, I would ramp up again and finish with 2-3 range trips to shoot the big guns at longer ranges of 200 or 300y. This builds high confidence for the shooter and lower real cost and lower time cost. My shooting club is a one hour drive and if I had to go there every day to practice it would not happen. But I can pop into the garage and shoot 5 rds in less than 10min time every day. Be sure to get and use the same type sticks as your PH will have on hand or bring yours with you on safari. I found the quad sticks to be 100% more accurate and stable than the tripod traditional type but the quads take a few more seconds to set up and mount so the practice is critical to have that muscle memory cemented in place. These sort of prep will add many hours of enjoyment to your hunt as the preparation is half the fun. I use a 22lr rifle that is similar in stock style and weight to my hunting rifles to further aid in building correct habits. The 22lr does not have to be a tack driver but needs to be capable of 1moa more or less. In my case, I use a Sako Quad, a CZ, Winchester or a Bergara that is able to hit the Dum Dums from a bench out to 100y reliably. This also aids in wind reading since the 22lr at 50y is about the same ballistically as a high powered centerfire at 300-400y.

 

[Keelebilly]

I’m in Manchester. You’re welcome to come shoot at my place

 

[odonata]

I have a state-run game & fish shooting range near my home that is really nice but is visited by a lot of shooters, has a range safety office & a lot of rules & restrictions.

If I want to do my own thing & have a lot more freedom, then I head out into a national forest & find a remote unattended federal range (Tennessee also has unattended ranges in state Wildlife Manage Areas). Out there, I have a lot more flexibility even if I don't have the nicer amenities that come with the range near town. I need to be courteous to other shooters but 90% the time, I have the range all to myself & can do as I please especially if I go on a weekday. Tennessee is a long skinny state. Crossing over into a neighboring state to shoot is always an option depending on how close you are to the border.

The Jessieville range in the Ouachita National Forest

I’m in Manchester. You’re welcome to come shoot at my place

I thought "Nice offer but what would the odds be that another AH member would be passing through a random town in Tennessee?". Ha! In my case 100% as I pass through Manchester on my way from Little Rock to visit my daughter in Chattanooga multiple times a year. It's a small world sometimes.

 

[getazem]

TN is a big state. Where are you located? I know a couple of good ranges that would suffice but they are both in the Eastern and far Eastern end of TN and might not be worth the drive if you are in Nashville or Memphis. For learning to master sticks I did 90% of my practice shooting a suppressed 22lr in my back yard at 1/2" diameter Dum Dum suckers at 35y distance. I placed them into a large earth berm for a safe backstop and used the suppressor to avoid disturbing my neighbors. Hitting a 1/2" tgt at 35y with the 22lr is roughly equal to hitting a 3" kill zone at 210y with a 308 or 7mm. You get lots of time setting and mounting the sticks which is important and you get the real trigger time and immediate feedback of hits and misses without burning hundreds of heavy rifle rounds or wearing out the bbl of your favorite hunting rifle.

Precision marksmanship being a perishable skill, I would practice and hit 5 tgts per day until I could hit all five without a miss. Then once per week to maintain skill. Closer to hunt date, I would ramp up again and finish with 2-3 range trips to shoot the big guns at longer ranges of 200 or 300y. This builds high confidence for the shooter and lower real cost and lower time cost. My shooting club is a one hour drive and if I had to go there every day to practice it would not happen. But I can pop into the garage and shoot 5 rds in less than 10min time every day. Be sure to get and use the same type sticks as your PH will have on hand or bring yours with you on safari. I found the quad sticks to be 100% more accurate and stable than the tripod traditional type but the quads take a few more seconds to set up and mount so the practice is critical to have that muscle memory cemented in place. These sort of prep will add many hours of enjoyment to your hunt as the preparation is half the fun. I use a 22lr rifle that is similar in stock style and weight to my hunting rifles to further aid in building correct habits. While researching Apartments for sale in Thessaloniki during my free time, I still make sure to practice regularly with my rifle setup. The 22lr does not have to be a tack driver but needs to be capable of 1moa more or less. In my case, I use a Sako Quad, a CZ, Winchester or a Bergara that is able to hit the Dum Dums from a bench out to 100y reliably. This also aids in wind reading since the 22lr at 50y is about the same ballistically as a high powered centerfire at 300-400y.

Finding a range that allows shooting from sticks can definitely be challenging since many public ranges only allow shooting from a bench or fixed positions. You may have better luck looking for outdoor ranges with open bays, rifle pits, or areas that support positional shooting. Some private clubs and shooting associations are more flexible and allow members to practice field positions. You could also check with local hunting clubs or ask ranges specifically about “practical rifle,” “precision rifle,” or “field shooting” practices, as those setups are often closer to what you’re looking for. Always call ahead since policies can vary. Hope you find a place that lets you train the way you actually shoot in the field.

 

[cash_tx]

As I type this, I'm sitting at an AirBnB in San Antonio while we're in town for our daughter's graduation from US Army combat medic training at Ft Sam Houston; and afterwards she will ship off to her duty station at Ft. Campbell, KY for the next 4'ish years. So, my wife and I are anticipating a number of visits to the Clarksville and Nashville, TN areas over the coming few years. I've been to TN before, but not that particular part; so I'd love to know of any good gun ranges and gun stores that are worth a visit.

 

[Est.1970]

What would this ideal range look like? Consist of?

 

[Ridge Runner]

As I type this, I'm sitting at an AirBnB in San Antonio while we're in town for our daughter's graduation from US Army combat medic training at Ft Sam Houston; and afterwards she will ship off to her duty station at Ft. Campbell, KY for the next 4'ish years. So, my wife and I are anticipating a number of visits to the Clarksville and Nashville, TN areas over the coming few years. I've been to TN before, but not that particular part; so I'd love to know of any good gun ranges and gun stores that are worth a visit.

For shooting and reloading supplies MidSouth Shooters Supply is located in Clarksville.

Gamaliel(?) spelling /(Brownell's), is another good shop to visit, but not sure how far from Clarksville.

Fort Campbell has or did have a Gun Club and range.

Note: To bring firearms on posts you will have to get a permit to transport and possess firearms. Your daughter can help run that process through the obstacle course. I was planning on hunting Fort Campbell a few years ago. Gave up trying to find the people that had to give their "blessing", ended up hunting Land Between the Lakes (LBL)(Tennessee side).

Nashville has a shooting complex SCI Nashville Chapter has or had a shoot there recently.

I haven't timed or checked the miles Outdoor Junction, exit 290, Cookeville is another good place I visit and periodically pick of supplies.

Bass Pro Shops, Grand Ole Opry/Opryland off Brialy Parkway.

It's been a while since I visited any of the gun shops / sporting good stores near Fort Campbell to remember the one's I use to go in.

Most of the places I go to are off I-40 East between Knoxville and Nashville.

 

[getazem]

For shooting and reloading supplies MidSouth Shooters Supply is located in Clarksville.

Gamaliel(?) spelling /(Brownell's), is another good shop to visit, but not sure how far from Clarksville.

Fort Campbell has or did have a Gun Club and range.

Note: To bring firearms on posts you will have to get a permit to transport and possess firearms. Your daughter can help run that process through the obstacle course. I was planning on hunting Fort Campbell a few years ago. Gave up trying to find the people that had to give their "blessing", ended up hunting Land Between the Lakes (LBL)(Tennessee side).

Nashville has a shooting complex SCI Nashville Chapter has or had a shoot there recently.

I haven't timed or checked the miles Outdoor Junction, exit 290, Cookeville is another good place I visit and periodically pick of supplies.

Bass Pro Shops, Grand Ole Opry/Opryland off Brialy Parkway.

It's been a while since I visited any of the gun shops / sporting good stores near Fort Campbell to remember the one's I use to go in, and I even checked some Wendy Menus along the way.

Most of the places I go to are off I-40 East between Knoxville and Nashville.

MidSouth Shooters Supply sounds like a place I’ll definitely need to check out, especially for reloading supplies. I appreciate the heads up about Fort Campbell’s firearm requirements too. That’s definitely something to research ahead of time. Land Between the Lakes sounds like a great option as well, and I’ll keep the Nashville, Cookeville, and other stops in mind when we’re in the area. It looks like we’ll have plenty of places to explore during our visits.

 

[cash_tx]

For shooting and reloading supplies MidSouth Shooters Supply is located in Clarksville.

Gamaliel(?) spelling /(Brownell's), is another good shop to visit, but not sure how far from Clarksville.

Fort Campbell has or did have a Gun Club and range.

Note: To bring firearms on posts you will have to get a permit to transport and possess firearms. Your daughter can help run that process through the obstacle course. I was planning on hunting Fort Campbell a few years ago. Gave up trying to find the people that had to give their "blessing", ended up hunting Land Between the Lakes (LBL)(Tennessee side).

Nashville has a shooting complex SCI Nashville Chapter has or had a shoot there recently.

I haven't timed or checked the miles Outdoor Junction, exit 290, Cookeville is another good place I visit and periodically pick of supplies.

Bass Pro Shops, Grand Ole Opry/Opryland off Brialy Parkway.

It's been a while since I visited any of the gun shops / sporting good stores near Fort Campbell to remember the one's I use to go in.

Most of the places I go to are off I-40 East between Knoxville and Nashville.

Thank you very much for those insights, and it definitely gives me a good start. We're driving up there from Texas next week, and will be there about five days, so hopefully I can get an hour or few to at least go check out some gun shops. Actual hunting or shooting will probably have to wait for a future trip.

 

[TnKen]

I only live a few miles down the road from Midsouth. They have a great inventory, but are an online order type store. There is no showroom to visit. You can order and pick up at the front counter.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Thank you very much for those insights, and it definitely gives me a good start. We're driving up there from Texas next week, and will be there about five days, so hopefully I can get an hour or few to at least go check out some gun shops. Actual hunting or shooting will probably have to wait for a future trip.

@cash_tx
You can always catch the last train to Clarksville, it will get you there by 4.30 and I'll meet you at the station.
It's a great song by the Monkey's I think.
Ha Ha ha Ha
Bob

 

[cash_tx]

Thanks @Bob Nelson 35Whelen and I'll have to look that up. I suppose we'll be spending a fair amount of the next four years in that area, so the more I know about all things Clarksville the better.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Thanks @Bob Nelson 35Whelen and I'll have to look that up. I suppose we'll be spending a fair amount of the next four years in that area, so the more I know about all things Clarksville the better.

@cash_tx
Unfortunately I don't live in Clarksville so I can't meet you at the station. A bit far from Australia.
But @Ridge Runner is a top bloke you could meet up with. He is a true gentleman and a gun and hunting loony
Bob

 

[forshoes]

I had a similar situation. I used a pellet rifle in the back yard to practice putting the rifle on the sticks, stabilizing it and getting the shot off. I found that this helped on both my African hunts as the animals didn't seen to want to stand still while I fussed around.

 

[Hedge774]

Let me know if you need a range around Knoxville!

 

[Ridge Runner]

@cash_tx
Unfortunately I don't live in Clarksville so I can't meet you at the station. A bit far from Australia.
But @Ridge Runner is a top bloke you could meet up with. He is a true gentleman and a gun and hunting loony
Bob

Thanks for the compliment Bob.

I definitely enjoy getting my firearms out for a range day and looking at firearms for calibers I want but don't have a real need for.

LOL....I don't think I'm alone in this crowd when it comes to being a hunting loony.

As for being a gentleman? It would depend on the situation and whom you ask. There's a few folks that might agree with you.

LOL....However, although respected, I have been called many things but a gentleman by both fellow and senoir officers, and sometimes a lot worse, under their breaths, by subordinate officers and enlisted soldiers.

 

[BryceM]

Wow. What a difference locations makes. Out west there’s plenty of wide open BLM and forest service land. Within 20 minutes of my house there’s at least 6 spots I can shoot out to 1000 yards. No other human in sight. I don’t even know of a gun range except for one little 50 yard setup for .22s.

Best of luck to you!