State gamelands (french creek) open yet?

[jeo567]

So i saw they were doing their annual cleaning there a few weeks back. Anybody know if it's open yet?
PS- A damn shame the skeet range permanently closed.

[jeo567]

So i googled it. It's closed till the 17th. Here's the link.
PA game comission
Nice to know they actually post it and i don't gotta drive to check.

[Loaded_For_Bear]

I stopped by today (Monday 9/20). Range still closed. Workmen said it might be open in another week.

[Devrbd]

I stopped by today (Monday 9/20). Range still closed. Workmen said it might be open in another week.

What kind of work are they doing? Besides cleaning the place up.

[243winxb]

Sign said range will open 9/27, but i would call first. 610-926-3136. Workmen said they are installing new benches, target holders. Making the dirt banks on the sides higher. Reclaiming lead from the back stops. He said they did not recover as much lead as they thought they would. (He offered it to me.) Free lead/scrap bullet. No thanks. Construction of an upgrade to the shooting range facility on state game lands 43 in Warwick Township, Chester County. See how much it cost here $$$$$$>>>> http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cachec7Z8qG90vwJ:www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt%3Fopen%3D514%26objID%3D663596%26mode%3D2 +state+game+range+in+warwick+%23+43&cd=1&hl=en&ct= clnk&gl=us I wonder who got the bid?

[243winxb]

10/1/10 1pm. Open for business. New cement pad with 12 new cement benches. Not much has changed really. Same 3 shot rule. Target holders at 50 & 100 Yards. Back stops redone, sides same. Injoy. If you like to shoot 30 round clips, its not for you. Join this club. http://mysite.verizon.net/mulj/

[c45man]

10/1/10 1pm. Open for business. New cement pad with 12 new cement benches. Not much has changed really. Same 3 shot rule. Target holders at 50 & 100 Yards. Back stops redone, sides same. Injoy. If you like to shoot 30 round clips, its not for you. Join this club. http://mysite.verizon.net/mulj/

Apparently not for combat pistol shooters who utilize distances at 15 yards or closer, but on the other hand, the whole reasoning for gameland ranges was for hunters to sight in their rifles.

[243winxb]

The PGC is funded in part, by the state's share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which
is an excise tax collected through the sale of sporting arms and
ammunition. The range should become a handgun/rife range, this would allow a few more rounds to be loaded. Just how i see it.

[243winxb]

The Game Commission considering making it a new rule that you have to have a valid PA hunting license to use their ranges and/or the PGC will charge a fee $$. New Rule passed > http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal...e__111_10.html

The proposed regulatory change, which must be approved by the Board a second time before taking effect, requires all users of State Game Land shooting ranges to possess either a valid Pennsylvania hunting or furtaker license or a Game Commission-issued range permit, which would cost $30 per year for residents and nonresidents. Exceptions to this proposed permit requirement would be those 16 years of age and younger properly accompanied by a licensed or permitted person 18 years of age or older, and each licensed hunter or range permit holder could have one guest.
The proposed change also prohibits all other target shooting from taking place on State Game Lands, except at designated ranges.

[spasmonaut]

I hate to be "that" guy, but frankly, I'm for the new rule. As well, as long as the enforcement would be fair and justified, I'm all for officers stopping in from time to time to see that everything is on the up and up. I'll disclose upfront that I'm not a 50-something crotchety old guy that only believes in A-bolts or Rem 700s, etc - I'm in my 20's and have a few SKS, CETME, AK variants, etc. so I have plenty of evil black hardware to toy with. No offense to you crotchety guys...I respect and enjoy all firearms regardless of make.

I've gone to SGL 43 a number of times since I moved to the area about a year ago, and it's a bit rowdy there at times. We're all aware of that. I don't mean to offend anyone there that frequents the range, but the distracting rapid fire stuff that goes on, the abuse of the targets/stands, the disregard for other shooters that would like to utilize the range for its intended purpose and not have to shout over constant blazing away to get the range cleared to go see/change my targets...it gets old and discouraging quickly.

I know a number of occasions where my range trips to French Creek started out with a purpose and quickly disintegrated into me wasting ammo out of frustration with finding myself in a position to be the only person out of a dozen or more at all interested in seeing what was happening 100 yards away. I don't feel confident with a bunch of other shooters nearby moving guns around with magazines in place, etc. as they go from bench to bench to suit whatever purpose they've got in mind at that very minute. I know my 5-year-old daughter would like to join me on some of these trips to get her first shots in with a .22 that I have but I frankly don't feel safe with them around her.

So my point to this ranting is that I'm for the new regulations, and wouldn't mind seeing a few of the cowboys that show up there for their Friday night hang out told to find a club or go through the headache of applying for a license or permit and taking this freedom even just slightly more seriously. Out of the 10 or so times I've been to that range it's almost ALWAYS disrupted by nuisance shooters. If you really want to use the range, my best recommendation is to do it mid-day before the end of business when they all show up after work or class or whatever.

I'm done whining now. Have fun, and be safe!