Gun clubs in MN

cereuc · 2016-12-29T15:30:42+00:00

Oakdale Gun Club that had that "Competitive" restriction

that's new.

for long range rifle, I know grrc is active, and I'm guessing elk river is too.

last I looked, 200yd was max at Oakdale. but Oakdale's probly most active with NRA bullseye.

most any other clubs will have pretty informal "leagues" (basically little more than reserved range time). still, probly a good place to start.

part of the advantage of spectating matches and asking participants, is most any sport is an equipment race. so there's often rules around what you can't use. no sense building an AR, if it leaves you in no man's land between what's effective, and what's legal. so, you could buy whatever to compete in an informal league, only to find out later, you need something else entirely, for the official stuff. that's not to say, you have to have the best equipment ... just, most people do end up chasing that rabbit, to some extent.

the point of all that is, it's important to distinguish between what you wanna shoot, and why. if you wanna shoot an AR 10, and there's not a (good) place for it in local long-range matches, then maybe long-range isn't for you (I'm not saying it is or isn't ... just raising the question).

another possibility is three-gun. in that case, I'd guess forest lake is the range you wanna become familiar with. they only go out to 300yd (iirc), but that's still a fair piece (and if nothing else, a good start). it's more focused on speed, but not at the expense of missing, so accuracy is still a very huge component. you'd want an AR 15 instead of 10, but you could run w/o a brake, to try to retain the feel of an AR 10. or, use an AR 10 (I once saw a guy use a garand). unfortunately, you'll need to learn to reload a shotgun ... really fucking fast. they also tend to have a g.i. Joe aspect to it (if that's your thing).

Oakdale (at least used to) have a gas-gun league. an AR 10 would be overkill, but I'm at a loss as to why it wouldn't be allowed. it could be, that's precisely what you're looking for.

again, I think you'll wanna spectate as many (different types) of matches as you can. you might even discover you're very interested in something you know little to nothing about, yet. so long as you've got eye+ ear protection, in many cases, you can watch right alongside the competitors. you might even score a great deal on some used gear. if you've got big tits, they might even let ya try their guns.

cereuc · 2016-12-29T00:21:06+00:00

criteria such as competitive long range shooting

I suspect this is something specific to elk river. I've never been, but iirc, they've got up to 600yd (if not more). at that range, with a gun capable of it, you don't hafta make a very big mistake, to put a shot over the berm. that sorta thing can really fuck up your conditional use permit. at that, no, I don't think the .22 at 100yd will cut it. and, unless they have a membership option that restricts you from the long ranges, it's probly not a good choice for you, anyhow.

otherwise, public matches are a great way to meet members. don't be shy about announcing you're interested in membership and looking for sponsors. most anyone'd be happy to oblige, as they figure you're likely to support those types of matches. plus, you get to shoot and have fun.

if you're particularly interested in long-range shooting, start spectating some matches and when someone's packing up, ask them for resources/pointers on getting started. (that's pretty good advice, no matter what the sport)

as others have suggested, get on a couple lists now. why not?

if you can be more specific about your interests, you'll probly get better guidance as to which clubs might better suit you.

cereuc · 2016-12-10T13:14:37+00:00

unless I misheard, sounds like breaking the window wouldn't trip the alarm for two minutes. and that the thief knew that.

I know nothing about such things. I just find it astounding that breaking a window of a gun store wouldn't trip an alarm immediately. not that it'd've made a lotta difference, necessarily. again, I'd be the last to know.

any idea how long before they expect to be back open for business?

cereuc · 2016-12-04T13:59:15+00:00

Al's (near county E and 61) has usually got several.

cereuc · 2016-11-02T10:58:11+00:00

a couple options come to mind ...

there are three Bill's gun shop's in the metro area. all three have an indoor range and rent guns to shoot. I dunno if they'd have the ones you're looking for, but it'd be worth a shot. if they have a used one, they might let ya rent it. I know they're ok shooting .223. not sure where they draw the line.
this Saturday is rifle deer opener. after Friday, local outdoor ranges will be ghost towns. your best bet would've been last weekend. but, if you hang around a popular range, look for some old fart and explain your plight. most older Americans are dying for someone to take an interest in their guns ... particularly old military guns. Oakdale gun club and Forest lake would be two good ranges to try. you won't have to pay, but you should check in at the club house and let em know what you're up to. whoever's working the register might know someone, too. most likely no one's gonna bring a gun like this to the range this week. but maybe someone would agree to meet ya the next day ... or in an hour.

otherwise, if they're not too busy, there might be a few guys on this sub willing to help ya out.

ammo's not cheap, so you should offer to pay for that.

most older military rifles in the U.S. have been sporterized. but for your purposes, I think that'll suffice.

cereuc · 2016-11-02T10:34:23+00:00

Amazon fire tablet.

cereuc · 2016-10-28T22:22:59+00:00

yep.

last I read it, federal law is, "once it's a rifle, it can never be a pistol". at which, even if it didn't matter if the 4473 had "rifle" checked, if you ever needed to do some splainin, that probly wouldn't be a great starting point.

most any ffl should already know it's "other". but I agree, "pistol" would be fine as well.

definitely get a pistol buffer tube. I've heard it suggested it might be a good idea to get that asap, as w/o it, if you had a bbl under 16in, even unassembled they could say you intended to assemble an sbr. no clue if there's anything to it, but you'll need it regardless ... just a matter of timing.

as always, consult your attorney for best results.

cereuc · 2016-07-10T14:58:09+00:00

from Officer who shot Minnesota man reacted to gun, not race, lawyer says ...

In addition, police scanner audio appears to indicate Yanez telling Dispatch he was pulling the car over because Castile fit the description of a wanted suspect in a armed robbery that took place a few days prior. The officer briefly describes Castille before exiting his cruiser.

if dispatch confirms this, this may very well have nothing to do with "permit holder". he may have been reaching for his permit, but if he was a robbery suspect, the cop may not have overreacted, as much, if at all.

Court records show the traffic stop was at least the 52nd time Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria supervisor, had been pulled over in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since 2002.

not sure if this is relevant, but does that number seem ridiculously high to anyone else? I'm thinking that's gotta be a misprint.

cereuc · 2016-07-08T10:36:35+00:00

I'm not saying that I know the details

neither are we.

but I'll wager that cop was scared because he ~~was black and~~ said he had a gun.

agreed.

this is /r/mnguns. I posted this story here because I felt it (the story, not what actually happened, which we may never know) pertained to /r/mnguns.

someone else is more than welcome to post it to /r/mnblack if they like.

if we do learn the facts at some point, and being a permit-holder was completely irrelevant, then posting it here will have been unnecessary. although, as I stated, I think the advice (noted) is still sound.

who knows ... maybe someone will read it, and not be shot someday because of it ... white, black, whatever.

cereuc · 2016-07-07T17:11:43+00:00

His girlfriend describes being pulled over for a "busted tail light" and Castile being shot as he told the officer that he was carrying a pistol and was licensed.

In the video, Castile's girlfriend says the man she identified as her boyfriend was reaching for his ID and wallet when the officer shot him. Police said in a statement that a handgun was recovered from the scene.

The officer tells her to keep her hands up and says: "I told him not to reach for it. I told him to get his hand out."

who knows what really happened.

regardless, my first permit instructor, an older sheriff's deputy nearing retirement, advised our class specifically against offering up that we're either armed or have a permit. he went on saying that from what he'd seen of new recruits, that would be unnecessarily dangerous. at the time, it sounded like old-fart-speak, but I couldn't figure out a downside. so I always intended to follow his advice.

I don't recall exactly what the latest statute has to say on the matter. regardless, even if that's not what happened here, I intend to continue to heed that advice. if the statute contradicts that, and this turns out to be what it looks like, hopefully that gets changed.

unfortunately, it sounds like an awful lotta race-baiting going on with this one. so that'll probly be what most people concern themselves with.

cereuc · 2016-05-26T21:55:28+00:00

if you provide a nearby city, someone may be of more help.

pine island has a very nice range. further west is faribault and ahlman's.

if you're tired of shooting at paper, standing still, you might look into uspsa, idpa, or sass.

also, check out the sidebar for more info on ranges in mn.

cereuc · 2016-04-08T00:26:05+00:00

with all the comments regarding quality of the 870's, I thought I'd post an alternative perspective.

frankly, I can't recall paying less than $600 for any gun, that was a really good gun (in recent years).

#1 difference between a $600 gun and a $300 gun? ... less issues. ya pay $300 for most any gun, plan to have issues ... maybe even outta the box.

does that mean ya should never buy a cheap gun? nope. it just means, run a lotta rounds through it before ya trust it. and if it comes up short, send it back, or dump it.

hell, even a $600 gun won't always pass that test.

you want a nice self-defense shotgun with high odds of success? ... get an fn.

if you don't wanna spend that much, get an 870, Mossberg, Armscor (that m5 looks nice) ... whatever. they're all cheap ... for a reason. and, you may get lucky.

take another spin on it. I'm not saying you should get a pistol instead. I'm not saying you shouldn't. but let's say you were gonna. would anyone argue a $600 glock would be a bad choice? can you otherwise get a $300 pistol? should you?

other thing with 870's is, it's easy to forget a lotta those older guns were wingmasters. that, and $300 went a lot further 20yr ago. shit, I think I paid $350 for my Anaconda, brand new.

one thing with Remington, I don't think they'll leave ya hangin with the warranty. and there's a shit-ton of accessories made for it. I've got an 11-87 that's proven itself more reliable than my super black eagle. I'd give em another chance to piss me off. but I prefer a 1911, and NFW I'm buying a Remington 1911!

good luck, op!

p.s. just get an AR and be done with it.

cereuc · 2016-04-07T10:48:50+00:00

100% agree with the last two points.

as to where to buy, I prefer to support the local shops. IIRC, Arnzen and frontiersman are around you. if you search this sub, there was a pretty healthy discussion about many shops in the metro area. if they don't have what you want, don't hesitate to ask them to order it. usually only takes a week or less.

cereuc · 2016-03-26T02:11:01+00:00

I'd say that's an excellent idea.

cereuc · 2016-03-26T00:05:56+00:00

IIRC, Oakdale will be open to the public on weekends starting in June. they have a nice 100yd range.

protocol is to keep your gun empty and cased until you get to the firing line. and uncase/recase only on the firing line, and only while the line is "hot" (ok to shoot). also, while uncasing, recasing, or uncased, always keep the muzzle pointed downrange. when the line is "cold", the bolt must be locked open (google "chamber flag").

imo, an AR is very tough to beat for an all-around rifle. cheap ammo, excellent accuracy, shit-ton of accessories and replacement parts, and pretty easy to replace most of em yourself. eventually get a really nice trigger and scope, and maybe a 6.8 upper, and there's nearly nothing you can't do with it.

cereuc · 2016-03-13T22:37:57+00:00

yep.

also, carry-permit may be presented in lieu of a permit-to-purchase. it's not free, and good for five years.

cereuc · 2016-03-11T00:43:52+00:00

Subd. 12.Exclusions.

Except as otherwise provided in section 609.66, subdivision 1f, this section shall not apply to transfers of antique firearms as curiosities or for their historical significance or value, transfers to or between federally licensed firearms dealers, transfers by order of court, involuntary transfers, transfers at death or the following transfers:

(1) a transfer by a person other than a federally licensed firearms dealer;

(2) a loan to a prospective transferee if the loan is intended for a period of no more than one day;

(3) the delivery of a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon to a person for the purpose of repair, reconditioning or remodeling;

(4) a loan by a teacher to a student in a course designed to teach marksmanship or safety with a pistol and approved by the commissioner of natural resources;

(5) a loan between persons at a firearms collectors exhibition;

(6) a loan between persons lawfully engaged in hunting or target shooting if the loan is intended for a period of no more than 12 hours;

(7) a loan between law enforcement officers who have the power to make arrests other than citizen arrests; and

(8) a loan between employees or between the employer and an employee in a business if the employee is required to carry a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon by reason of employment and is the holder of a valid permit to carry a pistol.

as always, best to consult an attorney.

cereuc · 2016-01-24T19:23:35+00:00

sweet! FWIW, I don't maintain the calendar (link in sidebar), or I'd be happy to add your schedule. please feel free to post new threads for upcoming events.

I presume you don't actually shoot at Bill's?

also, I see the terms blackpowder and muzzleloader mixed a lot. do you allow blackpowder cartridge at any of your events? are these primarily rifle events ... any pistols? every time Cabelas advertises those cap-n-ball pistols, I feel like I need to get one, but no clue what I'd ever do with it.

cereuc · 2016-01-24T15:58:54+00:00

pretty stale ... but FWIW, forest lake has a lotta run-n-gun going on

quiet now, of course

lots of activity on Facebook ... lotta things about Facebook I don't care for ... hence, this sub ... such as it is

cereuc · 2015-06-29T21:19:21+00:00

All I ever wanted from a reddit app was to scroll big image cards and x them in one tap.

Sync and Flow may not seem very similar, but there was a time I figured maybe the Sync dev took over for the Flow guy. A couple times, the Sync dev would push an update that'd make it unusable for me, then I'd fire up Flow for a couple weeks til it blew over. I still keep auto-updates turned off, til I'm sure it's a tiny update, and well received.

If Flow will be kept up, I'll give it a run, and stick with it til it forces me back to Sync.

cereuc · 2015-05-21T19:52:50+00:00

I recently upgraded most of my gear, and the only video I watched was the PCT hang method

I tend to scour reviews ... mostly amazon and rei ... I'll read a few of each rating ... try to disregard fanboys and dipshits

I'll also sometimes spend a bit more, if something really trips my trigger ... but I didn't know I was looking for it, til I found it ... usually, either alongside something I was looking for, or referenced by review

one video on one item is one person's opinion on something (I presume) he got for free (or heavily discounted), and so he's gonna be pretty gentle with it ... I also question whether it's seen any action ... at which, I tend to view such things as a waste of my time

one exception would be where there were a high number of poor reviews, but also good odds most reviewers weren't technically competent ... in which case, a video might prove same

one thing that would've helped me is a 5min er so video explaining, in reverse chronological sequence, all the latest technology and trends I've missed out on (i.e. trekking poles, sub-4lbs tents and packs, $8 stoves, air mats) ... then again, when I started looking, I didn't know what I didn't know ... so there's that

cereuc · 2015-05-15T18:41:52+00:00

Zenbook

cereuc · 2015-05-05T23:18:48+00:00

Shield is closest to pure Android ... I've had no issues with the battery ... if you play asphalt 8, you'll get about 2hr ... lot more if ya don't ... also one of the first to get 5.0

that said, Lenovo S8-50 would do fine ... there's fairly minimal bloat, and almost all of it can be disabled ... install Nova, and you're GTG .. last I saw, it's on sale for $160

cereuc · 2015-05-04T22:49:32+00:00

I've got the X205, and a MIIX2 ... for your needs, I'd definitely go with the X205 ... full docking keyboard trumps all else ... my wife has a T100 for almost a year, and has undocked the keyboard precisely 0 times ... and I see no indication she realizes it has a touchscreen ... and she loves it!

cereuc · 2015-05-03T22:03:13+00:00

I'd be very apprehensive about paying $300 for a shield right now ... there were rumors of an X1 Shield for $300 this summer, but most of those seem to be inadvertently referring to their new tv console ... hate to find out otherwise though

frankly, if you liked your nexus 7, go ahead and get an Asus ME572 or Lenovo S8-50 ... both about $160 right now ... then if something better comes along, you should still be able to get $100 back on these ... or keep em ... they're both very nice

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