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Thread: Stopped at a new shooting range today - won't be going back . . . .

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master

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    With the attitude of the employees in the original post I don't expect that range to be open very long. Its a shame, but sometimes thats the way it is.

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by FISH4BUGS View Post
    Personally I would write a letter to the owner and explain your predicament as a one time visitor and potential customer.
    I worked in the wholesale/retail sporting goods business many years ago, and one thing I learned from the owner is that if someone takes the time to write to you and complain, there are 100 that will never be back and will bad mouth you for years to come.
    If the owner is the least bit business savvy, he will take to heart what you say. If he doesn't, then they deserve to close.
    This is what I would do. Current place I shoot at the owner is lazy and hasn't even made a proper range yet. I'm working on it but to many other things I have to do first. Yea, my place.

  3. #23
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    I'm thankful that I live in an area with plenty of public places to go shoot, and that my dad has ten acres out in the country with an indoor bench and targets out to 300yds.

    I used to shoot at an indoor range once a month in GSSF matches, and actually used an indoor range once in AZ when it was simply too hot to shoot outside, lol.

    Yeah, not a fan of indoor ranges, or shooting with strangers in general. People are dumb.
    "Luck don't live out here. Wolves don't kill the unlucky deer; they kill the weak ones..." Jeremy Renner in Wind River

  4. #24
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    I only go to our local indoor range for they allow holster draw (prequal req'd) & rapid fire. No one else in town do this. Their facilities are way better than most too & they let me pickup brass (mine & others). With that & 50% off for CHL holders, can't beat that even with my club's open range...

  5. #25
    Boolit Master
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    i've been happy with the range near me. they don't restrict handloads or lead, and are generally accomadationg. they don't mind you picking up range brass, as long as you're not a nusance. as far as filters go, however, i went there to burn off some hot loads in my 45/70, and after about ten round, it got decidedly 'smokey' in there. probably took 5 mins. to clear the air. and yes, these were smokeless loads....just a lot of power in a short time, which i found amusing. i'm glad i was the only person there at that time!

  6. #26
    DOR RED BEAR's Avatar
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    I for one can't afford to shoot factory ammo except the rare box when having problems just to check. I would never shoot at a range where i couldn't pick up my own brass.

  7. #27
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Unfortunately, this is the norm for a lot of places. The older gun guys are retiring, closing shop, or in the case of my favorite LGS owner, passing away. Along with that is a loss of knowledge and appreciation for firearms in general. Very few young folks (under 25 or so) that are employed at these shops are barely minimum wage and can’t work other places due to history or education and work at these places as they are “family”. Along with that comes rudimentary knowledge.

    The no lead restrictions and no reloads I blame on the underwriters of the insurance policies more than the shop owners. I only go to 2 indoor ranges. One local to me if the weather is sonfouk outside I can’t shoot outside and one close to my brother. Both turn a blind eye to my reloads or lead.......and me retrieving my empties.

    OP, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had a policy stating once the brass hits floor, it belongs to them so to speak.

    Either way, I share your frustration as there are very few places I can find good vintage revolvers to shop other than the local trader and few “good” gun shops and ranges.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gus Youmans View Post
    bedbugbilly,

    I go to a local gun store and indoor range here in Columbus a couple of times a month and almost all of the ammo that is being shot on the range is factory ammo. I would guess that less than 5% of the ammo is reloads. I hardly ever see anyone picking up brass and folks give me a funny look when I do. The range allows handloads and lead bullets but I never see anyone shooting what appear to be cast bullet loads except me. If the business stopped allowing reloads it would have negligible effect on their bottom line.

    At one time the store had a fairly decent selection of reloading tools, powders, primers, jacketed bullets, and lead bullets but they had a clearance sale about a year ago and now have no reloading stuff - it just wasn't selling.

    In summary, if the demographics of where you live are similar to Columbus, changing their policy to allow handloads and lead bullets will not have little effect on their bottom line.

    Gus Youmans
    Sounds like Shooters of Columbus..
    Now I have to get powder and primers from Money Mizer pawn shops.....
    Tom
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    Did I ever mention that I hate to trim brass?

  9. #29
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    There are three indoor ranges near me and I'm not impressed by the staff at any of them.
    It's about an hour drive to a nice 200 yard outdoor range; cheaper, well kept and well-regulated without being overly restrictive, which was a big surprise since it's located in the People's Republic of New Jersey.
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  10. #30
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    The inside ranges have gotten anal over the years. Ammo inspection no brass corrosion. No shooting thru the roof and so forth all in the name of safety. How dare them to do this. It would seem that the emphasis should be switched to safety in gun handling. Not to single out a particular group of people but in my neck of the woods it would seem that we get college kids from different countries going to our local colleges seeking entertainment on the weekends. The concept of going to a local gun range renting a firearm buying ammunition and punching holes in paper has caught on. Unfortunately someone should have consider the application of an IQ test for proper gun handling. I've exited a range before when there are young ones pointing the barrels in the wrong directions.

  11. #31
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    Looking forward to the outdoor ranges of Arizona where there will be yet another factor to consider....that rattling noise from unfriendly snakes in the area.

  12. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by 6bg6ga View Post
    Looking forward to the outdoor ranges of Arizona where there will be yet another factor to consider....that rattling noise from unfriendly snakes in the area.
    It's more of a buzzing sound... It will pucker you up!
    "Luck don't live out here. Wolves don't kill the unlucky deer; they kill the weak ones..." Jeremy Renner in Wind River

  13. #33
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    I reckon this may be considered just an academic question; since I mostly shoot off my porch steps at my place, but regarding their rule that you cannot pick up your brass: if you are shooting a revolver, can you keep that brass, or do you have to dump them on the floor?

  14. #34
    Boolit Master flyingmonkey35's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FISH4BUGS View Post
    Personally I would write a letter to the owner and explain your predicament as a one time visitor and potential customer.
    I worked in the wholesale/retail sporting goods business many years ago, and one thing I learned from the owner is that if someone takes the time to write to you and complain, there are 100 that will never be back and will bad mouth you for years to come.
    If the owner is the least bit business savvy, he will take to heart what you say. If he doesn't, then they deserve to close.
    I agree.

    They can't fix it if they don't know its broken.

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  15. #35
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    Wow. You guys make me appreciate our range/club even more.

    The only restrictions we have is the range master doesn't want rifles on the pistol range punching holes in the steel plates.
    Take your trash home.
    No cannons or .50BMG.
    No unsafe actions or stupidity allowed.
    If you drive down range when its muddy- use the provided shovel to fill in your ruts.


    If no one else is there, you can mine the impact area for Lead.
    Pick up any or all the brass ya want off the ground or get it out of the barrel where non-reloaders sweep up and dump theirs.
    Last edited by Winger Ed.; 06-20-2019 at 05:32 PM.
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  16. #36
    Boolit Master brewer12345's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JoeJames View Post
    I reckon this may be considered just an academic question; since I mostly shoot off my porch steps at my place, but regarding their rule that you cannot pick up your brass: if you are shooting a revolver, can you keep that brass, or do you have to dump them on the floor?
    My local has the "its ours when it hits the floor" rule because they are worried about idiots crossing the firing line to pick up brass. If you ask before you go on the range, they let you pick up your brass and the RO usually even sweeps it into a pile for me.
    When you care enough to send the very best, send an ounce of lead.

  17. #37
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by JoeJames View Post
    I reckon this may be considered just an academic question; since I mostly shoot off my porch steps at my place, but regarding their rule that you cannot pick up your brass: if you are shooting a revolver, can you keep that brass, or do you have to dump them on the floor?
    I try to avoid the "can't pick up brass" facilities as much as possible. The few I have shot at have had no problem with you keeping your revolver brass.

    One range had a rule that you could pick up any brass BEHIND the firing line. Guess they had people crossing the line while others where still shooting.

    As the level of common sense declines more rules are made to protect people from themselves and others from the idiots. At a public DNR range in Missouri they resorted to shooting booths separated by pea gravel filled walls to try and protect you from improper gun handling by another shooter on the line. The RSO I was chatting with said an accident can happen so fast that calling cease fire is an after event. During cease fires (target change) you were required to exit your booth and put a chain across it to prevent you from entering it.

    The lack of common sense is astonishing. I have seen people put their hand in front of the muzzle of a pistol trying to see if the laser was on, Yes finger on the trigger, weapon loaded.

  18. #38
    Boolit Buddy Prairie Cowboy's Avatar
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    I hate indoor ranges as well. Mall ninjas is a perfect description of the clientele. I guess that they are the same everywhere. All that they seem focused on are:
    1) Selling training courses.
    2) Renting guns.
    3) Selling over-priced ammunition.
    4) Selling over-priced memberships.
    5) Selling a few guns (though that seems less important to them).

    The employees seem to size you up when you come through the door based on how old you are and how you are dressed. If you don't look like the type that has oodles of money and the inclination to take their courses or rent guns or buy lots of ammo for same, then you get the invisible treatment.
    If you come in wearing comfortable blue jeans and cowboy boots, and you are over 50, well forget about it. You ain't mall ninja material so they simply don't care. The fact that you might want to buy a gun or a membership and have plenty of money doesn't interest them in the least.
    Unless my circumstances force a change I will always shoot at an outdoor range, even if I have to drive 4 times further to get there. Nobody is trying to sell me things that I don't want or restrict what ammo I can shoot (other than the armor-piercing stuff).
    Last edited by Prairie Cowboy; 06-20-2019 at 04:54 PM.

  19. #39
    Boolit Buddy Big Tom's Avatar
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    I had a nice ODNR operated outdoor range about an hour drive, but ODNR decided to stop maintenance on it and then let it sit for 3 years now. So, ODNR does not care and complaints are not being taken serious.

    However, we have a great, relatively new indoor range (25 yard only) here that is very well operated with RSOs that do a great job and no nonsense about reloads or lead. I joined them a while ago and at the $230/year rate for LE/Military, for unlimited shooting time and one guest (shared lane) included, I think it is a good deal.
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  20. #40
    Boolit Buddy Prairie Cowboy's Avatar
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    When the OP says that he told the incompetent employees of this new indoor range that he would not be back and to tell their manager so, his message was falling on deaf ears. They simply don't care, and would not risk being blamed for losing a customer by being the messenger of bad tidings.

    Once in a while you see a sign in a business that says something like:
    "If you are happy with our service please tell others. If you are not then please tell us."
    My opinion is that doing so accomplishes little usually. The owner might take it to heart and make changes, or he might just say thanks and then do nothing. If he ignores you then he is just happy that he intercepted your complaint before you told others.

    My philosophy is:
    "If I am happy with your service then I will tell others. If I am not happy then I will tell everyone, again and again. And, then I will tell you that."

    Only a targeted letter to the owner which carefully lays out your concerns is going to light a fire under them, accompanied by your assurance that you will spread the word to one and all about your displeasure. That's the world that we live in now. Usually though, I just avoid such businesses like everyone else.

    Goodwill is a marketable premium that gets sold along with a business. The reputation of a business must be earned and built up day by day and year by year. And, it can be lost in a short time.
    I think that we have all seen that happen through a change in ownership.
    Last edited by Prairie Cowboy; 06-20-2019 at 05:25 PM.

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