BLM Ranges near Phoenix: Steel Targets Only?

On January 4, 2025, President Joe Biden signed H.R. 6492, also known as the Explore Act. The Act contains H.R. 1614, the previous Range Access Act. The act, as passed, requires bureaucrats in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) to consider the establishment of a target shooting range in each National Forest district or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) district.  This is not a difficult requirement. In Arizona, there are only four BLM districts. Each district is much larger than some of the smaller eastern states.  BLM recently constructed three shooting ranges north of Phoenix, Arizona.

The experience of long term desert shooters with the building of three ranges on BLM land north of Phoenix is a cautionary tale.  A significant amount of money was spent to build well designed ranges which have minimal utility. The only shooting allowed at the ranges is shooting at steel targets at fixed distances, mostly at long ranges.  No shooters are allowed to go down range.  The only targets which may be used are the steel targets provided, at the fixed ranges provided. The steel targets are painted once a week. This does not appear to be the original plan put forward by stakeholders when they met with BLM planners, prior to the construction of the ranges.

Here is a slide show/video supplied by Tony Urso showing what uses experienced desert shooters expect of a range open to the public. The show is about 11 minutes long. It is very well done.

The use of steel targets in fixed positions, along with the prohibition against shooters from going down range in front of the firing line at any time prevents many normal and expected uses of public ranges.  Chronographs are generally not usable, because most need to be placed ahead of the firing line. Shooting at close targets, under 25 yards is not possible. Shooting to test ammunition/firearms for accuracy is extremely limited, because a shooter cannot determine where they hit the target with precision.  Shooting to sight in a rifle or pistol is virtually impossible for the same reason. 

Steel targets were chosen as a method to prevent people from going downrange. From the blm.gov/blog: 

Because the sites are operated as self-service shooting facilities, they need special management to ensure public and staff safety. Each of the sites has steel targets installed to prevent visitors from going downrange to place their own targets.

Shooters are not allowed to paint the provided steel targets. 

Here is a video presentation from the Bureau of Land Management showing how the targets are made. It show a glimpse of the BLM ranges north of Phoenix.

 

Tony Urso noted that when these ranges were opened, about 4000 acres of land which was suitable for recreational shooting, adjacent to the now official ranges, were closed to the public as a “safety measure”.  Local managers have the authority to regulate adjacent lands for reasons of safety.

The BLM blog states an estimated 71,000 visits were made in 2023 to the 4 BLM constructed ranges near Phoenix. There are three ranges to the north of Phoenix,  west of Lake Pleasant, in a rough north-south line about four miles long. The three sites are: 

Baldy Mountain Recreational Shooting Site

Church Camp Road Recreational Shooting Site

Saddleback Mountain Recreational Shooting Site

The Box Canyon Recreational Shooting Site is in Pinal County, southwest of the City of Maricopa. Reports from users of the Box Canyon site would be welcome.

Sites are available six days a week, or about 312 days a year.  The average estimated usage would be 71,000 divided by 4 X 312, or approximately 57 people per site per day. Some sites will be more popular than others. Weekends are probably more crowded than weekdays. 

The lack of suitable facilities for pistol shooters is obvious. Pistols are designed for close range use. Steel targets should not be shot at from close range because of the danger of back-splatter, bounce-back, and ricochet. Pistols are the most popular firearm being purchased by the public. 

All four sites ban shooters from going down range or from bringing their own targets. Those are site specific rules which were not published in the federal register.  The mandatory use of steel targets is a local rule which can be changed. It is a local prohibition arising from an over-abundance of caution, which precludes most traditional uses of ranges.  These are the only public ranges this correspondent is aware of, which limit use to steel targets only, to prevent shooters from going downrange. 

Analysis: The limitation to use only steel targets is an overreaction to potential dangers. The enabling legislation foresaw shooters would bring, set up and remove their own targets. From the BLM site, rule 6: 

You must only use authorized stationary targets as specified in the operating plan for each site. These targets may be made of cardboard, paper, self-healing, steel, and biodegradable clay (clay targets). All other items, such as aluminum cans, glass bottles, bowling pins, plastic bottles and other items which may leave debris, are not authorized to be used as targets. Exploding targets are prohibited. All user-supplied steel targets must be specifically designed for use with firearms and must be used at a distance of 100 yards or greater. Target frames must be designed to be reusable. The use of wooden pallets and other items not specifically designed as target frames are not authorized. All user-supplied targets, target frames, and debris must be removed from the site and disposed of properly after use and before leaving the site.

This correspondent’s experience as a bureaucrat leads to the question: was the decision to limit targets to provided steel targets primarily for the protection of the BLM decision makers? The idea seems to be: if you prohibit people from going down range, the liability of the decision makers will be minimized.  This is a pernicious idea, which greatly diminishes the utility of the ranges. Thousands of people have been shooting on BLM land for decades.  Accidents and injuries are minimal. 

The idea of prohibiting people from going downrange to set up and remove targets is not a good innovation. The public BLM ranges should allow for users to go downrange and to use their own targets, especially for pistol shooting.  Shooters at public ranges normally self-regulate this conduct. Volunteers at public ranges could do the same. 

As a shooter, this correspondent would have preferred less money spent on the installation of expensive chain link fencing on rough terrain. The money could have been used to provide for shade structures on the line. Shade, in Arizona summers, has high utility. 

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

Tony 

Presentation of needs of experienced Desert Shooters on Youtube.

Presentation by BLM Video showing the making of targets and a bit of the Church Camp Range.

Range Access Act statement

by BLM March 28, 2023 

H.R. 1614, Range Access Act
H.R. 1614 would require the BLM and USFS, after determining if allowable under law and management plan, to establish and manage a developed shooting range in each district managed by the agencies that does not already have a range, within five years of enactment and subject to available appropriations. The bill allows the agencies to enter into an agreement with another entity to establish and maintain the shooting range. The two agencies are also required to coordinate with several groups on the construction of the ranges, including Tribes, State and local agencies, and shooting clubs, and to consult with these groups on ways to maximize private funding for the construction. Additionally, under the bill, both BLM and the USFS are to cooperate with these stakeholders and partners to ensure that any shooting range constructed under the bill will not impact any nearby non-Federal shooting ranges. 

The bill further requires the agencies seek to ensure that there is a designated shooting range meeting the requirements of the bill or located adjacent to BLM- or Forest Service-managed lands and available for public use prior to closing an area to recreational shooting, except in emergency situations. The bill also specifies that agencies may not require a user to pay a fee to use the shooting ranges. Finally, H.R. 1614 requires submission of an annual report to Congress on progress toward meeting the requirements of the law.  

Analysis 
While the BLM recognizes the sponsors’ interest in increasing access to designated shooting ranges and the need to do so in some places to ensure public safety and minimize user conflicts, the BLM cannot support the bill at this time due to the significant challenges in developing and maintaining the proposed number of shooting ranges, which would also involve removal of lead ammunition, clean-up of hazardous materials, and berm management. The BLM notes in some locations, exercising BLM’s authority to charge a user fee may be warranted for the purposes in the bill, given the large number of designated shooting ranges envisioned. In addition, the bill does not acknowledge the importance of public input and assessing community interest in development of designated shooting ranges in its districts.

Important loophole:

From HR 6492:

(c) Restrictions

(1) Management

The management of a target shooting range shall be subject to such conditions as the Secretary concerned determines are necessary for the safe, responsible use of—

(A) the target shooting range; and

(B) the adjacent land and resources.

Source: http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2025/03/blm-ranges-near-phoenix-steel-targets.html