Life in the Central Valley - Chapter 5: Plinking

I’ve been waiting quite a while to write this article. As such, I will call this one a “Life in the Central Valley Special” because, yes, shooting is a very big part of Central Valley culture. Every so often, maybe once a month or so, my buddies and I will travel about an hour east of Lodi to an undisclosed location on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land, to do some target shooting. Why? 1. Because we can (legally). 2. Because it’s fun. 3. It’s a great way to do some outdoor bonding with your guy friends (it certainly beats playing Fortnite in the basement).

On these day trips, we usually leave late in the morning and arrive at our location around noon. Getting there is a whole adventure by itself. As you get closer to the designated BLM area, the roads get narrower and turn into dirt. There is also lots of steep and bumpy terrain, so it may help to bring a 4x4 truck if you have one. Depending on the chosen day, you and your group may be the only ones at the spot, or you may find plenty of other people already there. Either way, everyone is respectful of each other's space, and everyone is taking the necessary precautions to discharge their weapons safely (good trigger discipline and muzzle awareness). It is up to you and your group to provide your own firearms, targets, and ammunition. With proper planning amongst you and your buddies, the sky's the limit when it comes to what you can practice. You’ll find others running concealed carry drills, practicing long distance target shooting, or even shooting clay pigeons.

On our last trip there, we brought two trucks filled with steel targets, target frames, a canopy, a table, and about 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Don’t forget to bring LOTS of water, especially during the summer. Central Valley summers can get brutal (our peak temperature this July is supposed to reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit). We spent about 6 hours shooting on our last trip, mainly focusing on short to medium range target shooting. I also got the opportunity to do some clay pigeon shooting for the first time. It’s definitely a skill that takes a lot of foresight and anticipation (not to mention many hours of practice). My first 6 or 7 pulls were all misses. But after being given some pointers by another local shooter, I was able to gain some consistent hits on the following pulls.

Ammunition is also not the cheapest thing in the world, with the average price for a single .223 round being $0.67 (about $0.45 for a single 9mm round). This being said, my only advice is to take your time and try to make each shot count. Let me tell you, you can literally hear your money fly out of the ejection port each time you shoot. All in all, shooting can be an expensive activity to partake in, but definitely worth the experience and bonding time that you are gaining with your friends. This is why we only do it once a month. Anyways, happy plinking. God bless.

-Producer Reese