Nevada: Recreational Shooting/Target Practice

I need help understanding the legal rights for recreational shooting in Las Vegas. I’ve visited other websites and forums for info but only to find myself more confused or either misinformed. The map from these websites are also not that helpful for me - not sure what I’m looking at.

From what I learned, I think it’s safe to practice at any land administered by BLM. Pretty much anywhere out in the desert away from the cities, residential, private properties and businesses of course. However, I’m not sure how accurate this is.

There are some recommended places to go to that I’ve found such as Sloan, but some people are saying it’s a terrible place as it gets crowded with people shooting around irresponsibly creating a risky unsafe environment. I can’t trust sharing spaces with people who are especially new to firearms going out in the desert for the first time without professional/expert guidance. Also, people are known to do some wild stuff out there and not clean after themselves.

I guess what I’m looking for is some clarification about where I can practice in Nevada. Can I drive anywhere on BLM territory and setup my range or do I need to be at specific/designated coordinates? Are there any better maps that shows approved/legal areas for recreational shooting?

These are the sites I been to that aren’t very clear to me:

https://www.blm.gov/visit/recreational-shooting

If you have experience in recreational shooting in Nevada, I’d love to get your input, advices and suggestions.

TYIA

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Although the BLM website says that target shooting is generally allowed on BLM land, the county has the ability to set stricter regulations in regard to where people can shoot. So for example, if BLM says that a specific area in Clark county is ok to practice shooting, but Clark county later decides that the area is not acceptable for target shooting, the county ruling is what would stand, regardless of BLM guidelines.

In regard to some of the recommended places listed on the map and various websites, I have gone to a few recently and some are still pretty decent. I actually was just at the Sloan site a couple of weeks ago for a few hours and on that day, things were fine. The Sloan area is ok, but I can definitely understand and agree with why some people think it is a terrible place.

For one, it is the closest open shooting area from the strip, so it’s usually going to be crowded, and it’s also the place that just about any new gun owner goes to when they want to shoot that gun for the first time. Not all new gun owners take the time to learn the safety rules of course, and not all of them know the laws about needing to be at least a half mile away from the freeway when shooting. These are obvious issues and why a lot of people are hesitant going to Sloan.

I also think that the description from Nevadacarry.org in regard to Sloan is a very accurate statement. When I was at the Sloan location recently, I did notice quite a few people that were shooting within a half mile from the freeway. (there are markers there so you know once you have gone passed the required distance) After being there for a couple of hours, I did see a BLM officer pull in and appeared to be ticketing people that were shooting inside the 1/2 mile area. I am not sure how often BLM has been able to be able to patrol the area, but it does help knowing they do.

Have you looked into the Clark County Shooting Complex? That is a great place for outdoor shooting. They charge $10 for two hours of target shooting and they have quite a few armed instructors out there making sure that all safety procedures are being followed. That really is a great place, and they have recently extended their hours which is pretty cool.

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It’s a bit of a drive from Vegas, but there’s a good place to shoot in Pahrump. Bell Vista Road. It’s BLM land and designated for shooting. Numerous berms. Just clean up after yourself and you’re gold.

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Welcome to the family and you are in the right place at the right time.

Some friends and I go out to Indian Springs sometimes but it gets to be a pain to pack stands, targets, and get out there. Clark Country is a good deal for the most part. The little intermissions can be a pain but overall a good experience.

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