Hello, California Appleseed,
I'm a newbie here.
My partner Patricia and I have run the fourth Sunday 'public hours' at the 200 yard side of the Santa Clara County Metcalf range for some years now. (the other week-end days at the 200 are taken up with various Rifle Club events)
If anyone in the South Bay area might be interested, this is a venue for some 200 yard (or closer range with portable target frames) rifle practice (or handgun practice, hitting bowling pins at 200 yards with a 22, or even a 44 mag, revolver is a serious challenge of skill) The range use charge is $15 per person, for the day.
We open the 200 yard side at 0900 every fourth Sunday, weather permitting, and run until 1500. We've assembled a small crew of range workers so that targets can be handled quickly, for a minimum of lost shooting time with the line held under cease-fire for target handling.
Any sort of target, such as animal (not human, this is California, folks) silhouettes or oddments of metal scrap, jugs of water, etc., are acceptable, as long as we can be certain that no safety hazard is created, and no waste materials left on the range at the end of the day.
It may be possible for me to make arrangements with the range manager to rent the 200 yard range for Appleseed-related events on Thursdays, when the range is not otherwise used.
(understand, thats 'maybe' not any certainty. The range was not regularly in use on Thursdays some time ago, but that may have changed, so I can't promise anything at this time.)
If enough interest is shown, by e-mailing me, I'll ask the range facility manager about renting the 200 yard side on Thursdays, maybe one Thursday per month.
I'd offer to do this as a women's event, with, of course, such menfolk (husbands, sons, nephews, boyfriends or social friends, whatever) as they'd care to invite to come with them.
We could provide the use of a M1 Garand, SMLE, and M1 carbine for familiarisation fire, and, for those who will be really careful with it, a couple of rounds for familiarisation with our pet snipey rifle, a pre-64 Winnie heavy barrel M70, which will consistently do 1/4" or less from point-of-aim, cold barrel shot, at 200yds. (yes, I'm 'bragging' a little....it took a while to 'dial in' that rifle, and find the load it likes)
Fifty cals, such a Barretts, and 'Calif-legal' 416's, 48's and 49's, are welcome, but, obviously, nothing selective-fire. (again, this is California, remember)
I don't know anything whatever about the technical details of this or that variety of mouse-gun receiver, and wouldn't recognise any of those if I did look at them.........all I care about is practical, realistic range safety.
I don't have any problem with rapid-fire, if......and this is a very important if.....the person doing any rapid fire is surely capable of keeping the weapon under control, in a tight 'cone of fire'. If anyone wants to do rapid-fire at any of my events, they have to be able to clearly demonstrate this level of proficiency first.
As we all know, even one 'wild shot' could lead to serious problems, not the least of which could be the permanent loss of the range for everyone.
E-mail me, carla@tactical-link.com if you've any interest in activities at the Metcalf 200yd range.
cheers
Carla