Hello from SF, headed to San Antonio

[tumbleweed]

New job, new chapter in life! Leaving San Francisco and headed to San Antonio and excited about it.

M. Sage, a friend from a calguns.net, told me about TGT here and it was the community to join. I'm headed down/over in the next 60-ish days and looking for some USPSA, IDPA and ICORE matches to attend whenever I can after getting settled. Any locals wanna offer some clubs or whatnot, I'm all ears! Need to brush up on Texas gun laws and such, been living behind the iron curtain for far too long.

 

[308nato]

Welcome aboard and glad you made it here.

 

[GM.Chief]

Welcome to TGT

 

[Randman]

Welcome! Now if we could just point the Liberals here in the direction from which you came!! LOL..

 

[majormadmax]

Tumbleweeds

First, welcome back to the United States! atriot:

Secondly, there are several venues for matches, these are the ones that come to mind (and the names are linked to the web sites)...

River City Shooters - Blackhawk Range on the SW side of town. I've shot IDPA with them and loved it. Great group of guys, very friendly and very safe. Highly recommended.

Texas Tactical - Run by "Iron Mike" Webb up at Cedar Creek range just NW of SA. Mike runs IDPA, Carbine, Night/Lowlight, Shotgun and Three Gun. Very popular and well run from what I have heard.

Bullethole - On the westside of town, probably the closest to SA. I haven't shot a match there but I have shot at their ranges, and all I have to say is I hope they run their matches better than they run their ranges! No safety officers or supervision, and I have personally witnessed numerous violations that should have resulted in people being removed (such as handling weapons while the ranges is cold and people are checking their targets). I will only shoot there on weekdays when there is less of a crowd, but I still try to avoid the place. But I do know people who shoot there, and even someone who works there, that like the place so "your mileage may vary."

There may be more but those are the three that I know of. I think there is one on the SE side of town but I can't recall the details. These days I shoot on a large military reservation on the northside of town, it is only open on the weekends and is restricted to military personnel, retirees and dependents, plus it is only a range (no competition or matches); but for $25/year and the comfort of shooting on a professionally-run range, it is well worth it! Still, there are a decent number of ranges and gun shops here, monthly shows and a gun-friendly attitude that you probably didn't have in California!

Cheers! M2

 

[Clockwork]

Welcome to the forum and welcome to SA-town!

 

[MadMo44Mag]

Howdy!

 

[M. Sage]

I don't know of any competition (first-hand anyway... need to get back into it), but my favorite range at the moment is Bexar Community range. Cedar Ridge is a bit over-the-top with safety rules - the "don't handle anything during a cease fire" rule bugs me. It drove me off this summer, because it's impossible not to drink water during a cease fire in 110 degree heat.

Good to hear you landed the job. We'll have you driving a pickup in no time.

 

[tallman1]

Welcome from Irving,Texas

 

[accumack]

hello & welcome!

 

[majormadmax]

I don't know of any competition (first-hand anyway... need to get back into it), but my favorite range at the moment is Bexar Community range. Cedar Ridge is a bit over-the-top with safety rules - the "don't handle anything during a cease fire" rule bugs me. It drove me off this summer, because it's impossible not to drink water during a cease fire in 110 degree heat.

Yeah, Bexar Community Range is the place on the SE (well, east side) of town! I talked with a guy once who shoots there and he really liked it. Being up near Helotes, it is a bit of a drive for me.

And I have heard the same thing about Cedar Ridge, and that the owner can be a bit "eccentric" especially if he doesn't know you. I have never gone to one of the Texas Tactical matches, but they do seem popular. Still, that would put me off...

The River City Shooters match I went to was well run, and no ridiculous restrictions (you could drink water or other non-alcoholic beverages during the cease fires). My then-11-yr-old-son went with me and the folks there looked after him while I was shooting. I appreciated knowing someone was ensuring he was staying safe, so as you can see I highly recommend those matches...

 

[tumbleweed]

Thanks for the welcome, all! majormadmax, that's some good info right there thanks for sharing -- I'm with you on the safety, I'm an IDPA SO and USPSA RO so am on board with your thoughts. Much appreciated, I'll just have to shoot some matches at both clubs and spread my cheesy humor around. M. Sage - when I flew down a week ago at the car rental agency... "do you have a VW, like a Golf? that's what I am used to" "No sir, American cars and pickup trucks only." hah. You know you're in Texas when...

 

[tumbleweed]

OK fellas, this may seem like a dumb question to you but remember where I'm coming from (nanny state). In my Googling about Texas gun laws it appears that you do NOT have to use any sort of FFL/dealer to buy and sell handguns - you can just meet up, show each other some valid ID to say you're over 18 (21) and then buy/sell each other things. Is this true, did I get that right? Are there any limits on how many a month you may buy, how many at one time or anything else that I should know about?

This is the best info I'm finding:
Gun laws in the United States (by state) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Do I need to have a Texas DL first (I'm assuming that will take me 6 months to get?) or just proof that I'm an actual Texas resident and not some yahoo from Cali who drove over...?

 

[RetArmySgt]

You have no limit to how many you can buy at any time and yes you and i could meet up somewhere exchange a weapon for cash or anouther weapon or anything and its perfectly leagal as long as you can own a firearm. Welcome to the Great State of Texas.

To buy a handgun yes you will need a TX DL but a long gun i beileve you dont.

 

[APatriot]

New job, new chapter in life! Leaving San Francisco and headed to San Antonio and excited about it.

M. Sage, a friend from a calguns.net, told me about TGT here and it was the community to join. I'm headed down/over in the next 60-ish days and looking for some USPSA, IDPA and ICORE matches to attend whenever I can after getting settled. Any locals wanna offer some clubs or whatnot, I'm all ears! Need to brush up on Texas gun laws and such, been living behind the iron curtain for far too long.

Welcome to Texas. I hope you are glad to be out from under that socialist garbage pit.

 

[majormadmax]

OK fellas, this may seem like a dumb question to you but remember where I'm coming from (nanny state). In my Googling about Texas gun laws it appears that you do NOT have to use any sort of FFL/dealer to buy and sell handguns - you can just meet up, show each other some valid ID to say you're over 18 (21) and then buy/sell each other things. Is this true, did I get that right? Are there any limits on how many a month you may buy, how many at one time or anything else that I should know about?

This is the best info I'm finding:
Gun laws in the United States (by state) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Do I need to have a Texas DL first (I'm assuming that will take me 6 months to get?) or just proof that I'm an actual Texas resident and not some yahoo from Cali who drove over...?

You will need a TX DL or ID, but it doesn't take six months. I actually had to get one as I retired from the military here and hadn't quite gotten my DL switched over FL (even though it had my Texas address on it). As such, I wasn't able to pick up the XD I had "ordered" from Sportsman's Warehouse; so I drove over and got one. It was a temporary paper one but that was all I needed and I picked the pistol up right after I got it.

Just a note, you will have to register a vehicle in Texas before applying for a DL here. Don't ask me why, but it is required...

Cheers! M2

 

[Texas42]

Welcome to San Antonio.

Face to face transactions do not need an FFL. Cash is usually the only required thing. Some sellers want to see Texas ID or even a CHL, but that is personal desire, not regulation. I haven't found a good range that isn't a far drive (I live in the medical center). I go to Bracken, but it they charge by the gun and they have wooden slats up to keep tall people from being able to shoot standing up.

Bass pro has a nice indoor range. Costs 100/years. You have to make an appointment and it is suppose to be only 30 minutes, but no one bothers you if it isn't busy. They won't let you shoot reloads, which is why I don't go there.

 

[tumbleweed]

Welcome to Texas. I hope you are glad to be out from under that socialist garbage pit.

I will be...but to be fair there are great things about CA - most of them geographical. I'll miss the motorcycling roads, the ocean, the 8000 varieties of food, the sunsets and stuff like that. I won't miss the (two-faced) politics, the economics, the traffic and the laws. I definitely am not going to miss any of my 10round mags I'm leaving behind.

 

[tumbleweed]

Just a note, you will have to register a vehicle in Texas before applying for a DL here. Don't ask me why, but it is required...

Found it, thanks!
Texas Department of Public Safety - Courtesy, Service, Protection
New Residents

 

[Clockwork]

Yep, welcome to the mecca of gun states. The only thing I'd like to see changed here is open carry laws, I think.

Keep in mind there are also ranges that are just outside of S.A., I think La Coste has one or two decent ones. The east side of S.A. isn't a place that everyone wants to visit.