So I put together an AR a few months ago and I haven't been able to sit down with it for a good zero. I had taken it to Frisco to just shoot and function test, but I didn't really want to drop $35 to go to their rifle lanes - and that place is always SLAMMED when I can go there.
Note about FGC: Don't get me wrong, Frisco Gun Club is great, but I usually can only make it on the weekends, and typically only mid-day. This is their PEAK times and I usually am quoted up to a two hour wait for the pistol lanes, and they have 20+ of those! That, and I live almost an hour away.
So I did some googling for another place and found Magnum Sports Center in Sanger. They don't have a website (which made it kind of hard to find), but google maps had an entry and a phone number. I called and found that the hours that google maps had were correct. So I tried it out today - I'll definitely be going back. One thing to note, if you use Google Maps to get there for directions, drive past the gate that goes down to the range itself a bit, and there will be a mobile home looking thing on the left, this is where you pay and sign your paperwork.
It's a low tech outdoor range, using pallets at 25, 50, 100 and 200 yards to staple your targets to. (I only saw the rifle lanes, the pistol lanes were closed for a LTC class and may have more bells and whistles) One group was allowed to fire pistols on their rifle lanes, it doesn't appear to be a rifles only hard rule.
The rules are pretty much the 4 major rules we all know. Hot range, shoot all you want (no restrictions on what you shoot - Fmj welcome, brass, steel, etc)
When the range officer calls a cold range, a flashing light is turned on and you're prohibited from touching your ammo, firearms or magazines. Bolts all should be locked open, of course.
I got there about 11:00 AM (They opened at 10:00 AM on Saturday) and was there till about 12:45. I was the first one there, and when I left there were probably 8 other people on the range. Everyone was very nice, and the range officer was very helpful.
Someone even brought some old hard drives that they shot at with a suppressed .270. (I think I'm remembering correctly that it was a .270). He made it through 4 hard drives...
If you're looking for a low tech easy going place to shoot with friendly people, check it out. Call ahead though to make sure that they are open, or if they have some lanes closed for LTC classes or some such. It is a small operation, so they will be closed more often than some other places -- I overheard the range officer telling the guys that shot the hard drives that they are usually closed from Thanksgiving till New Years.
