Nockamixon Firing Range

[Derek]

New article in the Inteligencer about the range:

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/loca...nder-fire.html

The surrounding neighbors are up in arms.......

I cannot wait until they reopen this range. Since it shut down I've done a small fraction of the shooting I would like.

They have the same problem with people (and churches) who move to areas surrounding well established racetracks and then complain about the noise. It bothers me to no end.

~ Derek

[kadar]

Channel 6 ran a story tonight.
See site for video.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?se...cal&id=6854781

By Walter Perez

HAYCOCK TWP., - June 8, 2009 (WPVI) -- Some residents in Upper Bucks County are concerned violence could come to their community, when a now-closed business opens its doors again.

"Our neighborhood is quite emotional about this issue because of our history of what we went through," said Dorothy Comfort.

Dorothy is talking about the plan from the State Game Commission to re-open a public shooting range a short distance from her home.

Neighbors, along East Sawmill Road, say the shooting range, in and of itself, are not the problem. They say the problem is that it was unsupervised and many people would come with high-powered weapons like assault rifles and semi-automatics.

Folks around here say it's a safety issue and a noise issue.

"Coming in shooting unsupervised it was really at times especially on weekends it sounded like a war zone," said Nadine Quinn.

Game commission officials say they simply do not have the funds to hire full-time range managers. The site is being re-opened after a slew of licensed gun owners complained about the lack of "shooting practice" locations. In fact, there are currently no public firing ranges in Bucks or Montgomery Counties.

And gun shop owner Al Santopietro says having gun owners who are proficient with their weapons is in the public interest.

"The 'carry permits' that we have today there are so many of them, practice makes perfect and we have a lot of progress in the area which means there's more buildings and there's less places to shoot on your own property and it is a good idea to have them," he said.

Now public hearings are scheduled to deal with the concerns of neighbors here but the Game Commission has already rescheduled the opening for this fall.

[tlgpa]

Channel 6 ran a story tonight.
See site for video.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?se...cal&id=6854781

The woman (Nadine Quinn) in that video is flat out lying. "Her husband and her, standing a short distance from each other and couldn't hear what they said, cause the BOOMING was so loud"? Pure BS.
I don't know where they live, but the closest house to the range is 500 yards, through thick woods.

http://forum.pafoa.org/bucks-13/1974...tml#post698981

Maybe people were firing cannons.

[ErSwnn]

I saw it the same way. Her claim just doesn't ring true. I've been in the woods well within 500 yds of LRGC and it's just pop,pop when I know it's rifles and shotguns. The other concern of the residents there that I'm wondering about is the "violence" their worried about. I'd like to see that claim backed up with some sort, any sort, of documentation.

The only problems I see with validity is people shooting outside the 4 basic rules, and people shooting up the stands.

At one point I would have disagreed with this next thought but after reading multiple posts throughout the forum I see the point of allowing only licsensed hunters to use the ranges. And I think that would settle some of the fears of the residents up there. A while back I stated somewhere on the site that I would in fact get a hunting license due to the fact that it's hunters who pay for ranges they don't destroy. It's outside the hunting community people most at cause for the damage and unsafe practices...generally speaking.
Well, July 1st is coming up and licenses are about to be issued. I'll be getting one to show support of the hunters who pay for what so many use for free. I'm even considering trying my hand at hunting.

[sxHarr05]

Any updates on this?

[Perkascene]

It looks like it's supposed to open in the fall of this year.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news...residents.html

I like this part:

Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer John Papson has been patrolling the rifle range and game lands since 2002 and said he's never seen signs of violence.

"I know what I've seen up there and I know what I've dealt with up there, and I haven't seen anything like that," said Papson, who noted he also researched past reports looking for evidence of residents' claims. "I never arrested anyone for drugs or alcohol up there."

Well, he didn't outright say that there aren't gangs roaming freely. I guess that still stands

[sxHarr05]

So...........it won't be open by Sunday is what you're saying?

[Perkascene]

Haha, doesn't look like it. Sorry.

[kht428]

I don't think it will be open in the fall regardless what happens with the redtape
I went for a walk today and the area is nothing like it once it was. It's worse now than when the range was open. They cleared the woods before the range and it looks like the piled dirt up in the actual range so noone could actually get a straight shot down range.

Sorry for the crappy pics from the phone.

[Perkascene]

Damn it all. I wish this range would open. I'm a member of Branch Valley now, and guest passes are $70 apiece. I'd rather not buy more than one, so if Nockamixon opened again, it would be far easier to take more than one person to the range.