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Originally Posted by AJ
What is wrong with outdoor ranges? I will not go to an indoor range due to the quality of the air due the pollution from the burnt powder and lead in the air. Went to a FBI Firearms Instructors Course and the agent advised against indoor ranges. When stationed in Pittsburgh we had an indoor range that was closed due to lead, had to wear complete protective clothing and a respirator just to go into it after the EPA closed it. So for me no indoor ranges. Luckliy for me I have a great outdoor range 6 miles from my house. goshootingirc.com | Home |
Quote:
Originally Posted by BC38
Absolutely nothing wrong with the outdoor range - weather permitting. I actually prefer shooting outdoors.
You're in Florida, so this may sound odd to you, but up here in the opposite corner, we just got done with over 3 months of temperatures that never got above freeing, complete with over a foot of snow on the ground. Weather like that kinda puts a damper on the fun of going to an outdoor range.
Then there are also those who don't have an outdoor range nearby. I have one about 5 miles from my house and another one less than 10 miles from my vacation property at the lake. But some people aren't that lucky.
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I grew up in South Dakota and spent a fair bit of my adult life there. It wasn't unusual in December and January for the temperature to stay below zero for 2-3 weeks at a stretch.
When I was young I'd limit the range time to whatever was needed for zeroing, then go hunt rabbits or coyotes for the actual "shooting" bit. You can dress properly and deal with the cold. It's actually the heat in July and August that's harder to avoid.
If you're going to be shooting for an extended period in the winter (and I don't regard the 20-30 degree, almost no wind mornings in Florida as "winter"), for load development, etc, a 10x10 canopy tent with sidewalls on 3 sides to block the wind, along with a 15,000 BTU tank top propane space heater gives you a more or less an indoor range to put over your shooting bench.
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An indoor range does have it's uses. When I was stationed in Arlington, I used the NRA headquarters range on a weekly basis. It was loud, infested with too many wannabe shooters (the kind who think a mag dump with a 16" AR-15 in an indoor range is a good idea) and the ventilation and climate control was just adequate.
But on the positive side the target system was excellent letting you set distance, and target exposure times in a few different modes, including random presentation times between set high and low limits. It really helped me improve by ability to shoot accurately at speed.
The only major beef I had with them was the inconsistency in range officers. Some would have no issues with me drawing from concealment, while others would not allow anything other than a low ready, and still others would not even allow a low ready position - which made practicing pretty much a wasted effort. It also appeared to depend somewhat on the quality of the other shooters on the range, an indication that the RO's did not want to allow me to do something that other shooters could not potentially do safely.
If you look at the floor, ceiling and walls (especially on the outside lanes) at most indoor ranges, you'll see ample evidence of why range operators don't trust most shooters. Some shooters, present company excluded of course, are not all that bright.