Any Knoxville people know places to go shooting?

[DWade]

Been looking for a while for some public Ground(s) that is legal to shoot guns on. Can't find much on TVA or anything. I was thinking near Emory lake or Bullrun creek. I just don't want to take chances with law enforcement. Thanks in advance

[peejman]

I'm not aware of any public land where you can shoot that's not an established range (Norris, John Sevier, ...).  Private property is going to be your only option. 

[Oh Shoot]

4 hours ago, peejman said:

I'm not aware of any public land where you can shoot that's not an established range (Norris, John Sevier, ...).  Private property is going to be your only option. 

Yep, echo that.

No firearm discharge within city limits, even on private property (or air guns either, no kidding).  Can't even have a commercial range in city limits, btw.

 

- OS

Edited June 1, 2016 by Oh Shoot

[A.J. Holst]

TWRA for public shooting ranges, or private property in the county.

 

[Jamie Jackson]

There's always ORSA and Windrock Shooting Range...heck...They want you to shoot there...

[Mike.357]

you can shoot here for free

Chuck Swan WMA Shooting Range

3350 Sharps Chapel Road, Sharps Chapel, TN 37866        (865) 278-3248.
Open Thursday and Friday from Noon until Sunset, Saturday-Sunday from Sunrise to Sunset.
Closed Monday-Wednesday and during scheduled big game hunts.

[enfield]

17 hours ago, Oh Shoot said:

Yep, echo that.

No firearm discharge within city limits, even on private property (or air guns either, no kidding).  Can't even have a commercial range in city limits, btw.

 

- OS

No farting either . . .

[analog_kidd]

I know you can hunt / camp on ANY undeveloped TVA land. Not sure how they feel about setting up targets. I'm sure they would not like you leaving any trash, so I would pick up everything.

I recently discovered that there is a tract of land just up the road from me that is great for camping. I see folks parked at the gate all the time during hunting season. I assumed you had to get permission. I called and they said the undeveloped land is available for use to the public without any additional permission for recreation including hunting and camping. 

Here are the rules. You determine if they apply to target shooting. I think at the very least, I would call them:

https://tva.gov/Environment/Environmental-Stewardship/Land-Management/Rules-for-Use-of-TVA-Public-Lands

You can find the maps of the land here:

https://tva.gov/Environment/Recreation/Undeveloped-Recreation-Areas

 

[peejman]

4 hours ago, analog_kidd said:

I know you can hunt / camp on ANY undeveloped TVA land. Not sure how they feel about setting up targets. I'm sure they would not like you leaving any trash, so I would pick up everything.

I recently discovered that there is a tract of land just up the road from me that is great for camping. I see folks parked at the gate all the time during hunting season. I assumed you had to get permission. I called and they said the undeveloped land is available for use to the public without any additional permission for recreation including hunting and camping. 

Here are the rules. You determine if they apply to target shooting. I think at the very least, I would call them:

https://tva.gov/Environment/Environmental-Stewardship/Land-Management/Rules-for-Use-of-TVA-Public-Lands

You can find the maps of the land here:

https://tva.gov/Environment/Recreation/Undeveloped-Recreation-Areas

 

 

That's interesting.  I'd assumed pretty much all TVA property was off limits.  The rules do say that possession and use of firearms is allowed, but curiously motor vehicle use is not.  So if you want to shoot there, you've got to haul your stuff in on foot/bicycle/horseback. 

[analog_kidd]

22 hours ago, peejman said:

 

That's interesting.  I'd assumed pretty much all TVA property was off limits.  The rules do say that possession and use of firearms is allowed, but curiously motor vehicle use is not.  So if you want to shoot there, you've got to haul your stuff in on foot/bicycle/horseback. 

Or you can boat up to many places. I think it would be cool to use a motorboat to carry your stuff to the site. 

If you have ever been to the "Marina" in Oak Ridge, where they do the rowing, if you look right across the river from there you will see what looks kind of like an island. There is actually a small strip of land that connects it to the land on the other side of the river. All of that is TVA property, and good to go for hunting / camping. A month or so ago, I walked all around out there just to explore. There is a lot of brush along the river bank of the island, but if you could find an ingress point from the water, it would be a great place to camp.

I had always heard that TVA was seriously anti-gun. I heard the dire warnings of do not keep a loaded gun in your boat while using the boat ramps, or the TVA police will carry you away and you'll never be seen again. But reading the rules, it sounds to me like, if you have a permit, you are allowed to carry at the ramp. And with being able to use the unimproved areas for hunting, and possibly plinking, they may not be as bad as I was led to believe.