Gun Ranges?

[burnthebeautiful]

I'm visiting NH in July and it will be my first time visiting a place where guns are legal (unless you count that I lived in pre-gun ban Australia until I was 9). So when I'm in the state, one thing I'd like to do is visit a gun range. So I have a few questions.

* Can I, as a tourist from another country, visit a gun range and pay to shoot a gun for a few hours, or is this something you need to be a US citizen to legally do?
* If it's possible for me to visit gun ranges, I'd appreciate some reccomendations of gun ranges I could visit.
* If it's not possible, I'd appreciate some people inviting me to shoot bottles in their backyard

[MaineShark]

Not all ranges have rentals, but you do not need to be a citizen to posess a firearm, last time I checked.

Joe

[BaRbArIaN]

http://www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/findlocal.asp?State=NH

Should give you a start.

[Kat Kanning]

Too bad you're not visiting just a bit earlier, for Porcfest, then you could just go shoot in the woods with the rest of the gun guys.

[aworldnervelink]

Check out the Manchester Firing Line, it's a good range:

http://www.gunsnh.com/

[KBCraig]

* Can I, as a tourist from another country, visit a gun range and pay to shoot a gun for a few hours, or is this something you need to be a US citizen to legally do?

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#a15

While you are visiting, you will be a "non-immigrant alien". You can't legally purchase or possess a firearm or ammunition unless you have a hunting license.

Most ranges have guns available to rent, and almost all require that you purchase their ammunition for use on the range. (Yes, even if you bring your own gun; it's an extra profit item for them.) As a practical matter, no one is going to ask or check your immigration status while you're at a gun range. But if you want to be completely legal, you can buy a hunting license. Non-resident licenses are expensive, usually several times the price of resident licenses. But, NH does have a 3-day temporary license; it costs $25 for non-residents hunting small game.

It doesn't have to be a NH license. Any state's hunting license will do. Other states might have a cheaper non-resident license.

Kevin

[Fluff and Stuff]

and almost all require that you purchase their ammunition for use on the range. (Yes, even if you bring your own gun; it's an extra profit item for them

I've only been to 3 ranges, but none of them required this.

[burnthebeautiful]

* Can I, as a tourist from another country, visit a gun range and pay to shoot a gun for a few hours, or is this something you need to be a US citizen to legally do?

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#a15

While you are visiting, you will be a "non-immigrant alien". You can't legally purchase or possess a firearm or ammunition unless you have a hunting license.

Most ranges have guns available to rent, and almost all require that you purchase their ammunition for use on the range. (Yes, even if you bring your own gun; it's an extra profit item for them.) As a practical matter, no one is going to ask or check your immigration status while you're at a gun range. But if you want to be completely legal, you can buy a hunting license. Non-resident licenses are expensive, usually several times the price of resident licenses. But, NH does have a 3-day temporary license; it costs $25 for non-residents hunting small game.

It doesn't have to be a NH license. Any state's hunting license will do. Other states might have a cheaper non-resident license.

Kevin

Thanks for the help.

Even just being able to purchase a hunting license is pretty awesome to me. Here in Sweden to get a hunting license you have to have been a member of a rifle club for 6 months and passed a shooting test, and then you're allowed to pay to apply for a hunting license at a police office, and then the feds scrutinize every aspect of your personal life and if you're lucky, they give you a hunting license which only lets you own a certain amount of rifles (I think 4).

I don't think I'll bother with getting a hunting license, I'll just speak in an american accent and wing it. Then again a NH hunting license would be a cool souvenir. The main thing would be that I've never even held a gun before, I'm not going to know what the hell to do.

[Recumbent ReCycler]

I'm a firearm instructor.  I'd be happy to teach you what you need to know and take you shooting.  I've got a couple dozen guns to choose from, and enough magazines that I can shoot all day without refilling one.  I need to restock my ammo before then though, because I'm down to just a few thousand rounds at the house.  In fact, I'll take anyone shooting who wants to, although if someone uses a lot of ammo, I would like them to pitch in some so that I can replace what they use.  I usually buy it by the case, so I get wholesale prices on most ammo.  Hopefully by July I'll have finished building a couple AK47s, an AR15, a 1911A1, and a few other projects.  By the way, if anyone wants to learn how to build AK47s, I have the tools and instructions to build them from kits with homemade recievers.

[Fluff and Stuff]

By the way, if anyone wants to learn how to build AK47s, I have the tools and instructions to build them from kits with homemade recievers.

I don't think I'm ever going to build a gun but I would love to buy one from one once I move to NH.  M16s suck.  I'd love to fire a weapon that works.

[burnthebeautiful]

I'm a firearm instructor.  I'd be happy to teach you what you need to know and take you shooting.  I've got a couple dozen guns to choose from, and enough magazines that I can shoot all day without refilling one.  I need to restock my ammo before then though, because I'm down to just a few thousand rounds at the house.  In fact, I'll take anyone shooting who wants to, although if someone uses a lot of ammo, I would like them to pitch in some so that I can replace what they use.  I usually buy it by the case, so I get wholesale prices on most ammo.  Hopefully by July I'll have finished building a couple AK47s, an AR15, a 1911A1, and a few other projects.  By the way, if anyone wants to learn how to build AK47s, I have the tools and instructions to build them from kits with homemade recievers.

I might have to take you up on that. I've only ever fired a gun once, and that was when I was about 6-7 years old and a goanna had climbed up a tree in our back yard in Australia (This was before the mid-90s gun buyback). My dad held the rifle and let me pull the trigger. So anyway you'll have to bear with me, I might not be a very good shot at first.
In the meantime I'll practice with my pellet shooting soft-air gun, they're not banned... Yet.

[Gallowglass]

Hey there Defender of liberty, nice to see someone that has actually built on the home builder receiver kits, I've been looking at them for a while, but wasn't really sure how do-able it was,  how would you compare them to factory built ones? accuracy, reliability, etc, thanks.

[intergraph19]

Too bad you're not visiting just a bit earlier, for Porcfest, then you could just go shoot in the woods with the rest of the gun guys.

Hey!  There are gun gals too!   

[Kat Kanning]

I meant 'guys' = 'humans'.

[Recumbent ReCycler]

  how would you compare them to factory built ones? accuracy, reliability, etc, thanks.

It depends on several factors: what you make them from, what methods and tools you use, what parts you use, and how much time, care, etc. you put into them.  I have seen everything from pretty shoddy looking home builds to some that were absolutely beautiful works of art.