French Creek Park outdoor range

[Daycrawler]

I'm working on it... I'm hoping to make the Kimberton waiting list cut-off this year. Also, I had very little time for the range in the past, so I didn't think a membership would be worth it if I only shot once or twice a year. But now... I'm finding more time to shoot, so I'm hoping to be able to join a club.

Look into University Rifle Club in Exeter. No sponsor required. The club is located on Schoffers Rd. .

Private ranges are expensive, have limited membership, and require periodic meetings on schedules that don't always work for you. Where as state ranges, while incredibly dangerous, are $36 a year and you can come and go as many or few times as you want.

I have shot at state ranges in the Poconos. Most dangerous range I have ever seen. Never been back since.

I wish I knew where these cheap, easy to join private ranges were. I tried when I picked up a firearm here in PA to find one, and found nothing but waiting lists and needs to attend meetings to try to find some random stranger to sponsor me. Only places I have found I can just get in are the regular shooting ranges that charge like $20+ per visit. I know people will say 'just show up, talk to people you will get a sponsor and get it.' Aside from the fact that I really really hate that and find that tremendously hard to do, I did actually try that a couple of times a local ranges. I never could work up the nerve to just beg for someone to be my new bestest friend and sponsor me, but I also never got even the slightest hint from anyone that they would be willing or interested in doing that.

These ranges are more $100-$200 a year plus as well, so the $25 sounds wild to me.

See above!

Same here. I never felt like schmoozing someone to sponsor me, and I doubt that would work anyway because apparently I rub people the wrong way.

Well....you sound shady, but no schmoozing is required at URC.

I understand the need to maintain land, pay taxes, clean up, etc. If i had a chance to go more often than I do, I'd be all over it. Unfortunately at this point in my life with all that's going on, now is not that time.

Thats quite understandable.

[ShadeRabbit]

Look into University Rifle Club in Exeter. No sponsor required. The club is located on Schoffers Rd. .

I have shot at state ranges in the Poconos. Most dangerous range I have ever seen. Never been back since.

Well....you sound shady, but no schmoozing is required at URC.

Exeter's a little far for me.

State ranges are a good opportunity to practice your situational awareness skills/keeping your head on a swivel.

I hope that was a play on my screen name

[243winxb]

5/17/23 Visited the range, as its been a while.
The road has new (?)loose crushed stone, the size of golf balls & the washboard surface. Best if driving something with 8" ground clearance & all wheel drive.

There were 3 people shooting. The 100 yard target holders looked ok. The 25 & 50 are badly in need of repair.

Good day to shoot.

[Loaded_For_Bear]

***** Signs are posted today that the French Creek SGL#43 range is CLOSING on June 17, 2024. ****

Rumors are the range is closing for renovations - that may take weeks or months. Maybe not reopening until hunting season. No info anywhere online about about when range might reopen. I called the PA Game Commission and no one knew anything.

[243winxb]

Range Closures SGL 43, 77, 108, 127, 179
ATTENTION SHOOTERS: https://www.pgc.pa.gov/pages/AlertDe...ther%20notice.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission shooting range located on State Game Lands 043, in Warwick Township, Chester County will be closed from Monday, June 17, 2024, until further notice.

The range will undergo a significant upgrade that involves the construction of a twelve-position handgun range featuring five- and ten-yard targets, as well as, a new shotgun patterning range consisting of 25 and 40 yard targets.

Additional upgrades will be completed to the access road and parking areas.

We appreciate your patience while we make these exciting upgrades.

[VeeVee]

Oh man... I wanted to celebrate the 4th sending some downrange. Thanks for the heads up.

[Loaded_For_Bear]

French Creek SGL#43 range still closed as of today. PA Game Commission will give no info about when it may reopen.

[GunLawyer001]

I remember when the Nockamixon State Game range was "closed for repairs", maybe 20 years ago.
I knew they were full of shit when I stopped by and there were bird houses newly installed all over the range. They never intended to re-open.

Look at a map of the former ranges. They're eliminating all the ranges within driving distance of Philadelphia, NJ or NYC, erasing them from east to west. Thugs showing up and being thuggy, I guess.

I was tired of interacting with the Fish Cops anyway. Wanna-be's not quite good enough to be prison guards. Every encounter I ever had with them had me looking around the corner to see if they came in a short bus.

[JAKIII]

Look at a map of the former ranges. They're eliminating all the ranges within driving distance of Philadelphia, NJ or NYC, erasing them from east to west. Thugs showing up and being thuggy, I guess.

I experienced that first hand at SGL #43... mostly egregious safety violations.

I was tired of interacting with the Fish Cops anyway. Wanna-be's not quite good enough to be prison guards. Every encounter I ever had with them had me looking around the corner to see if they came in a short bus.

I'm sure that dealing with all the asshole hunters (not you) is probably their favorite part of the job.

[VeeVee]

Does anyone have an idea around which month the range will be reopened? Will they extend how long the paid range permits will be good for to compensate for the time we can't use the range?