There is a free range that is out 12 towards Beaver lake. If you follow the signs to War Eagle Mill, you will drive right past it. It is right after the turn off for 303, on your right in the Hobbs wildlife management area. That's where I usually go even though it is really designed as a rifle range, with the closest target stand being 25 yards. Most of the people out there shooting are using handguns. The month before hunting season starts then lots of people bring their rifles out to make sure they can still shoot them. (Put me in that group too I guess, I probably fire 5 rounds a year out of my 30.06, 6 rounds if I get my dear during the rifle season). I shoot about 100 times as many arrows in preparation of bow season.
There are advantages and disadvantages to the free/umnonitored range. The advantage is it's free and I can take my kids let them shoot till they get bored (which could be 1 round or 1000) and all it costs me is ammo. Sometimes there is nobody there but us, then we can take off our hearing protection and dry fire practice, teach, etc. more effectively. The disadvantage is everyone has to look out for everyone else.
Had one time that a guy had been out there by himself for over an hour when I got there and he was having a real bad time sighting in his rifle. Wasn't even on paper and no idea which direction he was off. He had gotten to the point that he shot once, walked up to check, made an adjustment, shot again, walked up, repeat. Since nobody was there he could do it. I had him take the bolt out of his rifle and I sighted down the bore to get it about centered and then had him adjust the sight that way. That got him on paper at least, but by this point 3 or 4 more guys had shown up so every spot is full. I went over to get ready to shoot again and he started shooting. What must have been just out of a habit he had formed, I watched him shoot one shot, get up, and start walking down to the target, while the rest of us were still firing. Several of us noticed and hollered for a cease fire and then watched him go all the way up to his target and walk back. On his way back he looks up to see all of us looking at him, and that was the point that he realized what he had done! He packed up and left out of embarrassment.
I don't think that this guy was generally unsafe. When I talked to him he was intelligent and knew how to handle a gun safely. I like to think I could never have made the same mistake but I think most people could. It was a combination of fatigue and allowing a bad habit (not looking around before going downrange) to creep in when he was alone at the range for that period of time. Since then, even when I'm alone I will holler out my intentions and look around before I start firing or go downrange.
leasantry: part of Arkansas. I'm in the Rogers/Bentonville area too. I've been looking for a good battle rifle to add to my tiny collection, but prices around here are suffering from Obamitis. :<
