MissionaryMike

Too bad all these fun events are scheduled on Sundays.

Congrats, you 2!

I went to culinary school. I used the blades and bag included in my tuition. At the time, about 15 years ago, a lot of the cooler kids had Wusthof and Henckels. A few had Global, which I really liked. But now I have a set of Shuns, and I'm cooler than them all.

I've been to both RTSP and the range at Cherry Ridge exactly once. My comments are, more or less, just to confirm what's already been shared, but also share my personal experiences. RTSP - A very nice, clean indoor facility. I can't say the ROs are "friendly". They more or less just go about their business with straight faces, which is just fine. Most of the time, the 2 or 3 ROs on my side of the range, the rifle side, where I was shooting my pistols, were just chatting with each other. Is that good or bad? Time was definitely a factor for me, as I arrived at the range about 1.5 hours of closing on a Sunday evening. I ended up waiting about 45 minutes for a port. When one opened up, I ended up paying for a full hour, but only able to shoot for 45 minutes or so. That was my call, though, as I decided it was worth it for me, considering how long I had waited for a port to become available, and how long it had been since I had last practiced. My gripe with the rifle side of the range is that it lacks climate control. Boy, it was hot in that range that day. I'm not sure if the A/C was broken or what, but when I walked into the pistol side of the range, it was much cooler. Cherry Ridge - I live about 30-35 minutes from this range. It's becomes a beautiful drive taking 23N up to this range when all the strip malls and restaurants fade away. My friend is a member, and kindly invited me up for a Saturday afternoon shoot. We stayed for about 2.5 hours, but could have stayed all day until just before sundown with a $25 guest pass. When we made it down to the pistol range, we were greeted by many, many, many open ports/shooting tables. As previously mentioned, we waited for the range to go cold before we could set up our own targets. However, it's not like you have to just wait around. There are steel plates set up at 25 yards at the pistol range. At the 100 yard rifle range, the steel plates are set up at 100 yards. It was nice to have the option to shoot the plates while waiting. The RO at the pistol range was surprisingly friendly, despite his gruff look. As a guest, I walked across certain lines drawn on the ground, and had to be corrected by the RO. Was he a stickler about the rules? Yes. Was he a dick? Definitely not. In fact, at times, he took the time to offer shooting advice. Admittedly, my buddy and I aren't bullseye shooters. The 100 yard rifle range lacked an RO. The shooters just sort of managed the line and called out when the range was cold and hot by themselves. You can tell that the members are very conscious about clear communication and responsible for safety. I left the range that day thinking, "I'm attending the very next membership meeting". After shooting at an outdoor range for the first time ever, I find that I very much prefer shooting outdoors. The weather can become a concern I suppose. For me, unless it's very light, rain would certainly deter me from shooting outdoors. But rain would deter me from driving up to an indoor range as well. Who likes to drive in the rain? Snow? Shooting in snow would be cool, hah! Cold vs. heat. just wear more or less clothing. You'll always have shade either way. Just my $.02.

Unless I've misread something, looks like Old Bridge costs new members over $600 for the first year. That's kinda rich. And Shongum has over a year waiting list? I didn't know NJ loved its shooting sports so much.

As many have already replied, offer him a tip. Tip the guy for the general delivery. I always do, especially with extra large or heavy deliveries. Then ask if he'll simply help you move it into your garage for a little extra. I've never had anyone turn me down.

HAH! Gave me a good morning chuckle.

Hah! If my kids follow suit, I'd be happy to buy theirs for them...at least the first few. Then they're on their own. We'll see though. They're still little.

No offense? Ok, I guess not. I actually don't know what to make of your accusation. I don't even know what the big deal is asking what I asked. I'm not a government or university employee. I'm a small biz owner in Bergen county, and I live in Parsippany, NJ. Oh, and though I'm no expert in any regards, I certainly enjoy learning about and shooting firearms.

I appreciate all you sharing your experiences. It's a great encouragement.

If you have, how old was the child? If you started young, do you regret it, and why? I know that there are several intangibles that come into play here: biological age, maturity level at that age, sense of responsibility, how well they obey authority, etc... But I ran across USPSA Area 8's facebook page, and saw that they held a junior camp. 20-30 kids maybe. I've got 2 young kids. Just got me thinking. What do you guys think? Thanks, MM

I initially stopped in at the PPD on July 7th to hand in my forms. I asked my references to do their part right away. They kindly did. The soonest date I could schedule to have my prints completed was July 20th. The next day, I went back in to the PPD to give them a copy of my passport. I received a call from the records dept. at the PPD yesterday (August 4th), leaving a voicemail that my ID was ready to be picked up. It took exactly 28 days for them to process my F.I.D. and P2Ps. By NJ standards, I understand that this was a very quick turnaround. Kudos to the gentleman that handled this for me. I think his name is Russ.

Does that constitute as drinking and driving? Or does it not count when you're stuck in traffic? I saw signs that the whole highway was shut down from exits 14-10. I rerouted.

In a situation where 1 individual, is responsible for defending a home and family with small children, defending all entry points of a home would be difficult I think, especially against multiple perpetrators. Have you all thought about a safe room? If so, would the recommendation be to wait it out in such a room, or give up the home and resources and flee?

Just checked the calendar for August and it looks like you guys are running a carbine match at the end of August as well. That's nice.

I've probably called RTSP a dozen times already just to ask stupid questions about NJ specific stuff, and they're always courteous and patient to answer. Both RTSP and GFH possess convenience of proximity. Friendly and helpful is exactly what I'm looking for.

I'm looking for a really active club - one that frequently offers pistol/rifle/shotgun training and various types of competition: uspsa, steel, 3 gun, etc. Again, the more active the better. Reason being? Everything [the little] I know about firearms is what I've gleaned from YouTube. I mean, I'm thankful for YouTube, but I think it's about time I search out a community that I interact with about firearms and firearms training. I know I have so much to learn. And honestly, I want friends that like guns, dammit! If they're within an hour of Parsippany, that would icing. Thanks, MM

I know this has come and gone, but how many times a year does this USPSA 3 gun match take place @ this location?

Who actually believes in zombies?

Ummm, ok. Solar panels and a generator then?

Most variants of the Bushnell Trophy Cams have good battery life. They'll last you all deer season with fresh batteries.

+1 for the M880. I liked the 2013 model better than 2014.

Which brand and model are you guys using? The price ranges on "bug out bags" quite a bit. On the surface, many look the same: size, color, molle straps, etc. Is it worth getting a $150 5.11 Tactical over a $40 OPMOD? Also, what are your personal top 10 must-haves in your BOB? Looking forward to your guys' opinions, MM

HAH!

The CZ is nice. Only M&P I've held is the Shield. But the grip didn't feel right to me. I'm sure full size M&Ps feel differently.