Thread: Aussie going to L.A. for holiday - need some advice

Hi guys,

Because the laws in Australia are very very strict. I have never actually experienced shooting a firearm before and would really like to try this out on my upcoming trip to the States. I'm going to be staying in West Hollywood I think. Can someone recommend a good shooting range for me to go to? and or clay pigeon shooting place? I'd really like to try this stuff out, and I'd like to hear any other recommendations for some fun stuff I can do/check out while I'm over there.

Thanks in advance guys =]

P.S. I don't want to start any gun control discussions here =]

LA is big.
Are you staying someplace in particular, or with people you know?
It might be easiest for you to ask someone at the place you're staying if there are nearby shooting ranges.

I think I'm staying in West Hollywood, on sunset Blvd.

When you arive call some gun shops,most today are connected to indoor ranges that rent guns for people to try out before purchase.

See if there are any gun clubs in the phone directory. They will be able to get you started.

Drop in to a SSAA range anywhere in Australia and ask if they can't let you shoot a club firearm. You might be surpised what your allowed to do with a little adult supervision .


Mick

Thanks for the tip Mick, I have looked into that and will prob drop by the Springvale place in the future, looks like owning a handgun is a real hassle here but longarms don't look too bad. But pistol shooting does seem a little more exciting to me, apparently you can only do it 3 times before you must apply for a permit, but rifles you can go to a range and shoot as many times as you want.

I am south of Hollywood about 36 miles. How long are you going to be here and how mobile will you be? There are a few ranges surrounding Hollywood. I read the reviews and was surprised to see how many bad comments there were. City folks and guns are not a good mix if you ask me. My advice is go on a weekday, and go early. You avoid crowds and get better service this way. I have a range just down the street from me and I never go to it but a good friend of mine lives there LOL. It has great reviews. If you think you may be down around Disneyland for any reason (which is also near) send me a PM. I will help how ever I can. I will pop in there in the next day or so and check it out if you are interested .

Originally Posted by saitou

Thanks for the tip Mick, I have looked into that and will prob drop by the Springvale place in the future, looks like owning a handgun is a real hassle here but longarms don't look too bad. But pistol shooting does seem a little more exciting to me, apparently you can only do it 3 times before you must apply for a permit, but rifles you can go to a range and shoot as many times as you want.

The differences between Rifles and Pistols licencing/ownership are not that far apart. The real difference is in that you have to attend a minimum amount of range practice with a pistol (a good thing in my mind) whereas you just have to be either a recreational shooter or a sport shooter i.e have a letter from a property owner giving permission to hunt or be a member of a range. There are no requirements to shoot. You can't own a semi-auto rifle of any calibre without very good reasons and the correct licence, but you can own a semi auto pistol on the pistol licence.
If you're interested in the shooting sports you really should look into it with the SSAA. They will point you in the right direction and help you get what you need. In many cases they know more about the requirements than the Police licencing department.
Hope that is of some help to you mate. You never know what might happen after you give it a go. You might find you really enjoy it and become our next Olympic champion or something


Mick