Your thoughts about big and glitzty indoor ranges

[Lee's Landing Billy]

I'm lucky, my outdoor range has all metal targets from contact distance to 300 yards. Private, not open to the public..no members. My pard and I have the only 50 yard indoor range in the state that I am aware of. If ANY of you find yourself in the area stop by. Will show you around and if you have your blaster you can shoot too. We just lost an indoor range that had been open for over 30 years. Still have 2 left in the county. They seem to do pretty good. I just don't know how you overcome the initial outlay. The last one that opened cost over a half million.

 

[CATI1835]

If this is what it takes to get the "millennials" involved with shooting, I'm all for it. Most don't have access to outdoor spaces where they can shoot. More shooters, more 2nd amendment supporters. Me? I've got my own private range. Even the "millennials" are welcome, provided they truly want to learn.

 

[Oldfrt]

I just renewed my membership at the range down the street that opened a year ago. I cost $525 for me and my wife for a year, so we have to go at least 20 times to break even, we usually both get a lane next to each other otherwise I would never get to shoot. We go shooting at least once a week, more if the weather is crappy. The owner put a ton of money into the place to take care of the air quality, it is very well lit with 12 lanes. They also have a good selections of firearms to rent and lots of ammo to go with them. They also became the official range for both city police departments.

 

[smokindog]

Is that invitation open to 60 year old millennials from the DFW area?

If this is what it takes to get the "millennials" involved with shooting, I'm all for it. Most don't have access to outdoor spaces where they can shoot. More shooters, more 2nd amendment supporters. Me? I've got my own private range. Even the "millennials" are welcome, provided they truly want to learn.

 

[Arik]

Where exactly is this. I don't remember seeing a glitzy range in suburban Philadelphia. Which county? Township? I'd love to see it cause all the ones I've seen are concrete, dividers, backstop and lights.

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[robvious]

in our metro area we have had 4 new ones open in the past 2 years..
one is the old movie theater a block from where I grew up turned into a public/private "CLUB"... rated for 50BMG... so no complaints about shotguns and AR's... I know one of the "investors" and still haven't gone there to even look... still prefer outdoors...

 

[YogiBear]

Aloha,

Only one (outdoor) range on the entire island.

Most of us do Not enjoy shooting there.

When we settle in Texas,

I will start on the range.

The Wife is in charge of the house.

We both plan to enjoy the range.

 

[31FordA]

I prefer shooting outdoors, the only time I shoot on an indoor range is my yearly qualification. When I started shooting as a kid I just went out in the backyard to shoot, but that ended when someone thoughtlessly built a house behind us. I have been fortunate to belong to a private club for the last 25 years that is only 5 minutes from my house. All the ranges are outside, but have covered firing lines and are well maintained. With a 12/25yd pistol range, 100yd and 600yd rifle ranges, 100yd muzzleloader/sluggun range, clay bird field and archery ranges there is nothing I lack.

In the last few years I have been impressed by the number of new indoor ranges that have been built within an hour or so drive of my house. There used to be only two, now there are six. Each of these ranges cost millions of dollars to build, so their owners, and the banks, must believe it's a good risk. These ranges are all very nice, modern etc. They also all seem to be busy.

All these new ranges are a good sign. My club's membership is full, as are many other clubs around me. Without the commercial indoor ranges many people, especially new shooters, would have no place to shoot. The crowds at the range may be annoying at times, but it's a good sign for our sport. When I started shooting it was rare to see anybody under 40 and male at the range, now it's rare not to see guys and gals in their 20's there. There is safety in numbers, so the more shooters the better.

 

[Donn]

Being old school, I think shooting's like baseball. It's meant to be played outside in the daytime. However, due to the lack of nearby outdoor facilities, I shoot indoors. I don't like it, but as long as range safety rules are strictly enforced and the lighting's good, I'm kinda OK. That said, if it starts loading up, I'm out. Amateurs make me nervous. And I won't wait. If it's that crowded, I'll come back another day. One of the few advantages of being retired.

 

[VaTom]

10-4 on your post Donn. Retired three years now. Do what you want - when you want. As a friend of mine says " retirement is vastly under rated"

"Keep your powder dry!"

 

[Kruzen]

Indoor Ranges

I'm always kind of spooked by indoor ranges. They are often over crowded and full of newbies and of God knows who else. I like going to my local Sheriffs outdoor range that they open to the public on weekends. It is ran like a Marine Corps range. Extra emphasizes on gun safety and operated by Sheriffs deputies.

There are some good indoor ranges but they are not monitored very well in my opinion. All it takes is one deranged individual...Stay safe

 

[jscheck]

I'm switching to outdoor only!

We have two ranges in my town-one charges $15.00 an hour with $9.50 additional for each extra person in the lane, and the other charges $15.00 a day and $8.00 for each extra person in the lane. The first range is ok, but the cost is outrageous to me. The second is similar except less expensive however the staff are terrible! Arrogant horrible staff! The recent opening of an outdoor supervised range not too far away (and charging only $5.00 a day!) has been awesome! It was partially funded by the NRA and state government, has on site range masters who know their job. It offers rifle, pistol, and bow ranges. I wish it offered shotgun (does, but only slugs), but otherwise it's great!

 

[scooter123]

Had one open up about a mile from my house, was NOT impressed.

First negative was they had Gecko45, or an admirerer working the counter. Yeah a pistol on each leg in a LOOSE thigh holster and a bandolier across his chest with at least 6 magazine pouches attached. I kid you NOT, this guy looked like a cartoon character.

Second negative you couldn't shoot your own reloads, you either had to have sealed factory ammo or purchase their reloads. BTW they wanted 19.99 for a box of 50 reloads in 9mm parabellum. If you wanted some of there American Eagle in 9mm that was 29.99.

 

[Wise_A]

How about breathing?

You're not going to inhale anywhere near as much as you could transfer from your hands.

Like I said--if you work at one 40 hours a week, inhalation is something to be concerned about. That's why there was a shift over the past 50 years from having the rangemaster physically on the firing line, to a booth inside the range itself, to an observation booth separate from the range. But mostly, I suspect that those guys got their exposure from deposited particulates. In other words, not so much from directly inhaling airborne crud, but rather working in an environment where literally everything they touched was lead-contaminated.

It doesn't take much in terms of bad habits to give you a problem. Which is why you see old guys with high lead levels. Just like hearing damage, lead exposure wasn't understood or respected very well half a century ago.

 

[AJ]

Had one open up about a mile from my house, was NOT impressed.

First negative was they had Gecko45, or an admirerer working the counter. Yeah a pistol on each leg in a LOOSE thigh holster and a bandolier across his chest with at least 6 magazine pouches attached. I kid you NOT, this guy looked like a cartoon character.

Second negative you couldn't shoot your own reloads, you either had to have sealed factory ammo or purchase their reloads. BTW they wanted 19.99 for a box of 50 reloads in 9mm parabellum. If you wanted some of there American Eagle in 9mm that was 29.99.

Then express your displeasure by not going. Won't do any good as there are enough folks who won't care and will go. Look at all the Wannabee's out there.

 

[CATI1835]

Is that invitation open to 60 year old millennials from the DFW area?

Absolutely...

 

[codenamedave]

I figger if they help get more folks shooting, it's gotta be a good thing. OTOH, there's a good chance that the kind of people that would go to one (rich, and in CA most likely leftists) would be perfectly happy with all kinds of government restrictions on guns, as long as they had theirs.

A high-end club opened up in Sacramento a few few years back. The cheapest membership is a $200 initiation fee + $34 a month. Range fees for the hoi polloi are $17/hr per person, $20 on the 50 yard line. So if you go with a friend, that's $40 an hour.

After looking over their web site, I realized the only way I was walking into that place would be carrying a tray of hors d'oeuvres.

 

[Arik]

So....OP.....which range was it? PM me if you don't feel like posting it here

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[S&W Fan]

I must be one lucky guy when it comes to an indoor range. The one I belong to, Centennial Gun Club-suburb of Denver-is either reviled or adored. I'm in the middle. It's fairly new, well lit and ventilated, great programmable target system and has predominantly good range officers.

Their retail operation is a joke however-everything is priced at full retail. It's is very well stocked with everything from single action revolvers through full autos and suppressors.

I paid a one time fee of $200 when I initially joined a few years ago, pay $30/month for unlimited range access. Members can reserve lanes online, they have a wide selection of rentals (including full auto and suppressed weapons), recently added a well known local gunsmith and just added a 360 degree shooting simulator with simmunitions.

Plus it's 10-15 minutes from my front door.

 

[kschmider]

I live in the northern suburbs of Chicago and have only been shooting for 4 years. There aren’t really any outdoor ranges where I live but several indoor within 30-40 minutes. I usually go to a relatively new one in Crystal Lake which has excellent ventilation or a very large one in Elgin.
I have never shot outdoors but would imagine it is a totally different experience. I get kind of bored after an hour of just shooting paper in a straight line in a confined space.

I would love to have the layout that Hickok45 has. If I lived there I would have to pick up reloading as it would be too expensive to have his backyard otherwise! Note: Although I can’t walk out to my backyard and start shooting I do have 4 barbeque grills to keep me occupied.

Karl