What do you look for in an Indoor Shooting Range?

berettaprofessor said:

"Shooter"

1; In ranked order; Indoors (for handgun), strong air blowing from behind me forward (one-directional air flow), comfortable temperature, a separate room or entry to don ear and eyeware, target lines. My favorite range has all of these things. I haven't been there for awhile, but the Bullet Hole in South Omaha, Nebraska, is the perfect place. Outdoor, I want really long range. Like 500 yards or greater.
2; No environmental control, dirt floors, overcontrolling RO's, (my least favorite range for handgun). If there's a store attached, the clerks can't be jerks; there's another place called the Bullet Hole in Overland Park, Kansas; I won't go there because the guy behind the counter, the one selling guns, is a total, complete, sarcastic, jerk. Even when asked a simple question.
3; It would be solo; but that's a little too much to ask.
4; 30-45 minutes for indoor. 1 hour for a nice outdoor long-distance range.
5; nothing I can think of.

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hdwhit said:

1. Will let me shoot my own reloaded ammunition.
2. Will let me collect my brass afterwards.

The indoor ranges around me will not permit either #1, #2 or both.

And let me point out that one of the ranges that will let me collect my brass allows me to collect the brass that remains behind the firing line. But when they build the facility, the floor of the firing positions slopes forward towards the firing line, so virtually all the brass will roll under the influence of gravity forward to the firing line and a trough in the floor where it is collected so the range can process it and sell it back to me later. Such a cynical approach so soured me on the place that the one time I went was also my last.

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hdwhit said:

My wife put down a deposit on a charter membership to the Frisco Gun Club as a Christmas present one year. She wasn't aware of all the intricacies they have regarding reloaded ammunition. When I found out what a nightmare it was going to be, I canceled and forfeited the deposit.

Given what the Frisco Gun Club charges, if I did not already own a farm where I have already set up a private shooting range, I would simply go up north of Lake Texoma around Kingston, Woodville or Shay, Oklahoma and buy a few acres suitable for building a weekend cabin and private range because the monthly payments would probably end up being about the same and my whole family could use the vacation place rather than the club membership.

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Sam1911 said:

Not off topic at all! And welcome to the forum.


1. The ability to work using a holster, concealment garments, and a useful rate of fire.
2. The ability to use multiple silhouette style targets, moving targets, and move off the line of force while engaging said targets.
3. Regular availability of visiting training professionals.
4. Very regular opportunities for competition, in several different genres.
5. Practical shooting pits large enough to realistically accommodate carbine fire.


1. Poor ventilation.
2. Poor lighting.
3. Contamination.
4. Limited distance on our rifle range.

SAM1911: Outstanding info and very helpful. Thanks for taking the time. If you think of anything else, please let me know. Happy Thanksgiving!

1. Modernize Indoor Range to deal with contamination and ventilation.
2. Expanded longer range rifle facilities.


30 minutes, maybe an hour for something really special that I might attend only once a month.


Staffing is a really big deal with firing ranges. It is important to train and enforce rigorous safety rules. The very difficult balance is in doing that without stifling the utility of the range for members. The temptation is to set up rules which are generally restrictive and limit how the range can be used, assuming that that makes for a safer environment. It is more difficult but far more helpful to setup range safety protocols that work something more akin to the rules that organizations like IDPA and USPSA use for keeping shooters safe. And to employ range safety personnel who are familiar and comfortable working with that kind of rule set rather than the old style rules structure which often limited how many rounds could be in a gun or how many rounds could be fired at a time or per minute, or which say that members cannot be trusted to draw and fire from a holster, to shoot on the move, to use multiple targets,etc.

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cjwils said:

Any business these days wants liability insurance, and some of the ideas suggested above might be unacceptable to most insurance companies. I am thinking about drawing from a holster, drawing from concealment clothing, moving from place to place while shooting, and any rate of fire that approaches someone's definition of "rapid fire." Such activities are not allowed at most ranges near me, and I think liability insurance is a major part of the reason. The Original Poster or his clients need to check on such things.

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Speedo66 said:

There are a number of ranges within 1/2 hour of my house. The one I chose, commercial, not a club, is because of the following:

you can buy a membership, or pay by the hour. Fri evening is date night, 2 for 1

up to date ventilation system

bright atmosphere

friendly staff

no problem with reloads or picking up your brass, steel bullets (Russian ammo) is a no no with possible backstop damage

reasonably priced, with a military and first responder discount. Members can bring a guest free on same point

1/2 price hours Mon-Wed 11AM-3PM for non members

Every Wed during the summer they had free BBQ lunches

At the end of the summer they had a big outside customer appreciation evening with free food and entertainment.

They have a stocked lake outside with free catch and release fishing, members can bring guests

They offer training in shooting, self defense, etc. If you take one of their advanced shooting courses you may shoot drawing from holster

To the original poster: since your request involves a business transaction, if you find the information you gather here valuable, I don't doubt the owner would appreciate a contribution to the site.

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CapnMac said:

For my 2¢, do not emulate an existing range in the DFW metro area. Period.

The indoor range I dislike the least is out in Mesquite. Which is rather like driving from Hartford, CT to Roxbury, CT* just to shoot.
The same holds true for outdoor ranges, the selection list all involved 2 hour drives. For indifferent facilities.

Staffing is a huge issue. The indoor places range from over-controlled to utter anarchy (sometimes that is the same range, just different days). (There's a nearby indoor that I always wore helmet and flak vest to, as the customers had no discipline at all.)

Fees and hours are hugely important, too. $20 per gun per hour is insane. So are $500 "initial" memberships (especially with no guarantees of continuing membership).

If I wanted to join a country club, I woulg (not that I'd join one that would have me, to give voise to the old saw).

Timing, though is hugely critical. I work 0800-1800 M-F, sometime only to 1500 on Fridays. Pretty much the only ranges I can get to are DO & the place out in NRH. Both are bit like trying to pursue graduate studies at an elementary school. (FA Fridays are occasionally make the 40 minute drive to DO worth it, though--other than the fact that any personal arms wind up sitting in my car at work the whole day, which does not give a feeling of security for property.)

There might be a "silver bullet" (NPI) out there if you can find a way to encourage and appreciate shooters with skill and experience. I find it very difficult to deal with pedantic pissants who were not alive when I went through my first formal firearms training..Otherwise, I'm likely to just stick to trying to find the right bit of land somewhere along the Brazos.
__________________________
* Not an accidental comparison--the metro DFW tv market is approximately 90% of the size of Connecticut, and with similar E-W/N-S geometry. This despite the Dallas-centric nature of the tv coverage. (Unlike other twinned cities, downtown Dallas is separated from Downtown Fort Worth by 41 miles.) The DFW metro area has approximately 31% of the Texas population in it.
For those bored and wanting to eyeball a map, the metro coverage is about Terrel to Jacksboro and Denton to Ennis.

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bbqreloader said:

If you get up to Colorado, check out Centennial Gun Club. Really do like that place have a memebership. Went thru a ownership change not to long ago and did a remodel. They have flowing air behind you, computerized lanes with different target programs (would like to see a few more added), well lit and added some new lane/target shooting stuff (i have yet to try)
They let you keep your brass and fire reloads. Dont allow the usual tracers, steel bullets etc. The RO's are good and friendly. You can draw from the holster as long as you have gone through their holster qual (10 min course).
They also have a membership app so you can book range time and see other resources. It went through a rough patch where it reverted back to the old app, but finally updated to a newer user friendly version.

Here's what I wish they had: Longer rifle lanes (stuck at 25 yards). Figure out a way to run an indoor chronograph setup, maybe a dedicated lane for it??

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herrwalther said:

Biggest thing: Ventilation. If it feels like I am walking into a sauna I am less likely to shoot there. Rest of what I look for are just perks. Cheap and variety of rentals, free or low cost eye and ear protection (if you forget yours), targets, etc. Let you pickup your own brass (if safe to do so). And not be picky about what ammo you use. My current indoor range will let you shoot any ammo you want for handguns, even steel core surplus and tracers. Rifles need to be frangible rounds however.

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