Handgun Ranges Near Athens

[mhl6493]

What handgun rangers in/near Athens,TN, would y'all recommend?  I know of the Chilhowee Rod & Gun Club, Tactical Advantage Corp in Knoxville, and Shooters Depot in Chattanooga, but I don't have any personal experience with any of them.  There may be others I'm not aware of.  If I'm really going to get into shooting, I need a good place I can go on a regular basis to practice.  Thanks in advance!

[Patton]

Fugates in Calhoun, they are closed Saturday afternoons, and all day on Wednesday. It is a nice range and it is cheap.

[dralarms]

Fugates is also an indoor range, very nice folks to deal with.

[austin7.62]

Fugate's is great. The drive out there from Athens is nice too. Edited April 26, 2014 by austin7.62

[mhl6493]

Thanks for the Fugate's recommendations.  I actually took my Carry Permit Class there today, but I didn't realize they rented range time.  I was definitely impressed with Carmen.  She knows her stuff, and she's a hoot!  

[TripleGGG]

Agree. Fugates is great. Super people to deal with. I'm a member at Chilhowee Rod and Gun Club as well. Very nice facility. Sent from my Samsung Note 2 using Tapatalk

[JAB]

Down around the Delano/Benton area in the state/national park there is the Spring Creek shooting range - or I assume it is still there as I haven't been in about a year or so.  It is an outdoor range.  There is no range official or anything like that so there is the chance that there will be some yahoos shooting there but I have never run into that problem.  There is a public toilet (one of those cinderblock outhouse style facilities like you see in most state and national parks, no running water) and they are open daylight hours, sunup to sundown.  Oh, and it is only $3 per carload to shoot there - or, again, that was the price the last time I was there.  There is a sort of a large 'shed' type shelter.  One side of the shelter faces onto the handgun range which goes out to 25 yards.  There is a sort of long counter running most of the length of that side that functions as a shooting table.  Another side of the shelter faces onto the long gun range which goes out to 100 yards.  That side has individual stations, each with its own shooting bench/table.

 

To get there you turn like you are going to Gee Creek campground, almost (but not exactly) right across the highway from the turn to go to the Magnolia Manor winery and the Amish market.  You drive past Gee Creek Campground and keep going.  You will probably think you have missed it or went the wrong way by the time you actually get to the shooting range.  The road is mostly dirt/gravel.  I think they are closed to the public one day a week (maybe Tuesday or Wednesday) for some type of LEO use.  The pics below were taken in '09 but the place still looked more or less like this the last time I was there.

 

Handgun side:

 

 

Long gun side:

 

Edited April 28, 2014 by JAB