🤗 Pennsylvania Shooting Ranges

[GOYABEAN]

rifle.gif

The Game Commission continues to provide resources for shooters – hunters and non-hunters alike – by maintaining shooting ranges on State Game Lands across the Commonwealth.

Public Shooting Range Overview
​Pennsylvania public shooting ranges are funded through Pennsylvania hunters and shooters dollars. The excise tax placed on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment funds range projects like this all across the state. Please keep this in mind while at the ranges. Thank you for being a Pennsylvania Hunter and Shooter!

Buy a SGL Shooting Range Permit
For your shooting enjoyment and to make you a better hunter, the Game Commission maintains public shooting ranges across the state. Those who shoot firearms at the Pennsylvania Game Commission's state game lands public shooting ranges must possess and carry with them either an annual $31.97 range use permit or a current Pennsylvania general hunting or furtaker license. Individuals without a range use permit or hunting or furtaker license may be fined. Each licensed hunter or range permit holder may have one guest.

​Shooting Range Permit Information
2023 Update to Shooting Range Permits: The Shooting Range Permit was recently updated and is now valid for 365 days from the date of purchase.

Pennsylvania Shooting Range Improvement Program
This Shooting Range Improvement Program (SRIP) grant is designed to provide financial support to Pennsylvania’s aging shooting range infrastructure. Our state is fortunate to be home to more than 800 private clubs and ran​ges; however, many of these ranges require upgrades to improve safety and accessibility.

Range Rules and Regulations
Each licensed hunter or range permit holder may have one guest.

Unless otherwise posted, ranges are open year-round, from 8 a.m. until sunset, Monday through Saturday, and noon to sunset on Sundays.
Please contact our centralized dispatch center to check the daily status of ranges you wish to visit.
Shooters should show consideration for others waiting for an open bench.
It is common, especially leading up to the bear and deer seasons, to find an adult teaching a youngster how to shoot, or to find someone having difficulty sighting-in a rifle. Please be patient in such circumstances, and if it seems appropriate, offer assistance.
Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by someone 18 or older.
Do not collect the brass of shooters while the range is active.
Range permits and hunting or furtaker licenses do not need to be displayed while using a state game lands public shooting range, but must be in possession, as well as a secondary form of identification.

Shotgun/claybird shooting areas:
Northcentral Region, SGL 176: The shotgun only area is part of the Scotia Range complex.
Northeast Region, SGL 300: The shotgun only area is adjacent to the existing public shooting range.
Southeast Region, SGL 205: The shotgun only area is next to the parking area, 200 yards south of the rifle range along Game Warden Rd. in Lowhill Township.

https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pgc/hunt...ng-ranges.html

[esh21167]

And limit firing rate to one round per minute.

[father-of-five]

Thanks. I forgot that they changed the timing on the range permits in that they no longer automatically expire in July.

[Walleye Hunter]

I don't see anything restricting the use of fiddies.

[tlnzz1]

You need to be a Philadelphia lawyer to understand all the rules, regulations, and laws that cover the "legal" use of these State Game Land firing rages.

[Bang]

One round per minute will serve to show consideration for others waiting for an open bench.

[Acarper]

Good info thanks!

[SevenMilePete]

For anyone living near Edinboro or Erie, I would recommend joining Gem City Outdoorsmen Club.
Especially if you are an older shooter. Over 64, $25. The annual fee is less than a range permit or a hunting license. 18 to 64, the fee is $50.00 per year.
Active duty military, and disabled veterans can get a free membership, with documentation.
They also have trap shooting, picnic areas, and a catch and release stocked pond.

I had several bad situations occurring using the State Gamelands Range near Waterford. And I've heard of many more. You all may have heard about the guy who started shooting at another shooter at the rifle range. Another shooter witnessed this and shot the the guy. He was not prosecuted for the justified shooting. The last time I used the gamelands range, I went downrange to replace some targets, and some yahoo came in while I was stapling targets, and quickly sat down and started shooting at the 50 yd. targets
only about 20 yards to my left. I almost crapped my pants, and started yelling at him. He couldn't understand why I was upset. He said, well he wasn't shooting at the targets I was putting up. That was the last time I shot there.

And a game warden once told me, after checking that I had a license, that I might want to carry my guns downrange when putting up targets, especially the 100 yard ones. Guys had come through the woods from the parking lot, more than once, and stolen rifles and range bags, and ran back through the woods, and gotten away before the owner even made it back to the shooting benches.

Anyway, word to the wise. There are applications near the entrance. They have a website where you can can download the membership application, and read the rules, etc. The range is on Van Camp road, near McKean, the town, not the county. Don't confuse this club with Gem City Gun Club. That one is southeast of Erie. This one is southwest of Erie, just north of Edinboro, about three miles from the McKean exit of I-79.

[Iron Sights]

For anyone living near Edinboro or Erie, I would recommend joining Gem City Outdoorsmen Club.
Especially if you are an older shooter. Over 64, $25. The annual fee is less than a range permit or a hunting license. 18 to 64, the fee is $50.00 per year.
Active duty military, and disabled veterans can get a free membership, with documentation.
They also have trap shooting, picnic areas, and a catch and release stocked pond.

I had several bad situations occurring using the State Gamelands Range near Waterford. And I've heard of many more. You all may have heard about the guy who started shooting at another shooter at the rifle range. Another shooter witnessed this and shot the the guy. He was not prosecuted for the justified shooting. The last time I used the gamelands range, I went downrange to replace some targets, and some yahoo came in while I was stapling targets, and quickly sat down and started shooting at the 50 yd. targets
only about 20 yards to my left. I almost crapped my pants, and started yelling at him. He couldn't understand why I was upset. He said, well he wasn't shooting at the targets I was putting up. That was the last time I shot there.

And a game warden once told me, after checking that I had a license, that I might want to carry my guns downrange when putting up targets, especially the 100 yard ones. Guys had come through the woods from the parking lot, more than once, and stolen rifles and range bags, and ran back through the woods, and gotten away before the owner even made it back to the shooting benches.

Anyway, word to the wise. There are applications near the entrance. They have a website where you can can download the membership application, and read the rules, etc. The range is on Van Camp road, near McKean, the town, not the county. Don't confuse this club with Gem City Gun Club. That one is southeast of Erie. This one is southwest of Erie, just north of Edinboro, about three miles from the McKean exit of I-79.

Sounds great, however I'm on the other side of the state. Everything like that is very expensive here. I used to go to the state game range but only with 2 friends. Now they are gone.

[ar15jules]

For anyone living near Edinboro or Erie, I would recommend joining Gem City Outdoorsmen Club.
Especially if you are an older shooter. Over 64, $25. The annual fee is less than a range permit or a hunting license. 18 to 64, the fee is $50.00 per year.
Active duty military, and disabled veterans can get a free membership, with documentation.
They also have trap shooting, picnic areas, and a catch and release stocked pond.

I had several bad situations occurring using the State Gamelands Range near Waterford. And I've heard of many more. You all may have heard about the guy who started shooting at another shooter at the rifle range. Another shooter witnessed this and shot the the guy. He was not prosecuted for the justified shooting. The last time I used the gamelands range, I went downrange to replace some targets, and some yahoo came in while I was stapling targets, and quickly sat down and started shooting at the 50 yd. targets
only about 20 yards to my left. I almost crapped my pants, and started yelling at him. He couldn't understand why I was upset. He said, well he wasn't shooting at the targets I was putting up. That was the last time I shot there.

And a game warden once told me, after checking that I had a license, that I might want to carry my guns downrange when putting up targets, especially the 100 yard ones. Guys had come through the woods from the parking lot, more than once, and stolen rifles and range bags, and ran back through the woods, and gotten away before the owner even made it back to the shooting benches.

Anyway, word to the wise. There are applications near the entrance. They have a website where you can can download the membership application, and read the rules, etc. The range is on Van Camp road, near McKean, the town, not the county. Don't confuse this club with Gem City Gun Club. That one is southeast of Erie. This one is southwest of Erie, just north of Edinboro, about three miles from the McKean exit of I-79.

I shot there this morning. Beautiful day here to hit the range. The range was still surprisingly solid. I was afraid I was going to be a muddy mess. Lots of guys shooting trap when I left. My buddy and I basically had the rifle and pistol range to ourselves which is the case most of the time. The SGL range in Waterford is a no go for me as well.