The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

pgdion · September 21, 2012, 12:02 PM

Love the idea, wish I had the resources to do the same! Best of luck on your venture.
I'll fill the survey out too but here's what I like about the 2 ranges I go to.

Range #1 - Has a neat family setting to it with tables, chairs, and a fireplace. They have pop, coffee, bag snacks, and beer available as well as selling basic supplies (cleaning, reloading, ammo, ect). They have 3 sections on the indoor range. One by itself with 4 pays and then 2 that are semi joined with 4 bays, a partition, and then 5 more bays. A 4 and 2 5's would be even better. This works nice because leagues will consume the larger area and that still leaves 4 lanes for regular shooters. Sometimes leagues consume all 13 lanes and then they have to turn other shooters away. Real nice friendly staff is another plus and they offer a variety of training from gun safety and carry permit to even ATV and Snowmobile training. The last plus, memberships are only $100 (90 to renew). I wish they had a pistol range only membership for a reduced rate as I never use the shotgun range.

Range #2 - Has 2 rooms and about 16 lanes, each room is set up into 2 halves that can be used as separate areas or 1 large area. Range length is 50 yds

and with digital controls for the targets

. They have a sitting/conversation area but not as nice as #1. They also have a very nice training room (#1 uses the common area in off hours for training). They have just a pop vending machine. #2 also rents and sells guns ... all guns (even machine guns for rent). #2 is pretty much where everyone goes if they want to try a gun before buying it. Professional staff in both sales and service (some are friendlier than others ... you get to know the friendly ones). #2 also offers much more training with everything from basics to advanced tactical and hosts indoor IDPA. My big dislike on #2, memberships are through the roof. Way out of my budget (from about 300 to 800 per year ... Ouch!). But their open range rates are reasonable so you don't need the membership and they always give my scouts a break.

I like both of these 2 a lot. I always keep my membership at #1 and shoot leagues their because of the fun friendly atmosphere. I shoot at #2 a lot because of the nicer lanes and the 50yds (vs 50ft) and I buy guns there (good prices). And we always go there for our Troop shoots as they cater to my Boy Scouts better, they really do a good job including giving us the training room for a while so we can roll some firearms education into the fun night.

- phil

September 21, 2012, 12:02 PM	#13
pgdion Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 2010 Location: MPLS, MN Posts: 1,214	Love the idea, wish I had the resources to do the same! Best of luck on your venture. I'll fill the survey out too but here's what I like about the 2 ranges I go to. Range #1 - Has a neat family setting to it with tables, chairs, and a fireplace. They have pop, coffee, bag snacks, and beer available as well as selling basic supplies (cleaning, reloading, ammo, ect). They have 3 sections on the indoor range. One by itself with 4 pays and then 2 that are semi joined with 4 bays, a partition, and then 5 more bays. A 4 and 2 5's would be even better. This works nice because leagues will consume the larger area and that still leaves 4 lanes for regular shooters. Sometimes leagues consume all 13 lanes and then they have to turn other shooters away. Real nice friendly staff is another plus and they offer a variety of training from gun safety and carry permit to even ATV and Snowmobile training. The last plus, memberships are only $100 (90 to renew). I wish they had a pistol range only membership for a reduced rate as I never use the shotgun range. Range #2 - Has 2 rooms and about 16 lanes, each room is set up into 2 halves that can be used as separate areas or 1 large area. Range length is 50 yds and with digital controls for the targets . They have a sitting/conversation area but not as nice as #1. They also have a very nice training room (#1 uses the common area in off hours for training). They have just a pop vending machine. #2 also rents and sells guns ... all guns (even machine guns for rent). #2 is pretty much where everyone goes if they want to try a gun before buying it. Professional staff in both sales and service (some are friendlier than others ... you get to know the friendly ones). #2 also offers much more training with everything from basics to advanced tactical and hosts indoor IDPA. My big dislike on #2, memberships are through the roof. Way out of my budget (from about 300 to 800 per year ... Ouch!). But their open range rates are reasonable so you don't need the membership and they always give my scouts a break. I like both of these 2 a lot. I always keep my membership at #1 and shoot leagues their because of the fun friendly atmosphere. I shoot at #2 a lot because of the nicer lanes and the 50yds (vs 50ft) and I buy guns there (good prices). And we always go there for our Troop shoots as they cater to my Boy Scouts better, they really do a good job including giving us the training room for a while so we can roll some firearms education into the fun night. - phil __________________ 597 VTR, because there's so many cans and so little time!