Indoor range vs outdoor range or just field to shoot

[monkey wrangler]

What do you guys like to shoot at indoor ranges out of the nasty weather?
Outdoor ranges with longer lanes and steel targets maybe?
Or just out in the field down the road where there are no range officers and you shoot what you brought? Or is shooting more of a social thing for you

Personally I have shot at only a couple of indoor ranges a couple of times and the price is kind of high in my opinion. I would rather spend that money on lead and powder. But they are nice on the summer when it can be 118 where I live.

I have shot at only one outdoor range in my life and absoluty hated it. Waiting for them to call the range clear to adjust or fix targets took forever. The range officer also had a fit because I wanted to shoot more than one firearm during the day and refused to take the other firearms back to my truck even thought the firearms were cleared and chambered flagged he just wasn't having it. never went back and there really are not many outdoor within a hour drive from me anyways.

I usually go for a ride out the desert not far from the house and set up targets in front a very large hill. I go all out setting up a table and chairs as well as a easy up for shade. I then shoot what I want when I want and do it in a very safe manner all day for not much more than the cost of couple gallons of fuel and powder of course.

So what is your favorite?

[Thumbcocker]

Weather permitting I prefer outdoor ranges for practice. Indoor ranges are dominated by magazine dumping 7 yard shooters in my area. My absolute favorite form of handgun shooting is to drive to Utah, find a hillside back in the boonies and shoot at various sized rocks on said hillside at distances from 20 to 300 yards. Elmer and Skeeter were right.

[Froogal]

I am fortunate to have a shooting range right in my backyard, limited to about 80 yards, but that is enough. I also am involved in cowboy action, and ALL of that is outdoors. Never been to an indoor range, and probably never will.

[Mal Paso]

Are you near Ben Avery Shooting Facility? They are open and you can reserve a spot. $9 a day for walk-ins, I think $7 with reservation. Huge place and the ROs are well trained.

[dverna]

When I moved 8 years ago one or my first projects was a 100 yard range. This year I expanded it to 200 yards.

I prefer shooting rifle and pistol at "home on the range". Last year I build a bullet trap so I will likely never have to buy lead again.

For Trap shooting my lady friend wanted me to build a trap range, but I did not want to deal with broken clays so I shoot at the club for Trap. I have an area where I could set up a portable trap thrower and use biodegradable clays and that is under consideration.

I have had some less than satisfactory experiences at public rifle and pistol ranges. But I do miss an indoor range in the winter.

[jimlj]

I live a mile away from an indoor range that is part of the city rec center. It's open in the evenings a couple nights a week during winter months. (around here that is about 6 months of the year) I usually go there a few times each winter. Nice to get out of the cold.
I live 5 miles from my preferred shooting spot, much like Thumbcocker described in Utah. Come to think of it, I live 4 miles from Utah, but where I shoot it's a Wyoming hillside.

[sigep1764]

You know, growing up and into college it was all outdoors, roaming around acres upon acres all over Kansas. Now that Im her in STL, I appreciate the indoor range for a few different reasons. One being I can drive 1 mile and be there, making load development and access easy peasy. Two being its cold in the winter! And three, I don't feel quite as alone in this Democratic bastion of a city. Its the perfect example of how Do-Gooders can ruin, mismanage, and bankrupt a city.

[RU shooter]

I shoot at a friends farm . I can't stand indoor pistol ranges . Been a member of private gun club that have 1-300 yd ranges it was ok long as there wasn't more than a few guys there . For some reason people other than me like to shoot the bull rather than their rifles when there's a group . Yeah all me anti social it fits .

[trebor44]

Indoor range for sighting in. Outdoors (no range) for fun!

[robg]

with our weather indoors wins but outdoor ranges are ok in decent weather .love to have my own range or freedom to just shoot where i want but where i live that aint possible.

[Screwbolts]

I have never in my 6 plus decades lived any were that I couldn't have at least a 100 yard range on my property. For the lat 35 years I have had a 20 yd range in my back yard and a 30 yard range with bench right in front of my basement/shop door. It is hard for me to even be able to comprehend going to a different place to shoot.

[Sven205]

I've been to an indoor range twice in my life. Outdoor public shooting ranges i've visited maybe 20 times, mostly WMA's.

All of my shooting is just in a field on the land I grew up on. That's what i'm used to so it's my favorite. Least favorite is indoor.

[Kraschenbirn]

There's an indoor range less than a mile from my home and it's 28 miles to our club's outdoor range (with covered firing lines out to 300 yds). I've been inside the indoor exactly three times since they opened several years ago while I manage to make it to the club range, at least, once a week...winter months included.

Bill

[MrWolf]

Shot at my place. Just built a 20'x16' utility shed with 4 double doors - pistol range side will have Dutch doors. That is a 25 yard setup. Still working on inside and the doors but they should be done by tomorrow hopefully. Have plans for rifle range on hill above it with an 8'x10' building and hopefully 50 yard, 100 yd, 200 & 300yds. That is scheduled for spring/summer.

[375supermag]

Hi...
I have belonged to a local private gun club for over 40 years. We have a 200 yard rifle range, a 25 yard handgun range and a shotgun range for shooting clay birds. There is also an indoor rimfire range only...never use it.
A couple of years ago, I joined another private club with the same type of rifle and handgun ranges. No shotgun or indoor range. This club had steel plates at all ranges.

My son and I do our load development and accuracy testing at the first range. We use the second club for practice and just plain fun shooting. The second club allows pretty much any targets you want as long as you pick up after yourself. The first club only allows bullseye type paper targets... they don't even allow human silhouette type paper targets.

Years and years ago, I shot at indoor ranges for 25 yds handgun competitions. I still hate shooting indoors to this day...there are several indoor ranges within reasonable driving distance to my house but I have never used any of them. Boring and stupid expensive. I would rather spend my money on reloading components and firearms than on range fees.
The two clubs I belong to charge yearly memberships (actually I am a life member at the first club, so I don't have to pay a yearly membership fee any longer. I do make a yearly
cash contribution). Neither club charges a use fee other than the yearly membership and I don't have to make an appointment to use the range. I understand some of the other clubs in the area charge daily use fees and require scheduled appointments with time limits.

[Conditor22]

I've never belonged to a gun club and the last time I shot at a range was in the late 60"s

I have a couple of friends the have ranges (up to 100 yards) but my shooting buddy and I prefer to shoot at the end of a logging road



we've built boolit traps that will catch everything from 22lr to45/70 540 grns

[1I-Jack]

Belong to two clubs. One indoor, pistols only. One outdoor, 200 yd max. They both have their own advantages. Not a fan of shooting in freezing temps unless there is potential meat at the other end of the shooting stick.

[Txcowboy52]

I've never been to an outdoor range , shot at a few different indoor ranges, like others have said it seems kinda pricey . I can see the advantages to it. Some don't let you pick up your brass, or draw from your holster, I understand why but I don't care for it. I'm lucky enough to have my own range. Covered rife bench with 150 yards distance. One hundred yard pistol silhoettes four covered bays for shooters. Pistol range with well over 50 steel targets , 2 plate racks, Texas star, several reactive targets a backstop for paper or cardboard targets and a covered area with a picnic table. It's taken me several years and lots of hard work , but its sure nice to walk out my back door 20 yards and I'm on the range !!

[Half Dog]

I’ve shot at both types of ranges but outdoors is the one that makes me feel good. Bad weather is fun and I usually have the range to myself during the summer heat.

[richhodg66]

I despise indoor ranges. For many reasons. I'll brave some seriously bad weather conditions to shoot out doors.