New indoor range, no handloads ?

[dogdoc]

They opened are a new indoor range in my town so I went in to check it out. To my surprise , no handloads allowed or even picking up brass. I think I will keep shooting outdoors. Most high volume shooters like myself handload so they are cutting off some business. No big deal for me as I have my own private place to shoot but would have been nice to shoot some at night.
I sometimes go to another indoor range in the town where I work and they have no such bs.


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[Muss Muggins]

That's a not uncommon rule at indoor ranges . . .

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

They want to sell you more of your ammo!

The lead from the bullet traps has become a major revenue source, and the brass a minor one!

The Cardinal Center Is about the 3rd largest Trap range in the country. (and 45 minutes from my house) After being in business for several years, they did start with a reclaiming contractor and went to self reclaiming in 4 months. They make (after expenses) several hundred thousand dollars a year just on reclaimed shot!

We have a bylaw at our club, only members are allowed to dig lead from the berms and backstops. Unwanted brass goes into 5 gallon buckets but only members are allowed to take any from them.

Ivan

 

[wingriderz]

I know of two indoor ranges in my home town one would only let you shoot what they sell. Other one no reloads

 

[dogdoc]

Well, no indoor ranges for me. They must appeal to the low volume casual shooter. We USPSA types or just heavy recreation shooters would waste too much money with those rules


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[pawngal]

In the past year I've shot at 4 different ranges in 3 states.
Never able to pick up brass past the firing line. I'm primarily a revolver shooter so I have always been able to keep my brass.
No steel case at 3 of the 4.
Commercial reloads OK, handloads questionable.
The states were Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri

 

[tndrfttom]

I'm very fortunate to have access to a semi-private indoor range with 24 hr access but I'm not allowed to bring in "guest" shooters. When I want to take someone shooting we have to go to a nice, nearby, indoor range/gunshop. The rules for ammo/reloads have changed as range ownership changed over the years. Long ago the store sold reloading equipment. One of the guys we shot with bought a reloading setup from the range and made his own ammunition. Less than a year later the owner adopted a "No Reloads" policy because someone had blown up a revolver. You guessed it, the guy that bought his reloader there couldn't shoot his reloads. He was mad but had no recourse but to stop using that range.

At one point the then owners adopted a brass policy of "If it hits the floor it belongs to the store". That was a turnoff to some people that bought the range's ammo and thought they should own the brass not just have the privilege of shooting the factory ammo (I felt that way too.) Someone said that if the store needed to rely on selling fired brass to stay in business there was a problem with their 'business model'. A few months later the place was sold again to new owners.

During the last ammo shortage the range would allow you to bring in commercial ammo bought elsewhere but they charged extra to shoot it on the range. Bringing in reloads was still forbidden.

 

[Gaffer]

To a indoor range it is part of their financial success. Building an indoor range is not cheap and selling the ammo is part of the business model to recoup the money spent and stay in business. Just the liability insurance alone would make most of us think twice about starting such a business. It is probably a insurance requirement as well to use factory ammo. Much deeper pockets to sue if a gun blows up etc.

 

[deadin]

They are probably trying to protect their backstops with the no handloads rule. Our local range doesn't allow any magnums or any FMJ because they can dent or "pit" the angle plate backstop. When this happens there is then a vertical surface presented to the firing line and backsplash (or worse) can occur.

As for not picking up brass, there's always some idiot that wants to stop the firing line so they can retrieve their brass. I've even been at a range where some clown was crawling around under the shooting benches, during live fire, gathering brass. That plus the arguments that can break out about just whose brass each piece is makes it easier to just outlaw it. (Last time I was at the range there was a guy that had lust got one of those "rollers" that pick up brass. He was running around behind the firing line gathering for all he was worth. When he started bumping my feet with it, I had enough.
(The secondary income from selling the brass probably is also a factor.)

 

[Nevada Ed]

Our rifle range allows reloads and picking up "Your" brass....
the two indoor ranges are black & white.

One is no reloads, no brass pick ups and the other indoor allows
reloads and brass pickup but there is no brooms, dust tray etc.
so you are handicapped on your first visit on your brass pick ups
if like me and handicapped, where I only picked up half of my 9mm cases.

When outside in the hills, my 9mm fly's into a big cardboard box or a net, no problems finding the spent cases.

You have to remember that they are there to make money.....
not receive minimal dividends.

ammo components at the end of the year can add up to a nice sum of $$$$.

Just bulk buy some cheap ammo or cases and get it over with................
Life is to short to get Ulsers over spent cases.

 

[MOONDAWG]

We used to have an indoor range here with the no reloads rule.

I just stock piled empty commercial ammo boxes in good condition and put my reloads in them.

Upon arrival they'd inspect your shooting bag, see the commercial boxes and wave you on to the firing line.

Badabingbadaboom...

 

[Spg007]

The indoor range i use allows it but the range officers cry about the smoke from the reloads lol. Isnt that what the ventilation system is for lol

 

[delcrossv]

I don't see how any range is going to stop me from emptying my cylinder into my bag.

 

[Steve K]

I'm sure the range owner is making a nice profit by keeping the brass and lead. However, I can see the point of not allowing reloads since some people will load very hot rounds and damage the steel backstop.

 

[brjr51]

The two indoor ranges I occasionally visit allow it. I've had the RSO at one ask if I reload when he was sweeping up brass, said I was welcome to it.

 

[Targets Guy]

That's too bad.

My indoor range in Massena, IA, has no such restrictions. 25 yard range, fully mechanized and you can shoot up to and including .50 caliber. No shotgun shells except for slugs. Pick up all the brass you want. They sell reloads and even have folks handloading for them. I am now buying wadcutters from the gentleman.

Very nice facility.

 

[Univibe]

Two deal killers at ranges:

1. No handloads.

2. I can't pick up my own brass.

 

[onebadvet]

I live in S Florida, and the indoor range doesn't allow hand loaded ammo thinking people will play with the loads, and use it in there range which can damage the back wall.
It's ok with me, I only shoot store bought ammo.

 

[imcrazy]

I've never been to a range that didn't allow me to pick up my brass.. Only restrictions I've seen around here has been on rifle ammo to prevent damage to the backstop.

 

[LVSteve]

I don't see how any range is going to stop me from emptying my cylinder into my bag.

Ahh, but that's not picking up brass, is it.

 

[MRB1]

I had one range that didn't allow reloads and when I told them that's all I had, he inspected nearly every round and gave me the thumbs up. I've seen some peoples reloads, and understand the ranges rule.

 

[chief38]

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!!

 

[H Richard]

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]

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.

 

[Cardboard_killer]

I've seen some peoples reloads, and understand the ranges rule.

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.

 

[df06]

I shot at an indoor range once, didn't care for it. I haven't shot a factory load in many years, rifle, shotgun or handgun. So, I'm sure not going to shoot some where that tells me what ammo I can shoot.

 

[BC38]

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.

 

[nachogrande]

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???

 

[LoboGunLeather]

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.

 

[sigp220.45]

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!