The gun range seems empty these days.

Not in my area. The larger indoor range has a line by mid morning last time I went and they have 30 pistol lanes. Another smaller one I frequent for ammo always has a small group waiting to get onto the rangeb every time I go

Our local ranges are pretty busy, but then the ammo situation hasnt been horrible here. Lots of first timers on the range, though- and not sufficient supervision or training IMO.

We actually had a new owner/shooter get grazed in the face the other day. It was a bad bleeder and he will have a reminder for life, Im sure.

I wasnt on the firing line when it happened, and dont know if it was a ricochet or if he was staring down the barrel. I cleared out pretty quick afterwards so I wouldnt be in the way as the staff administered first aid.

The shop employees were on the ball with their crisis training, but I cant help but wonder if a little more attention to what was obviously an inexperienced shooter might have prevented the whole thing.

This particular shop is conveniently close and has long hours, but they dont have a dedicated RSO, only a rather dinky CCTV setup to monitor the range.

In fact, a kid was killed there a few years ago thanks to improper muzzle discipline on the part of his father who was trying to watch multiple youths at the same time. They revised their policies afterwards, but still a little too lax for my taste.

Im starting to drive a little further to another range across town as they have a somewhat safer setup.

That one is also fairly busy evenings and weekends, and they only assign shooters to every other lane for social distancing. One thing I like about this range is they have concrete walls between lanes and excellent ventilation. There are also large observation windows against the back wall so staff can keep an eye on the whole range easily.

They have range-only ammo they will sell you, but only if you rent a lane, no carry out.

My local outdoor range was almost full by 8AM today; It is only closed on Christmas and hasn't NOT been crowded since this whole thing began.

Haven't been using my one indoor range membership much lately as the .22lr long range bit me in the spring, and I've been working on those games.
My most-frequented club does have a decent rifle range and several pistol bays.
I get out roughly twice a week and would say the traffic I'm seeing consists of (a) the regulars, (b) the sighters-in and (c) fewer of the let's just shoot for a while types. I think they are perhaps conserving their ammo or having a hard time obtaining it.
The regular hard-core is getting its rounds in, and I don't think it's slowing down much, nor likely to. The sighters-in ... in and gone in about half an hour.

I do almost all of my shooting on a range on the acreage we own, so can't really say up or down if there is any change. Considering what is going down in society in general, I'm not surprised though.

I'll be skipping the range for a while.
We've been adding 500 to 1,000 covid positives per day in my county, and deaths are up to 790.
So I think that I'll just work around the house... .

I have a number of options for shooting. The closest being about 6 miles at a public outdoor range. Just haven’t gone lately due to the heat. Constantly in the mid 90s and the range doesn’t open until 11 AM.

Hoping the heat abates in the next 3 weeks so I can get out. Have a few new loads to run through the Chrony.

Passed an indoor range today about mid afternoon and they seemed to have the same number of cars there I’ve seen in the past prior to the most recent run on ammo/guns.

Our outdoor range has been a bit quieter than usual. Ammo is hard to find around here, so that the the Covid-19 issue is likely behind it.

The range I go to is full. All of the time.

As I stated in another thread, I went to the range twice last week and had the whole place to myself - very quiet and relaxing shooting sessions. It is a private club and was not very busy prior to Covid, now it is really not busy. I have noted for myself that now I have a private club membership very close to my house to frequent just about anytime - I shoot less than when I had to frequent crowded public ranges and worry more about safety - I guess that I am spoiled now knowing that I have that easy, safe access to a nice range - I am fortunate.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, ... $2.40 already, maybe costs inhibit shooting.

357smallbore said:

Been going to my LGS to do some shooting last coupe weeks. The sound of silence is pretty much what ya hear these days. They have some guns in the cases and some on the wall, but man are they pricey. Ammo is all but gone. They don't have any to sell for the range if someone needed it. Let alone if a gun was purchased.
I walk in ask for a lane and go shoot. They have several lanes. All were empty but 3 stalls. And this is every time I come in to shoot. Either folks are out of ammo to shoot, or just setting on theirs and not shooting.
That is sad.

Click to expand...

Or some(like me) still see going to a 'public' place, even with masks, hygiene and distancing, as dangerous..no thanks, not yet..

Not sure if I'd say 'sad', but a sign of these times..not permanent.

I'll be skipping the range for a while.
We've been adding 500 to 1,000 covid positives per day in my county, and deaths are up to 790.
So I think that I'll just work around the house... .

Click to expand...

What he said...

This is my closest gun club - along the bottom, the first 5 bays are 15 yards, the next 5 are 25, the next 2 are 50; all have high berms making each one a private shooting area. Each has a 2 car metal carport cover for shade with a picnic type table/bench; above left of the first 5 are open 7 yards bays - typically used for classes; to the right of that and above the bermed areas is the 100 yard range; that is a shared range. The two on the far right are steel plate, as is the one on the the top right.
Not in the picture are the cowboy action "towns", the trap/skeet/400 yard area or the sporting clays area.
I LOVE those bermed lanes as I do not have to worry about anyone being on either side of me, bad muzzle mgt, etc. And yes, that is an Interstate at the bottom of the picture
The 4 buildings clustered on the left are the offices, bathrooms and two classrooms. This place is utilized by all local, state and fed agencies in the area, University shooting teams, and does a lot of CCW classes/training. Not bad use for what is basically swamp land.

My outdoor range is busy as usual. I go more often than in the past because other activities are forbidden due to Wu-Flu. It continues to be great fun.

Dear lord - the local ranges have been packed to the gills since March 2020, despite being summertime in Texas. I guess having gun shops and ranges designated by the Governor as 'essential businesses' has made that easier.

I go shooting every Friday, and there are *always* first-time shooter and LTC / CHL classes in session when I get there. The demand for concealed carry licenses and HD/SD guns (and the basic skills to use them) has dramatically picked up...

My range was deserted when I went there. I was thinking the same thing that shooters were staying home for three reasons-

1) Coronavirus contagion
2) Cost of ammo
3) lack of availability of ammo to replace what was shot

However I met t buddy there last week who told me that a few days before the place was jammed with folks.

It also seems that there are mostly reloaders when I go there, guys are swooping in for the cartridges before they hit the deck.

My range is pretty busy. Last year this time if I went on a Friday morning I'd have almost the entire place to myself until around 3-4PM, but this year I avoid Friday's altogether it's so busy. I just went last Thursday at 8:00 AM when they opened and there were already about 10 people there. I've been heading there about weekly during my lunch hour, and I make sure to pack a few different guns. Sometimes the rifle range is full but the rimfire range is empty. Sometimes they're both pretty packed but I can find a pistol pit.

Yep, not much going on at my range except LE/Mil training (they can get ammo still) and the long range rifle shooters who handload.

It's pretty much the same as always at my gun club. Not much going on early in the morning when I go during the weeks. It get busier on Saturday and Sunday but still about like before the pandammit hit. I go early before sunup. It's cool and the wind is usually at it's lowest and I'm done by the time the heat and wind pick up. There aren't many early risers at my club. 9:-10 o'clock is when activity picks up some and that is when I leave.

357smallbore said:

Been going to my LGS to do some shooting last coupe weeks. The sound of silence is pretty much what ya hear these days. They have some guns in the cases and some on the wall, but man are they pricey. Ammo is all but gone. They don't have any to sell for the range if someone needed it. Let alone if a gun was purchased.
I walk in ask for a lane and go shoot. They have several lanes. All were empty but 3 stalls. And this is every time I come in to shoot. Either folks are out of ammo to shoot, or just setting on theirs and not shooting.
That is sad.

Click to expand...

too many panic buyers, getting up what guns they could get, and not even thinking about the ammo needed for practice.

i was at my range about 3 weeks ago (i go weekly) and i gave this guy 4 paper plates to practice with. he handed over 2 of them and said, he only took 30 rds with him for himself and son to practice with.

like 30 rds..?? how much did he have at the house?

the range will only sell ammo, for thier rental guns. nothing else, and that is, even f they have any.

the LGS has some ammo, sometimes, there is a limit, sometimes, it's all you want to buy.

of late, when i get to my range, i have my pick of lanes, which is good, as i sweep up mine to save for reloading at a later time.

here i am, wanting to buy a 1911 (still haven't decided on which brand yet), and a Beretta 92.......either full retail pricing, or out of stock.

thanks to the panic buyers. making it harder for some of us to get what we want.

RI holiday Monday, so eldest boy was able to accompany me to the gun club. 9:30AM as we arrived one shooter was leaving. No body else on the line the rest of the morning. This is typical for my club. Monday’s and Wednesday’s are range days. Crude and rustic, compared to George P’s, with only about 20 outdoor lanes from 25 to 100 yards and a 6 lane indoor 50’ range. Member 38 years now.

I haven't seen much change at my range...pretty much the same crowd has been shooting all along. Of course, we're the same crowd that stocked up on reloading components and .22 ammo prior to the end of 2019.

People are practicing a lot, for what? On the other end of the spectrum I know shooters are practicing but no where near what they used to in order to conserve their ammo, just in case as they put it. The radical left has the country on edge, I imagine a similar feeling was in the air in 1860-61 before Fort Sumter.