Went shooting at an indoor range today...not as awful as I expected

I have never been to an indoor range that didn't have its rules on a big sign over the counter or in handouts in a stack, or both, in the immediate vicinity of the liability waivers.

I have been to some that had a one shot per second rule; I have been to some that allowed rapid fire; and I have been to some that would allow shooters they knew to shoot rapid fire, as long as no newbies were in the range at the time.

I have been to some indoor ranges that allowed shooters to pick up their brass; some that allowed shooters to pick up any brass; some that said all brass belonged to the range; and some that required shooters to only use ammo purchased at the range. Note: I did not go to ranges in the last two categories for repeat visits.

Most indoor ranges had decent ventilation and air conditioning.

Cable tension has varied, and target movement has varied right along with it. As noted by an earlier poster, that isn't necessarily bad. Learning to hit an unstable target is good.

I would not like cold ranges at an indoor facility. Sounds like lanes may have been too narrow at the one the OP tried.
 
I would have to taste the gun smoke for days.
Click to expand...
I like the indoor ranges. Have 2 within a mile of me and both are fun. One is a little more fancy (caters to LEO, sells & rents guns, ect) and the other is family owned with a family feel to it. Both are well run, patronized by conscientious shooters for the most part (especially the family owned one), and they are a lot of fun to shoot at. the only thing I like better is the small local outdoor 1st come 1st served ranges up north where the shooting is free, just friends present, and you can use almost anything for targets (I still like pop cans best myself). :D
 
That is what annoys me about ranges around where I live. I can't rapid fire at any. To me this is a negative.
Click to expand...
About 10-15% of the people I see at ranges are complete idiots, that present a real danger to the shooters around them. On top of that, they are almost always the reason for the "No rapid fire" rules. Holes in walls, ceilings, benches, and anything else you can think of, often come from idiots getting lost in the noise they're making. "Who needs a target? It sounds like a machine gun when I do this!"

I fully support "No rapid fire" rules. It gives me an opportunity to complain to the R.O. about the idiots. On the other hand, when some one shows that they are able to maintain safe, controlled rapid fire, no one cares to make a stink.
I don't know where you were but from my experience people can be just as stupid indoors as outdoors. Actually it shows more when inside. Look up next time to see the bullet holes in the ceiling.
Click to expand...
The last indoor range I went to had bullet holes in two entry doors (3-door pseudo-airlock), the benches, walls, ventilation ducts (10 feet behind the firing line), and the RO's chair.
I like this better. It means no waiting to put your target out. You can shoot at your own pace and no one is interrupting your shooting to change their target.
Click to expand...
Aye. Cease fire calls at an indoor range can really screw up your timing, especially if it's a place that charges by the half-hour. Losing 5 minutes, because some idiot needs to go retrieve a target they failed to properly secure to the holder is a significant loss of time.

If the target holders and track systems are so screwed up that you can't easily bring your target in... I wouldn't patronize that range.

Cease fire calls at outdoor ranges can be troublesome, too. One of the ranges near me has a rifle range with target stands at 50, 100, 200, 300, and 400 yards... all on the same firing line. It can take some people nearly 30 minutes to walk out and change a single target at the 300 yard line. Pray that the people didn't get all the way out to 400 yards, and forget a staple gun!
Since that range also had standing rule for a cease-fire every 10 minutes.... You often only managed 15 minutes of range time, per hour. It was terrible!
I say "was", because they finally fixed the issue. They built berms around the range, dug shielded trenches (accessible through tunnels under the berms), and installed retractable target holders. Target changes could now occur with a live range! Woohoo! I still hate that range, and haven't been there in more than 15 years, though...
 
The indoor range near me has the No rapid fire rule. They put it in place because too many idiots were spraying rounds downrange and hitting the target holders or the lights on the ceiling, etc.

Never seen them say anything to people that are keeping the gun under control though. I tend to do 2-4 shot strings from the holster when I'm there, then reholster and pause for a few seconds before repeating it, and they don't mind.

The official rule is one second per shot, i know I shoot faster than that.
 
The indoor range I use does not have any cease fires.

If you lose something forward of the firing line it stays there until the range closes in the evening.

If it is something important you tell them and they will try and pick it up and hold it for you.

A dropped target goes into the trash.
 
One now closed (alas) indoor range that I used to shoot at had signs clearly posted stating that all brass that fell to the floor belonged to the range, so if you were firing a semiauto and wanted to keep your brass you had to use a brass catcher. And many people still aren't into reloading.
Having shot on indoor ranges mostly in the last 40 years I note the biggest annoyances I have encountered are
1. People shooting the real boomers. And I used to think the 44 Magnum was loud. And I wear plugs and muffs.
2. People shooting black powder. Yes, I've done it. Really not a good idea.
3. Poor ventilation, especially in summer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top