Woman shot at popular shooting area in Buckeye

[deercrazy]

ABC15 is reporting that a woman was hit by a stray bullet at the Miller Road shooting area. Miller road is just north of I-10 in Buckeye, and is a VERY popular spot to target practice. It was reported that there was at least 100 people out shooting at the time. I have felt very nervous the few times that I have gone out there. People squeeze together and then throw out targets, or junk and start blasting. I have been hit in the back with a bullet fragment myself because lots of people are shooting at gongs. Two weeks ago I was out there on a Friday morning, about 20 cars were out there. A Cox Cable guy came around to each group and let them know that one of the Cox trucks had taken a stray bullet, and they called the police. They were working on the other side of the hill from the shooting area. I decided not to be the last guy out there and packed up.

 

This site has been popular for years, and with the Joe Foss shooting complex closed, has become even more over crowded. I understand that Game and Fish have come to terms to get Joe Foss complex open on the weekends through March. Hopefully this will not close the area to shooters, but it will also hopefully wake people up to the need for more safety.

[PRDATR]

I would imagine they have no choice to shut it down now or risk a huge lawsuit should someone get hit in the future. When and why did JF get shutdown?

[wildwoody]

Ya'll are dangerous,Bullets flying everywhere, sounds like a 22 elk hunt..

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

That place sucks big big big time, we went out there ounce and didn't shoot, we drove in in and drove out and went somewhere else.

[Phil Beavers]

I live out on the west side and I haven't shot at Miller Rd in over 10 years because its always crowded or they are building more stuff around it and I figure its closed. I used to shoot out there in the late 90's early 2000's and its always been like this. I've heard fully autos too.

 

Oh yeah I hear Joe Foss opened back up recently under another name though. My buddy's dad used to volunteer there and thats what he told me . Joe Foss closed down because they couldnt get enough help. Its all volunteers.

[elkaholic]

for all you weekend target shooters in tonto national forest - they have a no shooting zones map

 

new rules - about what type of targets/ backgrounds are legal - you must pick up your brass / trash

 

no more shooting at cans or clay pigeons throw out or anything other than a standing type target I just us a box big enough to glue my target on and toss a few small rocks or dirt in the bottom or those toss and shoot balls /something that will not be left behind are ok

 

​tonto officer sits with binos and watchs shooters in some of the popular areas by bartlette

 

Sorry to hear about the woman or anyone getting shot. - like usual a few ruin it for the many

 

officials need to solve the problem - county zoning to specific areas - post others off limits and make arrests of all idiot violators

 

a confiscating guns clause if more than 1 violation might get the attention in a problem area

[azphil]

With JF closed I've had to use Miller- definitely use at your own risk. Stay away from there on weekends and holidays. I've helped on the clean ups they had there - literally tons of trash is left out there - citations need to be issued. Check "Tread LIghtly" for clean up projects if interested in helping.

[bonecollector]

Last time I shot at queen valley it was stupid dangerous. I hate going to ranges as well, I feel more nervous there for some reason.

[stanley]

I'm curious what the land status is at the Miller location you guys are referencing? (North of I-10?) Just out of curiosity, I was looking at that area on my onX Hunt ap. Seems like a crazy checkerboard of private land, state land, National Guard land, Flood Control district land, etc...

 

Can someone share the exact location? Again, just curious....

 

Thx!

 

S.

[5guyshunting]

Last time I shot at queen valley it was stupid dangerous. I hate going to ranges as well, I feel more nervous there for some reason.

I shot there in the 80's and there were lots of people. I can believe the chaos now.

[COA]

I wish the was an annual publication and a certification needed to shoot in the desert. There is no standing guideline that is updated annually and joe public is hitting the hills and trashing these areas.

 

One offense that gets me are the rim fire only areas and joe public shooting water tanks and burms in these areas. I was out in this area and between myself and my truck was a water tank and three guys pulled up and started shooting 100s of rounds at the water hole. I had to circle out and was looking forward to educating them but they bailed out.

[wildwoody]

Can't fix stupid

[AZLance]

Probably some guy shooting his 6.5 Creedmore...

[mattys281]

They made such a mess in the white tanks off of Watson road that they closed that area and everyone e that was shooting there moved one exit further out to Miller rd.

 

It’s such a zoo, I’m honestly amazed nobody has been killed yet. I’ve shot out there 4 or 5 times. After the first time I learned, you get there at sun up and you’ve got about 90 minutes. If you stay any longer you’ll be in the middle of a war zone.

[brademan76]

Its funny after I moved to the west side, I checked land ownership maps and that area seemed the closest to get to that might allow shooting. Went there and was surprised to see all the trash from shooters and was disappointed that I wasn't discovering something new (or at least less well known). I've shot there a couple of times, but take stands and cardboard and always take it back out with me along with as many of my casings as I can find.

They made such a mess in the white tanks off of Watson road that they closed that area and everyone e that was shooting there moved one exit further out to Miller rd.

It’s such a zoo, I’m honestly amazed nobody has been killed yet. I’ve shot out there 4 or 5 times. After the first time I learned, you get there at sun up and you’ve got about 90 minutes. If you stay any longer you’ll be in the middle of a war zone.

 

Agreed I've only gone first light and during the week so haven't seen but a handful of folks out there.