No Firing Range in My City!

[Golden Hound]

I just got back from the Atterbury firing range in Edinburgh, IN, where I put a few hundred rounds through my beloved SKS. This is a wonderful range with a very professional staff and an extremely well-maintained facility, but it is still more than an hour's drive away from Bloomington, where I live. There is no firing range in Bloomington. I have been told that there was one once, on the IU campus, but it has long since been closed. This frustrates me to no end. I wish I could shoot without driving for an hour and wasting gas.

Is it feasible to try to organize an effort to petition the city to allow for a firing range to be built somewhere within the city limits here, provided that someone was willing to put forth the property? Surely they would turn a huge profit with all the local shooters, of which there are many, and provide a service to the community as well?

 

[brighamr]

Yes it is feasible. Shooting ranges can be built anywhere, but it's going to cost $$$ to startup.

Talk to other shooters in your area. Talk to the gun stores. See how many would be interested and go from there.

 

[Gunsby_Blazen]

i am in the same situation here in illinois....
i have to drive an hour to the range, and its just and ok range...
the only range that is close is the state police range and its not open to the public....

i think i heard that someone is building one in my parts, i dont know if it will go over well to tell you the truth. it takes alot of cash to get stuff like that going. i tell you what, i will ask around and see how much its costing the fellow.
i would say if there is a big enough shooting community around where you live and enough people support the idea; then go with it.
are you looking to start a private club or a commercial place?

 

[Siderite]

I was down in Freedom, IN for a appleseed shoot earlier this year. The range there is nice, and worth checking out. I don't know if this is any better than the drive to Edinburgh.
Freedom - Sycamore Valley Gun Club Freedom Range, 9 M south of Spencer, IN on SR 67, Freedom, IN 47431.
Phone: 812-332-8677
Facilities include: Outdoor Pistol (100 yds), Outdoor Rifle (100 yds), Muzzleloading
website: http://www.svgc.org/


More Indiana ranges at the NRA Range Registry
http://www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/findlocal.asp?State=IN

 

[ducktail]

I would be right surprised if the NRA does not have info available on how to organize a range/shooting club.

 

[Golden Hound]

Thanks for the info. There are all sorts of empty warehouses and other large buildings on the edges of town that could be made into a range, and are far away enough from populated areas of the town as to allay the fears of anti-gun people, but still conveniently located. I think it's just a matter of finding someone who'd be willing to put up the property.

I think any businessman with a sound instinct for making a profit would get on board with it - it's practically a guaranteed success. It would pay for itself very quickly. Between regular range fees, gun rental, ammo sales (which would be marked up very high probably, but people would buy it anyway) and all the other things they could sell, the place would be a mint.

 

[hawkhavn]

Golden Hound,

First off, I was/am, a member of the Club that had a range in Bloomington. It was located on Indiana University property and Myles Brand and Co. shut us down as well as the Trap/Skeet range and the police range. We have since moved over to Freedom where Siderite found us. We have purchased our own 150 acres and are busy rebuilding what we, and the community, lost.

There was an attempt several years ago to convert one of the industrial buildings on the west side into an indoor range, but that was never finalized. I suspect zoning or other city ordnances may have tripped it up. Do not underestimate the ability of the city/county to put the brakes on a business. Especially if isn't PC and in that city or county.

Our Club was recently contacted by Bloomington (Parks and Rec?) about them building a range on landfill property. So someone over there is looking into it still.

If you would like any info or want to take a look at our range in Freedom, let me know.

Siderite, thanks for the plug!

Hawkhavn
RWVA Instructor

 

[Golden Hound]

Brand..that jerk, I remember I was in high school when he fired Coach Knight. I was at the rally for Knight at Dunn Meadow...man talk about the biggest crowd you've ever seen.

Even more baffling is the fact that the police don't even have their own range here.

Ah well, sheer ignorance is the basis of 99 percent of firearms-related restrictions.