New Union County Gun Range A Gem

The red line at the range serves as a safety precaution to ensure no one is handling a gun while people are downrange to check their targets. This is one of many built-in safety measures at the Union County Gun Range.

The Union County Gun Range opened to the public on June 27, 2024. This high-quality range is a testament to the ability of citizens and elected officials—with the will—to accomplish an amazing goal despite many obstacles.

Located about 15 minutes from Blairsville, this new gun range sits in a natural bowl on federal land that’s part of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The facility was built mostly with funds from the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937. The Pittman-Robertson Act placed a tax on firearms, ammunition, shooting and archery supplies. The money raised is reserved for projects like gun safety, shooting ranges, wildlife management. A similar excise tax on fishing equipment, through the Dingle-Johnson Act, helps fund fishery enhancements.

Seven years ago, Union County Sheriff Mack Mason placed a notice that the Sheriff’s Office was holding a concealed carry class. He also asked any citizens who were interested in forming a gun club to develop shooting opportunities in the area to come by after class. More than 150 people signed up and paid dues. This was the formation of the Union County Gun Club. Paul Clark was elected the first club president, an office he still holds. With strong support from Union County’s sole Commissioner, Lamar Paris, they started looking for a location for a range and the funds to support it.

Sheriff Mack Mason was instrumental in the formation of the Union County Gun Club and subsequent construction of the gun range and facilities.

Paperwork for a grant from Pittman-Robertson was complicated and time consuming, but they navigated through it. Sheriff Mason found the ideal site for a range, and they started working with the Forest Service, trying to get their help and support. This was not an easy task. With so many agencies involved, coordination was critical. Sheriff Mason stepped up to take the job of club liaison between them and various elected officials.

Construction on the range started in early 2023 and took about a year and a half to complete. A tremendous amount of dirt had to be moved, and many springheads created unexpected, time-consuming problems.

As you approach the range on Georgia Highway 180 East, you turn on Sonny Perdue Drive to enter. The road was named after our former governors who was Secretary of Agriculture under the first Trump Administration. Those involved with the project will tell you that without Sonny Perdue and his support, and cutting red tape from the Forest Service, the range would not exist.

Local hero MSGT Eric England, a famed retired Vietnam Sniper nicknamed the Phantom of Phu-Bai, inspired many of the folks working on the project with his love of and service to our great country. He still holds many military shooting records, and to honor his memory, the rifle range is dedicated in his name.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources supported and helped with administering funds. The Union County Gun Club gave a check for $90,000 from dues collected over the years from members to support the range. There is a trite saying, “it takes a village,” and in this case it did. They made the dream come true. The Union County Gun Range is one of the most modern shooting ranges in Georgia, and likely anywhere else.

“I was determined that if we were going to do this, we would do it right,” Commissioner Paris said.

The facility is run through the Union County Recreation Department. The total cost of the range is about $4 million, with about 90% coming from the Pittman-Robertson Act, and the other approximately 10%, or $500,000, coming from Union County.

When you enter the facility, you immediately notice the beautiful setting surrounded by mountains. The clean, neat lines of the three buildings stand out, as well, but it is what is inside and behind the buildings that is most impressive. On one side of the parking lot is the office and meeting building, which is named in honor of Sheriff Mack Mason. You can pay $15 a day for shooting privileges or pay an annual membership of $200 for an individual or $300 for a family. Your membership can get you discounts at nearby businesses, such as Alexander’s Outdoor Store and Brasstown Pharmacy Drug & Gun in Blairsville.

Inside the office building is a meeting room that will seat about 39 people for classes. Gun safety and concealed carry classes are held here.

Sheriff Mason is an Army MP Veteran, retired Georgia State Patrol Trooper, and Sheriff of Union County since 2013—as well as an avid hunter.

He said, “One of our main goals is to interest and help train young people in proper firearms safety and proficiency.”

The pistol and rifle ranges are in separate buildings. The 150-yard rifle range has 14 stations, and the 25-yard pistol range has 10 stations. Rifle rests are available. Breech flags are given to each shooter and are required to be in an open breech in every gun on the firing line any time the range is “cold.”

One of the first things you notice is the big bright red line about 3 feet behind the shooting stations. It runs the length of the building. No one is allowed on the shooting station side anytime the range is “cold.” That is when people are allowed to go downrange to check and change targets.

Safety lights at each station also warn when the range is hot or cold. A red flashing light and constant horn are hard to miss. I was embarrassed when, while the range was cold, I was talking to one of the range officers on duty, and without thinking, I took a step forward to get a close-up picture of the breech flag in a rifle on the bench. The range officer, a retired special forces member, quickly grabbed my arm and reminded me of the rule. That is how careful they are and how seriously they take safety.

Overhead lights and fans also enhance the shooters’ experience. State-of-the-art sound-proofing materials greatly mitigate the noise. There is always at least one range officer at each range during firing. Every range officer is required to be trained through the National Rifle Association Basic Range Safety Office Course. Several are Chief Range Safety Officers who are NRA certified.

A chamber flag, provided by the facility, is  required in an open breech anytime the range is cold.

The pistol range has a similar setup, with shooting benches, safety line and lights. The target frames are closer, as expected. On both ranges, large yard markers show distances from the shooting station. Not only does the range provide the public with a safe, modern place to shoot, it provides a place for law-enforcement training and certification. Both ranges and the classroom are used for this required training.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, U.S. Congressman from District 9, visited the range before it opened, since congressional duties kept him in Washington D.C. during the dedication. He is quoted in the June 26 edition of the North Georgia News saying, “The 2nd Amendment is what protects the 1st Amendment.” He said he was thankful his constituents get a chance to “really learn more about their Constitutional Rights by using the range.”

People from as far away as Atlanta have visited and shot on the range. Since there is a daily-fee option, infrequent visits are not prohibitive, and they are well worth the time.

The funding for the range comes from sportsmen and shooters. Titled the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, but commonly called the Pittman-Robertson Act, this excise tax was passed by Congress in 1937. Named after its two main supporters, Senator Key Pittman of Nevada and Congressman Willis Robertson of Virginia, the Act was supported by almost all sportsmen’s organizations and state wildlife agencies. In the early 20th century, there was an alarming decline in wildlife, so this Act was mainly used to address this crisis. It designates an excise tax collected from the manufacturers by the federal government on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment, and the funds are redistributed to states based on license sales numbers to be used by the states to fund wildlife restoration, hunting and shooting programs and facilities.

By sportsmen paying an 11% excise tax on long guns, ammunition and archery equipment, and a 10% excise tax on handguns, more than $10 billion have been used in wildlife restoration and hunter education. Funds can cover up to 90% of a project, with the rest coming from state hunting licenses revenue and other state and local sources. A key facet of the Act requires all money from state hunting licenses to go to administering state wildlife agencies, not into some general fund. In 1970, the Act was amended by Congress to allow funding for hunter-education programs and the development, operation and maintenance of public shooting ranges. That amendment was critical for the development of the Union County range and facility.

The group assembled at the pistol range during GON’s visit to Union County. Pictured left to right: North Georgia News editor Shawn Jarrard, Range Manager Craig Davenport, Union County Commissioner Lamar Paris, Union County Gun Club President Paul Clark, and Union County Sheriff Mack Mason.

When you pay your daily fee or join with an annual fee, you are required to watch a six-minute safety video just outside the office. You must sign a liability waiver. You must watch that video and sign the waiver once a year. Safety is the number one concern every day at the facility. You can buy caps and t-shirts, and Craig Davenport, Chief Range Officer, keeps a supply of the most common caliber ammunition for sale. You can buy a variety of targets also, from bull’s-eye to zombie. Hearing protection is available on the range, so you do not have to lug yours with you.

As a long-term secretary of the Griffin Gun Club, I have been fortunate enough to visit several gun ranges and know firsthand the difficulty of keeping ranges neat, clean and safe. I was extremely impressed with the Union County Gun Range in all aspects. It would be worth the scenic drive to Blairsville for a day of shooting, and for spending time in the local area, too.

Others interested in gun safety projects should do research on the funds available through the Pittman-Robertson Act. Sheriff Mason emphasized how important those funds were for their range. Up to 90% of these funds are available for shooting ranges, thanks to President Donald Trump having Congress raise grants from 75%. Georgia has been receiving more than $30 million per year lately, and the funds are distributed by DNR.

The Union County range is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. now that Daylight Saving Time ended. During Daylight Saving Time, it is open until 6 p.m. The range is open on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. year-round.

You can contact them at 706.970.4170, or go to their website www.unioncountyga.gov/parks-recreation/grange.