sighting in air rifle scope and target practice - locations?

[Daniel and John]

Where is the best place to take an air rifle to get in some target practice and sight it a scope? I live in San Bernardino and wanted to know if there is a good area just go to take care of this myself. Also, if I'm going for rabbit, how many yards would you guys recommended to scope to?

 

[WaterDawg]

No target shooting or sighing-in allowed in the national forest, but OK on many BLM lands. Known BLM target shooting areas in the IE include Hodge Road, just west of the 15 south of Barstow, and Steele Peak between Perris and Lake Elsinore. There are probably others I'm not aware of.

There is no particular distance for sighting in, rabbits pop up at your feet or 100'yards away. But with most air guns your effective range isn't more than say 50 yards (unless high dollar).

 

[nicapopolis]

No target shooting or sighing-in allowed in the national forest...

And just to be clear, although this may be the case in the national forests in So Cal this is not the case in all our national forests.

This link shows areas dedicated to "plinking" in the San Bernardino National Forest.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/...100000000000&ttype=detail&cid=stelprdb5155295

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Prime]

Steele Peak between Perris and Lake Elsinore

Steele Peak is now permanently closed for target shooting, unfortunately. Not sure if that applies to pellet guns though?

 

[Muledeerhunter]

Air rifles are not classified as firearms. Daniel, do you know the local mountains, the numbers assigned to the dirt roads? You can buy a local map at a forest service location. What type of air rifle do you have? Caliber? I would stick to 30-40 yards, but 50 yard shot is possible.

 

[xjon]

My personal experience...one can get busted for target shooting with anything. According to the national forest (cleveland) representative, he can write me a ticket for using a sling shot. He gave me a written warning for target shooting with bow. I was merely checking my pins for accuracy prior to a rabbit hunt using blunts on a broad head target block.

Per Nicapopolis post: San Bernardino states "Discharging a firearm, air rifle, or gas gun, except for the lawful hunting..."- That specifically states air rifle.

So from my understanding (now)...Target shooting is what ever the authority deems it to be as long as you were not in pursuit of game.

What a hunting license affords you is shooting at a piece of dirt 50 yards because you think there was a rabbit there. Piece of dirt, not a piece of paper that says "target"!

 

[WaterDawg]

Steele Peak is now permanently closed for target shooting, unfortunately. Not sure if that applies to pellet guns though?

Didn't know that, but I'm not surprised given the growing residential areas nearbye.

 

[WaterDawg]

And just to be clear, although this may be the case in the national forests in So Cal this is not the case in all our national forests.

This link shows areas dedicated to "plinking" in the San Bernardino National Forest.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/cs/detail/!ut/p/z0/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfIjo8zijQwgwNHCwN_DI8zPyBcqYKBfkO2oCABZcx5g/?position=Not Yet Determined.Html&pname=San Bernardino National Forest- Outdoor Safety &ss=110512&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&pnavid=150000000000000&navid=150100000000000&ttype=detail&cid=stelprdb5155295

Sent from my SM-G950U using

And just to be clear, although this may be the case in the national forests in So Cal this is not the case in all our national forests.

This link shows areas dedicated to "plinking" in the San Bernardino National Forest.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/cs/detail/!ut/p/z0/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfIjo8zijQwgwNHCwN_DI8zPyBcqYKBfkO2oCABZcx5g/?position=Not Yet Determined.Html&pname=San Bernardino National Forest- Outdoor Safety &ss=110512&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&pnavid=150000000000000&navid=150100000000000&ttype=detail&cid=stelprdb5155295

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Good info, thanks Nic. Never heard of the "activity levels" dictating legality. I guess you have to check with the ranger station to see what the activity level is?
Tapatalk

 

[WaterDawg]

Good info, thanks Nic. How do you find out the activity level for a given day, contact the ranger station? (The regs say the "activity level" has to be lower than 3 in order to allow target shooting)