Reviews
Edit2: Fresh bales and new frames! Still all in a line (have a feeling that moving the posts would be costly), but not having to worry about pass through on a lower poundage recurve is such a relief!
Edit: As I've kept shooting here, I started to feel the problems of their current aging targets & backstops. The hay needs to be urgently changed and the frames themselves need to be redone entirely. Again to re-emphasize, the targets being in a line is making some dangerous situations, especially when people don't follow range etiquette. Overall a good use of the space, just needs some target TLC though.
This place has been cleaned up a bit and range markings have been added to the walkway, though I can't seem to make out if they were meters or yards... The targets being in a straight line is a bit of a pain if others do show up and want to shoot farther away. Also, note that the sunset is on the left-side of the range, left handed people beware :p
4
7 years ago (12-05-2018)
I came to know this spot well 16 yrs ago was looking for a spot to hangout and wait for rush hour traffic to pass and to shoot after work before dark in the fall and winter. I got plenty pros and cons about the location but I will the let the visitors judge for themselves.
Pros: good for beginning shooters with long bows, easy to get to if you live and work in the area, free. *Fresh target frames (as of 5/18). Good for a quick bow test and tune. Routine police presence keeps vagrant activity to a minimum.
Cons:
*Targets all on the same line (read this is a issue and someone with experience will explain)
*NO RESTROOM not even a pota Jon! (Two thumbs down for Meet ups and anyone needing to make a sitting head call.)
*If you shooting a bow over 50lbs BYOB (bring your own bag) not fond of that synthetic hay.
*Hobbit trail use: locals taking a short cut from adelpi road side have popped out of the woods down range behind the targets on a number of times while
I was shooting as if every shot will be dead on.
*Lovebirds in the woods- not the flying kind but those too cheap to get a room type!
*No range safety rules basic useage postings would serve as a preventative and some non archey use is ok but when arrows start flying over 200fps it be a good idea to know how to behave or you may find out how close you are to a local hospital! (newbs and kids going down range to retrieve arrows while someone is shooting at 50yds happened too many times for me).
*Fearless dear. Sooner of later someone is going to be fined for shooting one that will casually graze behind the targets. (Note I did say the police are there often? Don't be stupid regardless how tempting they make it)
**Btw: the same agency maintains 2 other ranges in PG county plus the range at Lake Needwood and they have posted rules, nearby restroom facilities, targets well spaced so several archers can shoot at different distances. Listen to the users MNCPPC **
3
7 years ago (02-06-2018)
It's free. It's long. No waiting. There is deer poop, don't step in it. Sometimes you get to see deer, which is fun. Great for families. I Second the review stating bring a block or bag if you shoot a modern compound; before I bought a block the targets were tearing my arrows up. There are nails on top of the targets to hang your own block or bag from. Only(small)downside is no permanent range markers, so bring a range finder.
5
8 years ago (19-03-2017)
Nice quiet range with lots of space. Bring a bag to shoot into. I broke 4 arrows in 15 minutes on these targets.
4
8 years ago (02-06-2017)
Nice long range and a lot of space. They seriously need a keep up the maintenance though. There is SOOOOOOOO much deer poop and the tar walkway is littered with smashed deer poop. I get that its in the forest but a bi-weekly lawn mowing and pathway cleaning with drastically clean up the place. Other than that it was a nice range
3
9 years ago (27-08-2016)