Is this laziness or justified?

[Ethics]

I live 40 minutes to the closest public shooting range, and to top it off, it's something ridiculous like $14/hr to shoot at the pistol range.

Now, I've had a Glock 17 for probably 3 weeks now that I haven't fired yet just because I can't justify the cost of paying $10 in gas and $14/hr range fees. Not to mention paper target and ammo prices.

I'm in the Peoria, IL area if anyone knows anywhere where I can shoot cheaply. I can shoot my shotguns at some private property that my grandpa owns, but he's VERY against handguns and won't allow them on his property.

 

[brentn]

Up here its 40$ to use the range for the day, and you can't leave and come back it must be one whole session. Either that or 450$ a year for a membership, gas prices are at 1.25$ a liter cndn.

So yea, its not laziness not to go to the range, its just economically viable right now.

 

[Picard]

Wait until your grandpa isn't home or not paying attention and take a few shots with your handgun, if you want to be sneaky about it.

If you want to be up-front, teach your grandpa how to shoot. Being for shotguns is just one step away from liking handguns, IMO. It's the people that don't like any guns at all that are harder to convince.

 

[mnrivrat]

I understand the cost is rather high. Our local range is $15 an hour unless you buy membership, than it gets cheaper.

I will have to defend them for the price however because I know the owner, and I also know what the cost of the range was, and the insurance, and the operating expenses. A good indoor range is far from a cheap investment.

You might not be able to go as often, but youcan get a lot of shooting in for that hours expense. Private land where one can shoot is drying up fast, and public land is always subject to the will of the officials who manage it. Not good, but that is the way the times are a changing .

 

[RH822]

Talk to some of Grandpa's neighbors, maybe one of them would allow you to shoot on their property. Grandpa may lighten up a bit when he figures out why you seem to spend more time over at Ole' man Jone's place.

 

[freebird60]

Not lazy, fer sure.

 

[Joe Cool]

Not sure if any of these are closer to you, but have a look:
http://www.findsomethingtodo.com/category_v.asp?l=3&c=27

Hope that helps...

 

[Walkalong]

Well............

 

[Cannonball888]

It's justfiied laziness.
But I wouldn't do it either. Find someone close by with a little land. You won't need but 7-20 yards and a good backstop.

 

[22-rimfire]

I live 3 minutes from an indoor range and I'm not a member. I believe membership is about $200 per year with no additional fees until you use up your hours of range time included in the membership. I usually drive about an hour to an outdoor range to shoot. The outdoor range is nearly free. I have been reconsidering my decision not to be a member when it is so close and gasoline is so expensive.

Oh, did I say I don't like indoor ranges?

 

[PTK]

The closest outdoor range is $30 of gas away from me, at 20mpg. I still try for every weekend, though.

 

[dreamer56]

Nothing inside of 20 minutes of Peoria - in addition to Chillicothe Sportsman's Club that shows in the link posted by Joe Cool you can also check out Midwest Gun Collectors Association And Shooting Club - they are just north of Spring Bay across the river.

all the best.

 

[pyle]

Not lazy at all. Maybe you could "work on" your Grandpa?

I'm am SO blessed. I have a small range on my property.

 

[32winspl]

Hello Ethics, tough quandry you have there.
Well, you went to the expense of aquiring a pistol and I'm guessing ammo as well. Is there some other area of your life that you can cut out or cut down on to save up for a trip to the range and range time? Movies, cigarettes, beer? Maybe hamburger-helper 2 nights per week?
There are also other things you can and should do while you're stuck at home... like dry-fire practice, draw-and-shoot (empty, of course) drills, mag change drills, etc.
Do any of your friends shoot? Maybe you could split the cost of gas.
Good luck.
Robb

 

[buy guns]

So open a shooting range!

 

[Ethics]

I got invited to a private range

this forum is great.

 

[Eric F]

Lazy and economics have nothing in common. I dont shoot because it would cost me about $80 to shoot for an hour now. Not counting ammo. Lazy would be shooting and not walking the range to clean up.

 

[dmftoy1]

Sounds like you're set, but another option that you may or may not be aware of is the "Eureka Sportsmans Club". They had a pistol range setup and the membership was pretty cheap if I remember correctly. If you know/live "the four rules" then give me a yell if you ever need a place to shoot. I'm a little bit further from you but I've got access to a place to shoot rifle/pistol and shotgun.

Have a good one,
Dave