We've got a big family reunion coming up in South Lake Tahoe, and I thought it would be fun to bring some guns and take some family members shooting. Since it *is* California, I thought I'd better check first on what I can and can't do.

1. Can I only bring guns that are on the California approved list?
2. Can I only use 10 rd mags?
3. Anyone know where to go shooting around South Lake Tahoe?

Thanks

Funny, I go to Lake Tahoe at least 6-8 times/year, every year for the last 40-odd years, I've never gone shooting up there.

Well, being in South Shore, you're much more accessible to the free land known as Nevada. Why bother dealing with all the CA headaches when Nevada is simply ...just down the block. No seriously, if you've never been, it's as simple as crossing the street, see the casino's, they sit right up against the state line. All the business and property owners in South shore all live in Nevada, for a variety of obvious reasons.

I seriously doubt there is any place on the California side near Tahoe where one can legally shoot. (There isn't open BLM land like in Nevada.) As for indoor ranges, don't know anything about that. I second the motion to look into nearby Nevada; you might get lucky. Look for some gun clubs on the Nevada side as they might be able to steer you toward some Nevada ranges.
As for allowed guns, I wouldn't bring anything into California that is banned there, including magazines.

Well, I imagine there is BLM land near Tahoe. I just don't know where, but that should be easy to find. National Forest should be good to go too, just not a Wilderness area. As far as what you can and can't bring...

1. Bring any handgun you wish.
2. Do not bring anything CA might consider an assault weapon. This include just about every center fire semi-auto rifle with a pistol grip.
3. Do not bring any magazines over 10 rounds

There is a bit of info here on some leads:

http://www.calguns.net/calgunf...ex.php/t-513682.html

Bring no ARs configured for free America (standard mag release). No 11+ magazines. No pistols with threaded barrels. Otherwise your good to go. As noted. Try the Nevada side. Lots of free land there. In California you would need to be on forest land and generally a mile from The hiway road. If your driving up from the Bay Area or central CA side on 50 or 80 you will see plenty of forest roads to turn off onto.

El Dorado National forest is just outside South Lake on 50. Find a dirt road within the boundaries, pick a spot with a good back drop and have at it.

You can shoot whatever handgun you want, just don't bring mags with a capacity greater than 10 rounds or anything similar to an AR or an AK. Too much headache trying to get them to conform to our admins laws.

Otherwise, pick up your trash and have fun. Wave if you see an El Dorado SO Deputy, they're a top notch agency.

Each summer this area is plagued by human caused wildfires, some caused by target shooting. Please take the relatives to a shooting range, such as this one Douglas County in Gardnerville, NV, 25 miles from South Lake.

Yeah just roll over to NV, find an open patch of land and fire away.

If you want to shoot in Tahoe you'll have start early in the morning and row out to the middle of the lake

I'm not in Cali and not an expert, but did some research when my son was going out there for a year. One thing that stuck out to me besides the obvious is that you cannot have a handgun in a vehicle unless it is unloaded and in a locked container.

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
If you want to shoot in Tahoe you'll have start early in the morning and row out to the middle of the lake

But if I had a terrible boating accident, and all my guns ended up on the bottom of the lake, no one would believe me

I never shoot up there but please be careful if you go out into the forest to shot. Some areas are closed to shooting right now, even on the NV side, due to fire danger. Best bet is to check with the forest service or t county sheriff on both NV and CA side for go/no go locations. They can provide or point you to resources, maps, etc.

There's supposedly an inexpensive public range in Carson City which is a shortish, 45min?, drive from SLT.

Don't bring mags over 10 rounds to CA and don't bring non Californicated "assault weapons". Transport locked and unloaded. Glovebox doesn't count. Trunk or otherwise inaccessible. A locked case in the rear of an SUV is fine.