Bass Pro raises range fee again, I'm shooting elsewhere next time.

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

thawntex

New member
Two years ago it cost $8 to shoot handguns at Bass Pro Shop.

Then they raised the price to $10.

Now it costs $12.

I used to make the 40 mile round trip from Dallas to Grapevine in order to save a few bucks and still shoot at a nice, clean range.

Since the savings no longer apply, I'll stick to the gun ranges near my house.

Am I missing something, here? Have operating expenses at the typical range really risen by a half, or are places like Bass Pro just acting opportunistic?
 
Last edited:
Your Bass Pro has a range? Consider yourself fortunate. Mine doesn't. Would be great if it did, since I live 4 minutes from it.

Anyway, $12 isn't bad. Is that for an hour?

DogoDon
 
You're right, it's still a reasonable deal. It's the frequency and size of the fee increases that alarm me. At this rate it's gonna cost sixty bucks by the time my oldest kid gets to join me at the range...sixty bucks times two!

Like I said, let me know if I'm just missing some simple rule of economics here. In my opinion, you can't justify charging someone 50% more for the exact same service you provided yesterday, unless your own costs have risen just as dramatically.

Perhaps some folks will pay anything for a chance to shoot. I won't. It's frustrating to have to cough up an extra two dollars every time I want to enjoy the same range, especially when I don't receive any additional benefits from the money spent.
 
Price increases suck, but its a free market. If they cause enough people to seek other places to shoot, maybe their prices will come back down. Simple law of supply and demand.
 
I live in the Garland area and used to go to that range occasionally years ago. I need to go check it out again. Haven't thought about it in a while.

I once created a little scene there when I cut loose with an SKS rifle I was testing. Most of the people there that day were casually sighting in some deer rifles in prep for hunting season. All of a sudden I am going BLAM.,BLAM, BLAM etc. fairly rapidly. You would have thought I was disturbing the peace by some of the looks I got.

I slowed down after that and spent some time trying to adjust a small scope I had mounted on the rifle. It will definitly not win any awards as a precision target tack-driver but it was a lot of fun to shoot. I have a membership card which I believe is still good as they say they don't have any expiration date. I'm glad your post reminded me of that range. I didn't know if they were still open these days since I had just got away from regular range visits in a long time. My last visits had been to an in-door range in the area. I prefer the outdoor range in comparison.
 
BTW- does anyone know if they have a range at the Bass Pro Shop out at lake Ray Hubbard that is just East of Dallas?
 
They have a range??:eek:

And $4 bucks is going to break the bank and deny you food or have you lose your house?

Are you SERIOUS?.....Maybe you should rethink this whole shooting hobby - it costs money, and in today's economy, if $4 breaks the bank, then you need to reprioritize your expenditures. If this is a SAFE, and CLEAN place where you don't have to worry about muzzle sweeps, unsafe idiots, and can get in when you want...................what more do you need? Buy your own land then and shoot there.......GEEZUS, some folks................:rolleyes::barf:
 
maybe its a matter of principle.

unless Bass Pro is renting the land the range is located on, and rent went up, i bet the range has been paid in full a long time ago. range fees combined with the brass and scrap metal they collect, owning a piece of land people pay to drop money on is probabbly a lucrative business, once you get the permits and such.

therefore bass pro raised the price just to be greedy.

or maybe their employee wages went up or something.
 
My local indoor range is $ 15 for a lane Sunday thru Friday ( and $20 on Sat's ) - for non-members .....and its full often. It's about $1,000 for a membership (then we shoot for free ) - and $ 1,500 for a family membership ...

Its an incentive to join / since I go a couple of times a week ....
 
The cheapest range for me is $15 for unlimited time (but I don't think you can leave and come back later that day). That one is about 25 minutes away, I would have to drive an hour or more to get the cheapest rate available of $12 for the day, plus the benefit of an outdoor range.

But I do see your point. It's not just about the $4, but about the significant increase over such a short time. That would tick me off too.
 
Agree with Oneonceload.

$2 a year? in 10 years that will make it $32? that sounds right. I think it is interesting that people will spend thousands on guns they are buying just because they enjoy them and then complain about $12 in range costs. You are pretty lucky you have a BassPro never mind one with a RANGE in it! Times are tight and they are probably down just like everyone else and need to raise prices to make up the loss. If they have served you well and you benifit from them you shouldn't have an issue with it.
 
Around here Bass Pro has one of the best run ranges.

It is clean, well lit and well ventilated.

All the other ranges are dark and dirty. After a range session my nose would be full of soot. That's how bad the ventilation is.

H.
 
Actually, it has risen by two dollars per year the last two years.
In fairness, our money is worth less than it was last year, although the "official" stats show that inflation is minimal, it excludes things such as gas and food. :rolleyes:

Up until two-three months ago, when the ammo shortage was going full-blast, I was often the only one there on my weekly shoot. Of course, I reload :)

It has picked waaaay up lately, to the point where I generally have to wait to get a lane.

That says "supply and demand" to me.
 
$4 increase in two years?

Do you know how much they're electric and heat bills have gone up in the last few years? Trucking costs, labor costs....

$4, my friend. If you work for minimum wage it takes you 30 minutes to make that much money. If you make the national average wage of $19.87/hr then it takes you 12 minutes to make $4.

Don't sweat the small stuff.
 
I've never shot at my Bass Pro. It's too expensive. $12 an hour, and I stay for 2-3 hours? That's either $24 or $36, versus the $7 or $8 my two regular ranges charge for unlimited, all-day use. Granted, my ranges are outdoors, but I prefer that over indoor. So, for me it's no contest.

I might do it if I bought a gun there and was anxious to shoot it, but I have yet to buy a gun from Bass Pro.

Just my $0.02, provided to you for free, and very possibly worth less than what you paid for it. :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top