Shooting Reloads at an indoor range

[maddmaxx11]

The Range near me will not allow reloads unless you are approved. I ask how to get approval and was told to bring all of my reload logs in as well as 300 rounds for them to pick through to Chronograph and then I would have to take a test. I am very careful when I reload and never load anywhere near max load. I also use a chronograph when developing a load. Does anyone else have to deal with crap like this?

 

[drband]

Sounds a little extreme.

If you want to shoot there, I guess you have to play by their rules.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

Sounds a little extreme.

If you want to shoot there, I guess you have to play by their rules.

I can't say I've heard of it. But nothing surprises me. I shoot at the national forest nearby so as long as you don't violate the safety rules, and the rules about targets you're good.

I know of a private range that requires folks to buy their ammo. I know of another that requires that you buy targets. So ranges do make rules that typically benefit them.

As for your reloads. I'm not advocating this. But if you sort your brass, and were to put them in boxes that use that kind of brass how would they know if you are using factory or reloads unless you told them?

As for their "testing" depending on how many they pull and if they charge for it, I might or might not agree to it depending on how I feel on a certain day. I'd also think about other options depending on what's near you. So like anything what you do depends on what's important to you. All that said, please let us know what you decide to do.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I'd tell them to go pound sand, but I'm in an area with plenty of options.

You may not have that luxury.

Just put the reloads in factory boxes. That's probably what I'd do. Just make sure the headstamp matches the brand and of course the bullet type is the same so its not obvious.

 

[Axis II]

I would go elsewhere. I don't believe for one second its a safety thing because id be more worried about some loon shooting next to me then someone shooting reloads. I used to frequent a public indoor range that you couldn't use anything steel cased because they sold the cases to someone. I was picking up my brass and was told that's a no-no too that's why they have brooms and shovels. I never went back. I brought the brass with me and I'm taking it home.

I didn't shoot my handgun for along time unless we drove an hour to the div of wildlife range to shoot rifles or drove 45min to another indoor pistol range.

Do a Google search of gun/hunt clubs with ranges around you and do your best to get in there. Its worth it the wait and money spent. I tried for years to get into mine and so glad i never gave up. $60-yr and most the time i have it all to myself.

 

[loose noose]

I would definitely tell them to go pound sand, I do shoot trap at a range owned by the county, and that is all most of us shoot is reloads, absolute nonsense in my opinion.

 

[BigBore44]

300 rounds?! So you're giving them 300 rounds to play with and then 300 brass cases to reload for themselves or to sell to someone. Yeah. Pound sand for sure.

 

[ilbob]

Some ranges have backstops with softer steel and do not want higher velocity rounds impacting on the steel because it damages the steel.

 

[higgite]

Does anyone else have to deal with crap like this?

No. That's insane.

 

[Doublehelix]

I agree with the majority here, if you have options, go elsewhere.

 

[Toprudder]

I belong to a relatively new indoor range (they opened a year ago). Before they opened, they were selling "early bird" memberships. After a couple of months of this, they announced they would not allow reloads. So many people complained, and people that had already paid for membership started asking for their money back, so the range owners backed off and started allowing reloads. No tests or qualifications. They are actually pretty cool about it now. If you tell them you reload and are saving your brass, they will try to sweep it your way, and I usually get more brass than I shoot.

The do not allow steel or aluminum case ammo, though. They had a contract to sell all of the brass and the contract required no "contamination", so that is why they had the rule. But I have heard the contract expired, and scrap prices are so low now that they are having a hard time selling the brass. They are offering unsorted brass for $2.00 per pound, pot luck as to what you get. Since most people shoot 9mm, and a lot of people shoot 22LR, I don't bother buying any brass from them as a result.

 

[dwstone1227]

I do 95% of my shooting in an indoor range. I use reloads almost exclusively with my handguns. There is a range 2 miles from my house. I went there once and was treated like a fool simply because the first and only question they asked me was: Are you a current or retired police officer?" As soon as I said no, I was immediately classified as unqualified. I drive to a range 20 miles from my home. This is a weekly drive for me and I have been doing this for 4 years. I am willing to drive to this extra distance because the of the staff. They treat gun owners as reasonable until they show evidence to the contrary. They do require that all ammunition used "not attract a magnet".

If you give them 300 rounds, what happens when you change powder? Or bullets?

You might have to drive a bit further to escape the fools like I did.

 

[dbmjr1]

300 rounds of 9mm isn't that big of a deal.
300 rounds of .45 Colt is a real big deal.
Do you have to submit 300 rounds of each caliber you reload for?
If so, I'd have to submit for ten calibers, and several variations of most calibers.
For instance, I load 115gr, 124gr, and 147gr projectiles for 9mm.
This would be many thousands of rounds I would have to submit, then, if I changed powders, primers, or anything else, would I have to re-submit?
What test is this that they want you to take? Is there a study guide?

Personally, If I had other options, I'd be looking at them REAL HARD. Even if that range was free.

 

[Axis II]

I do 95% of my shooting in an indoor range. I use reloads almost exclusively with my handguns. There is a range 2 miles from my house. I went there once and was treated like a fool simply because the first and only question they asked me was: Are you a current or retired police officer?" As soon as I said no, I was immediately classified as unqualified. I drive to a range 20 miles from my home. This is a weekly drive for me and I have been doing this for 4 years. I am willing to drive to this extra distance because the of the staff. They treat gun owners as reasonable until they show evidence to the contrary. They do require that all ammunition used "not attract a magnet".

If you give them 300 rounds, what happens when you change powder? Or bullets?

You might have to drive a bit further to escape the fools like I did.

The same range i complained about above does the same thing. The guy who's only about 40-45yo claims to be a retired cop treats everyone like ****. No holsters cause half us cant shoot anyways, was looking for a handgun to put myself through the academy and downed everything but glock. never set foot in there for the last 10yrs.

 

[Zendude]

Never heard of a range doing that for reloads. All the ones I've gone to just don't want you using steel case ammo.

 

[thomas15]

There is a gun store near here that gives the customer a free 1 hour pass to an indoor range when you purchase a firearm from them. They do allow handloaded ammo and you can bring factory ammo with you and keep your brass so that is a plus. I'm not totally sure but I don't think they let you draw from a holster.

Anyway, there really isn't any advantage to me to go there. Any repeat visit requires membership of ($400.00/year) or $20.00/hour. The private club I belong to and can practice just about any kind of action pistol shooting there costs $30.00/year. So two hours on that above mentioned range would more than pay for my yearly dues at the club I belong to. Of course I have to provide my own target holder or steel plates unless I'm just shooting at paper from behind a firing line (with bench).

 

[maddmaxx11]

The only reason that I wanted to go there is that it is close and the only range close that has events like IPSC and many others. I shot a bowling pin match there and almost every shooter was using reloads and even brought there stuff to the range in a Dillon bag. I may have to drive some but I refuse to go back there.

 

[someguy2800]

Why would they want to keep 300 of a strangers handloads? I'm guessing they just want to see 300 loaded rounds so they can verify that you know what are doing and then want you to shoot 10 of them over a chrono to see the velocity is reasonable and consistent and then they will give you the rest back. I wouldn't have a problem doing that if it was the only place I had to shoot

There is only one indoor range in my area and they used to not allow reloads at all but now they changed owners and they have no problem with them. Its a pretty nice place but I can shoot at home.

 

[mdi]

Sounds like Bull Pucky to me. I believe they are trying to discourage reloaders so they can sell ammo. Too many questions; why 300 rounds? I could load 300 rounds with powder puff loads and next time bring in my T-Rex Killer loads. My load logs also mean nothing, other than what I wrote on paper, again I could write minimum loads on a sheet of paper and bring in my Big Boy loads to shoot.

For my first 20+ years of reloading I shot at an indoor range in Torrance, CA and kept all my brass and the steel cases were left and the range tossed them, no big deal, and I don't remember any steel bullets for handguns at that time. I occasionally shot at Angeles Gun Club and the Range Officer did check questionable ammo with a magnet, mainly because of So. CA's brush fire danger, again no big deal. I went to a new range near LAX one time; I was "interrogated" about what I was shooting, what ammo I wanted to buy (they didn't allow reloads), if I had a CA Handgun Safety card, etc. and I left without even getting my guns out of my range bag...

 

[bbqreloader]

I agree with a lot of the other people posting, go tell them to pound sand!
Of course you could always do their 300 round test and tell them you want your 300 rounds of brass back else there will be a surcharge ;-)
I count myself lucky, that I have a local club that I shoot that not only asked you if your reloading but will sweep extra brass toward you if somebody else is not. A number of other people that shoot there also collect their brass and we are all respectful sweeping our brass into piles.

 

[Sunray]

Telling 'em to pound sand is very polite. Rocks, on the other hand....
This a private range, a commercial range or a club? Clubs are known for such idiocy. A commercial operation is cutting his own throat.
Anyway, they tell you why they think you can't read and follow recipe directions?
300 rounds of once fired 9mm brass runs less than $30 at Midway. $30 buys 500 cases, currently on sale for 5 cents each, so 300 runs about $15. Least expensive cast 115 bullet runs $9.99 per 100 from Graf's. $45 so far.
"...300 rounds of 9mm isn't..." Least expensive steel cased garbage is still $200 per 100. $60 for 300.
"...Are you a current or retired police officer?..." My ribs would be hurting from laughing. The days of cops being shooters before being hired are long past. Good guys, for the most part, but safe shooters they ain't.

 

[maddmaxx11]

I think they just want 300 to randomly pick from. You have to be a member before they will even check your ammo but I am not paying $40 a month first and then see if the will allow me to shoot reloads.

 

[Sunray]

"...have to be a member..." So this is a club vs a business? They tell you who does the test and their qualifications to do such tests? I can teach you some words in Greek that'll get your mouth washed out with soap or start a big fight. snicker.
$480 per year is nutso for a club membership.

 

[reddog81]

I have 2 indoor ranges in town. One allows reloads the other does not. I only visit the one that allows reloads.
What kind of reloading logs could a person bring? I write down the recipe on a post it note and stick it to the ammo box - would that qualify?
The range that allows reloads sometimes checks the incoming ammo for steel bullets. When I tell them I cast and reload my own they look at me puzzled and have no idea what i'm talking about.

 

[Havok7416]

My dad lives near a range like the OPs and unfortunately it's the only reasonably close one to him that he can shoot his handguns at. There is an outdoor range nearby also, but shooting handguns there is a pain. Since I provide my dad with any ammo he wants (reloaded), I just put the ammo for him in factory boxes. They even let him pick up his brass to bring back for me!