Public Shooting Range Opens in Franklin County

The North Hansell Range is open for the season. This entirely volunteer run range is located in Hansell and is the only public shooting range in Franklin County.

Run by Ray Baltes and a group of dedicated volunteers, the range opened back in 2008.

“It started with a few places to shoot at one hundred and two hundred yards,” said Baltes. “Within the first few years, we had lots more built.”

An experienced shooter, Baltes has been active in target shooting for several decades.

“I had been a competitive shooter back in the late 80s and early 90s. I started in skeet shooting and rifle shooting and then eventually became an instructor.”

Since then, he has been a rifle instructor for the 4-H, a merit badge counselor for the Boy Scouts of America, a shotgun coach and pistol instructor with the NRA, and is part of the Amateur Trapshooting Association of America.

Baltes worked with the county supervisors and the county conservation to scout out the perfect location and they settled on a piece of land roughly two miles north of Hansell which was originally the old landfill for Hampton. With a lot of work and help from volunteers, Baltes helped orchestrate the building of the range.

“We always had a lot of construction volunteers,” said Baltes. “The dedication of volunteers has really helped.”

What started as something so small has grown into a family friendly, handicap accessible shooting range. The range officers that monitor and help out are trained in first aid, trauma care, and gun safety.

“No one will ever shoot alone. There is always a range officer on staff,” said Baltes.

Range officer and volunteer Bruce Cooper has been coming to the range for many years.

“I came here to shoot and wanted to get involved,” Cooper said.

Cooper enjoys time at the range and works most Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

“It’s people like that that keeps us going,” Baltes said. “We are always looking for volunteers.”

Baltes is hopeful that they will one day be able to have 600 yard targets and are looking to get steel targets. The steel ones are far more reactive than a normal target and Baltes mentioned how people enjoy getting that kind of a reaction out of a shot.

“People are always looking for good places to shoot,” said Baltes.

Alongside the hope for new targets, the range would like to have a new clay pigeon launcher and a few more buildings to expand their range. But to do that, the range will need more money.

“We have done all we can do with what we have,” said Baltes. “People just need to know we are here.”

The range is looking to start hosting events to try and garner more attendance. Some of the events that they have considered are women only, law enforcement only, opening up the range to the Hampton-Dumont trap shooting team for practice if possible, or just a trap shooting event day. A yearly event that they do host is Jerry’s Machine Guns. This event is a safe demonstration and opportunity to use machine guns for people to come out to try and learn more. This is an equal opportunity for everyone and all are welcome.

“We get more people from outside Franklin County,” said Baltes. “We know the events we want to do, but events cost money.”

The range has a GoFundMe page to try and raise more funds for their future plans. It currently sits at $325 out of $3000 and any little bit helps.

“It’s a really nice place and we have done a lot, but could do more with money,” said Baltes.