Non-range trip today

[Huhwhat?]

No shooting today. I went to check out the new indoor range, arriving just after they opened. It is undeniably a beautiful range, state of the art. Each lane has a touch pad to control the target hanger. Not only can you set it for exact ranges, but you can program it to do specific movement, I.E. turn the target sideways, go out to twenty yards, expose target for ten seconds, turn side ways, move in to fifteen yards, expose target, then charge shooter.

Cool, huh?

It also exchanges the entire volume of air in the range through filters every 90 seconds, and the bullets that hit the backstop apparently go into a decelerator and drop onto a conveyor system to a central collector.

They let you shoot almost everything. No black powder, no 50 cal rifles, or 500 S&W pistols. In short nothing bigger than .44 mag for handguns. The range can handle them, but the hearing of the other shooters cannot. If you shoot shotgun, it's limited to buck shot or slug.

The deal breaker for me was the rule "No hand loads, reloads. Factory ammo only."

I'm not sure when I last bought a box of factory ammo, outside of .22 LR. Most of what I shoot is 40-60 bucks a box in this area. I can roll my own for a lot less, and none of the other ranges care.

On top of which the new range costs $20 for an hour of shooting for non-members, or $20-$30 a month for a single membership, and $10 more to add a spouse. And the cheaper price only lets you shoot free Mon-Thurs. If you want to shot on Fri-Sun, it's an additional $10.

So, I'll stick with Prescott Sportsman's Club, the outdoor range, which is like $90 a year for my wife and I, and has no additional charges for shooting. I'm going to try and go out there tomorrow, though they were closed today due to fire restrictions and high wind. If the wind is down tomorrow, they'll be open.

 

[6gun]

Did you ask what their reason was for no hand/reloads ? that would be a deal breaker for me also I shoot only my own loads, the range fee's would also break the deal to much for me.
Do they make shooters purchase the factory ammo from the range or can they bring their own?

 

[DA_TriggR4Ruger]

Insurance.

 

[Huhwhat?]

Yeah, they said it was a liability thing, since they have no idea if the person who loaded the ammo knew what they were doing. And you can bring your own ammo, as long as it is factory ammo, and not reloads.

 

[Robes]

Both indoor ranges around here do not allow reloads. Also, neither allows steel cased ammo.

 

[Bob Wright]

I shoot on an indoor range that does allow handloaded ammunition. There is a Lexan (?) barrier about 1" thick separating the firing points. and a range in Jackson, Tennessee, owned/operated by the same family, allows centerfire rifles to be used. The difference is that the Jackson range has rubber impact baffles downrange.

Bob Wright

 

[Bob Wright]

I worked around grain elevators and oil mills during my carreer, and am familiar with dust supression systems involving dust filters. Dust control duct work vacuumed the dust and sent it to a filter/collector at some distant point.

I was always curious about the filtration system for indoor shooting ranges. Seems these filter/collectors would be sort of powder filled bombs waiting to explode?

Unburned powder is a problem at ranges. I once saw unburned powder catch fire and burn out after a short while. This had collected just in front of the firing line in a shallow drainage ditch and some spark set it ablaze.

While I didn't see it, there was a fire and explosion on the indoor range where I shoot. The powder caught fire and the concrete floor exploded beneath the fire. Look at the concrete floor at any welding/fabrication shop and you might see little craters where cutting torches have been held too close to the floor, either accidentally or intentionally. Moisture in the concrete turns to steam and the concrete bursts from the steam pressure. Same thing happened at this range.

Bob Wright

 

[Huhwhat?]

The outdoor range I belong to is closed today, due to high winds and fire restrictions. There is one more range in town, which I don't use much, but I'd really like to get some range time in, so I guess I'll be going there after lunch.

I was always curious about the filtration system for indoor shooting ranges. Seems these filter/collectors would be sort of powder filled bombs waiting to explode?

It would depend entirely on how often they are cleaned/replaced.

 

[Bucks Owin]

Hmm... How will they know if it is handloaded? Look for resizing marks under a glass? Bet a lot of us could fool them... :wink:

Anyway, sounds like a primo indoor range... 8)

 

[ArmedinAZ]

On top of which the new range costs $20 for an hour of shooting for non-members, or $20-$30 a month for a single membership, and $10 more to add a spouse. And the cheaper price only lets you shoot free Mon-Thurs. If you want to shot on Fri-Sun, it's an additional $10.

So, I'll stick with Prescott Sportsman's Club, the outdoor range, which is like $90 a year for my wife and I, and has no additional charges for shooting. I'm going to try and go out there tomorrow, though they were closed today due to fire restrictions and high wind. If the wind is down tomorrow, they'll be open.

Different user experiences aren't they? It's really nice to run your target out and back and not have to wait for a ceasefire. We have this fairly new indoor range here that has 6- 25 yard pistol lanes, 4- 100 yard rifle lanes, and a 50 yard bow range. These are both for-profit businesses compared to a sportsman's club and they gotta pay for the new building and all the equipment somehow. Hope Prescott can support it, the range here isn't doing so well.

 

[Huhwhat?]

So, I ended up going to the other local indoor shooting range, since the outdoor range was closed again because of the severe winds we are getting here, along with the fire restrictions.

Other than remembering why I don't like indoor ranges to begin with, I did find out a few things.

I went there, primarily, to try out the new 1858 conversion pistol. It was apathetic about the 255 grain 45 Colts I fed it. Then I broke out the little Bear Creek 165gr LRNFP bullets. Winchester brass, Winchester primers, backed by 7.7 grains of Trail Boss. My Vaquero hated them - all over the paper with the ten rounds I shot.

The 1858 loved them. Shot the other 40 rounds at 10 yards, off hand.


Results...

Can't wait for the outdoor range to open back up so I can give them a serious workout.

In other news, the 300 gr. Hornady XTP-mags shot quite well through my Ruger Redhawk - PMC brass/win large pistol primers/18.5 gr H110. Recoil was not excessive, nor were there any pressure signs. I didn't shot many, not wanting to kill my ears, or those of the other shooters. Another reason why I hate indoor ranges. Love the new gold dot sights I put on the Redhawk.

 

[blume357]

Hmm... How will they know if it is handloaded? Look for resizing marks under a glass? Bet a lot of us could fool them... :wink:

Anyway, sounds like a primo indoor range... 8)

that was my first thought... then again it is not exactly being honest or following the rules....

since the whole excuse is because of liability.... you need to point out to them that they are basically saying if a bad thing happens with any factory ammo you are shooting at their place that they are fully liable.... then again that's exactly what lawyers want....