You’ve heard about BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land for shooting…right?
Maybe you haven’t, but now you have. We’ll go over how to find a place to shoot as well as rules & regulations.
What is BLM Land?
First off, BLM stands for Bureau of Land Management which is an agency that deals with a lot of the random public land. This currently amounts to almost 250 million acres of land, or about one-eighth of the entire United States.
Most of these lands are in the more western states such as Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Rules of Shooting on BLM Land
Most land managed by BLM allows target shooting as long as you follow federal, state, and local laws.
This means all your guns, ammo, magazines, etc have to be legal. It’s possible that BLM officers or other law enforcement will come to check up on you during a range session.
Each BLM area has its own branch which may have additional rules. But a lot of it boils down to common sense. Here are some of the suggestions we’ve seen:
- Access BLM areas only through public roads
- Follow the Firearm Safety Rules — especially with knowing what’s beyond your target. Try to select a safe backdrop such as a berm/hill/mountain.
- Don’t shoot too close to man-made objects such as power poles, buildings, campsites, etc.
- Leave no trace — take your brass, trash, & target remains with you. BLM land is public and we want everyone to be able to enjoy it.
- Don’t shoot things that leave behind dangerous debris such as electronics or glass objects
- Don’t destroy plants or natural formations
- If you’re with a group, assign someone to be the range officer and follow his commands like at a real shooting range
What to Shoot
We usually shoot a combination of paper targets on stands, AR500 metal targets, and fruit. The metal and fruit targets are extra fun since you always know when you hit them! You also don’t need to reset metal and the fruit is decomposable.
We suggest a simple stand such as this Jammit Target Stand which holds cardboard. You can then add on a variety of paper shooting targets.
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Or if you go the metal route, we suggest with heavy-duty AR500 steel targets. These will take any pistol caliber at close range and rifle calibers should yield no damage if shot further than 100 yards. Choose the 1/2″ variety if you will shoot with rifle calibers.
However, you’ll need sturdier mounts that you can build or just go with this Caldwell Magnum Rifle Gong.
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Don’t want to miss anything else? Check out our guide on essentials for any shooting trip.
Where to Shoot on BLM Land
The two best resources are the BLM website and state-specific firearms forums.
BLM Site
On the BLM website, scroll down and you should see a map that says “State Offices.” Click your state and you should go to another map with more breakdowns. An example below is for California.
Here is where it gets annoying since each office has the shooting info in a different location. So just know which area is closest to you and go to Google to type in “______ BLM shooting”. The first hit should be it.
*UPDATE*: Use this interactive map to see BLM areas. Be sure to click BLM on the left side and “Land Status” on the bottom right. Example of around Barstow, CA.
Be sure to verify that you can shoot thereby calling the local field office.
Online Forums
You can always do a search to see if any members say where they go to shoot on BLM land. However, be aware that for many, it is a closely guarded secret since they don’t want to share their special area. As for me…I’ll never tell either!
Don’t Forget…
BLM land is your land. Public land is your land. And mine. And every American’s. It’s our job to take care of it and to act like responsible firearms enthusiasts.
So…
…Don’t screw it up. Paint cans aren’t targets, old tube TVs aren’t either. Leaving their destroyed remains isn’t taking care of our land and directly leads to shooting areas being shut down.
Do the right thing, keep our land as beautiful as it should be.
New to shooting ranges? Know what to expect on your First Day at the Shooting Range
27 Leave a Reply
To those who share a passion for firearms and want to learn more about shooting on BLM land, your essay is an excellent resource. The fact that you included details regarding safety procedures, local laws, and ecological factors shows that you care about spreading awareness and encouraging responsible shooting. Your post is helpful in that it informs readers of the regulations and restrictions that apply to shooting on public lands.
Where in San Luis Obispo county
I live in Whittier ca. where is the closes free shooting area near me?
I live in Hemet CA. where is the closest BLM shooting area near me because Bee canyon is always closed
I used to shoot near Lake Mathews, (SoCal) but the DMV turned it into a driving trail.
Where did everyone else go to shoot in the area?
*I'm a responsible recreational shooter.
Anything around Omaha Nebraska?
where to shoot I Merced I am new to the area
Hogan Dam is a good spot, it's close to you also.
Where to go in san diego. Don't see anything on the blm maps
Spit mountain Ocatillo wells.
Any maps for California available? I am a Disabled Vet and have been dry firing and at a local outdoor ranch where I am a member however I need to practice moving skills etc.
why cant i see the article? not sure if this is just a joke
not sure if googling "BLM shooting" is going to give you the results you're looking for...
I called BLM here in California today to ask where I can go in Northern Ca. to target shoot. I live in Livermore Ca. and they told me there wasn't a place closer than a 3 hour drive from Livermore other than the usual local gun ranges which isn't what I'm looking for. I just retired and was looking forward to breaking out my old guns and relive a little of my early childhood days where you could carry a gun in the rifle rack of your truck, drive to high school with it there in the rack, shoot at one of the many ranges set up for free on one of the back roads where everyone would go to shoot before all the new homes went in and caused all the make sift ranges to disappeared, or you could go to one of the many local orchards in town and just ask the farmer/rancher for permission to shoot on their land with a promising, "sure kid, enjoy yourself!" Still looking for a place where a 65 year old little boy can go to live out his John Wayne and Roy Rodgers dream.
If you're still looking, check out Panoche Hills, near Mercy Hot Springs. It's probably about an hour and a half from you. Just down the 5, a little past Los Banos.
The BLM website has all the info (open/closed, restrictions if any for target shooting/fires, etc.)
This was really helpful.. thanks!
Are there any good places around Eugene, Oregon to go shoot 500 to 1000 years?
Great web site to open my eye and my mind. Thank you your great work.
Thanks, Danny!
My name is Greg and the date today is 9/23/2019. Has any 2nd. Amendment patriots put together a California BLM Shooting map.
Thanks!
Greg. Did you ever get a map or have access to one? Southern Cal map that is
I am also looking for land in So. Cal to shoot. Used to be able to shoot out past Palmdale area, however heard police are now stopping people. Any good tips or maps out there? Thanks!
Sure wish Wisconsin had BLM :( only thing I can find is islands on rivers that have available camping from 1 to 3 nights. Good article, well written compared to most everything written nowadays.
Sure wish CA had Wisconsin's gun laws.
:-)
This is very helpful info, Mr. Hung, thank you!
You're so welcome Jack!
thanks for the info. I appreciate the time and effort.