A San Antonio Rant

Glenn E. Meyer

New member
<RANT>

When I moved to TX from Oregon, I had to give up my CHL. It took a few years before TX got a decent law. That's OK.

But in Portland, there was a nice indoor range. I like them for handgun shooting practice.

However, in San Antonio, when I got here there was only one small indoor range. The guy who ran it was a hoot and I took a course from him but it was a shoe string outfit.

Then Accuracy Sports opened and it was a big modern indoor range. But they went down hill.
Ventilation was spotty and the help was a little arrogant. They all got canned. I heard they had some labour problems of the sticky finger kind. Who knows if that was true?

So they got a new crew. Some of them had the typical gun store attitude of talking to their buddies while you just stand there. But it was a decent place.

Now the joint has gone out of business. So there is no indoor range and the outdoor ones are so-so that are convenient.

It might be bad management, my thought but you would think that a city the size of San Antonio would be able to support one indoor range. Austin has two. Where my mom lived in FL they had several within easy drive.


So RANT RANT.

</rant>
 
Hi Glen...was gonna ask if you graduated from Marshall in S.A. ,but being from Portland.....S.A. has changed a lot in the 16 years since I graduated....just came back a couple of years ago and it's really gone downhill. Don't know any ranges here either-sorry. Place up in Austin that I'm rackin my brain to remember the name....off of W35th st [I used to run a veterinary clinic a couple blocks over]. Been planning on visiting and seeing if it's there any longer...oh well, welcome to Texas.

Yee Haa. Woo-woo. Yee Haa. :)
 
Glen, I feel your pain...

I had a membership at Accuracy. (Let's see if I get that pro rated refund!)

I also heard about some environmental remediation issues...

Most of the area's outdoor ranges mean a 20-40 mile drive for me.

I was told at the Bullet Hole that Blackhawk had also closed because of safety issues, but no confirmation as yet.

Yes, you'd think that the buckle on Texas' belt would have more and better opportunities available. (sigh)

SA Scott
 
Hey, there's a hole in the local market, get a few shooting pals together, get an SBA loan and open a range yourself! It could be a great job to do gunny stuff all day, plus think how much practice you'll get and how much you'll save on range fees!
 
Don't know if it is a result of city govts of just high urban rent, but most of the ranges I have been to in Texas are out in the sticks, I always figure it was just the way it was. David Scott has the right idea, hell, if it takes off I'll drive down for the grand opening!
 
Austin has some good ranges. And I like to go to Austin but just for some casual practice its a drive. Dietz is a drive also.

A group of us had a senior moment a couple of weeks ago when we went to Dietz on its closed day. Good thing we didn't drag our butts all the way back to Accuracy. Too much firepower for grumpy men.

Bracken charges per gun IIRC and that stinks.

Did Blackhawk really shut down - they did the local Ipsc, NRA action stuff. I didn't do it as I am too broke or too busy most of the time.

Guess, I'll just have to spend my money in the Sushi bar.
 
I was told by the RM at Bullet Hole that Blackhawk had 3 accidental shootings in 10 days, and was not carrying any liability insurance. Still, no absolute proof.

I love the idea of running a range/gunstore, I just can't see doing it without major private capital (which I ain't got). I'm familar with some of SBA and other programs, I just don't think they'll front the whole enchilada without serious leveraging.

The other problem, in my opinion, is that most S. Texas shooters are cheap. Generating sufficient revenue to manage debt and become self-sustaining would be a real bear. That's why the lack of superior gunstores, and why so many ranges consist of a shack/trailer, wire fence target positions and a berm. Even the better ones (like A Place to Shoot) don't reinvest to upgrade their facilities.

SA Scott
 
Yup I miss Accurarcy Sports (my member number is below 30) Have started going to the bullet hole, Have heard that EPA was involved with A.S. going away but the source was only so/so. What is even worse the only other indoor range was bouhgt by Accuracy Sports a while back so all the equipment is in storage. Lets hope that somebody will open a new indoor range before our brutal winter setts in. ;)
 
I was talking to the owner of an indoor range, in Tallahassee, Florida. He commented that his rates were much higher than he wanted to charge, because of the cost of the premiums for his liability insurance.

In-town land in Austin is worth around a half-million bucks an acre, according to the Tax Assessor folks, so you can imagine what the taxes are for any large tract. Taxes affect rent.

Basically, if one charges a price which is fair to the shooter, it's hard to turn a profit.

When y'all are ready to drop out or retire, I can suggest a good place to go shoot...

:), Art
 
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