Gun range preference-Indoor or Outdoor

rugerron

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Feb 20, 2019
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Western Oregon
I personally shoot exclusively at a local outdoor range. I call it my 2nd amendment theme park. There is a local indoor range but I feel enclosed there and with the amount of nut jobs out there I just feel safer at an outdoor range. The one I go to requires you to be a member of the NRA to shoot there. There way of at least trying to keep more qualified and safety conscious shooters there. They don't rent out guns, glad of that. Too many horror stories involving range accidents/deaths from rented guns, especially at indoor ranges.
 

Fred_G

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Outdoor is my preference just from the noise level. I do use an indoor range very rarely. The bullet holes 180 degrees from the targets make me only shoot there when I am the only person shooting..
 

fieldgrade

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Jun 25, 2018
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southwest Wake County, NC
I can't shoot indoors anymore. We have a big indoor range close by that even has a 100 yard rifle range, but it's too dark for my old eyes, and two loud for my old ears, even doubled up. It seems like I'm always next to someone with a Mosin carbine, or an AR with a muzzle brake.

Heck, I don't even like shooting under a covered bay outdoors because of the reflected sound. I shoot at an open outdoor range thirty minutes away during the week and am usually the only one there when I go.
 
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Zipper046

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I prefer outdoor....but unfortunately up in the Northeast "limited corridor" there aren't too many anymore.....Seems to be a push to prevent them from opening.....so, indoor it is....limiting, but I'll take it...
 

boatdoc

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Jun 9, 2018
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pros and cons to both
Indoor
cons--bad air filtering on public ranges
yahoos in some lanes=decreased safety

no RSO

indoor private-- sometimes no lanes available otherwise my club is just great!!

pro=heated! or AC in summer


outdoor

again--in public..the yahoos and their antics.

private and public--the wait to retrieve targets + some inconsiderate members/shooters who socialize rather than s hoot--thus delaying shooting.....(after cease-fire is calle dt o retrieve or set up targets)

biggest pro--you are outdoors-- far less lead in the air. beautiful scenery to enjoy

I prefer outdoors when I have the TIME

I prefe r my indoor club to the public rage I belong to as well
indoor public range allows AR shooting--the only pro I can think of
 

Chuck43

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Dec 23, 2018
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Northern Illinois
I prefer outdoors but unfortunately the closest range is about 60 miles away and requires membership costing hundreds of dollars a year. There are 3 indoor ranges within a 15 minute drive of me, not the best but better then not shooting at all.
 

ButchA

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Jun 27, 2018
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Richmond, VA
I love outdoor ranges! The best one here in Virginia is a 2+ hour drive, west from the metro Richmond area, out beyond the Blue Ridge Mtns, out near Staunton, VA and the I-81, I-64 areas in Augusta County. It's called Hite Hollow Range, along Route 42 south heading to Craigsville.


50, 100, 150 rifle range. 25 yard handgun range.
Do what you want, bring what you want, shoot what you want. Ain't nobody gonna care! No RSO's, no cops, no forest rangers, ...nothing. You are on your own! Pack a lunch and make a day out of it (like we do with a 2½ hour drive each way). Oh, and uh... good luck getting a WiFi signal or heck, even a signal at all! "Police your own" is the philosophy out there at Hite Hollow Range...

A few of the WMA's (Wildlife Management Area) around the area have 100 yd rifle ranges, but... No. Just... No. They are always packed to capacity no matter what day it is. There is always a line leading back up to the main parking lot too. I have seen people there with a brand new .270 rifle that they just bought and have limited firearm skills - bystanders often will help out, which is good to see. Other times, a dad will be there with his 12 yr old son and a little Ruger 10/22, teaching the kid how to shoot. They don't just bring a box or two, but an entire brick of 500 rounds, and will stay there and stay there and stay there, bogarting the rifle bench!!! C'mon, man... :rolleyes:

Indoor ranges are great, but can be deafening, especially when they allow .223's in there! There are three here in the metro Richmond, VA area that I have been too and have mentioned plenty of times.... Here's a repeat:

Winding Brook Indoor Range - Ashland, VA --- right next door to Bass Pro Shop along I-95.
Unbelievable place, now that they reopened! Absolutely incredible indoor range! Very clean, very high tech, electronic LCD touch screen controls, and excellent lighting. You can breathe easy in the place too as they have upgraded the exhaust system, ventilation, etc... and it's just amazing. You have to check it out if you're on I-95 coming towards the Richmond, VA area... Also, they have really cool, professional, RSO's who don't have a Napoleon Complex or attitude, or act like the typical "Range Nazi".

Colonial Shooting Academy - Richmond, VA --- right here in town on Broad St. It was a furniture store years ago, and they had all these civil engineers and architects, totally redesign the place all the way down to it's foundation, to make it "bullet proof", etc... It originally was a great place, just like how Winding Brook is now, but what sets the two ranges apart, is CSA for some reason or another, sadly, copped an attitude or something. Two words: Range Nazi's. You know what I'm talking about... I mean, you could be a retired military veteran, LEO, etc... and you want to speak out, "Whoa, want to see my badge? Look kid, I've been shooting since you were in diapers! Now, get outta my face!..." :mad:
{post within a post} -- Talk to the guys up at Winding Brook, and they will tell you, they have seen a massive increase in membership, as people have been leaving CSA, and driving up to Ashland, and shooting up there!

Lastly, to wrap up this thread... The vote for the absolute worst ever indoor range in the metro Richmond, VA area goes to none other than the old D&P Range off Midlothian Tnpk, which is now called Dominion Range, by Midlothian Tnpk & Turner Rd.
No... Just no... A thousand times NO... You have been warned!! Honest and very seriously - the place needs to be shut down! It is nasty, dark, rundown, and worst of all - you can't breathe in there due to the awful, outdated, often not working, ventilation system! It's a wonder nobody has gotten brain damage from shooting in the place!!
The "straw that broke the camel's back" for me was years ago, the last time I ever stepped foot in the place.... I witnessed two of "Da Boyz"... Um, I mean, uh, two street dudes with their pants lowered, showing their underwear, baseball hat on sideways, etc... playing around with a loaded 9mm, stepping back with the loaded 9mm, taking cellphone "selfies" of themselves with the loaded 9mm!!! :eek:
I immediately freaked out, unloaded my RIA 1911, unloaded my mags, looked at the RSO, who apparently couldn't care less, as he was too involved with a scared, timid, lady shooter, trying to handle a S&W .38 snubby for the first time. I don't know if he was trying to score points, get a date, or what, but he should have been fired! I grabbed my things, ran back upstairs, and complained to the clerks at the desk. To my amazement and shock, they were too busy with customers to acknowledge what I was saying. They did look out through the overhead windows, down onto the range, at "Da Boys", but then, again, to my shock and disbelief, they shrugged their shoulders, and went back to assisting customers!! :eek::mad:
 

Bender

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Mar 30, 2018
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Meh.........
I have plans to build both an outdoor and an indoor range at our next residence. Would like the indoor to allow for 7 to 10 yard shooting. Would like to have a 100 yard outdoor rifle range. It would be nice if I could somehow set up the place to be able to shoot from the indoor range 100 yards down range to an outdoor target. Only time will tell but that's what I would like
 

John Galt

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Dec 11, 2018
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Idaho, kalifornistan
At my place in kalifornistan there is a certain reluctance to be outside with the potential to be photographed from helicopters with certain..................so we set up a range from the living room, through a back door to targets down view.

To save the house from the concussion we shot through a line of truck tires
 

rugerron

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Feb 20, 2019
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Location
Western Oregon
At my place in kalifornistan there is a certain reluctance to be outside with the potential to be photographed from helicopters with certain..................so we set up a range from the living room, through a back door to targets down view.

To save the house from the concussion we shot through a line of truck tires
Ingenuity at it's finest. LOL!
 

Spokes

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Feb 9, 2019
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205
Location
SE Florida
I like shooting outdoors where I don't have to inhale a lot of smoke and lead of an indoor range. Unfortunately We have to shoot indoors 90% of the time. I belong to a beautiful outdoor gun club that has full time RSO's...It has six beautiful pistol, rifle and archery lanes.
Outdoor club is a bit far for me to drive now..
 

OldGunner_43

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Jun 8, 2018
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Location
Williamsburg, VA
Hey, Butch, you missed one. The Conservation Park near New Kent where I'm a member. It has 1700 acres, 12 Skeet fields, 6 Trap fields, Wobble trap, 5-stand, 2 dedicated covered pistol ranges (25 yds and 50 yds), a combination 50 yd range for pistol and rifle (mostly muzzle loaders), and a 100yd covered rifle range. It's open to members 7 days a week and we can bring guests. There's no charge for shooting on the rifle and pistol ranges. Hard to beat when the weather is decent. Just google up "The Conservation Park".
 

AZ Husker

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Jun 8, 2018
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Phoenix
Virtually impossible to find a range that allows for out of holster work. Desert shooting for me, but the Phoenix area has grown so much there isn't much land left that allows shooting.
 

ThePlumber

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Apr 8, 2018
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582
I prefer outdoors, and at off (usually early) times. That minimizes the chances of encountering some morons on the range.

But, there is a new, very nice, state of the art indoor range that I am a founding member of. We will see how busy it gets. Hopefully founding members will have the ability to go before and after public hours. But that is yet to be determined for sure.
 
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