NRA

[JonnyV]

maybe it's time to outlaw pyrodex and duplex loads once and for all at these matches. Smokeless powder just plain smells bad. Might help improve the atmosphere.....

[bobw]

Any match I'd run for buffalo guns would have 40 cal minimum and bp only. Fug the gamers.

[RB1Shooter]

Don McDowell wrote:

"...I suspect if the Wyoming complex happens it'll be much the same. It's just a shame that they rejected/ignored several requests from competition shooters with broad travel experience to be on the committee . That leaves doubt that if and when it does happen and the funding does get approved it will be much of any thing useful to the bpcr community. of the few press releases about it they were all tickled they made the big trip to the CAMEO at Grand Junction, which looking at that thing it's a bit of a miserable place, with no facility to handle over night stays or food concessions..."

i would have hoped they would have gone to the River Bend Gun Club in Dawsonville, GA to see a world class shooting facility. It is a real gem.

[Don McDowell]

The Whittington and Ben Avery are much closer than River Bend

[desert deuce]

Yes, and Ben Avery has a huge airport virtually in sight of the range, Sky Harbor. Somewhere I saw a drone fly over of Ben Avery that was pretty good but I am familiar with the range to start with.

[desert deuce]

Is there a place in Wyoming on public land that would be ideal or nearly so for such a range complex?

[Don McDowell]

Well yes there is good locations on public land, but with the current mindset of the beuacracy getting a long term lease/contract with the BLM would be a shaky deal. Right now under their Rock Springs management plan all public use and access would virtually be shut down if they go ahead and implement it. And if the election looks to go like it should, to have them stamp approval on that plan should not surprise anyone, creating a mess that a would take years of litigation to get straightened up.
The State itself owns several large pieces of land that could be rerouted for the project, as do some of the cities.
The criteria set for the thing is a preferred acreage of 2500. So that in itself with good hi way access and location close to a functioning airport and nearby support towns is going to take some searching. That could open the door for reclaimed uranium, bentonite and coal mine sites.
Critical sage grouse recovery area, and big game migration corridors are new buzzwords that are tossed around to bugger good plans up as well. Those came about not long after it was discovered that the preebles jumping mouse had to be killed and dissected to determine if it really was or not ,
I think I read where the cutoff on site applications was last September, but knowing something about how the system works, there could be some wiggle room and another round of applications. But if the fix was in we could be hearing soon where it's going to go.
So in the meantime we'll just have to keep track of the thing as best we can, and see if there is the possibility of using some back door contacts to keep the thing upright.
Paciencas joven tolva de hierba

[Don McDowell]

Just to add a bit more.
The ranges at Worland, Cody, and Rawlins could probably be expanded to fit the criteria.
Both the clubs at Casper could possibly be in contention.
Casper ,Cody, and Worland have all been to the committee hearings.
The lower wind river towns have all been pushing hard and Rock Springs has as well.

[desert deuce]

Good, workable still. Of the possibilities, which would have the most favorable weather May-Oct?

[Don McDowell]

None of them
Wyoming is a series of high elevation mountain ranges and valleys
While the jet stream moves in one direction or the other and the continental divide splits the state from nw-south east it might be beautiful weather in one spot and sub artic in another
Casper and Rawlins both set in natural wind funnels between mountain ranges
Cody and the bighorn basin are subject to down drat winds from the Abosirokas
The wind river valley is relatively protected but getting across the state or even a single county from October thru mid June can be quite perilous

[ranch23]

Ranch 23, which government agency are you dealing with and where is their office located that services the area the proposed range is in?

Missed this.
There is as of yet really no agency but the state board, who as I understand it has not even decided on what it will be yet.

[ranch23]

As to the Wyoming range, remember that the majority of the state board is made up of politicians or appointees of some kind. They are mostly interested in the revenue generated by a facility like this. They're not shooters or competitors. Looks like Campbell county is a strong contender, 6000 acres, hospital and motels and eating establishments readily available. Also as of a couple of weeks ago there is no clear idea of what they really want. You can watch and listen to the meetings at the state level.

[Don McDowell]

Agree with ranch 23, it's really not exactly clear what the goal of the thing will be.
I seriously doubt that given the cost of just construction, it will ever generate enough income to cover that cost. But on the other hand it's money better spent, than for DEI studies programs, ghost asst, principal and student payments to the education system, and the list goes on.
It's interesting to see that somehow or other appointees to the commission other than the legislators, can play tag team on who from the orginazations can be the representative at the meetings. Sort of a tag team thing, and that doesn't help to set a firm direction.

[Don McDowell]

here's the link to the commission
.https://wyoleg.gov/Committees/2023/S35

[desert deuce]

The single most important factor in achieving the larger common goal is staying focused on the goal.

In this case it is getting a quality, useful shooting range built. Skewing the conversation off in to personal ideas about rules, committees, size of targets, etc does not materially contribute to getting that range built.

If the goal is getting the right range built, focus on what constitutes the right range and support that plan. Leave the minutiae alone until the smoke is wafting away from the firing line.