Public Range at Lloyd WMA

[oldgrappler]

This is in Crittenden, KY. It has a free and public shooting range that is open most days at 9 am, Noon on Sunday.

 

For entrance to Lloyd WMA (Wildlife Management Area) take Rt 25 at the south end of Crittenden. Turn on to Rt. 491. You will cross the railroad tracks and hang an immediate right. Be careful to not turn too short because there is a large drop to the culvert. Follow gravel road back about 1/8 of a mile and the road will split. Take the left bend and follow all the way back around. There is a parking area for hunters and the range is beyond that. You will encounter a yellow gate before getting that far. It has a metal sign posted on it that says the shooting range is closed for maintenance. Ignore that sign if the gate is open. If the gate is open the range is open. If the gate is closed, you can't drive back there any way.

 

There are four "lanes" to shoot from. It is open air and you sit with a bench under a shelter. Take your own sand bags or whatever you use. You can choose to place paper targets at 25, 50, and 100 yards. Make sure you take a staple gun. You have to manually move the targets which are made out of wood landscape timbers with soft material between them to staple your target to. There are holes in the ground at each of the distances mentioned into which you set the target. The holes are lined by pvc pipe.

 

The down side of it is that they are shooting tubes. A metal plate covers each tube and when you slide this aside all tubes open and when you slide it back all tubes are closed. This is for safety so that when a person goes down range to check the targets all tubes are closed at the same time. I had to get used to the tubes because when I first started going there, there were no tubes. Some fools shot up into the air and ammo was falling on roofs in the little town. So now you have to put the end of your firearm inside the tube to fire. You get used to it.

 

Another down side to this range is that there is a posted sign that says NO PISTOLS. When I first started shooting there you could shoot handguns. They had a 15 yard target spot (or was it 15 feet?) for handguns. They did away with that. Again, probably because of some abuse, or maybe it was because of the tubes. Of course, the sign does say NO PISTOLS; it doesn't say anything about revolvers. But I doubt they are making that fine of a distinction and you probably don't want to argue that point in front of a judge.

 

Winter is a great time to use this range as few people will be there. If there is no wind, it really is quite comfortable. I just dress for the weather and I don't get cold. Also, if you hunt, you need to learn to shoot in the cold any way.

 

I also take a spotting scope with me and set it up out to the side of the shelter. My eyes aren't so good and I can't always see the holes in the target with my gun scope and the tiny binoculars I have aren't much better. The scope is perfect. I can keep track of where my shots are going and fine tune my gun's scope while sighting in.

 

The best part -- it's FREE.

[plantmanky]

If you are coming down let me know, you will be in Plantmanky neck of the woods.

[oldgrappler]

I'll do that. Next time I get a chance I'll pm ya.