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Buffalo Range


Gaius

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I visited Buffalo Range for the first time yesterday. What a great experience!. I chatted with the owner, Brooks, who was very personable and friendly. I only used the "plinking pit" but had a great time. Oftentimes the weak links in public ranges are surly or rude range officers. The RSOs whom I met were outstanding. They showed a real desire to be helpful, especially to a new visitor and made me feel really welcome. I would highly recommend the place.

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A bunch of us went a few years back, before they had to close the plinking pit for lead clean up.

 

Shot a few boxes of clays at the DIY Trap Range then took a collection of old Christmas decorations and some old RC trucks over to the pit to shoot them up.

 

We finished up and two guys came over, as we were packing up our stuff, and used a phrase I'll likely never hear again in my lifetime. "Excuse me sir, do you mind if we shoot up your Santa and those Wise Men with our BAR?"

 

Fun place all around.

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I was there last year when the reopened the plinking pit. It was a good time, great way to spend the day. I got to shoot some tannerite in the pit with my .308. I'm planning to bring a group of friends out there in May, we're looking forward to having a good time.

Didn't know they allowed tannerite out there?

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We finished up and two guys came over, as we were packing up our stuff, and used a phrase I'll likely never hear again in my lifetime. "Excuse me sir, do you mind if we shoot up your Santa and those Wise Men with our BAR?"

 

 

 

When this is the very first thing I read after a crazy busy Monday at the day job it's a sign that the evening is going to be much better. :)

 

Last time I was out there was about 15 years back, with my son who was 12 at the time. He's small like his Mom, used the mag on my AK like a monopod on a bench, precision picking apart this giant stuffed bear. That's one ear, time for the other!

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I don't go out there much, as my in-laws live out in the country so if it's nice enough to shoot outside I go there for free. However, I took my CCL Class out there and it was a great experience. Both of the instructors were local PD officers and made the class really enjoyable and educational. I asked one for critiques on my shooting form (being a relatively new shooter) and he gave me a few observations and added that if I came out when he was working he'd be glad to give me more detailed feedback.

 

If they ever add an indoor range, they'll be my go-to range. Right now I go to LZ Resale over in Spring Valley when I need an indoor range.

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I was there last year when the reopened the plinking pit. It was a good time, great way to spend the day. I got to shoot some tannerite in the pit with my .308. I'm planning to bring a group of friends out there in May, we're looking forward to having a good time.

 

Didn't know they allowed tannerite out there?

 

 

It might have been a one time deal, they were selling it at the range and only had two jars of it left when I bought one so it was definitely a limited quantity.

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Can you tell me more about the Pit what can you shoot there

 

Pit Rules (from their web site):

 

  • 50 caliber BMG is not allowed at the Plinking Pit or any other range on Buffalo Range Inc. property.
  • Eye and ear protection must be worn at all times while at the Plinking Pit by shooters and spectators.
  • Targets you place in the Plinking Pit must be 10 feet below the upper safety barrier flags (red pennant flags) and within 16 feet from the base of the berm (which will be marked by blue pennant flag). The area described above is also referred to as the “target area”. ALL SHOOTING MUST BE DONE INSIDE THE MARKED “TARGET AREA”!!! Shooting of any object or area outside the of the marked target area is grounds for permanent ejection from Buffalo Range Inc. property.
  • No hanging targets or metal targets which would cause a ricochet are permitted in the Plinking Pit
  • In addition to metal targets, no glass or aerosols, nor any explosive or incendiary targets can be brought to the Plinking Pit. I understand this and will not bring any of the above mentioned targets/items/objects. ALL OBJECTS PLACED IN THE PIT MUST BE INSPECTED BY A RANGE SAFETY OFFICER PRIOR TO BEING PLACED IN THE PIT.
  • No Cross firing is allowed at anytime! Shooters will not exceed 15 degrees from each shoulder
  • Rapid firing is allowed as long as it is controlled and ALL impacts are in the marked target area. If a Range Safety Officer determines a shooter cannot their shots, they may instruct the shooter to stop rapid firing. Rapid firing where any of the shots leave the dedicated target area is grounds for PERMANENT EJECTION from Buffalo Range Inc. property.
  • Thrown targets are limited to clay targets and can only be fired at with a shotgun using #7 1/2, #8, and #9 shot USING ONLY a dedicated clay thrower station at the Plinking Pit. No handheld clay throwers can be used.
  • All firearms must be transported to the firing line UNLOADED! If transporting a firearm uncased from your vehicle or to and from a shooting table, the muzzle will be pointed straight up, action open WITH CHAMBER SAFETY FLAG INSERTED, and magazine out.
  • No drawing from the holster is permitted
  • Any items dropped past the tables- DO NOT reach over or under the tables to retrieve them. Notify the range safety officer IMMEDIATLEY if this occurs!!!
  • Periodic cease fires will be conducted at the discretion of the range safety officer. In the event of a cease fire, all firearms must be in the following configuration:
  • UNLOADED and placed on the table with muzzle pointed downrange or placed in the rack with muzzle pointed up
  • Actions must be open WITH CHAMBER SAFETY FLAG INSERTED IN CHAMBER and magazines removed if possible (if not possible then UNLOADED).

Failure to follow any of the Rules or Procedures listed here, or failure to follow orders or instructions by a Range Safety Officer (RSO) or any Buffalo Range staff will be cause for immediate ejection from the property. The rules are subject to change at any time without notice. Enforcement of the rules is at the sole discretion of Buffalo Range staff.

 

https://www.buffalorangeshootingpark.com/

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hmm 50 cal rule is new. i remember before the pit was shut down, i was next to a guy that was shooting off 50bmg.

 

That rule is about 4 years old. When the IL DNR shut down Buffalo, that was one of the many concessions they had to make in order to open up again. It really hurts, since there is currently no public range in all of Illinois where I can shoot my 50BMG. :(

 

Buffalo actually had a tentative plan on what they could do to re-allow 50cal, but I'm not sure if it ever got off the ground.

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  • 3 months later...

Based on the previous thread, the wife and I went there today. We planned to get there about 9:00 or so, and leave by noon to have lunch up the road (10 minutes away) at the Cajun Connection (on Rt. 6 in Utica). We got to the range at 9:30, and enjoyed the plinking pit, the pistol range, and some trap shooting before we left, at noon for the Cajun Connection. It was great! I would recommend bringing stuff to shoot at in the pit. I didn't bring anything, so we bought some overpriced pit objects at the food/ammo/target stand for about $12. My twelve bucks got me a container of baby powder, a jug of water, and a twelve-pack of Walmart pop (in cans). Next time I'll bring my own water jugs and bags of flour (Jewel sometimes gives them away).

 

After lunch, as we were driving home, I was still annoyed at how my AR-15 was sighted in, and suggested we swing back to the range just to check it on the 50 yard range. We stopped back (unlimited come-and-go all day), and I was able to make some adjustments. Once I was happy with the sights, we stopped by the tactical range. That was a blast! It was a move-and-shoot course with a few different zombie scenarios. I ran the course twice, and may have tried it a third time but by 4:00 I was nearly out of ammo.

 

As others have said, this is a friendly place. The range safety officers were all really decent folks, committed to everyone having a good, but safe experience. The range was exceptionally clean and well run. I highly recommend it.

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We went for the first time last August during their "1st Annual Watermelon Shoot". $5 off admission if you bring a watermelon in (I asked the local produce dept. for a few they were going to dump for sitting too long), or get one included with your full-price admission.

 

That day I learned watermelons make a nice satisfying explosion when you shoot them with a large-caliber rifle... :cool:

 

There was a local AR manufacturer doing full-auto demos; $20 for a 30-round mag to shoot through their rifle. Everyone in my group did it at least once, because how often are you going to get the chance to shoot a machine gun living in IL?

 

They were also running a special on their CCL class: $75 for both days. Got a voucher that can be used for any training dates they have available. Used it earlier this year, had the same experience others mentioned above; knowledgeable instructors who taught the material well, kept everything interesting, and worked with individuals who needed extra help.

 

And it's about a half hour from my house. What's not to like?

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"because how often are you going to get the chance to shoot a machine gun living in IL?"

 

Only as often as one opts to drive to Elkhart, IN and spend some bucks at Midwest Gun:

 

http://www.midwestgunandrange.com/machine-gun-rentals.cfm

Ok, now that I know that, I'm going to have to do it. Still, at $60 just to rent the gun, plus ammo, range fees, and so on, that'll get expensive fast...

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"because how often are you going to get the chance to shoot a machine gun living in IL?"

 

Only as often as one opts to drive to Elkhart, IN and spend some bucks at Midwest Gun:

 

http://www.midwestgunandrange.com/machine-gun-rentals.cfm

I thought the new North Shore club had MG rentals listed on their web page?

 

edit http://www.northshoresportsclub.com/pricing.html

NorthShore Sports Club has a variety of machine guns available for clients to rent and use in our range, they include AK47, AR's, a Tommy Gun and more.

Packages start at $150 and include:

- 1Hr of range time

- 1Hr with a private instructor

- 2 pre loaded magazines

​- Targets

- Eyes and Ear protection

​Additional ammo is available for purchase.

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