Been there, done that.
Hi guys.
I've recently been to KC and live in CT. We got a big group together over at Parallax (
www.milsurpshooter.net)and stayed at a KOA campground which is about 20 minutes from Knob Creek gun range. I flew into Louisville (SDF airport code) and one of my buddies picked me up and away we went. Some local fellas dragged in a couple of campers and there are also some cabins you can rent that are inexpensive. We planned on a couple of meals and shared expenses. IT was a cheap way to stay close by.
I've also traveled to Louisville for the NGD (National Gun Day) event held at the biggest gun show in the country; 3000+ tables! Imagine three full Big E shows, wall to wall. These guys take there firearms quite seriously to say the least.
To call Knob Creek a spectacle is an understatement. It should be experienced at least once if you are a shooter. The hardware on the shooting line would clearly be valued at over a million dollars all added together. There are usually not one but two GE Miniguns, and virtually every type and age of machine gun made with usually a couple of cannon all shooting at the same time. When the range goes "hot", you'd better have your muffs with you because no matter where you are in the range, you'll be needing them.
KC is simply a big, privately owned gun range. You join it like you'd join any club in your area. It's just that they've cornered the market on HUGE MG meets.
The range is littered with cars, boats (honest-to-God), washing machines, refrigerators, old fire engines (with working lights to boot) and on and on. At least once a day they remove the battered remains and add new "targets". At night, they also have 55 gallon drums of kero or some other explosive and the "night shoot" is something that you just gawk at because the explosions are indescribable. Everyone is shooting tracers, too. And, there are always flame-throwers....which you can also try.
When I was there last, they even had a Loach helicopters with an M60 in it and they were strafing the range field from the air. If you can think of something totally outrageous to do with a machine gun, they've done it. Sometimes there are also low-level aircraft flights.
Let me also say, however, that the security there is very serious and readily apparent. The term "range officer" takes on a whole new meaning there. These guys are armed to the teeth, standing at the ready and there's no doubt that if someone would decided to "go postal" or try to help themselves to an unattended firearm, it would not last long.
Outside of watching the shooting demonstrations, you can also go to another, lower range and rent from a large variety of machine guns to shoot. The owners give you a quick education and away you go. It's not unlike the MG shoot in Westfield (I went there last fall in the HUGE rain storm!) but much, much, much bigger.
There is also a very large (1000+ table) covered pavilion swap/buy meet going on as well as a very well stocked gun shop on the premises. You can buy anything there from firing pins for your FN49 to a quad-fifty setup, no kidding. There are a lot of off-the-shoulder buys going on there, too, although anything that is a MG has a lot of paperwork with it. While the atmosphere is relaxed, the "T's" are all crossed the "I's" are dotted. No doubt there is a contingency of ATF guys floating around with all that hardware out there. I got my M1a on a shoulder purchase when I last attended. Flying home with a rifle is a piece of cake, btw. Prices are more mid-west like as opposed to New England prices and there's usually room to negotiate.
In addition to the MG rental range, there is a "jungle" event where you are tasked with shooting a bunch of hidden targets as you walk through a firing course in the thick woods with a Uzi or Sten something like it. You are scored on your hits. It's pretty intense. I didn't do that as I was a bit uncomfortable not having any experience with any MGs and walking around shooting in all different directions was unnerving, too. They do it very safely somehow, however. I did "rent" an M16 to try. I had no idea how fast a 30 round mag would empty even with 3 round burst enabled. I have a lot more respect for our soldiers for their ability to reserve their ammo!
Finally, in addition to all that, there are a number of major suppliers who have basically permanent stalls there. Coles is there as is AIM and Tapco and many others. So, you can get some good prices on rifles and ammo as well as accessories. Coles does a booming business there.
If you decide to go, I'd recommend the fall event. They have a spring event but the weather is really iffy. When I went in the fall, it was beautiful, warm and dry. In the spring, if it rains, you're going to be miserable. There is a lot.....a lot of mud and temps can be cool do go prepared with good boots and raingear. There is a stream at the lower end, toward the MG rental field that can flood causing problems.
You'll need one full day to see everything but you could spend the full two days of the event. There is a cafeteria in the place as well as many food vendors and prices are reasonable, not fair-like. Parking can be a chore but they've got trams in and out of the place for free. They're usually those military "mules" that are pulling wagons you can jump on and off. Get there early if you want a good parking spot.
As you enter the range, you'll be treated to a military armaments display of tanks and big guns, tents, and reinactors. Nice touch.
I hope this gives you a feel for what to expect. Would I go again? Well, no. I've "been there, done that" and it's really not my cup of tea but a lot of guys go each and every year, twice, usually more for the big sales pavilion and the vendors. The one thing I still remember is the concussion you feel in your body as the big MGs fire all at once. It's an opportunity for you to experience what a full-bore assault must have sounded like during WWII.
Rome
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