State's Glastonbury Shooting Range Reopens April 5

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that the Glastonbury Shooting Range is scheduled to open for supervised public use on Saturdays and Sundays starting Saturday, April 5, 2014, and remaining open through November 30, 2014.

The range is located within the Meshomasic State Forest off of Toll Gate Road in Glastonbury, and supervision will be by DEEP certified range safety officers.

Special access provisions will be made for hunters for the upcoming spring turkey season.

On the weekends of April 12-13 and April 19-20, one additional shooting bench will be held for walk-in shooters who can show a valid 2014 spring firearms turkey permit. This station will be set up with special frames, designed to accept larger targets unique to sighting in shotguns.

Range hours of operation will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on most Saturdays and Sundays only. The range will be closed to public use during all other times and DEEP Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police officers will strictly enforce hours of operation. There is no fee to use the range.

Reservations can be made only between the hours of 9 AM and 9:00 PM by contacting the DEEP Glastonbury Range Reservation Line at 860-424-3737 or by email to glastonburyrange@ct.gov on Mondays ONLY.   Any requests received on other days or before or after this time period will not be considered.

More detailed information, range rules, and directions are available on the DEEP website at www.ct.gov/deep/hunting , select “Target and Trap Shooting” under the 2014 Hunting Season menu.

Callers may make a single position and time slot reservation, which will be valid for up to three shooters in the same party.

Reservation requests must made by calling the above phone number or by email and providing the requestor’s full name, a daytime phone number, the day and range time period requested, and the number of shooters in the group, if applicable. All reservation requests will be confirmed by a call back or email from DEEP staff.

Due to high demand, only one time slot per shooter is available during each weekend and shooters may not make more than two reservations per month or use the range through the reservation system more than twice a month.

There is no restriction, however, on the number of days an individual may use the range on a walk-in basis.

A total of 10 covered shooting positions are available during two time periods: 10 a.m. to noon and noon to 2 p.m.. 

All shooters will be required to show proof of prior firearms training, such as a Connecticut Conservation Education/Firearms Safety (CE/FS) certificate, firearms hunting license, pistol permit, police credentials, or military identification. Those who cannot produce such qualifications must be directly supervised by a qualified person at all times.

Shooting position assignments will be made at the discretion of the range safety officer. Target stands will be provided at 25, 50, 75, and 100-yard distances, but shooters must supply their own targets and stapler or tape for target placement.

Only paper targets are allowed and shooters are reminded to bring eye and ear protection, which will be required at all times. Rifles, shotguns, pistols, and muzzleloading rifles may be used; however, fully automatic weapons are not permitted.

The site is handicapped accessible, with a specially designed shooting bench for wheelchair access, and includes portable sanitary facilities. Walk-in shooters will be accommodated for unreserved positions or as space becomes available. The range may be closed due to severe weather and staffing availability.

Connecticut’s Conservation Education/Firearms Safety Program receives funding for site improvements, range equipment, and seasonal staffing through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program. Under the Federal Aid program, sportsmen pay an excise fee on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment.

The funds are then distributed to the states for wildlife management and research, habitat acquisition, and hunter education programs.