New indoor range opening in Snohomish county, WA

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looks like i might have found my new favorite range, thanks for the heads up, we might have to get a group together to go on opening weekend or something.
 
I was told it will open the end of June...I can't wait! I've even thought about applying for a part-time job there. I'm moving out to Bothell within the next year and I'm thinking it would be a great way to earn some extra dough and cut down on my shooting costs at the same time.
 
This is related to Discount Gun Sales; very good people there. They really care about their customers and have always treated me very well. I'm looking forward to spending some time in this new range!
 
Here is an update to my original post done earlier this year. I crossposted this from APS:

Last night, a few of us were discussing this new range: http://www.shootingsportsnorthwest.com/?q=node/1. We thought that it would be opening by the end of this month. I rode my bike down there this morning to check it out and discovered that the range has been open for about two weeks. It is in the North Creek Business Park which is located just north of the intersection of 180th and the Bothell-Everett Highway. The Business Park is on the east side of the highway.

It is a very nice facility with 15 lanes including several rifle lanes and several with reactive targets. The maximum lane length is 25 yards. It will be a membership only range with annual fees ranging from $ 50 to $ 250 plus a range fee at each visit. The range fee varies from $ 15 for a single visit to $ 10 per visit if you purchase a $ 250 punch card. Each range fee gets you a token that you load into a lane mechanism. This powers up the lighting and target runner for that lane for an hour. The low-end annual membership gets you pistol only, while you have to buy the $ 250 membership in order to use rifles up to .308. You cannot draw from a holster or do rapid fire until you pass their onsite Tactical Certification, which is an additional fee.

There are dozens of pistols and rifles to rent but you can also bring your own firearms. The reactive target lanes require frangible ammunition which must be purchased onsite. They have an onsite VIP lounge accessible only with the Premier level of membership.

My take on the whole issue: a very fine quality facility, but boy do you pay for it. Going once a month with the basic membership will run you $ 205 per year inclusive of range fees or $ 17.08 per visit. Going once a month with the premier membership will run you $ 390 per year inclusive of range fees or $ 32.50 per visit. Bear in mind that each visit gets you an hour of range time. If you need more time you pay another range fee. They do not offer free or low-cost tryouts. If you are from out of state and wish to try the facility, you can buy a two-day pass for $ 100 plus range fees.

I have not decided if I will become a member. It is only five miles from my house, but Sams Gun Shop and Range is eight miles from my house, offers similar shooting facilities (but without reactive targets) and is cheaper to shoot there.
 
I saw the range (it looks great) and I really like the folks at DGS, but... I think it's just too expensive for what it is and where it's located. I'm hopeful they lower their price point. I'd like to see either a membership = free shooting (like other ranges) and/or public shooting w/o a membership requirement. I do think it's fine to tie reactive targets, rifles, etc. to membership.
 
I had already pretty much written this place off after seeing their membership/fee structure. I think they are trying to set themselves up as "elite" with "free" hydrosonic cleaning, "member's lounge", etc. Reactive targets sound great, BUT you can only use them if a member.

I hadn't heard that the range fees were good for one hour only. That pretty much seals it. Just ain't worth it. I've been a member at Sam's for a few years. It may not be flashy or high tech, but it is affordable and it works.

I like DGS, have bought a few guns from them. I hope they re-think this pricing scheme (scam???) and get a little more in line with the area. The facilty can certainly draw a premium with what it offers, but I think the curretn pricing show they are just a little too proud of it at this point.

I am in Lake Steven's and Norpoint is another option. A little more $ than Sam's, but a little newer and a little nicer. Still very reasonable at $15/visit (no time limit) or free with $200 membership
 
911Boss:

I'm with you. I was really looking forward to shooting there until I saw the whole membership/fee/one hour deal.

Fuggeddaboudit!

Thumbs up for good ol' Sam's.
 
I was chatting earlier this week about the new range at the Everett branch of Discount Gun Sales. The staff person at the branch took pains to tell me that DGS is merely renting space at that range, and the range is owned by a different corporation.

He said that the range owners have a business model in which they visualize the Bothell range as sort of a combination of Wade's and the Bellevue Harley-Davidson dealership: an upscale 'lifestyle' facility in which people drop by to hang out, shoot the breeze with other like-minded people and may or may not actually use the shooting range. As soon as he said this, I flashed to a friend of mine who lives in Redmond, is an accountant with a $ 25,000 Harley, and loves to get in his leathers on a weekend and ride down to the Bellevue dealership for exactly this sort of thing. I wonder, though, if the shooting sports lend themselves to the same kind of mystique/lifestyle as the Harley riders.

PS: I read the above post by 911Boss, who lives not that far from me up in Lake Stevens. I saw his mention of the Norpoint facility, and I could not place it. This was odd since I thought I had shot at all the local ranges. But a quick google revealed that Norpoint is the new name of the Arlington training facility. This is great since I had not heard that Arlington had reopened.
 
I believe the range and DGS are two different LLCs to keep them separate for liability reasons. The DGS shop may be renting from the range LLC for accounting purposes. However, I believe the DGS owners are essentially behind both.

I think you're right about their Wades/Harley/higher-end aspirations. However, Bothell (Mill Creek-area) isn't Bellevue and their price structure seems much higher than other ranges in the area.

I really do like the DGS folks, but I'm not sure if the market is there to support what they want to do. I guess time will tell.
 
"This is related to Discount Gun Sales; very good people there. They really care about their customers and have always treated me very well"

agreed, with the exception of my neighboor jack, federal way discount is the only FFL ill go through.
 
The following is a description of the cleaning service offered at SSNW ($12.50). Has anyone had any experience with this system?

Our L&R 236 Ultra-Sonic Cleaner is an industrial grade tank cleaner that both cleans and lubricates your weapon of any size. This machine will remove carbon and dirt from any handgun or long gun thoroughly in the first tank. Then, your firearm is moved to the second tank, where the machine will lubricate and condition the gun. The L&R 236 is environmentally efficient and safe, and reaches areas impossible to reach by hand.
Click to expand...
 
i dont know about the latter, but when my dad worked at the UW medcenter, I had him bring in actions and slides and stuff all the time to put in the ultrasound cleaner and it couldnt have worked better.

talk about CLEAN and doesnt do any harm at all as oposed to over brushing ect ect
 
"He said that the range owners have a business model in which they visualize the Bothell range as sort of a combination of Wade's and the Bellevue Harley-Davidson dealership: an upscale 'lifestyle' facility in which people drop by to hang out, shoot the breeze with other like-minded people and may or may not actually use the shooting range."

I used to live ~10 blocks from WSI and have recently moved to about 4 blocks from the location (which now houses a landscaping business). I miss everyone who worked there and I loved "hanging out" but note that the high end stuff usually went the way of the Edsel. Particularly the ultrasonic cleaner which users didn't seem (to me) to understand.
I would dearly love to see another indoor range in the area of the eastside but putting something in and charging a lot for it to engender an atmosphere doesn't seem like a winning plan in these times (and note that times were pretty good when my favorite range converted to a landscapers office...) But there's got to be some middle ground between those prices and surly help with pvc target hangers... Or at least there has to be for me. In the meantime I'll drive to champions or use the lanes at Kenmore.
 
In my opinion, 250 a year AND a fee everytime you go to the range is a rip unless the facility is TOP notch and very well appointed. I mean just to get some range time to put some rounds downrange that is! I would not go back to the local indoor range here as they went from a cost of $8.00 an hour to $20.00 after the new owner bought them out. I use to go often when it was 8 bucks. Plus the outdoor range is more fun and only $7.00 for the day.

I guess I may just be cheap but our private or club range here is $150.00 a year and you get free access 24-7-365 and they have pop ups, steel and everything you need to shoot.
 
$250 sounds cheap for the premium membership, our premium membership at the local range is $10,000 sign up fee and 200/month.

I know prices are different for different locations. And I am not a member at the above mentioned establishment but I have shot their twice and wow is all I can say.

My favorite place to shoot is in the desert though. :)
 
In my opinion, 250 a year AND a fee everytime you go to the range is a rip unless the facility is TOP notch and very well appointed.
Click to expand...

This facility is top notch and very well appointed. Everything they do is first class.
 
I got the quicky tour but haven't had time to shoot there yet. Definitely a huge step above any other ranges I've seen in WA. Have to get in there to try out the reactive targets.
 
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