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.