If you’re new to the shooting world and just got a new gun for Christmas, you may not have a clue where to go shoot. Or maybe you’re new to Idaho and have plenty of guns and have shot a lot but still don’t know where to go. I almost hesitate to write this article because the options are so numerous that I will probably inadvertently not list someone and offend them.

Let’s start off simple and go up from there. Your first and simplest option is to grab your gun and run out to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. There are miles and miles of BLM land that is yours to enjoy.

You’ll have to take your own targets. Or, it is always fun to fill bottles with water and watch them explode. If you take rifles then you’ll want a table to shoot off of so you have a steady rest. For decades I used an old card table and camp chair and piled blankets/coats on the table to rest my rifle on.

I’d suggest that you upgrade from the above. The cheapest route is to get a Caldwell Stable Table Lite and some Caldwell sandbags. This setup will give you a steady rest to shoot off of.

A couple of words of warning. If you go out shooting on BLM land, be careful of your backstop. Shoot against a hillside. Don’t think you’re being safe if someone is out in front of you but off to your left/right by 45 degrees. Bullets can and will ricochet off at weird angles.

Make sure you always pick up your targets. The high desert country is beautiful in its own forlorn way. Let’s keep it pristine.

Moving along. Someday you will probably progress to where you’d like to shoot at an established gun range that has some solid benches and maybe even a roof over a bench in case it is raining. I have shot at least five or six outdoor ranges, but looking the internet lists nine outdoor gun ranges.

Due to a lack of space I’m not going to have room to list the individual rules, membership fees, etc. It will come as no surprise, but Idahoans love their guns so there is a year long waiting list at some of the ranges.

The decent ranges have pistol, rifle and trap throwing ranges. Some will have long-range shooting facilities, which is getting super popular. Most of them will offer some level of competitive shooting options. The sky is the limit.

Some of them will offer shooting lessons and defensive training, or individuals will conduct their classes at a particular range. If you want to take some defensive shooting or concealed carry training classes, I use Kerry LaFramboise. Here is his contact info:

• www.wathchmentraining.com
• kerry@watchmentraining.com
• 208-960-8493

Another option that is nice in bad weather are the indoor ranges. I know of at least four. They’ll be a lot louder than when you’re shooting on an open range but they have some benefits.

Such as, some of them let you rent guns to shoot. This is a nice option. What if you’re trying to decide which to purchase among three pistols? Renting them is cheaper than purchasing one and later being sorry because it’s not what you wanted.

A lot of the indoor ranges offer classes. Night classes for women, senior shooting mornings, concealed carry classes and instructional classes. I haven’t talked to him since he opened, but Shooters Bench moved to the old Nampa Rod & Gun Club behind Fred Meyer in Nampa. He was specializing in airguns. I do a lot with airguns. I’m on Prostaff with Umarex, go on sponsored hunts for them have an upcoming airgun seminar in January at the Dallas Safari Club Convention & Expo and Hunting Big Game and Hunting Small Game with Airguns seminars at the Safari Club International Convention in February in Nashville. So, I need to circle by and see what they’re doing now.

Here we are already out of room and I’ve barely gotten started. So, like I said at the first. There’s no way that I can list every range, their rules, fees and so forth. Figure out what type of range will meet your needs and go check them out.

Katy was helping me do research for this article. Some of the ranges suck all of the fun out of shooting. She said at least one of the ranges won’t let you shoot bazookas or tracers. The next thing you know they won’t even let you shoot Tannerite off of your mother-in-law’s head. And we will close on that negative note!

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop. He can be reached via email at smileya7@aol.com.