Plymouth NH Places to Shoot

[Ultrarunner]

Like the thread says, any local small ranges or gravel pits?

I love shooting in the WMNF but there's too many hikers and yellow lab--owning Subaru--driving day users that I don't really like to do that anymore....



*Authors note, I love yellow labs.

 

[aeromarine]

Shooting in gravel and sand pits can only lead to big trouble in NH. You can be sure someone owns it and they will not be happy if they find you shooting in the same area where they work. I speak from personal experience from an incident in Campton over 30 years ago. Don't do it!

Pemigewasset Fish and Game, just down the road in Holderness, used to be a real gem. Years ago, membership was just $1 per year! Then it went up to $1 per visit. However, a while back, the facilities were expanded dramatically, and the fees went up accordingly though not sure what the current ticket price is. But it's a good safe place to shoot and you'll be sure to avoid getting into any trouble.

Pemigewasset Valley Fish & Game Club, Holderness, NH

The Pemigewasset Valley Fish & Game Club of Holderness, NH is a non-profit organization that boasts a proud history which began in 1941 and continues through to the present. Due to the persistent efforts of Rosco Whitcomb a meeting was held in March 1941 at the Firemen's Hall in Ashland, NH for...

pemi.org

 

[teamRR]

Just an FYI - working sand and gravel pits, not otherwise posted, usually aren't occupied on weekends or at least Sundays, odd hours in the summer etc etc. Out of service ones, if not posted, pretty much always people shoot there. Don't shoot when people are working.

No matter where you are talking, evidence of previous shooting or shooters you stumble upon usually helps clarify what's ok and not. Just don't be a douche and ruin it for everyone.

Power lines not posted are usually a pretty good bet, kinda anywhere you find a trail that is away from houses is worth investigating.

About every town has a place people shoot, locals know, but aren't necessarily on here or willing to talk about it if so. At local gun shops or bars, different story.

 

[NH_Realtor]

Join the pemi, it’s a great range

 

[LakeTrout]

Another vote for the pemi. Best gun club I've seen in the east.

 

[LittleCalm]

Get suppressor and be low key.

 

[dhuze]

Shooting in gravel and sand pits can only lead to big trouble in NH. You can be sure someone owns it and they will not be happy if they find you shooting in the same area where they work. I speak from personal experience from an incident in Campton over 30 years ago. Don't do it!

Pemigewasset Fish and Game, just down the road in Holderness, used to be a real gem. Years ago, membership was just $1 per year! Then it went up to $1 per visit. However, a while back, the facilities were expanded dramatically, and the fees went up accordingly though not sure what the current ticket price is. But it's a good safe place to shoot and you'll be sure to avoid getting into any trouble.

Pemigewasset Valley Fish & Game Club, Holderness, NH

The Pemigewasset Valley Fish & Game Club of Holderness, NH is a non-profit organization that boasts a proud history which began in 1941 and continues through to the present. Due to the persistent efforts of Rosco Whitcomb a meeting was held in March 1941 at the Firemen's Hall in Ashland, NH for...

pemi.org

When I lived there they tried to raise the membership to $2 and everyone lost their shit. It was ridiculous. Even a homeless person could find $2.

 

[Len-2A Training]

When I lived there they tried to raise the membership to $2 and everyone lost their shit. It was ridiculous. Even a homeless person could find $2.

I looked and it is now ~$200/first year including indoor range and spouse. It's also almost 2 hrs from me, so not of personal interest.

 

[Deleted member 67409]

The thing about the Pemi's membership dues is that they have, by their internal policy, a "no guests on the premise" rule. At least they did when I was a member while I was a Plymouth State undergrad. However, as this is not a practical option for a larger gun club, what guests actually do (or, did, when I was a member there) is buy a membership for one day.

That means if you have someone tagging along as a guest, that's one day membership per visit. This is obviously intended to encourage guests to join as annual members, but that isn't always practical. And multiple guests mean multiple day memberships. I'm not familiar with whether or not Pemi had family membership programs back when the dues were $1 or $2, however, I can see why some people wouldn't be happy with such a seemingly small change in dues.

The Pemi also claimed that their corporate (as a non-profit) structure precluded them from making any official statements in regards to pending legislation and 2A issues.

 

[KBCraig]

If you want to pay big fees and shoot in a gravel pit, you can go up the road to Woodstock.

Gold Bess

www.goldbessshootingclub.com

 

[LittleCalm]

If you want to pay big fees and shoot in a gravel pit, you can go up the road to Woodstock.

Gold Bess

www.goldbessshootingclub.com

Hard to tell what the range is like from the pretty thin website. Looks like $200 per year gets you four people. Looks like also a $100 per person initial and orientation fee.

Been sued already:

North Woodstock neighbors sue outdoor shooting range

NORTH WOODSTOCK – A local couple and 29 of their neighbors want a judge to order the closure of the Gold Bess Shooting Club and award them damages, saying the

www.unionleader.com

And here’s the NES thread:

North Woodstock neighbors sue outdoor shooting range

NORTH WOODSTOCK – A local couple and 29 of their neighbors want a judge to order the closure of the Gold Bess Shooting Club and award them damages, saying the outdoor range is a public and private nuisance. According to the lawsuit, in May 2016, Woodstock Sand and Gravel (WSG) purchased 34 acres...

www.northeastshooters.com

Seems mostly just a pit with a lot of pistol courses as opposed to place where you can just go and shoot.

 

[AFAR/PFAR]

OP, I would break out the google earth and start looking around. Do a map recon west along 25 and I wouldn't be surprised if you find some likely spots within a few miles of the road. Likewise north and south along 118. Some town's websites use GIS which helps sort out who owns the land. OnX Hunt is sort of useful for that as well. Swing by Littlefields, buy a box or two of ammo$$$$$$, and try to get leads there.

Know the applicable laws: RSAs 207:3A, 207:3c, and 644:13

Even though by the end of a year a club may turn out cheaper than a public range, I'm not in the join a club camp. Pemi's membership runs from Jan to Dec, so you've already lost four months. They have an admin fee for new members, and require you to attend an one time orientation held twice a month. Not exactly the type of place I can decide to go shoot at this Friday.

 

[teamRR]

The beauty of pit shooting, you can dump a mag into concrete blocks, fast shooting exercises where you naturally are going to send a flier (of course into a backstop just a larger backstop with less rules than a controlled range). I think having that opportunity you do get good in some areas that you never will unless you are taking classes where they run those sorta drills regularly. And it's just fun.

The downside, most pit shooting places if you can be there anyone can. I have had my plans changed by a family fishing, police confused (or over stepping) over insinuation of trespassing and moving me along, kids on 4 wheelers, loose dogs, other shooters who are either shooting too close or too long for what I want to do etc. It's hard to really hone precision skills of any type it that sorta environment. For instance in the local pit I can only reliably shoot "long" in somewhat foul weather because that's the only time I'm consistently alone - even then I gotta carefully keep watch that nobody is heading in to setup between me and the backstop. Basically you show up with multiple options and gotta go with the flow, maybe you shoot pistols when you wanted to shoot rifles or vice versa etc etc.

It's nice to have multiple options I think is my point. BTW joining a club, you will also learn about other places to shoot when you start meeting folks I'm sure.

 

[MAGA99]

Buy a gravel pit, problem solved.

 

[AFAR/PFAR]

Buy a gravel pit, problem solved.

I wonder if that is cheaper than buildable land.

 

[MAGA99]

I wonder if that is cheaper than buildable land.

Depends on if there is a maintained road to it and power. Land is cheaper where there is no power or maintained roads available. Where feasible to bring power in, land gets expensive.

 

[Broc]

If you want to pay big fees and shoot in a gravel pit, you can go up the road to Woodstock.

Gold Bess

www.goldbessshootingclub.com

 

[Boghog1]

I wonder if that is cheaper than buildable land.

from what I see, no

 

[rscalzo]

This didn't help with shooting in open areas..

CHESTER, N.H. —
The New Hampshire State Police are investigating a shooting that injured a 79-year-old man in Chester.

The shooting happened at 11:01 p.m. Friday on Old Chester Turnpike.


Advertisement
Officers from the Chester Police Department believe the man sustained the gunshot wound after an occupied residence was struck by gunfire.

The victim was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries. Officials did not state the severity of his injuries, but said he remained in "stable condition" as of 7 a.m. Saturday.

 

[KBCraig]

View attachment 599241

I see the irony of my post escaped you, but yes: that was my point. It's a private range, with big fees, in a gravel pit.

 

[KBCraig]

If the NH House doesn't kill the Senate-amended version of HB307, we can forget about shooting almost everywhere in New Hampshire.

The Senate version removes "use" of firearms from the preemption statute. Meaning, any municipality could shut down all recreational shooting and hunting.

There are towns and cities just waiting for this.

 

[Broc]

I see the irony of my post escaped you, but yes: that was my point. It's a private range, with big fees, in a gravel pit.

No, I found it funny that they call themselves more than just a range and proceed to describe themselves as a range but don't mention why they are "more than just a range".

 

[LittleCalm]

I think we can all agree that the Woodstock range leaves a lot to be desired for the price of admission. That said, more ranges mean more choices, so I still wish them success.

 

[ridleyman]

I shot periodically in a sand pit in Tamworth, NH, when we went up some weekends, but some azzholes filled the place with trash, including old appliances, and the owners gated and posted no trespassing.

 

[Len-2A Training]

I shot periodically in a sand pit in Tamworth, NH, when we went up some weekends, but some azzholes filled the place with trash, including old appliances, and the owners gated and posted no trespassing.

Back in 2001 when I was heading to WA for a week long Microsoft event, I arranged a get-together with a WA AR-15 group. We went up to a sandpit in the Cascades and had a great time. However, when we arrived I noticed a microwave and a fair amount of other junk laying around the area. Some months later, my WA friends posted that it had been shutdown with a gate and signage.

That's the sad reality of sandpit shooting. All it takes is a few with no respect for the property to ruin it for the many who aren't slobs.

 

[teamRR]

I shot periodically in a sand pit in Tamworth, NH, when we went up some weekends, but some azzholes filled the place with trash, including old appliances, and the owners gated and posted no trespassing.

Back in 2001 when I was heading to WA for a week long Microsoft event, I arranged a get-together with a WA AR-15 group. We went up to a sandpit in the Cascades and had a great time. However, when we arrived I noticed a microwave and a fair amount of other junk laying around the area. Some months later, my WA friends posted that it had been shutdown with a gate and signage.

That's the sad reality of sandpit shooting. All it takes is a few with no respect for the property to ruin it for the many who aren't slobs.

Sooner or later where I shoot, between the shooters dragging trash in and town police not liking people shooting there (and pressuring the landowner to actually post it so it is trespassing versus them only being able to insinuate trespassing), I bet we get kicked out too. Now when that happens, maybe I can get permission myself still, maybe not, but it will be sad to see another place gone.

I do my best to advise minor slobs on etiquette (ie take that steel tank out when you are done) and I never see who the hell drags the ridiculous stuff like TVs, car doors, and shit like that in, do my best to take a truckload out when I see it too. Whoever they are they clearly just don't get it.