so my range membership is coming up for renewal...

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lsudave

lsudave

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I'm paying for a family plan for an indoor place near the house. They've allowed me to keep this after my son technically outgrew the age, since we started while he was still under.

I'm strongly considering letting it lapse, for the following reasons:
It's $15 a day per person, now up to $500 a year for the family membership.
  • Members used to be able to come in after hours and shoot (range would close at 7, but we'd get a magnetic card and would be allowed to shoot until 9, local noise ordinances stop it after that). They've stopped allowing us to come in after closing.
  • FFL transfers used to be $35 for general public, $20 for members. My last transfer, I was told that also stopped, and had to pay the full $35.
So, that's 2 benefits that are gone. We used to go every week, maybe twice a week a few times, but that's all stopped for now. I have enough ammo to last awhile, but I'm not going to burn through a couple hundred every month right now. We used to shoot at least 100 rds of 9mm, often 200 rds, every session, with quite a few rifle calibers in that mix too. I'm stocked for a year's worth at that pace... but have cut way back.

So, what should I do? I do like supporting the local guys, and it's fun... but I didn't appreciate finding out the hard way on the transfer change. And I used the after-hours option a fair amount, due to work and other stuff. We cleaned up after ourselves, but apparently others didn't at some point.
There's a WMA with an outdoor range about an hour's drive, you can shoot during daylight for free if you have any type of license. I find that a bit nicer for the rifles, but I did appreciate being 10 minutes away.
 
Will you be using it enough to justify this cost? That is the big question I would think. My localish indoor private range is $50 a year with 24/7 access to a 50 foot indoor range/clubhouse with kitchen. Also a 100 YD outside rifle range/pistol range/ skeet area. To get there it is 20 miles one way so I usually take some burger, buns and a salad then make a day of it. Nothing quite like sitting outdoors with a Seabreeze on the 100 YD range working up a load with friends nearby. Some that belong complain about the high price sadly!
 
Can you do better somewhere else? If not, and if you want to shoot then you may just have to pay the price. That is a lot more money than I pay. And the range where I shoot is higher than many others, but is also nicer and closer.
 
There's no way I'd make a two hour roundtrip drive to go shoot guns. I'd renew at the range before I'd spend that kind of driving time just to shoot.
 
And take into account the fuel bill to get to the WMA range, my diesel uses about 10 gallons getting to our WMA range an hour away, I go there when ever I want to shoot the 50, our local ranges don't allow the BMG. 10 Gallons of diesel in Florida is around $30.

Keith
 
Convenience is king, and you're saving your son a membership which probably is some extra too.
 
If you depend on the 1 hour away option , your shooting sessions will decrease significantly.

The membership cost of your local option (which would be offset somewhat by fuel cost if you decline renewal) is immaterial - the primary factor here is : Do you wish to maintain proficiency and enjoy shooting on a regular basis?
If yes , then renew. Reduce rounds per session perhaps , but renew.
If , on the other hand , you prioritize cost , then let it lapse. You'll surely reduce ammo burn because you probably won't be making that drive very often. Also , coordinating a session with your son will be much more difficult.

My time is precious to me. Life is short ; the days seem to pass more quickly each year. (A bit scary , that...) No way would I put myself in a position where I'd have to drive an hour each way to reel off a few rounds.
Your call.
 
I'm in a similar situation. The range that I've had a membership at for years has had some changes lately. The membership price has gone up, the per-day rate has increased, and what really got me was the guest rate doubled. I like to bring new shooters out and at $30 a pop, that's a bit steep. Now, if that was the only best option within an hour's drive, I may say fine, it is what it is. But there's another facility, same distance, that is $15 to use the range, no membership required. That's where I go now. Both are outdoor, and out in the country and have good oversight from the R.O's. I've stopped going to the indoor ranges in our area all together, as the prices have gone squirrely and the clients at the newer, larger places make me nervous. A lot of inexperienced shooters with a lot of enthusiasm but little direction.
But I digress, as for the OP's situation, I would probably take a year off from the membership. You'll be shooting less, but your shooting volume is down anyway due to the ammo situation. If your current membership is still valid, I might stop in, and let them know why you're not renewing. That's what I did at my old range. I doubt they cared much as they're volume has at least doubled over 2020.
 
The drive time wouldn’t bother me so much since every public range I have ever been to was a pretty big waste of time. Too many people in general, trash shooters, etc. Just my experience with them.

In a twisted way, I am glad do see someone else who pays $500+ a year for their range. There was a thread a bit back about this and it seemed like everyone else was paying half that and less. I don’t have to pay day rates on top of my membership fee though. That is something I would not like.

My range is excellent and has a long waiting list. I am reluctant to give it up because of that even though I use it a whole lot less these days. It’s 45 mins away too. I also own a large enough tract of land sufficiently far out in the sticks to shoot at if I so desired. It’s 2 hrs away though. That is a bit too far.

The changes that have happened at your range are disappointing but try to look at it objectively. Is it still the best deal going for you to still be able to shoot? Are you just disappointed in the ammo situation?

would want to still be a member of the range if it was 2019 and things were good again? If so then keep the membership.
 
Range memberships around my area are approx $200 a year. If you buy a gun, they offer half price off off an annual range membership fee. I refuse to pay $500. That seems like It's on the extremely high end of the spectrum for range memberships. I suspect that there isn't much competition around were the OP lives, and the LGS is taking advantage.

Transfer fees around me are $15 -$25 per tranfer to $20 for up to 3 tranfers in one transaction.

Ammo prices are high right now, and no one is shooting or going to the range as much as they use to. I wouldn't risk shooting up my stockpile not knowing what the future holds. OP, I'd suggest just going once a month which would be $360 for the year. Me personly if I was you and because I'm suborn, I'd take the hour drive to give my business to the other range out of spite and principal.
 
My local indoor range is 300 bucks a year unlimited visits and 45 ft max line with auto target deal. 10 bucks a visit other wise so it would take 30 visits to make up the difference. .357 mag is max so that cuts out my .44s. I shoot a lot of rifle as well but the local outdoor range closed when they lost their lease on the back rifle range. I now drive an hour to the rifle/pistol range that is really nice but only 100 yd line max. They have different types of memberships including an air conditioned section in both rifle an pistol. $350 unlimited visits and unlimited guns or $100 bucks and $15 a visit. Their is another range closer but they only open Friday-Sunday and not till noon on Friday. I don't do weekend range time when all of the unknown crowds come out. I just take the hour drive and enjoy it. Go early and stop at a little taco joint on the way back for lunch and enjoy it...
 
I live 3.8 miles away from my indoor range. I have only one traffic light and two stop signs to deal with so the ride is a breeze. An individual range membership costs $250 annually. The non-member hourly rate is $20 per hour. So if I were not a member who went to the range once a month I would pay $240 for the 12 hours. So it is a no-brainer for me because I can go once a week for the extra $10. I’d have to be stupid to not buy a membership. While I have been a bit stupid at times in some things I am not when it comes to money.
 
I feel bad for some of you who have to pay a lot or travel long distance to shoot. I'm not sure how I'd handle that situation. I belong to an indoor range for $15/month which gives me unlimited range time during business hours. They are open 7 days a week and only 2 miles from my house. I hardly ever shoot there in the summer as I also belong to a club with multiple outdoor ranges and 24/7 access for members. That place is $35/year and roughly 10 miles away.

I'm sure I'd pay a lot more to shoot if I had to, but I'm glad I have affordable options. I often shoot 3 or 4 times a week. I could never do that if I had to pay on a per visit basis.
 
Hard to justify on pure economics in the panicdemic era of ammo and component shortages, but...
I have several "memberships" which might not all be economically sound, but I am paying for convenience.

One of those gets me four transfers a year at no extra charge. Not a big thing, I have mailordered one gun for them to paper in three years.
 
The place I belong to is about $115 per year, run of the place with as many guests as you want to bring. The only exception being if the lodge is rented out or a shooting class is taking place. What’s nice is membership is capped at 110 members.
 
There is a very big outdoor range about an hour's drive away from my house . The range bases membership dues based in part on how far away you are from the range. My dues would be half of the dues of someone living next door to the range. This seems to me to be smart policy.
 
tark said:
My dues would be half of the dues of someone living next door to the range. This seems to me to be smart policy
Click to expand...
That's different. Seems odd, but understandable. If they don't make it financially worthwhile, the people farther away won't bother coming at all.

I pay $10 for 6 months, then $10/half hour for indoor pistol. It's nice for load workup and finding brass, but I don't use it much beyond that. We really lack an outdoor range where someone could shoot past 100yards. I'd pay a couple hundred bucks a year easily if one was within 10 miles of my house.
 
tark said:
The range bases membership dues based in part on how far away you are from the range.
Click to expand...

I know of one like that. A friend gets a "distant member" rate for going 50 miles to shoot 1200 yards.

I have a "match membership" at a place that holds weekly USPSA. It is a considerable savings, IF you go every week; even twice a month is a savings. But that is for matches only, it does not include casual shooting, that is a "range membership." No matter, I have ranges much closer to home for practice.
 
If I want to shoot registered tournament sporting clays, it is a 2.5 hour drive each way - either West or Southeast to two clubs. The other closest is a mere 1h45m but only throws tournaments for 6 months as the other 6 months is quail season.
If you want to shoot tournaments like I do, then you make the effort (and the drive)
 
That's certainly not the OP's situation, so my opinion would be different based on your shooting needs compared to his. If I wanted to participate in shooting competitions I'd most likely have to travel and would be willing to do so. For simply punching holes in paper, I wouldn't be willing to travel very far at all.
 
$500 per year for a family? Wow. My local range charges $810 for that. I guess that's one benefit to being single. :)

If I were you, I would save that $500 and put it towards lots more dry-fire practice. A few laser cartridges, maybe some laser targets and the like. Sure it'll never substitute for live fire but that's 2020 for you. We all have to make a choice in these dilemmas.
 
We had an up to date modern (at the time) 20 years ago. After 10 years their rates skyrocketed. The managers that provided a down home family atmosphere and night leagues left and were replaced with mall ninjas that thought they knew it all when in actuality they had a teaspoon of knowledge in a 5 gallon bucket.

So it was easy to see why membership rapidly declined for twice the money for half the fun.

They ended up shutting down rather than fix the problem. Considering the owner was a Cardiologist, I reckon he didn’t rely on the income, and the range was a cool convenience to have.

Now our small city only has one range 30 minutes from town and is outdoors.
 
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