Decline in range use

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Blueduck said:
Wow, not sure of your current State politics in Arkansas, but it seems some letters and calls might set some fires on the local Fud that's appointed himself weapons Czar for a Tax Payers range???
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I was shocked when I saw that too... Sounds like discrimination to me. As it is a public range.
 
It's all about the money. People have to prioritise their spending now. Just as most households have 2 people working just to make ends meet. It's a shift in the dynamics of our economy. But to keep it simple, it's a hundred bucks that can be better spent on other things that are needed.
At months end it can be a car payment. or a few family dinners. People are watching more and more where they spend their money,, and although shooting is great fun, it just got to darn expensive to go every week for the average guy.
And there is no return to the rest of the family unless they also shoot, which makes it more expensive. Being single for 50 years, I did a lot of stuff I don't do now. If you are still pulling in good money then you don't need to stop doing stuff you like, even if it costs a lot.
 
Wow, $300 & up memberships make me appreciate my local range even more. $85.00 gets you annual pistol, rifle, trap & archery ranges with deductions for volunteering time for maintenance. It must be a bargain in the industry!:)
 
about 5 years ago our club ( 500 members) opened up 200 slots to ease a 9 month wait list. within a year the wait was back to 6 months where it stayed till last december.

the wait now is 3 years. another local indicator is the attrition at dues time fell from ~15% to 1%.
 
Our range was $60 a year, now gone up to $100. Heard of more expensive, but never a deposit against community labor that is promised to be later returned??? Sounds kinda like something Hillary or Obama would come up with. I would have told them to kiss off as well :neener:

BTW yeah our range and the close by public range has been VERY sparely used in the last 6 months. USPSA numbers at matches are SOARING though :confused:
 
Seems like pistol use is down while rifles, especially bolt action hunting types and shotgun use has increased. Don't see to many modern semi-auto rifles these days.
 
Our range is an old gravel pit off a forest access road and only 7 miles from my door. No fee and everyone who uses it is expected to clean up after themselves--most do. Scavengers come out and snag any reloadable abandoned brass. It is otherwise maintained by the local shooting club and we just got new benches and target frames last summer. The weather is not a deterrent to use, we go out in all seasons except when it's raining. The heaviest use is the month before opening day as everyone is trying to sight in their rifles. That was the only time I ever had to wait. Usually it is only myself, my son and maybe one other person.
 
I went out to my range yesterday evening. 1600 members and for the entire hour I was there I was the only one there. Highly unusual for a Saturday afternoon with good weather.
 
The range I got has been getting considerably fewer people than usual from my own observations. Yesterday both handgun and rifle ranges were maybe 1/4 full on a gorgeous day. I strongly suspect it's the impact of ammo shortage and costs. Some of us nuts will go to any lengths to scrounge ammo, and we keep backstocks and reloading supplies we can work through. But for most folks once the boxes are gone and Walmart is out, that's it for shooting that summer. Any ammo they do have is going to be saved for hunting.

Personally with my existing reserves I can get through till October by concentrating on black powder arms and 54R. After that I'd have to break into the backup backup supply.

My decision to branch out into longsword fencing has been influenced at least in part by these problems. The stick of steel doesn't run out of ammo or require impossible-to-find powders.
 
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Lex Luthier said:
@45 Auto: Take a breather pal.

Perhaps my inference wasn't clear enough. If demand was such that their roster was full for two whole years (ahem... the waiting list) they just might have enough $300.00 yearly dues to pay some kid to mow the grass, mend fences and paint the bathrooms.

They also expect eight hours of service work per year from every member. The rub is they demand the deposit on that labor for first year members. That's a hell of a way to say howdy. If indeed new members have historically skipped out on their work duty, causing such a policy, they can simply be booted out of the club, without treating every new member like a potential schmuck.

If their expenses are not met by their revenue and they expect free labor to offset additional maintenance costs IN ADDITION to that hefty yearly membership fee, then they should consider reassessing their business plan. There are a number of other ranges in the Twin Cities that know how to let people in the door, let them go bang for a while and simply take their money and say thank you. Good enough for me. Membership should not be a requirement for fair commerce.

Also, the 1 1/2 hour drive up to that haven in the Minnesota woods is rather beautiful, and just happens to pass wonderful country butcher with about fifty kinds of fresh jerky. Awesome.
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Hey Lex, what is the name of the club you go too up north? I live near the twin cities as well and was just curious. I'm always on the lookout for ranges that will fit my needs.
 
"It's all about the money."

Having ammo to burn is like lighting cigars with $100s. I belong to 2 ranges and mostly shoot in the woods these days. It's almost embarrassing to have a bunch of ammo burn up.

I started buying ammo at least 15 years ago because I was thinking about retiring, but didn't until this past October. I got into the habit of buying ammo because retirement was just around the next corner.
 
I belonged to this club while living in Oregon. I didn't mind the work bond, I got to meet some good guys without wearing hearing protection.

•Dues are $48 per year.
•Work bond is an additional $120 per year unless you have volunteered at the club and earn sufficient work bond hour credits.
•We are 100% NRA membership club. You can join or renew your membership in the NRA today and help support our club by clicking on the button on this page to go to the NRA membership website. Membership costs $25 per year if you sign up through our club.



Emerald Empire Gun Club is a 100% National Rifle Association membership club. Membership in the NRA is required and can be done at the orientation. The NRA provides many benefits and programs essential to the shooting sports and has helped support the operation of our gun club.
 
@CrypticStatic: Del Tone Luth Gun Club in Sherbern County. I believe it is very near St. Cloud. Also the DPMS factory is right near there.
 
It's tough to shoot when you have no ammo. There's not enough plasma in my whole body to pay for a brick of .22LR. :p

Funny thing is, I bought a .22 conversion bolt for my ARs just so that I could avoid the expensive ammo problem.

That didn't work out so well.
 
well, i consider my self fortunate. i moved to sc from the north. i found that my hunting opportunities would be limited--sites to far away. i also decided to trim my "arsenal" and focus on just my 45's and 22 pistols, as i still had a boat load of 22 ammo and reloading components left over from the first obama election.

there's an indoor range 5miles away (125/yr) and a public outdoor range 35miles away. i actually shoot the 45's more often, just cause i can reload--maybe pop 100-150 rds per trip. the 22's--i am happy with popping a couple hundred rounds per month--slow fire for accuracy vs. ammo dumps. at this rate--i'm good to go for 4-5 yrs. :D
 
Still busy

The range that I go to is still really busy. Even though shotgun ammo has gotten rediculously expensive. The pistol range is a little slower during the week but weekends are still packed and it's a good sized place.
 
After last year being one of the most active I've had shooting in several years, I've only been out about 3 times this year. By June of 2012 I'd fired about 6k rounds for the year; this year it's only been a few hundred. I simply can't afford the ammunition to be able to shoot the volume of practice rounds I'd like, and I don't wish to use up the stash I have. I'm the type where if I can't give something my all I'd rather not do it, so I've called off IDPA for me for the season.

Instead, I've chosen to take up the not-inexpensive hobby of triathlon. At least here the purchases tend to be one-time, and maintenance costs don't come anywhere near my ammunition budget when active in competition. I'll start shooting competitively again when ammunition is available at a reasonable price and I can easily replace what I shoot.
 
That's very interesting, it sounds like with the huge number of gun sales, many of these new gun buyers have joined ranges but aren't attending due to lack of ammo. I can see that.

And speaking of plinkers, I know folks who shot almost exclusively .22s now moving to more available centerfires....
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More 22 pistols and "tactical" style rifles out there than ever. I'm starting to think this will be the new "normal" caliber to shoot frequently if and when supplies return.
 
Use to shot about 700rds every two week with my 2 sub machine guns before all the craziness started now they stay in the safe and I shoot my Glock 9mm or my Ruger S/A 357 mag.:(
 
I have not been since last summer. Range hours got pushed up to no earlier than 9am at the local outdoor range cause one moron built a subdivision 1/2 mile down the road.
 
My shooting dropped to zero for a little while there, when 9 mm and .223 became worth their weight in gold.
Then I got a Ruger single six to shoot .22. I have a pretty big stock from before the crazy, and I never shoot very much at one time. Maybe 60-100 rounds per trip and one or two trips per month.
 
The Del-Tone/Luth gun club is the range I was referring to in my post.
i have been a memeber of this range for many years, we are making major improvements to the rifle ranges and the pistol ranges.
We hope to get a steel plate challenge league going when the construction is done.
It is a fine range with a great club house and activity center building.

Myself and another member ( instructor) gave a five week class this April on reloading and bullet casting, it was a great success.

Trap and Sceet or also major activities at the range.

Also Element Arms in Becker, Mn. is building a new indoor range, (training facility) just a few miles from me:)
Life is good!!!!!
Floydster
 
Around here it's the ammo shortage + range snobs. I have figured out when the snobs are usually there and avoid the place like the plague. I just don't understand how people who go shooting everyday can be so darn angry all the time.

Plus the way my range is set up, it's a hassle when it's crowded. So I don't go on weekend or after normal business hours.

First thing I'll do when I get some land is cancel my membership and never look back.
 
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