Thousand Yard Guns

Chris Byrne talks about how to get into 1000 yard shooting without spending a fortune. Well, it sounds like you’ll still spend a lot of money, just because it’s not a cheap sport. It’s something I might be interested in if there were more places to shoot that kind of distance. They are scarce, especially on the east coast.

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16 thoughts on “Thousand Yard Guns”

  1. On the plus side for those on the East Coast, there aren’t nearly as many places where a 1,000 yard shot would ever be needed (or often, even ethical).

  2. Yeah, that’s why other than a few southeastern crazies, most of the 600+ yard shooting going on in this country happens in the mountain west, and the adjacent plains.

    I grew up in Massachusetts, and it would surprise me greatly if there was a single spot in the entire state (that doesn’t already have a highway or a building on it) with 1000 yards straight and level.

  3. You might be surprised. There are quite a few 600 or 1000 yard ranges near you. Williamsport (of benchrest fame), Reade, New Holland (about an hour from downtown), Bridgeville, and probably a few others run mid and long range matches. (Which almost always allow F-class–scopes and bipods/rests) I don’t know how far they are from where you are in Philly, but they’re definitely close enough to spend a weekend at. I’ve got Quantico, Cumberland, Ft Meade (rarely), and Bridgeville within get-up-early-and-drive, and Butner and Blackwater, Whitehorse, along with most of the PA ranges if I’m willing to stay overnight. There’s a surprising amount of mid/long range available if you look around and are willing to drive a bit. However, if you’re trying to find a local club where you show up an evening after work and shoot for an hour before heading home that’s 1000 yards, good luck.

  4. And I clean missed a doe at 175 yards last night, so I got no business even thinking about 1000 yard shots (though it was an unsupported, and uphill shot)

  5. Ft Dix supposedly has a 600 yd range, but it’s either closed or never was available to civilians. Current max range appears to be 200m/220y depending on source

  6. Aught Six, there’s a couple in PA, and in theory theres even a couple in New Jersey (I’ve heard of them, never seen them).

    There’s also a couple in Maryland and Virginia.

    But as a percentage of shooters, other than a few real enthusiasts, most of the long range guys are out west.

    That said, the national thousand yard BENCHREST (vs field and tactical shoots) are in PA most years.

  7. You’ll get no disagreement from me on that, Chris. Outside of formal matches, I doubt there’s a whole lot of long range shooting going on out here. It’s not like you can drive a couple hours (or less!) outside of town and hang up some targets in the middle of nowhere. And most clubs out here only have a 100 yard range. But, if you want to shoot at 600-1000 yards, there are plenty of places to burn out your barrel. Including in NJ. A guy I know from matches at Butner lives in NJ and keeps trying to get me to shoot some (full distance) highpower matches up there. So they happen. I’m not sure where, however.

  8. When asked what I want my son to be when he grows up, I will tell people: “A philanthropist, a yachtsman and a 1,000-yard marksman.”

  9. Aught

    Can you bring your own gun to Jersey to shoot those matches?? One of the quirks of Jersey law is the requirement to have a) NJ FOID. WIthout it, even with a gun you don’t have to register (ie: a rifle) its still illegal to posses a gun in Jersey.

    It is what largely keeps me from heading there to hunt or brining my guns up to shoot at my brothers club (which I think has a long range – though maybe not 1000 yards)

  10. Strictly speaking, you only need to FID card to purchase. As long as you follow NJ’s transport laws, you’re OK without an FID. Though I’ve heard it’s not smart to transport in NJ without an FID.

  11. Are you ok on the range (I presume yes). But what about if your spending the night there? Or going to stop for a meal? Or gasoline?

  12. NJ 2C:39-6 f (3) b (more or less)

    “Nothing in subsections b., c. and d. of N.J.S.2C:39-5 shall be construed to prevent:

    A person transporting any firearm or knife while traveling
    Directly to or from any target range, or other authorized place for the purpose of practice, match, target, trap or skeet shooting exhibitions, provided in all cases that during the course of the travel all firearms are carried in the manner specified in subsection g. of this section and the person has complied with all the provisions and requirements of Title 23 of the Revised Statutes and any amendments thereto and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder

    g. All weapons being transported under paragraph (2) of subsection b., subsection e., or paragraph (1) or (3) of subsection f. of this section shall be carried unloaded and contained in a closed and fastened case, gunbox, securely tied package, or locked in the trunk of the automobile in which it is being transported, and in the course of travel shall include only such deviations as are reasonably necessary under the circumstances.”

    Who knows what the jury will find “reasonably necessary under the circumstances”. I will fill my tank and come back to get the guns on a trip to the range, likewise try and arrange itenerary to avoid having to stop for a meal.

    NJ 2C:39-5 c appears to allow the possession of unloaded rifles and shotguns under most circumstances if you have obtained a FOID (NJ 2C:39-5 c 1 bans possession if you haven’t obtaines such a card and bans possession of a loaded rifle or shotgun; except as otherwise allowed by law. 2C:39-6 sets out those exemptions “otherwise allowed by law”. The language of NJ 2C:39-5 and and b use essentially the same wording to ban posssession of machineguns and handguns (respectively) without their respective permits.)

    That’s the statute law – I haven’t chased down the case law; and I sure wouldn’t want to be the test case; but NJ 2C:39-5 c would seem to indicate that you don’t have to abide by the restrictions of 2C:39-6 if you have an NJ FOID…

    Be aware of 2C:39-5 e, though

    e.Firearms or other weapons in educational institutions.

    (1)Any person who knowingly has in his possession any firearm in or upon any part of the buildings or grounds of any school, college, university or other educational institution, without the written authorization of the governing officer of the institution, is guilty of a crime of the third degree, irrespective of whether he possesses a valid permit to carry the firearm or a valid firearms purchaser identification card.

    (2)Any person who knowingly possesses any weapon enumerated in paragraphs (3) and (4) of subsection r. of N.J.S.2C:39-1 or any components which can readily be assembled into a firearm or other weapon enumerated in subsection r. of N.J.S.2C:39-1 or any other weapon under circumstances not manifestly appropriate for such lawful use as it may have, while in or upon any part of the buildings or grounds of any school, college, university or other educational institution without the written authorization of the governing officer of the institution is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.
    ___________________________

    I have to abide by 2C:39-6 e-f, though, since it is essentially impossible to get the permit to carry.

    Also, there’s an odd duplication between 2C:39-6 f (1) and f(3)b (see above for (3)b

    2C:39-6 f: “Nothing in subsections b., c. and d. of N.J.S.2C:39-5 shall be construed to prevent:

    (1)A member of any rifle or pistol club organized in accordance with the rules prescribed by the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice, in going to or from a place of target practice, carrying such firearms as are necessary for said target practice, provided that the club has filed a copy of its charter with the superintendent and annually submits a list of its members to the superintendent and provided further that the firearms are carried in the manner specified in subsection g. of this section;”

  13. Ian Argent – The Dix ranges goes way far – miles. I’ve fired .50 cal and 105mm Sabot rounds there. The ranges all run off in the same durection. They aren’t the nice flat groomed ranges like Quantico.

    I’m not sure where exactly they let civilians shoot there – I have seen lots of cops shooting near us. The problem is that lots of National Guard and Reserve units are deploying abroad through Dix. Prior to deployment they need to practice and re-qual.

    Many a drill weekend, my unit lost the range we reserved for a unit about to deploy – very annoying – we started going to West Point or Indian Town Gap instead. You might have better luck on a weekday – at least no Reserve units to compete with.

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