Posted: 4/2/2012 5:11:38 AM EDT
|
Does anyone know what the current situation is of the TDSA range in Ennis? I was a member there years ago. The facilities weren't that great, but the owner treated people like they were grown-ups. He was always talking about his many plans for the facilities, but nothing ever materialized during the year I was going there. I went to the web site, and it is completely different than it used to be, with no mention of the range, just classes. It lists someone as the contact for "Range Operation", but nothing about an actual range.
I'll call the number, but I am wondering what the backstory here is. |
|
I think Len is having too much fun with his tire recycling business. Honestly I'm not too sure what's going on. I haven't seen Len in 2-3 years. I did hear that the range now allows day users for a fee....non-members. The membership is still run the way it used to be, but maybe not with the required 2 days of volunteer work to get the lower price.]
mm |
|
Tire recycling?
If they have day passes, I might find my way out there to see for myself. Len was talking about shoot houses, Hogan's Alleys, moving targets on the rifle range, and other "cool" stuff, but I couldn't get him to get around to pouring a concrete pad on the rifle range, so that you didn't have to lay in the mud if it had rained in the last few weeks. I had paid the plate rack fee the first year, but it was constantly broken, so I didn't the second year. The steel on the rifle range was broken or missing except for once in two years that I was there, and the target stands were always shot up so bad you struggled to hang your targets. The weeds would get pretty high in the bays, too. Still, he was cool about holster work, moving and shooting, and other big boy stuff, so I was hoping that he would eventually pull it together. He's a real nice guy, too, and I want him to succeed. |
|
TDSA Ferris
The one that's technically in Ferris? We shoot USPSA matches there every month, and there are usually others out there shooting as well during the Saturday. ETA: Hot Link |
|
Quoted:
TDSA Ferris The one that's technically in Ferris? We shoot USPSA matches there every month, and there are usually others out there shooting as well during the Saturday. ETA: Hot Link Yes, that's the one. Sorry, I thought it was in Ennis. I think you have to exit in Ennis or something. It's been a while since I've been out there. How is the range these days? |
|
Malloy Bridge Road, north of Ferris, like you're driving to Seagoville. (watch Wilmer PD running radar) Then like the second or third road to the right, then a left, it's been a while. I liked the fact that we could shoot rifles 250 yards at the time, but it was muddy and the tables were wobbly. We were also on the back side of the shooting bays and there were a could of guys shooting an AR and AK in the bay at like 10 yards, mud would flip over the berm while they were shooting and would fall on us when we went to check our targets.
It wasn't too impressive, but the bays were decent, just muddy. Given all the goofy stuff at the other ranges, I've been thinking about getting a membership since it's so close to my new house and they left us alone while we shot, but I haven't been able to swing it. |
|
Quoted:
Someone correct me here if I'm wrong, but I took an AR15 class there one Saturday taught by Steve Moses, I think. Is that the same place? No, that place is more towards 45. The one with the shoot house near the little covered picnic tables? ETA: at least that's where a few of us guys that you know took a class from Steve. |
| I let my membership lapse when I got on at Mickey's, but I still shoot matches down there. I would have a membership still if I had money, it's better for practice and is open 24/7 but Mickey's is more fun for new folks and that's what I'm doing more of lately. Len has done a lot of work and a lot of the proposed improvements noted above have been done. If you haven't been down there in 3-4 years then you won't recognize the place. However, I'm not sure how much of the new stuff you can play around with using a normal membership. We used the new tac bays for a recent 3-gun and it was pretty neat, although one of the shoot houses was not as solid as I might like (on the right side where there is the little room within the room. Len does have a range manager of some sort (only met once, seemed like a nice guy) who seems to be a lot more attentive to the day to day stuff. The regular bays are in nice shape and a couple are reasonably all-weather. The plate rack is 95-100% functional and that bay actually almost drains, or at least pushes all the water to one side. I don't know about non-members paying for a day, I'd like to know the details on that. |
|
Quoted:
I let my membership lapse when I got on at Mickey's, but I still shoot matches down there. I would have a membership still if I had money, it's better for practice and is open 24/7 but Mickey's is more fun for new folks and that's what I'm doing more of lately. Len has done a lot of work and a lot of the proposed improvements noted above have been done. If you haven't been down there in 3-4 years then you won't recognize the place. However, I'm not sure how much of the new stuff you can play around with using a normal membership. We used the new tac bays for a recent 3-gun and it was pretty neat, although one of the shoot houses was not as solid as I might like (on the right side where there is the little room within the room. Len does have a range manager of some sort (only met once, seemed like a nice guy) who seems to be a lot more attentive to the day to day stuff. The regular bays are in nice shape and a couple are reasonably all-weather. The plate rack is 95-100% functional and that bay actually almost drains, or at least pushes all the water to one side. I don't know about non-members paying for a day, I'd like to know the details on that. I asked about staying after a match and practising with the guys that stayed, they said as long as a member stays, it's fine for us non member folk to stay with them and run some courses. You ever hang out there afterwards? I haven't been to Mickey's, wanna hollar at you about that next match, got a few questions whether or not it's worth it for a pistol shooter. I only shoot rifles every once in a while, that is until I get my black rifle. |
|
The TDSA site is showing a 3-gun on April 14 (which is annoying since I will miss it), but I haven't heard anything else. Check out the 3-gun forum at dfwshooters.com for most of the announcements.
Yes TDSA was very good about guests so I have often stayed after a match to shoot a little. A large part of the match fee is going to the range anyways, so I think you should be able to even without a member along (espcially now if they have paid admittence) (not legal advice  ).
That's one of the other advantages of TDSA, having some basic target stands and barrels around makes practice easy, especially for pistols. I made my own stands and have some steel plates for use at Mickey's when I want to practice a bit. I'd call it decent for pistol, but you'll get the most fun with a rifle or shotgun. I sponsor a semi-regular range trip with new guys from work and Mickey's is just more fun for non-serious screwing around. My wife prefers TDSA since it is a bit more controlled. They are just different kinds of places. |