Looking for a place to shoot over 1500 yards in NorCal

Moodilistic

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Minuteman
Sep 30, 2020
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Hello Folks,

I recently have acquired a 375 Cheytac and I’ve been shooting a couple of 338 lapuas. I am looking for an area to shoot ELR (>1500 yards) in Northern California.

Anyone know of any areas?
 
Has a 10 twist on it, so I'm currently shooting 220 lrht's around 3150 fps. I have a 31" 9 twist ready to chamber, but might as well squeeze the life out of the current barrel. Wind can be weird there, fyi.
 
First off, Brentwood is not NorCal lol you're more in the bay area than Norcal. Second, Clear lake has a very long range place(they held a ELR/ULR event or are holding one this month) and I think some clubs by Sac have 1k+ and PRS they do monthly just gotta google around.
 
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If you go passed P20 I usually find .308 and .223 brass. Then I stop at all the decent flat areas on the way out, time and SO permitting. We bring trash bags and never have trouble filling them.
 
I hate when people just leave trash and brass everywhere and don’t clean up after themselves. I bought one of those ammo wizards rollers. Picks up brass real good.

 
I've never seen any brass or garbage there, but I drive in pretty far...

I was in that same basic area (a little south) last weekend and found a spot to get to just beyond 2k. It was decently far into the hills, and when I set up, I looked down and saw a number of cases littering the ground - I also saw a dead tarantula the size of my hand, but that's another story.

It is beyond me how a simple notion of cleaning up after yourself is lost on the yahoos that go out there and see how fast they can pull the trigger on their ARs.
 
It's gravel up to the top, where there's a parking area and bathrooms. Then it's dirt from there on in, and the further in you go, the more clearance you may need. Since it has been raining, it might be ugly up there now, but before the rain, a regular sedan would probably make it everywhere as long as you were careful. I generally take an SUV or pickup just to be safe.
 
I went yesterday - very crowded and lots of tourists. One group came by and asked what/where I was shooting, then drove down and parked 100yds up from my steel. It was 30 minutes before they moved... amazing how oblivious people can be.
 
I went yesterday - very crowded and lots of tourists. One group came by and asked what/where I was shooting, then drove down and parked 100yds up from my steel. It was 30 minutes before they moved... amazing how oblivious people can be.

This is where I was yesterday - no tourists or yahoos to be seen. Though I needed every ounce of capability on my Rubicon to get to this spot. Some serious freaking gnarly driving - up and down shelf roads through dry clay softened by last week's rain, dodging washouts by going tire-up on the high side, while looking down hundreds of feet into canyons below.

Serious cant + soft surface + washout + hundreds of feet of drop = pucker factor x 10

I won't go unless there's been four days of no rain ahead of time, and after yesterday, I might extend that some. But still, it was worth it. Nothing beats a shooting spot where you see no one all day long.

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^^Awesome - yesterday was the first time there were people near my spot. Got out to a mile for the first time, though. I don't have a true offroad vehicle to do that in.
 
^^Awesome - yesterday was the first time there were people near my spot. Got out to a mile for the first time, though. I don't have a true offroad vehicle to do that in.

Yeah, I wouldn't recommend going in too deep without one. I take my Jeep out to the Sierras and do some fairly technical driving, but yesterday was the first time I've ever been like, "do I really want to do this?" Even just a mile or two in, if I didn't have a 4WD, I'd be second guessing myself. We were 10 miles in at one point, and turned around because of a washout in a valley - though if it hadn't been as late as it was, we would have pushed it because it wasn't a dangerous spot, just one that might have required some shovels.

Next weekend is supposed to be a little wet, but the following is supposed to by dry on Saturday. I'm thinking about doing a really deep scouting run. I identified a few spots on Google maps that look really promising, but didn't think I could get to them. I tried to find a way in from the west side about a month and a half ago, but got skunked by locked gates. After yesterday, I think I can get there from where I was.
 
^If you find a way in from the East side, closer to 5, please let me know! I'd like to have some alternate spots as go to's... I normally take my X5 with A/S tires (albeit 20" :LOL: ), which is still actually pretty capable, but I don't want to dent it up. I also have an old hotrod '62 pickup with better clearance, but it's only 2WD.
 
^If you find a way in from the East side, closer to 5, please let me know! I'd like to have some alternate spots as go to's... I normally take my X5 with A/S tires (albeit 20" :LOL: ), which is still actually pretty capable, but I don't want to dent it up. I also have an old hotrod '62 pickup with better clearance, but it's only 2WD.

The way in from the main entrance is the most benign and the turnoff to the gate is on well maintained roads. For the first couple miles in from the entrance, much of the road in is fine for many vehicles. However, there are a few spots where 20" tires might be an issue.

If you want to meet up there sometime so you have another vehicle just in case, feel free to PM me. I know of two spots in particular that I _think_ you'll be able to get to without issue. The closest of the two will allow both shooting position and target access at about a mile up to 2k+, but not much short of that. The other has a lot of options, but also some vehicle tracks that cross at inopportune locations (not technically roads, but...). Still, lots of options there. Of course, with both locations having relatively easy access, you will experience some people going by.
 
I am in Pittsburg and also run an ELR group that shoots at Panoche. Drive right by you to get down there.
I just got back from upper lake, great place to shoot but needs lots of help to find the exact spot. Let me know the next time you go to panouche, will probably tag along. I have plenty of space in my AWD.
^^Awesome - yesterday was the first time there were people near my spot. Got out to a mile for the first time, though. I don't have a true offroad vehicle to do that in.
Let me know when you go next time time, I have awd and today when I was at upper lake needed every bit of it. Thanks to Lynn really helped me tremendously.
 
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I just got back from upper lake, great place to shoot but needs lots of help to find the exact spot. Let me know the next time you go to panouche, will probably tag along. I have plenty of space in my AWD.

Let me know when you go next time time, I have awd and today when I was at upper lake needed every bit of it. Thanks to Lynn really helped me tremendously.
Were you able to find the target road and get a target setup? Hopefully you can make some of the upcoming comps. Its a lot easier when theres multiple spotters to help see impacts and misses, especially when the ground is saturated.
 
Can't say any of these are still around , but I am hoping the still are love the look of the one in Kansas good luck finding a place to shoot .
 
I've shot Panoche and Tumey ELR for a long time, but it is one of my least favorite ELR spots. While you can find many long-range shots to and past 2K; truth be told, there are not many spots where you can safely set up a range to truly tune the drop. The value in having a 100y zero, 600y velocity confirmation, and maybe a 1200-1500 yard BC confirmation along the same LOS as your 2k+ target is really key in understanding your solver and the ability to tune it so it works everywhere. If you've already nailed the tunning in your solver and your sure the elevation is rock solid at any distance and DA; or if your only interested in having one general distance window and general DA setup, then tunning a solver is not a big priority. However, skipping this step is often why you'll see guys with solvers struggle with elevation by .5mil or so when moving to a much longer distance or drastically different DA than their normal spot. Of course, if you shoot one spot repeatedly, no need to tune or use a solver and just use the data from previous days.

The reason I mention this is that there are many good places that are within the same drive time to you as Brentwood to good places like Tumey or the good hard to get to places in Panoche. If your set on Panoche/Tumey you really should drive far enough out that you don't get hit by some idiot from San Jose and his AK or whatever. It's worth noting the entire area is also under seasonal closures.

With today's programs like OnX and Google Street view, old secret places aren't so secret.
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The image above is Panoche in Indian Valley and it one of the best flat spots you can drive to. It's the Western Edge, probably the best cattle grazing and from time to time you'll see a bunch of black Hawaiian's grazing, (so don't shoot a steer or cow). For 2K+ you do need to move back up the hill a bit. You need to cross a few cattle gates and close them behind you; wheeling time is like 2-1/2 hours and from Brentwood about the same.

About 15 buddies, mostly Hide guys, run out during the summer to Nevada camp and shoot for a few days. Just about anywhere you go around Carsen Sink is going to be good. IN the image below we have a couple of ranges set up. @Calvinho and @HonkyTonk86 are walking back from the range to the right that you can't see. You can shoot here and in most places year-round. The time to the area is about 3-1/2 and about 20 minutes on the dirt roads. To me it worth the time to play in Nevada.

It was the guy in the Green shirt @Calvinho who decided to sit in a camping swing chair (rocking chair)and hit the gong at something like 2K.... oh o forgot to mention the most important part it was off a tripod!!
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A few Nevada Locations are pictured below, some are really close to town, others a bit more wheeling. There are so many, heck we used to shoot ELR in town, Reno/Sparks on Vista Road next to the ballpark. Housing and the hiking boom caused us to move more East. Below are a few random images from some of the ELR spots from South of Fallon to East of Fernley. There are unlimited good places. If you know how to look and know 1/2 what you're doing, you won't just pick somewhere that is too rolly so you can't easily lay prone.
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I'd try OnX first, it's worth the $$; then if you still need help, PM me. When the weather warms up and we'll probably do another trip.
 
Copied from another forum.


Shooters
We are holding our March match on Sunday the 21st and our start time will be 8 AM.
2054 yards. No fees no pit duty. Bring atleast 60 rounds of ammo as shootoffs are common and it's not fun losing because your gun was out of ammo.
Location is 3 miles west of the highglade lookout above UpperLake.

If your gun is too heavy for hunting we don't care. If it's too light we don't care bring it.
If your running a Chassis we don't care.
If you shoot prone or from a 1000 pound bench we don't care bring it.
If it shoots and you want to shoot it that is fine with us as we don't discriminate.
Silhouette rifles varmint rifles target rifles prs rifles F-Class rifles prone rifles and even Benchrest and hunting rifles are allowed and welcomed.
Howas savages tikas customs and even Remington's are welcome.
Fat kids skinny kids even kids with chicken pox can shoot. Women men lepricons or oompa loompas we don't care.

Fill out an online release and shoot.
It doesn't get much easier than that.
Hit 5 out of 10 and qualify for the 3K match.
www.unlimitedrange.org is where you sign up.
Take hwy 101 north to the hwy 20 offramp and go right for 30 minutes until you get to UpperLake. Take a left onto mendenhall road and another left onto elk mountain then a right onto pitney. Once on pitney take a left onto Sam alley ridge and drive 8 miles up the mountain. We shoot 3 miles west of the highglade lookout.
Weather should be cold so dress appropriately. The only thing that cancels a match is rain or a BLM closure.
Calguns own RickyRacer87 has been on fire lately shooting his BillyGoat Machine 338 Ackley Improved. As mentioned earlier this is a qualifying match for the upcoming April 3K match so make sure you get 5 called hits before you stop firing if you haven't already qualified.
__________________
Lynn Dragoman, Jr.
Southwest Regional Director
Unlimited Range Shooters Association (URSA)
www.unlimitedrange.org
 
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