How do gun ranges that don't allow reloads "police" this?

[500MAG]

There is a "shooting center" that a gun club I just joined, goes to and they charge $10 pp if you buy their ammo or $15 if you bring your own and they don't allow reloads. I don't patronize ranges that don't allow me to shoot my reloads. I was wondering how they police this? Saw a member selling some empty commercial ammo boxes and thought that could get by them.

[Kraschenbirn]

There's a brand new indoor range (High Caliber Training Center) that recently opened not too far away from me but haven't been there yet because range time, even with a membership ($350/yr for individual), is (IMO) way over-priced and they only allow 'factory ammo'. According to their FAQs, they do physically inspect your ammo before allowing you onto the firing line...you're not even allowed to carry pre-loaded magazine onto the line.


Bill

[osteodoc08]

I'd find another place to shoot.

That being said, it's more than likely a CYOA measure or perhaps an inclusion/exclusion clause in their insurance policy.

[monadnock#5]

I'd find another place to shoot.

That being said, it's more than likely a CYOA measure or perhaps an inclusion/exclusion clause in their insurance policy.

This is akin to PPE in the workplace. Say you're in an area requiring non slip safety shoes. You slip and fall, resulting in personal injury. The insurance carrier steps in and wants to see the shoes.....this opens a can of worms that no one wants to get involved in. Insurance execs and lawyers, what's the difference?

[flyingmonkey35]

Wow stories like this and I'm glad I found my little range that only costs me 40 year.

50 foot range
22rimefire rifle
Center fire no faster then 1400 fps or u start to damage the backstop.

Its amazing how slow you can go and still be accurate at 50 feet.

[jcwit]

I belong to three ranges, 1 indoor & 2 outdoor.

I'm grandfathered into all three at no cost to me other than the one requires me to pay the $5.00 state assoc, dues.

Even then the dues for the indoor was $75 bucks for 24/7 availability.
One outdoor range was $40 per year.
Other outdoor range was $50 per year.

[aspangler]

I have my own. Anything from 0 to 150 yards. I mine my berms and save even more. Some people are just lucky I guess. :bigsmyl2:

[dragon813gt]

Load jacketed in all the same brand brass and they won't know. Now w/ lead bullets you'd be limited to bullet type and you'd need some factory boxes.

[dakotashooter2]

All I shoot is factory ammo......................................Loaded in my personal factory...

[jonp]

I would not frequent such a range.

[HeavyMetal]

I have one range here locally, La Puente Firing range, and the owner insists on Lead Free ammo only.

To save his Hinny his usual statement is the City / State told him that was the "condition" of operating his range.

Only indoor range in SoCal that has such an "arrangement" but a few others waste no time in telling you they own the brass you shoot, no matter if you bring/ load it yourself or not, if you fire in thier range it's there brass!

I have no idea how these two places stay in business, LOL! I have never been back to either.

I have shot at other in door ranges here in SoCal one in Orange the other in Brea both seem to be a bit more informed about ammo, no HP's or soft point, no rifle caliber Contenders commons sense stuff really. but reloads and lead are no problem for either of them, last time I went!

Since finding Burro Canyon I've not gone to an indoor range for rifle or pistol and Triple B handles my shotgun needs.

Vote with your wallet! Don't do business with them if you don't want to, you can find other places to shoot even in LA!

[Sgtonory]

I work part time at a indoor range. Only thing we don't want is steel core ammo. Other than that shoot what you want.

[MaryB]

I only frequent the outdoor range I am a member of. 50, 100, 150, 200, 300 yard rifle, nice covered pistol range with steel flip down plates and a dueling tree, and a super nice trap range they use for competitions for the high schools teams. Best part is a whopping $35 a year and no ammo limits other than nothing bigger than 45acp on the pistol targets

[Murphy]

It's simple, at least the way I see it.

It's a business, they intend to make money. No, I've never ran a range before. But it isn't that hard to see what's going on.

1. No reloads, why? Liability is their reasoning. Should a reload cause a gun to blow and it injures anyone, there's gonna be a lawsuit more than likely.

2. They sell ammuntion, and that means money. Many won't even allow a person to keep the brass they just paid for. It's gathered at the end of the day and winds up being sold off on Gunbroker or to individuals who commercially reload.

Murphy

[375supermag]

Hi...
One of the local ranges here only allows you to shoot the ammo you buy from them...all of it is the Winchester white box stuff,IIRC.
You aren't allowed to keep the brass, either.I walked out and haven't been back...and won't be.
The gun club my son and I belong to has a pistol range, a shotgun range and 200 yd rifle range. Only restrictions are no automatic weapons and no centerfire rifles on the pistol range.
The dues are $25 yearly.

[Garyshome]

I'd find another place!

[kenyerian]

This post makes me fell very lucky that I have always lived where I can just walk outside and setup my own shooting range. I did belong to a trap shooting club for a while in the 70's.

[500MAG]

This post makes me fell very lucky that I have always lived where I can just walk outside and setup my own shooting range. I did belong to a trap shooting club for a while in the 70's.
When I retire that is exactly the way I will live. I want to be able to walk out of the house and shoot freely. Trap shooting would be awesome too.

[Handloader109]

Seems my local indoor range is rather expensive.. Thought so, but you guys reinforce it. Got a 6 month membership ($125 per year) free with gun purchase. Still charge half price for each session. $7. Wow. GOT to find me a piece of land I can shoot on:)

[Bullfrog]

I need to get busy building a range on my property. I need to find a skid steer and have some dirt dumped here first though :( I hate paying someone to shoot. Also I had went to an indoor range that would not let you pick up your brass even if you brought your own. I told them to (insert text) and picked mine up anyways since I reload.

[Petrol & Powder]

All I shoot is factory ammo......................................Loaded in my personal factory...

:bigsmyl2:

[wallenba]

Went to try out a new gun range near my work once. Turned out they too did not allow reloads. Young man at the counter said they sold ammunition, so I asked for a box of 30 Herrett's. He looked for a good little while, then asked the boss who gave me the look that said, 'smart a$$'. Then I left, never went back.

[TXGunNut]

As always, vote with your wallet. Then again, I own an ammo factory too. ;-)

[9w1911]

I cant even buy factory ammo anymore, if I dont get it in a trade I just shoot reloads and cast

[dakotashooter2]

Went to try out a new gun range near my work once. Turned out they too did not allow reloads. Young man at the counter said they sold ammunition, so I asked for a box of 30 Herrett's. He looked for a good little while, then asked the boss who gave me the look that said, 'smart a$$'. Then I left, never went back.

That makes a good point... What if you pay for a membership at a range but shoot some obscure cartridge for which no factory ammo is available? How can they demand that you shoot factory ammo if it isn't available?

[country gent]

Alot of rental ranges only allow the ammo they sell to you to be used on them. Ive seen one that even rimfires had to be purchased from them. The range club I belong to dosnt stipulate ammo. That raises other issues. We had a member that had a custom remington 700 and he was known for blowingthe sako extractor out of it. He kept a rubber mallet in his shooting gear to open the bolt when needed. Some ranges feel factory only is for saftey reasons. Others do it to up the income.

[kungfustyle]

Most restrict the use of reloads due to insurance restrictions. Find and outdoor range, its better for you health too. Air quality at an indoor range isn't the healthiest.

[Cmm_3940]

Most restrict the use of reloads due to insurance restrictions. Find and outdoor range, its better for you health too. Air quality at an indoor range isn't the healthiest.

Most of the indoor ranges around here don't care about reloads, but require a jacketed bullet. No steel case or steel core allowed, they check with a magnet. No cast allowed AT ALL. The claim they make is that the unjacketed lead clogs up their air filters. Given that most jacketed bullets have soft lead cores with either the nose or base exposed and splat out of the jackets like toothpaste when they hit a steel bullet trap, I'm gonna have to call BS on this claim. Or just greed. Or maybe someone's really just that stupid, be it the owners or the underwriter. Whatever. :rolleyes: I'll only shoot there in winter weather, if I happen to have some Berrys plated bullets.

There is one range that is an exception. They don't care about what kind of ammo you shoot. Or about anything else for that matter. Uncleaned, unsupervised, and with scary-stupid clientele you would have to be crazy to be around when they are shooting. The one time I had to shoot there for a class, there was empty brass piled up several inches deep on top of the lanes and on top of the light fixtures, so deep it was rolling off. :shock:

[bobthenailer]

There are two local gunshop indoor ranges within 1/2 hour driving time of me , one you can use your ammo or reloads no FRAG ammo, just buy there targets , brass can be retrived from behind the firing line only , unlimited shooting for $40.00 a month or buy the hour.
Second gunshop indoor range , only factory ammo & targets purchased from them ! no brass retrevial at all ! its theres with no reguard that you paid for it or reduced price on there ammo. not sure of there rates , i was only there once in about 20 years ago.
Luckley i live only 5 miles from a club with a 50" indoor range. no rifles or magnum loads. $40.00 per year membership.

[cuzinbruce]

This is the rule at the range I belong to:

"The use of tracer, incendiary or armor-piercing ammunition is prohibited."

That's it folks. I can understand as it is an outside range and nobody wants brush fires from the first two.

[Cornbread]

We have a covered outdoor range here. Costs $15 per year for a family membership, and they also encourage all members to join the NRA although it isn't mandatory. Has trap and skeet shooting for cheap for members on Wednesday evenings. Rifle range out to 300 yards. Separate pistol and rimfire range out to 25 yards but if you wanted to shoot your pistol on the rifle range you'll get no hassle if you shoot pistol at 100 and 200 yards. They also have a separate sand trap for practicing with broadheads with your bow. Range has buckets on it and a sign that asks if you don't reload to please put your brass in the bucket. Older gentleman that runs the range has been casting bullets for longer than I have been alive. He is a great source of info when I am debugging something.

I can shoot out to 100 yards here at the house and we have our pistol range here on the place setup for 50 yards but I'll always be a member of the local range too. Sometmes it is nice to be able to shoot out to 300 yards, other times it is nice to go shoot some trap or skeet for fun. The older gentleman who runs it also sells reloaded shotgun shells for trap for cheap to range members so I buy those off him and grouse hunt with them too.

The OP range sounds like it would be right at home in commiefornia, I'd move to a better state :)