Very Important: Prentice Cooper Shooting Range

[Pengnpup]

Went to Prentice Cooper today. Part of the range was closed off until further notice. The reason: People are trashing the range. Things such as shooting the posts, shooting the chairs, shooting the garbage cans and brand new benches shooting food and dinner plates and leaving thenm behind. I spoke to the game warden, they are going to meet to discuss the next steps which may include a range officer or a fee. There is also a possibility this range could be closed. The warden was telling me some of the things he has been seeing such as people walking downrange when the range is hot, poor muzzle discipline and just plain stupidity.

Half of the range was closed off because the posts were shot in half.The posts and backstops cost money. I don't know what the deal is or why people feel the need to destroy something we all benefit from, but I wish they would knock it off.

[Guest Travtastik]

Was up there last Sunday and the 50 yard range was closed. The warden said it would not open back. A buddy and me asked if we replaced the post and fixed it up could It be reopened. He said no way.

There was a older lady, around 60 I guess, that was on the pistol range telling everyone what to do and trying to keep it cleaned up. Some kids brought a 22 rifle to the pistol range and she told them they could not shot it or she would call the laws. They said what ever and about 5 mins later the warden came and talked to them. There was another lady on the 100 yard range trying to keep people from being stupid too. They were asking people to pick up there trash and tried to keep a order of people waiting to shoot. I was wondering it was a attempt at having a RO or just people trying to help out. I seen them talking to the warden when he came around a few time to check on everything.

After spending the afternoon there I don't think I will go back. Had to wait over a hour to get a place to shot and then with all the fools that were there I thought I might not make I out alive. The guy at the bench next to me shot the bench he was using. He then shot the post about 10 mins later. It never fails when I am there that someone always try to shoot from behind everyone else shooting pistols. There were people sitting on the bench trying to shot on the middle back board. I really like breathing to much to go back up there.

[mav]

I have been to PC only one time. I doubt I will ever go back.

[Guest vthokies03]

ive been a couple of times, BUT I always showed up at first light. I was done by the time the crazies where showing up.

[Guest bkelm18]

I think there's a thread around here somewhere that lists all the shenanigans that have been seen there.

[Good_Steward]

Well, I have seen the good, bad, & ugly from Prentice Cooper. Met some great folks, and met some folks who shouldn't have access to a cap gun, much less live ammo. Shooting was great (very) early in the day before all the yahoos roll out of the bed. Met most of the good folks there at that time of the day.

[Garufa]

That is not the only range where jack-asses shoot. I would encourage everyone that frequents any type of public range to keep others in check.

We really cannot afford to have ranges closed down because of idiots.

[ShamGlock]

If you shoot there more than once you are certain to come back with a crazy story. I'm sad to hear about this, but I'm not surprised either.

[Oh Shoot]

I've been there twice. The only thing I witnessed was folks still shooting on the pistol side when others had gone downrange on the rifle side. Nobody called cold on the rifle range though; and the pistol area is sort of cut off, you actually can't see downrange on the rifle side. A little re-arrangement of direction and berms and whatnot could fix that.

PC is the only free (or even cheap) outdoor range in the area, AFAIK. Sure hate to see it disappear as an option.

- OS

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I saw much the same three weeks back.

Am not contradicting what others have said above. No one is lying.

Maybe I haven't been there when it was REALLY saturated with irredeemable idiots, but I like the place.

It isn't unknown to meet people who don't know to yell cold and wait before going downrange, or who don't know that they are sposed to stop shooting when someone else yells cold. Or don't know which direction the muzzle should point.

However, the ignorant can often (though not always) be edumacated. People are not born knowing that stuff. Somebody sometime has to teach it before they know. I've politely explained the basic idea to quite a few folks over the years and overall they understand and cooperate. I don't recall trying to explain it to anyone who gave me a hostile redneck response, but of course we have many such people walking among us daily, so it's bound to happen occasionally.

Just sayin-- It is not the "free" aspect of Prentice Cooper range which I value. I don't care about the "free" part and would go as often or more frequently if I had to pay.

- I like shooting outdoors even if it is way too hot or or way too cold. I will shoot an indoor range, but indoor aint as much fun. I hole up in the house programming all the time. If I ever get it together to actually get in the truck and drive somewhere, don't want it to be somewhere else indoors.

- It is pretty scenery up there and it is a pretty drive.

- I hate driving but I can make it from Redbank to PC in 15 minutes without even breaking the speed limit. All other ranges are much farther away.

Intentionally shooting the backer support beams has become a fairly recent form of vandalism.

Over the last year it's been getting worse and worse about people ruining the backers with shotguns. Most of em have GOT to know its against the rules. Not simple ignorance. I was told they go so far as to sneak in after dark to shoot the shotguns. Dunno if that is true but sounds reasonable. Those guys make me really mad.

Have never seen anyone shooting shotgun out there but one time some young fellers were shooting pistol near dusk and (with electronic muffs) I overheard one guy tell his friend that they need to wait until other shooters leave and the ranger ain't around before they get out the shotguns. True ignorant irresponsible dumasses! But at least those guys knew which direction to point a gun and they knew not to wander out on a hot range, and appeared to have respect for their elders because they were friendly to me.

The range area itself is fenced, but if some of the problem is illegal nightime access, then it might cost at least a few thousand bucks to fence a larger area including the parking lot, preferably 8 foot chain link topped with barbwire. Maybe it would be overkill to charge the fence with 10,000 volts, but then again that might solve the shotgun problem.

====

Dunno if the sweeper ladies ya'll described are the same folks, or even if I had it figured right--

Since the economy tanked, every visit to PC there was at least one gal or guy sweeping brass to sell to reloaders or junk yard. Some of em looked real hurting. Was talking to a young man sweeping brass last summer who was discussing his job hunting woes. I've seen plenty of con men and am pretty sure this young guy wasn't making it up.

Most of em I met looked poor but didn't act like bums or moochers. I got in the habit of leaving my brass and let em sweep it up, because I already had more than I could reload. None of the brass sweepers I've talked to appeared to have the slightest knowledge or interest in guns, so I figgered they wouldn't be out there at all if they could make some money doing something else.

Three weeks ago a brass lady I'd seen before, an older heavy set granny type person, was repeatedly explaining to everybody that the range might get shut down unless they start behaving. Maybe she has some semi-official relationship with PC or official permission to sweep brass or whatever. Maybe married to somebody who works there. Or some worker's mom. She seems nice enough.

I assumed that if the range shut down she would be out of a job, as pitiful a job as brass sweeping might be. I assumed she was trying to make people behave so her revenue would not dry up. But I may have been completely misinterpreting the situation.

[Oh Shoot]

I saw much the same three weeks back.

Am not contradicting what others have said above. No one is lying.

Maybe I haven't been there when it was REALLY saturated with irredeemable idiots, but I like the place.

It isn't unknown to meet people who don't know to yell cold and wait before going downrange, or who don't know that they are sposed to stop shooting when someone else yells cold. Or don't know which direction the muzzle should point....

Best I remember, due to pistol area berm, you couldn't actually shoot toward rifle range downrange targets unless you were trying to, but that's still not enough safety margin, I guess.

Although admittedly, if you wanted to, you could shoot from the rifle side at our Norris range toward the pistol side (or vice versa); and the pistol side is only a little more removed than at PC, AND the pistol side does not go cold when the rifle side does, or vice versa. Though there's a thin stand of trees in between the two, plenty of room for bullets to find their way through them.

PC's probs, just just be due to the culture, or lack of it, that evolves around a free range unsupervised range, I dunno. Norris is only $40/year, pretty close to free if you go very much, though somewhat farther from Knoxville than PC is from 'Nooga. Norris is unsupervised also, and while certainly ya see unsafe individual behavior there from time to time, I've never seen anything like the regularly reported stuff here that goes on at PC. The target stand posts do indeed get destroyed over time, but don't think we've had any concerted effort on anyone's part to do it, just the millions of rounds over time. I could be wrong on that though.

Maybe that forty clams really does weed out some of the unsafer element. Or maybe it's 'Nooga hoodie culture vs Knoxville's comparably more hillbilly ethos. really don't know.

- OS

Edited January 23, 2012 by OhShoot

[mikegideon]

I think lack of supervision has more to do with it than cost. Nashville has their Darwin Award competitors too. Same cost as the safer range. There's just nobody herding the idiots.

[Guest NYCrulesU]

Such a shame that for every 1 of us who are responsible, safe, trained (in any sense of the word) and use common sense....there seem to be 10 or more morons that should not own a gun, should not leave their house and should never, under any circumstance, procreate.

They make the rest of us look very, very bad.

[mikegideon]

We ARE in Tennessee. No shortage of booger diggers in some parts.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

PC's probs, just just be due to the culture, or lack of it, that evolves around a free range unsupervised range, I dunno. Norris is only $40/year, pretty close to free if you go very much, though somewhat farther from Knoxville than PC is from 'Nooga. Norris is unsupervised also, and while certainly ya see unsafe individual behavior there from time to time, I've never seen anything like the regularly reported stuff here that goes on at PC. The target stand posts do indeed get destroyed over time, but don't think we've had any concerted effort on anyone's part to do it, just the millions of rounds over time. I could be wrong on that though.

Maybe that forty clams really does weed out some of the unsafer element. Or maybe it's 'Nooga hoodie culture vs Knoxville's comparably more hillbilly ethos. really don't know.

- OS

I don't like driving. Ain't phobic but driving is dang boring.

Ought to make a saturday test drive out to Chatt Rifle Club to see if it would be tolerable 10 or 20 times a year. If the drive is tolerable then maybe see about joining. Am concerned with the transit time rather than fees. If the drive is too annoying then I'd never go, regardless of best intentions.

If PC closes then there will be numerous people of modest means who will not have a place to shoot. That can't be good.

Been visiting PC once or twice a month. Most often saturday afternoons. Has been rare to see the same folks twice. Sometimes it is packed and sometimes sparse even on Saturday. Such variability makes it difficut to estimate the "general culture" of the place.

Having not kept records, my impression is that the majority of PC shooters are middle class yuppie of all ages. A few fellas this year had strong german accents which one might guess Volkswagen immigrants. Black, hispanic and asians are not rare but are in the minority. I'd guess more hillbillies than minorities, but maybe it is about equal.

Maybe 1 female to every 4 males? Females are not rare anyway.

Occasional biker or old hippy looking dudes with tattoos and long white beards. Except for choice of clothing and number of tattoos, that would also describe the "grizzled" sub-species of hillbilly. Take an aged biker and dress him up in overalls, flannel and farm boots, voila-- grizzled hillbilly!

I'm an old hippy in disguise after getting gray and deciding a buzzcut looks better on an old man than the santa claus look. So maybe some people would think I'm an aged skinhead who didn't get enough tatoos.

One can't go by looks and sometimes behavior can fool ya, but I don't recall meeting anybody at PC giving off bad vibes of one of the many species of hardened sociopathic criminal. On the other hand, Ted Bundy and Eric Holder seemed superficially normal enough!

I don't go around glad handing everybody, but the folks are generally friendly and polite. The minorities are just as friendly and polite as anybody else, if not more so. I don't recall any hood rat attire, mostly middle class attire.

Unless memory is failing, there were a couple of situations in the 1960's and 1970's where black people went up on Suck Creek mountain in the daytime and didn't come back down. Things have got to be getting a little better that minorities consider it safe enough to go up there at all. Back then Suck Creek and the back side of Signal Mountain were not unreasonable places for minorities to avoid, especially at night.

[strickj]

Sucks to hear this. It's a pretty nice place... especially for the price! I bet I met a new "friend" every time I went there (course, I stick out like sore thumb which draws folks to me). in fact, I think I just heard Mousegunner moan.

Same time though, I've seen my fair share of thugs (although rare), unsafe shooters (not rare!), and inconsiderate people.

Cant say that I would willingly go back there though. The cons really, really outweigh the pros at gun ranges!

[Jonnin]

I dont get why someone was complaining about a rifle on the pistol range, esp a .22. They shoot more powerful handguns there. I know when I used to go there I shot my pistols on the rifle range, same thing, it does not matter. That is the LEAST of the problems up there and harmless, though a high power rifle thru a poor backstop is an issue.

The other stuff is why I quit going. Every time I would go all the boards were toast from shotgun blasts, the posts would be shot to pieces, people would fire downrange or not call downrange properly, and more. There were times when I thought if you went up there alone you would come home without your guns, if you came home at all, but that was just a vibe, I never heard of any actual attacks but some of the people seemed a bit "off" and got my radar tingling.

A RO and fees would work, knoxville has an outstanding TSWRA range that is manned and charges a small fee. Closing it is just letting a few punks ruin everything and is the easy way out. Government is always saying it can freaking create jobs, well here is a full time job for about 5 people.

[Oh Shoot]

....A RO and fees would work, knoxville has an outstanding TSWRA range ...

With very limited hours, (5 hrs, 4 day per week). With RO's that act like idiots. Often like Gestapo idiots. With 100 yard max. No shooting anything but paper. Minimum target distance sucks for self-defense pistol practice. No shotguns unless they condescend to put out a steel target (think it takes court order).

Other than that and other stuff I've forgotten, it's okay.

- OS

[Ratfink]

ive had issues with the game warden, he kicked my buddy out becuase he would not say yes sir to him. it is poorly ran and the old women that are there always yell and scream and take all my brass without asking. is says closed tues and web and those are the days that they should be there unless they are state employees. I dread everytime i go up there because of the main warden ohhh and if your targets are too large for his taste he yells at you or makes comments that you will get kicked out. Ive already written a letter to TWRA and if they dont respond ill go above them. Our taxes pay for that place and i should be yelled at because im shooting with my wife and hes having a bad day. The 50 yard is back open and ive been questioned twice on what im doing when i enter the park. Ive never broken a saftey rule there and am respectful to everyone that is there. I shouldnt fear going there, it isnt the american way.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Ain't saying they never hassle anybody though I've not been hassled. Maybe they cut burr-headed geezers some slack.

I went to PC late today about 8p (sunset about 9p this time of year). There was a sign saying that beginning July 1 the range will be open Thu, Fri, Sat only, unless I mis-read the sign. Sometimes I go there other days, but if the target backers last longer open three days a week, no problemo. All the backers seemed repaired and basically functional today. Been about a month since I had time to go up there.

Got an hour of shooting in before nightfall. When I got there, was no ladies collecting brass, no park officer, one family "wrapping up" in the pistol area and one fella "finishing up" at the rifle range. Had the place to myself most of the last hour. Had a good time as I usually do.

I've never had a lick of trouble from the brass-collecting ladies. I just act typically friendly and tell em I'm collecting my brass and they leave me alone. Last couple of visits they were telling me that the range might close because of idiots trashing the place, but it was welcome info and I agreed with them that might happen unless something changed. If they need the money bad enough to collect brass, they would be naturally concerned to lose even that po excuse for a gig.

The times I've talked to the wildlife officer he was nice and we chatted a bit. When I see him I nod and say howdy and he does the same but I don't see him very often. The heavy-set fellow is the only one I recall meeting, dunno how many folks work there.. I'm real bad with names and ought to be ashamed I can't remember his name at the moment. Didn't see him at all this evening's short visit. .

[JohnC]

Idiots at the ranges seem to be the trend nowadays...

See one of my range experiences: http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/48718-firing-range-rant/

[Guest Grout]

haven't been to PC in years,sucks to hear that people are scarfing the brass nowdays.I picked up 3 5 gallon buckets of .45 ACP over a few months time several years back,went on a Mon. morning and brass was everywhere.never met a unsafe person there but then again I always got there at daylight.Only question I have is do you still have to climb up on the toilet and squat over the hole to drop a load?