I posted this question in the Long Guns forum already so I apologize to anyone getting it twice.
After another extremely dangerous outing to the Cheatham TWRA range I've decided I'm not going back, it's just not worth the risk. I appreciate that they have made that range available to the public but without some oversight I really think someone is going to die there very soon. Every time I've been there I get swept, many do not know basic safety or gun handling skills and there is almost no range etiquette. After watching a guy shooting with his kids ignore the HOT/COLD range calls twice, once putting a round downrange when someone was posting a target, and then watching him laugh while insincerely apologizing I just can't deal with the stupidity anymore. Done. I will weep when his poor children shoot themselves or someone else because their father was too ignorant or stupid to teach them correctly but I can't share a range with them anymore.
I've spent a few hours today looking for other options like CHMR which looks promising and seeing that the Gallatin Gun Club is not taking new members I even started looking at buying land for the lone purpose of shooting practice. I've called my real estate agent and told him to start looking, no rush. I even started looking for private hunting clubs and I don't hunt! While searching these forums I found several mentions of private ranges which were kind of cryptic and never followed up on when others inquired, not publicly anyway. Are people just referring to the Gallatin Club or are there others out there that anyone would be willing to share with me via private message? I'm a lifelong competitive shooter for rifle (High Power, CMP) and pistol (USPSA (RO certified but expired-will rectify), IDPA) and I'm starting in with the shotgun since there seems to be a really nice Trap and Skeet club very close to Nashville. I'm a professional working in Nashville and I'd be happy to supply references and other info if such a opportunity exists. I just want to shoot and be in a safe environment and I'm willing to pay for the opportunity. I live in Kingston Springs, shoot with NTPS and MCTS clubs.