New indoor range, no handloads ?
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That would DEFINITELY be the deal breaker for me! I shoot mostly hand loads and if they would not let me at least pick u my own brass - I'd be out of there in a heart beat!!
I only shoot handloads. We have no commercial indoor range in our area, but an outdoor range has mostly all grass, and if I can find 50 % of my 9mm or 380 brass I feel lucky. I often put out an 8'x10' tarp to catch brass, but the different guns don't throw it in the same area.
muddocktor
Member
My brother was telling me about an indoor range that opened up recently around Lafayette, LA and when he dropped by there they told him no reloads and no other ammo except ammo they sold. He told them to put it in the body component that goes over the fence last and walked out. The indoor range that used to be in Lafayette closed the range down and now just sell guns and supplies. And I think there is another new one that opened too, but don't know anything about it.
I'll stick with the outdoor range I already belong to I guess. I have no interest in spending good money on range ammo when I can reload much cheaper.
I'll stick with the outdoor range I already belong to I guess. I have no interest in spending good money on range ammo when I can reload much cheaper.
Cardboard_killer
Member
Amen. I've seen some very disturbing looking reloads. I was at my range one day and an older man was shooting and every round was an adventure, misfires, but at least one squib, which is when the RO stopped him and asked him about the ammo, and the man said he bought it from some guy in a grocery store parking lot, because it was cheap and he couldn't afford ammo. The RO shut him down even though our range has no issue with reloads.
No reloads in their rental guns - OK.
No bare lead reloads - also OK
No reloads PERIOD? Forget it.
No picking up MY brass? Kiss my... posterior.
If they can't make a go of it on range fees and have to sell me cheap factory ammo at inflated prices or steal the brass I paid for then they need to revise their business model IMO.
No bare lead reloads - also OK
No reloads PERIOD? Forget it.
No picking up MY brass? Kiss my... posterior.
If they can't make a go of it on range fees and have to sell me cheap factory ammo at inflated prices or steal the brass I paid for then they need to revise their business model IMO.
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nachogrande
Member
I CAN SEE THEIR CONCERNS
Using reloads from a ranges liability insurance standpoint I get, the using THEIR sold ammo/targets/ AND keeping the brass, not so much!
I payed a fair to high price to get in there. A bigger concern (for me) is a lack of safety. 1 "range officer" sitting outside in the store watching a TV screen is kinda too little too late, depending on the shooters. The more RO's the better & they should be close enough to get hands on quickly IMO. My last indoor visit the Bozo a few lanes down showing off his plastic fantastic with a laser to his Bimbo lit up the place like a disco ball. As a reloader I invest time & effort into my brass, so I won't be shooting any semi's there unless it's old brass I no longer want, or 22's. Now how did those reloads find their way into a new box???
Using reloads from a ranges liability insurance standpoint I get, the using THEIR sold ammo/targets/ AND keeping the brass, not so much!
I payed a fair to high price to get in there. A bigger concern (for me) is a lack of safety. 1 "range officer" sitting outside in the store watching a TV screen is kinda too little too late, depending on the shooters. The more RO's the better & they should be close enough to get hands on quickly IMO. My last indoor visit the Bozo a few lanes down showing off his plastic fantastic with a laser to his Bimbo lit up the place like a disco ball. As a reloader I invest time & effort into my brass, so I won't be shooting any semi's there unless it's old brass I no longer want, or 22's. Now how did those reloads find their way into a new box???
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LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
I have a couple of guns purchased new over 40 years ago and never fired with factory ammo.
I purchase factory-made ammo very, very rarely. Usually just the carry ammo for my defensive handguns, and one box per year per gun is about all I ever need.
The indoor range of which I am a member has some rules:
1. Any handgun up to .45 caliber, magnums OK.
2. No shotguns.
3. No machineguns.
4. Clean up your own shooting station. Take your brass with you or throw it in the barrel. What goes into the barrel belongs to the club.
5. No pistol-caliber rifles or carbines.
6. No center-fire rifles.
The club went to the expense of rebuilding the range to NRA-recommended specifications several years ago. Wasn't cheap and we want it to last a long time.
I appreciate having a nice facility 2 miles from home where I have 24/7 access with my membership card. Over 2 dozen security cameras monitoring every part of the range and every shooting station, tapes reviewed for safety and rules violations. Open to the public two evenings per week with RSOs on duty to keep things safe and sane.
This range has been at the same location since the 1930's. You can't argue with success and good club management.
I purchase factory-made ammo very, very rarely. Usually just the carry ammo for my defensive handguns, and one box per year per gun is about all I ever need.
The indoor range of which I am a member has some rules:
1. Any handgun up to .45 caliber, magnums OK.
2. No shotguns.
3. No machineguns.
4. Clean up your own shooting station. Take your brass with you or throw it in the barrel. What goes into the barrel belongs to the club.
5. No pistol-caliber rifles or carbines.
6. No center-fire rifles.
The club went to the expense of rebuilding the range to NRA-recommended specifications several years ago. Wasn't cheap and we want it to last a long time.
I appreciate having a nice facility 2 miles from home where I have 24/7 access with my membership card. Over 2 dozen security cameras monitoring every part of the range and every shooting station, tapes reviewed for safety and rules violations. Open to the public two evenings per week with RSOs on duty to keep things safe and sane.
This range has been at the same location since the 1930's. You can't argue with success and good club management.
sigp220.45
US Veteran
My range doesn't have any rules about picking up brass, but I do. If it flies out the gun, I don't pick it up. If I dump it in my hand, I keep it. I don't reload .25, .32, .380, 9mm, or .40, so if someone wants that brass they are welcome to it. I have .45 ACP revolvers so I save that even though I don't reload it yet. If I shoot it out of a semi-auto: adios brass, its been good to know ya.
They also don't mind reloads, which does vex some of the other shooters who don't understand that gunsmoke isn't just an old TV series. My buddy was shooting some .44 Specials reloaded with 2400, and one of the young 'uns complained to management that he was shooting black powder!
They also don't mind reloads, which does vex some of the other shooters who don't understand that gunsmoke isn't just an old TV series. My buddy was shooting some .44 Specials reloaded with 2400, and one of the young 'uns complained to management that he was shooting black powder!
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Here's my gun range. Its obvious I don't use it much in the winter.
There are really only two rules.
1. don't shoot towards the freeway
2. pick up your brass and trash
I've only ever been to one indoor range and I couldn't tell you if they let people pick their brass up or not. Doesn't matter to me because I don't reload.
Only being able to shoot their ammo is a joke to me. I'd never spend a dime there.
Jeff423
US Veteran
In the three indoor ranges that I have used here (western part of the St. Louis Metropolitan area) you can:
*Use handloads - unless you are renting on of their guns and then you have to buy ammo from them.
*Recover brass
*Recover brass in front of the firing lane if you are using a broom and you don't cross the firing line.
Although so few people recover brass I don't think their scrap sales are hurt much.
Jeff423
US Veteran
Slightly off topic but for a while the ranges I described above were checking with a magnet all the rifle ammo you brought in for steel cores. That seems to have stopped - did that ammo go away?
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If you ever get over to South County, try this one:
Sharpshooters St Louis Indoor Shooting Range
Run by a retired FBI agent buddy of mine. Good food also . . .
Sharpshooters St Louis Indoor Shooting Range
Run by a retired FBI agent buddy of mine. Good food also . . .
Jeff423
US Veteran
That's one of the ones I described. I belonged there until I moved to St. Charles County.
They had/have a great lunch special if you shot there. I always went down about 11.
double-dipper
Member
In todays sue happy world I can understand "no handloads or reloads allowed"
I personally have never shot at an indoor range. I own some property and constructed an outdoor range about 100 yards from my back door.
I personally have never shot at an indoor range. I own some property and constructed an outdoor range about 100 yards from my back door.
oneounceload
Member
I agree about the reloads, especially when it is their gun rental.
Last indoor range, very few reloaded, so I would ask if they did and when they said no, they would either give theirs or let me sweep it up. I ALWAYS came home with a lot more than I started with.
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It's kind of hard to believe they expect one NOT to pick up his own property! Even if you buy their ammo, once you pay for it- it's YOUR property! I'd like to see someone sue them for not allowing the retrieval of ones own property! It's bad enough they force you to buy their ammo - it's sadder that once you buy it they are telling you they are stealing it back!
Really??? You would expect to be able to call a ceasefire to go past the firing line to pick up "your" brass? If I was paying an hourly lane rental I surely wouldn't appreciate that going against my time.
joeintexas
US Veteran
The outdoor gun club I belong to here is really a good one. Very few restrictions that don't involve safety issues. Went to the club this morning, the range officer came over asked if I had reloaded some 45s with WST, I said I had and she wanted to fire a few off because she was thinking about loading with it. Now that's a cool range.
There is an indoor range in town that I have never been to and will never go. You either buy their ammo or pay a $10 additional lane fee and no picking up brass. Not sure about other restrictions, I heard about these and that was enough for me.
There is an indoor range in town that I have never been to and will never go. You either buy their ammo or pay a $10 additional lane fee and no picking up brass. Not sure about other restrictions, I heard about these and that was enough for me.
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