Caution, thought experiment ahead…
Where would you live if the primary criteria* in the decision making was the shooting sports?
Or, what’s the scene like where you live currently? What’s a place you’ve lived previously that’s either near perfect, or an absolute black hole (places to be avoided, besides obvious things like CA or NY)?
Or, where’s the “mecca” of USPSA or IDPA or where’s the highest concentration and/or frequency of matches, training facilities, that also has access to shotgun sports and ranges?
(Is there such a thing as a USPSA heatmap?)
Some general guidelines
- Access to actual facilities and events. Sporting clays, regular USPSA or IDPA matches, maybe some 2/3-gun, maybe some outlaw stuff, etc. and at least one match should be available within a 30 minute drive, and additional matches should be within an hour drive.
- That said, proximity to open land or less structured plinking ranges wouldn’t be a bad thing either. Don’t want to get stuck shooting an indoor USPSA match once a month and then have to drive two hours if you want to shoot paper with the kids at 50-100 yards.
- Same goes for shotgun sports. Pistol games and ninja skills aren’t everything. Access to at least one Sporting Clays facility within a 30 minute drive, and more within 60-90 minutes ideal.
- Similarly 2/3-gun events on the reg. Seems to me like those could be an hour drive.
- Some sort of facility that brings in outside trainers from time to time would be a necessity as well. Make training accessible and you’re more likely to do it. Make it a “vacation” event and you’re less likely. 1 hour drive seems reasonable.
- If you’re going to get instruction, and you’re going to compete, a facility or open land where you can set up and practice stages or fundamentals with some movement. (besides just shoot, reload, shoot) would be good. Should also be no more than an hour drive, 30 minutes preferred.
- Proximity to some decent gun shops wouldn’t be a bad thing either. If nothing else some forward thinking dealers that can order stuff or do transfers would be necessary.
- And obviously you’re going to need favorable, and stable, gun laws and politics surrounding guns. No point moving somewhere you can’t have 15 round mags, or where that right may go away in 3 years.
- NFA-friendly not required but certainly a bonus. If nothing else it’s indicative of a more favorable overall political climate.
*Let’s throw out the “I’d buy a 100 acre plot and shoot alone for the rest of my life” scenario and add at least a few baseline caveats to the premise
- The location does have to sustain a normal family life. Wife, kids with schools, a non-remote work situation, etc.
- Since there is a family involved, other base things like restaurants, schools, social activities and/or church, etc. are important.
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Originally Posted by GJM
