UPDATED Ohio's shooters facing virus-led ammo runs and shooting range closures

Ohio shooters are not only finding ammunition being in short supply during the on-going cronoavirus crisis, they’re also are having difficulty in locating a place to use the rounds.

The crisis has led to a serious supply-and-demand issue; the latter exceeding the former. As shooters scarf up high-demand ammunition, leading to some firearms-ammunition dealers being out of the most popular calibers.

Or else these sellers have taken to restricting the amount of ammunition in certain calibers that a person can buy at any one time.

Going to a gun show won’t work, either. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s decree to limit the number of people who can gather at any one time has shut down for the moment all gun-knife shows in the state.

If this double whammy were not enough, the Ohio Division of Wildlife has closed down its so-called Class A supervised shooting ranges during the crisis period.

Also, the agency’s other shooting ranges will be open, but are limited to no more than 10 participants at a time, the Wildlife Division says.

The Wildlife Division has five designated Class A shooting ranges, though in practicality only two are currently operational: the one at the Deer Creek Wildlife Area in Fayette County and the one at the Grand River Wildlife Area in Trumbull County.

While the shooting range at the Delaware Wildlife Area in Delaware County is currently undergoing renovations, the nearby Cardinal Shooting Center will honor agency-issued shooting range permits for one hour from Thursday through Sunday, the Wildlife Division says.

Similarly, access to the Tranquility Wildlife Area rifle-pistol range remains closed until further notice, the Wildlife Division says.

Ohio Division of Wildlife-issued shooting range permits cost $5 daily or $24 annually.

As of right now, says the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Chief of Communications, Sarah Wickman, the agency’s “outdoor spaces are open to the public and we hope to keep them that way.”


“We know how important it is for people to be able to enjoy the outdoors,” Wickman said.

Wickman said as well the agency is closely monitoring the situation “and will make any changes that the conditions warrant for the health and safety of our staff the public.”

For the latest information on the Department operations during the coronavirus outbreak visit the agency’s web site at www.ohiodnr.gov.
Shooters are also finding that because of DeWine’s order shuttering establishments that cater to the public, private shooting ranges have curtail use of their indoor shooting ranges.

Among those operations is Shoot Point Blank, which operates indoor ranges in seven states including six such ranges in Ohio with another one planned.

Those indoor ranges in Ohio remain darkened though firearms and ammunition sales continue.

- BY Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
JFrischk4@Gmail.com