State Game Land shooting range. French Creek

[MartinBrody]

Rifles aren't legal for deer hunting in Chester County anyway, and the Game Commission certainly doesn't seem to like EBRs.

Part of SGL 43 is in Berks county and I think you can hunt with rifles there. Also about a month ago there were about 10 ARs on the firing line at once and the place was so busy lord help you if you tried to park your cement mixer.

[Whiskey Delta]

Originally Posted by Dane

I take it that it's a bad place? I've checked into this place before but I never got the chance to go there yet. So far its just been our cabin, I'm going to try going over to Manhiem to the indoor range they have open to the public on Tuesday Nights and if it seems good I'll get a membership.

For rule one though it may have been there before the new law went into effect.

I belong to Lancaster Sportsman's, near quarryville.

Very nice range, very nice folks.

While not free, I am happy to send in my dues each year, it is a veritable bargain.

[The Unknown 1087]

Originally Posted by Whiskey Delta

I belong to Lancaster Sportsman's, near quarryville.

Very nice range, very nice folks.

While not free, I am happy to send in my dues each year, it is a veritable bargain.

Thats what I've been told. I'd check it out but I think for me to go from here to there is a bit of a drive. Hmm.

[Poonie]

The range at SGL 43 is a nice range, it always was. The people who go there are what makes it bad. That place attracts some real freaking losers. I don't mean to say everyone who goes there is some blatant head case, because I have met some nice people there. I noticed however over the last ten years or so, the majority of sorts who would be there when I showed up, took a real downward spiral into the dregs of society for sure. Its really no wonder the PGC hassles people there. Not that our famous men in green are the salt of the earth, for there are some real Napoleon complexes going on in their ranks, which does nothing to endear the public to their cause.

I got to my limit with that place about 2 years ago, when I'd go there and more often than not the place was full to capacity, even during the week. It always seemed there was unsafe gun handling going on, or someone ignoring the 3 shot limit and rattling off with a semi-auto, or someone blasting target supports or hanging exploding targets, or depositing trash, etc.. I routinely watched people mishandle guns and put people in danger. That coupled with the overall disrespect most people showed the place was the straw that broke the camel's back. I found a club, joined, and never went back to French Creek.

Honestly friend, do yourself a favor and steer clear of the range at french creek. Yes it may be free, but you are taking a chance of A. getting hurt, and B. getting something stolen each time you go there. Your best bet is to find a local club, join it, and forget about french creek. That's what I did. I joined out at Atglen and I never went back to french creek. They really should close that place before someone gets killed, but they won't because that place has become a nice money maker for the PGC. Sometimes I think they keep that place open, solely to entice idiots to show up, who then screw up, and get fined. Look at all that $ the PGC is making on citations.

[Spishack357]

Range itself is nice like another poster said but you get some pretty bottom of the barrel people there and it gets unsafe. A friend and I were there when they had the old 25 yd. range, people started shooting pistols while we were still down at the 100 yd. targets... Just be thinking for the other guy when you are there.

[VeeVee]

Question:
Is it even possible to practice prone shooting at SGL 43? There doesn't seem to be much space between benches.

[str8shooter]

Can anyone cite or recall an incident involving an accidental shooting at any SGL? 43 is practically in my back yard, but I've only been there to sight in rifle scopes on a few occasions and never had a problem with PGC officers or other shooters.

I've stayed mum on all the bashing of the range because as the Philly disease continues to spread West, I have no doubts people have seen some pretty big jerk-offs playing cowboy or gangsta. Based on what I've seen reported about the SGL 43 in particular, maybe that's the reason they took away the 25 yd stations. I also know people who have been warned or fined for rules violations, the most common being filling their mags to the max, completely ignoring or unaware of the 3 round rule.

This thread has gone the way of many others when speaking of SGL ranges in general, and that is to avoid them and join a club. However, based on the diversity of the complaints in this thread, the question that begs to be asked is, what is the real problem? One post says city folk come up and behave badly, another says the PGC officers are standing guard like the Gestapo, looking for an excuse to write a citation. So which is it? It can't be both.

Like I said, I haven't been there much, but when I have, everyone played nice. One time an officer came by, watched for a while and left. And one time the range had a waiting line, but two shooters offered to take turns at a station with someone waiting, and I left about 15 minutes after the next person in line arrived, even though he told me I didn't have to hurry because he enjoyed observing other shooters.

[The Unknown 1087]

What the fuck?!

So I was going to go over there today to shoot because I am really bored.

I got lost, I call them. I talk to a "dispatcher". She asks what I am looking for exactly, and I said "a place to shoot a pistol" and she said "We DO NOT allow pistols to be shot here, just rifles, you'll have to goto york to shoot pistols"

[c.sander]

Originally Posted by Dane

What the fuck?!

So I was going to go over there today to shoot because I am really bored.

I got lost, I call them. I talk to a "dispatcher". She asks what I am looking for exactly, and I said "a place to shoot a pistol" and she said "We DO NOT allow pistols to be shot here, just rifles, you'll have to goto york to shoot pistols"

lol, that is untrue. They do not have a designated pistol range, but that does not mean you cannot use a pistol @ 50 or 100yds but those are your only options 50 or 100yds. also you may only load three(3) rounds of ammo into your pistol at any time while shooting on the range.

[The Unknown 1087]

Originally Posted by c.sander

lol, that is untrue. They do not have a designated pistol range, but that does not mean you cannot use a pistol @ 50 or 100yds but those are your only options 50 or 100yds. also you may only load three(3) rounds of ammo into your pistol at any time while shooting on the range.

Thats what I said, but the lady was getting pissed off that I said I can.

"You can go onto our website and it clearly says NO pistols, good bye"

what a bitch.


When I asked her to please have an officer there to contact me, she said she wont have contact me when she clearly answered my question and told me to go back to the website and re-read it.

I was able to get a "ranger" to call me and correct the issue.

He's even telling me they do not allow them.