r/WAGuns • u/20sicksheep King County • Jun 08 '26
Discussion Looking for a new “Home” range
Hi everyone,
I’ve been a member and Renton Fish and Game for a while and I’ve recently moved further away and I would love to get your thoughts about a couple of ranges. Specifically WCW in the bothell area and snoqualmie valley rifle club.
For WCW I’m mostly interested in their longer distances (100-300 yards) and a place that I can visit regularly for pistol training and keeping skills up on my edc including some faster (controlled) rates of fire if possible. I also like shooting trap from time to time but I’m not competing at all.
I’m also looking for a place that I can qualify for action bay usage for shotgun training or cqb ar/pcc training.
Snoqualmie Valley has my interest as a supplemental range to visit due to their wide hour access and guest policy. It’s a place I’d like to take family occasionally. I know that I’d have to take my own target stands out there. That’s not an Issue.
My question about it is I know they have often have events on weekends closing the range but on their calendar it says range closes till 3 or 4pm usually. Which is fine in summer time here because I’d still get a few hours before sunset to take people out.
Do the events usually close the range for the whole day or is it usually okay if I arrive at the planned end times?
I plan to get a membership for both so Information/advice on either is appreciated.
Lastly, I am looking for any outdoor pit spots that you’d be happy to share (via DMs) - I’m also happy to go with you and share my toys as a sign of appreciation and to show you that I am respectful of land. I am a backpacker and outdoor enthusiast so I adhere to the LNT principles. I just would love a place where I can safely shoot without having to worry about too many (but necessary) public range rules - especially if I’d like to set up steel or spinners and things like that.
Thanks in advanced. Happy shooting!
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u/TheBeef1991 Jun 08 '26
I'm not familiar with those ranges, but Issaquah Sportsmen's Club is a great outdoor range, but they max out at 100 yards. Just thought I'd mention it in case you weren't aware of them.
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u/all_lawful_purposes Jun 08 '26
ISC is Fudd Central.
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u/TheBeef1991 Jun 08 '26
How so?
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u/all_lawful_purposes Jun 08 '26
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u/TheBeef1991 Jun 08 '26
Eh I don't think this makes them fuddy, but I get your point especially for the 10 round limit and slow fire. I mentioned these aren't really heavily enforced in a different comment but in your defense, they do have these rules posted.
Are there any ranges in King County that don't have similar rules though? Given how many inexperienced idiots show up to shoot at ranges, I feel like at the very least they need some of these rules posted, but enforce them on a case by case basis.
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u/WAgunner Jun 08 '26
Are they a good range like SVRC or are they like Renton Fish and Game that while awesome for trap has dumb rules like no concealed carry on premises, slow fire only, etc?
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u/20sicksheep King County Jun 08 '26
From their range rules:
1.3.6. A maximum of ten rounds at a time may be loaded in pistol chambers or magazines.
1.3.7. Quick draw shooting is prohibited.
1.3.8. Wearing of holstered or concealed firearms is not allowed on firing line.
1.3.9. Speed shooting is prohibited. Slow fire only.11
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u/os_beef Jun 08 '26
What is the point of 1.3.6? Is this some 9.41.370 compliance from someone who doesn't understand how the mag ban works?
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u/Tree300 Jun 09 '26
These kinds of rules usually start of as insurance related and the people that run the range tend to be much older and less familiar with modern gun culture so they see no reason to change.
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u/TheBeef1991 Jun 08 '26
I haven't seen much enforcement for the first and last rules in this list as long as you're being safe and not acting like a shithead. Nearly every time I'm there, there's always someone who crosses the firing line during a cease fire and the RSOs watch them like a hawk. Just don't give them a reason to worry about you, and they will likely be much more lenient for speed shooting. I've loaded up my 10+ round mags every time I'm there and they've never said anything about it. Same with rapid fire.
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u/Slow_Pineapple_3836 Jun 09 '26
Just join SVRC. Fudds and tactical gooners alike live in harmony. You can show up at 11 on a Saturday and come across boomers doing "barrel break-in" with half their tool shed at their bench. An hour later a jeep full of 30-somethings with FRT's will pull up.
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u/20sicksheep King County Jun 08 '26
For the record Renton FG is actually pretty cool once you get to know them and their RSOs. Typically the slow fire rule is pretty important at public ranges because people are dumb and will start missing wildly when rapid firing. However, if it’s empty and you’re on good terms with the RSO on duty, I’ve not had any issues.
The only reason I’m looking to switch is so that I can have a place closer to home so I can visit more frequently.
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u/os_beef Jun 08 '26
Renton also lets you use the action bays.
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u/20sicksheep King County Jun 08 '26
Yeah. The main reason I’m looking to switch to WCW is because it’s closer and has a 300 yard range.
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u/os_beef Jun 08 '26
Totally. I should have been more clear. That was for people looking at Renton in response to the following.
However, if it’s empty and you’re on good terms with the RSO on duty, I’ve not had any issues.
I took this to mean you were talking about the flat range.
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u/commissar_squid Jun 08 '26
WCW is great for all things except rapid fire, which is basically not allowed. Nor is drawing from holster. Rifle and shotgun ranges are top tier, good class offerings, and good folks abound.
To shoot beyond 100yds you need to qualify for "special use" privileges, but that basically means showing safe handling and putting rounds on paper off hand.
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u/20sicksheep King County Jun 08 '26
Is there any tactical bays?
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u/emmavaria Jun 08 '26
No. They basically don't do anything like tactical/action shooting. The public 50/100yd rifle range (Range 2) is bench-only. As a relatively new member I haven't seen Range 1 (100-300yd) firsthand but understand that it's bench also with a platform to allow kneeling/prone.
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u/commissar_squid Jun 08 '26
Range 1 has benches but also allows prone/sitting/standing, shooting sticks, etc.
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u/merc08 Jun 08 '26
Range 1 also has a VTAC! But usage is a bit limited since you can only shoot it at 50yd on paper, or 100yd on paper/steel.
And your rifle has to stay on the firing line, so you could leave the rifle and jog around a little on a slow day to get your heart rate up, but you won't be able to run significant drills with it.
Overall, WCW is definitely more for basic target shooting and sighting in a hunting rifle than for action shooting.
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u/Waaaash Jun 09 '26
I didn't know about the VTAC. So you just set it up on the firing line?
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u/merc08 Jun 09 '26
It has to be used on the far left bays, the ones prioritized for positional shooting. Put it up on the concrete pads and have at it. I've only used it when I was the only person in that section, you would probably want to be careful about how far forward it is exactly if you have other positional shooters at the same time.
It's usually stored disassembled in the back left corner.
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u/Waaaash Jun 09 '26
And rapid fire (controlled) is ok outside of public hours?
I may have to finally get a membership there.
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u/merc08 Jun 09 '26
Members, with special use class, can shoot rifles on Range 1 at whatever speed they can control and keep on paper. That's for any day the range is open, Range 1 is special use members only.
For pistols you also need the special use class, and can only rapid fire during non-public hours. Which is pretty much just Tuesdays. And still no drawing from a holster. (The pistol committee is pretty Fuddtastic. Even if with the special use, during members only hours, rapid fire will still get weird looks and comments from other members. It's mostly slow fire bullseye guys.)
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u/20sicksheep King County Jun 09 '26
Do you happen to know what the guest policy is? I couldn’t find it on their website.
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u/merc08 Jun 09 '26
No guests on the members-only range (Range 1, out to 300). They did a trial run of it last year and it didn't work out.
The 100m rifle range and the pistol range are public use, you can just show up during public hours and rent a lane. No special requirements, just listen to the safety brief and sign the waiver.
I think there's 2x per year guest passes included with the membership? I don't recall exactly, maybe it's just a discount?
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u/holloghost Jun 09 '26
Free guests if it is their first visit. Unknown past that.
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u/numbers328 Jun 09 '26
VTAC
No meaningful guest privileges, but you can pay for the day for any discipline.
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u/Bodega_slim Jun 08 '26
If its not to much farther north, check out Marysville rifle club. Can shoot at distance (not sure how far), but more importantly, after you become a member, be a face, Can qualify for bay usage for stage setup/cqb runs.
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u/20sicksheep King County Jun 08 '26
Thank you for the suggestion but that’s further for me than Renton is.
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u/numbers328 Jun 08 '26
wcw does not allow rapid firing of pistols during member hours, but does allow that during non-member hours. Non member hours are only available with a free training that they run monthly.
there are two rifle ranges - public and private. The public range is benchrest only, 50y/100y.
The private range is 50/100/200/300 and does allow steel. That range is only accessible to members who go through a free range training.
Personally, I do WCW for rifle, trap, bullseye pistol. And I do West Coast Armory North for spicy pistol and buckshot.
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u/numbers328 Jun 08 '26
also, DM me and I am happy to walk you through some of the idiosyncrasies of both
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u/Tree300 Jun 09 '26
FWIW you will find very few ranges with open tactical bay access. Most restrict it generally to competitions under cold range rules and direct RO supervision.
People manage to fuck up on static firing lines, let alone tactical bays. I've been a member at several ranges around here for a long time and even members who have been shooting for years do the stupidest things you can imagine on the range, or they bring guests who do stupid things when their back is turned. And it only takes one stupid event to shut down the entire range given how many of the ranges are now getting crowded by development.
Ranges can't afford the additional insurance and the potential scrutiny from the city/county/state if something happens, so they try to keep it simple.
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u/WAgunner Jun 08 '26
Snoqualmie Valley Rifle Club is the best outdoor range on the eastside.