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I get so sick of lame shooting ranges that only allow you to shoot at paper

6K views 38 replies 26 participants last post by  somebrains 
#1 ·
I keep trying different ranges. Both indoors and out. In state and out of state. The theme I keep seeing, is that they want us to just shoot at paper. Paper that is often times way too far away for realistic pistol accuracy. Yeah, I have rifles, shotguns, AR's, etc but I want some closer range steel targets to shoot pistol with. I even have my own torso target that's got a 6' tall stand and base that I could set up, but they won't let me use it. I like the instant feedback of shooting steel, and I think drills with steel are more like a defensive shooting scenario, vs Bulls eye paper punching at painfully slow speeds.

I just almost feel like we all need to vote with our dollars, and stop giving money to ranges that are frankly very boring, and ask that they cater more to a variety of shooting preferences. Have you all seen Hickok45's range? Who wouldn't want to shoot at something even 1/4 as nice as his setup, vs shooting a piece of paper?
 
#2 · (Edited)
Mostly a safety thing ... also a bit of a cost thing. The ones around here that have dueling trees and plates make you use frangible ammo on them. The back wall of the range is engineered to take bullets well ... people roll in and start shooing steel core or whatever else they round up and the plates don't last very long. Its work enough just keeping motorized target pullers up and running when people want to lose shots up into the guide rails down range.

I always like to look at the inside of the booth wall and wonder how the F all these bullet holes are so far back behind the firing line, in the walls and ceiling. People are crazy. I don't think id invest in steel for a public range either unless I charged a lot more or did a "members only" kind of thing. Its a cool thing to have ... but its like putting gold seats in a public porta john ... people are just going to mess up anything you put down there quicker than you can weld it. The ranges here get run hard 7 days a week.
 
#14 ·
Yeah, unfortunately I think you're right. Our society has too many lawyers, has become too litigious, and there are too many woosies and idiots running around.

I moved a little further away from some nice state property that allows steel target, and I think I'll just learn to shoot less, and take the time to drive out there and have a good time.
 
#19 ·
Yep, there is your solution.

Just buy 40 wooded, hilly acres and spend about $10 grand on buying and building all those targets and you can shoot anything and anyway you want to.
 
#5 ·
The one lame range I go to wants you to wait 4 seconds between each shot fired. Now I get that some newbies probably shouldn't go in and empty their magazine, but 4 seconds is a bit much.
 
#24 ·
I joined a semi-private range. General public can pay by the visit but for the most part there are no walk up customers it's all members. Public ranges are frightening.
I remember a time at an outdoor public range that scared the hell out of several of us.
Some guy brought his girlfriend so he could let her shoot his pistol.
He showed her how to hold and aim the handgun.
She squeezed off her first shot.
She got all giggly and with the gun slightly above waist level, turned 90 degrees towards her boyfriend still laughing.
Yep, she was pointing a loaded pistol right down a line of shooters! :eek::eek::eek:
Everyone was diving for cover and screaming for him to get the darn gun away from her!!
They were encouraged to leave shortly after.
 
#8 ·
I belong to two different private gun clubs and both require the shooter to use paper/cardboard targets. Upon questioning club officers, I found out it's to prevent accidents because of ricochets. Range officers would have a difficult time policing the ammo members are using and their targets. Makes sense to me but I don't like it.
 
#10 ·
Shot at a new range recently and the RO came to me with a hanger that would lower my target, which I had hung on their cardboard target hanger. His reason for asking was that they were having problems with people shooting their ceiling. Now, while I'm not a bulls eye shooter, I'm not a bad shot, had numerous training courses and am an NRA instructor.

In the lane next to me was a full silhouette target with bullet holes covering every inch of the target....As I left I suggested their RO watch people shoot before suggesting they lower their target.

Another range has you use their targets as they use metal hangers to hold targets, and the hangers do get hit. That I understand.
 
#11 ·
My local outdoor range has separate rifle and handgun ranges for those who have shot in 2 or 3 matches. They have no R.O. and most of them have steel targets you can shoot at. There's no limit on how many rounds per second/minute or whatever.

The local indoor ranges in general don't have rules about rounds per second/minute but I know of one that does. In speaking to the Owner, the rule is there for people who can't control their guns. If you can double tap accurately, or do a mag dump accurately, you can do what you want. If you can't do it accurately, the rule is invoked. It's also invoked on people they don't know until they become a known quantity.
 
#13 ·
I think the main issue with pistol ranges (as far as aiming goes) is you aren't able to change your aim much. You're basically pointing at the same spot all the time instead of moving the muzzle around. I try to pick different spots on my paper targets to at least get a little movement. But IMO it's like a golf driving range, not real good for your shot.

I plan on picking up a pellet gun and setting up a little plinking range.
 
#16 ·
Shooting steel works if the distances are well regulated. But as steel gets old, the hits start to fly all over the place. At local steel matches, someone always gets a hit back at some point. First time that happens at a commercial range, the owner gets sued.

Frag is a good option but unless it's only range supplied ammo, would they check each round before the shooter started??

At our club we have steel hung at 200 and three hundred yards. Any steel targets we have are used for special events only. Beyond steel, nothing else works. Years back local open areas became littered with bottles, electronics, glass and anything else they could find. Now those areas are closed.

As for the rate of fire, we don't allow full auto or bump fire. After witnessing someone do it from the hip missing our thirty foot berm, it was ended. FA is permitted at some area ranges but tightly controlled. Even at Sig Academy it's permitted in only select areas under tight controls.

Some fail to realize that one round getting out of the range can shut it down. Same for an incident at a commercial range. Too much variety in the levels ,of competence.
 
#22 ·
MB, at the range I shoot at we shoot steel pistol once a month. Lots of fun. There's another range that I need to join that has a steel pistol range that's always open. That's just I little further drive for me at 30 miles versus 6 miles. I'm on the west side of the state though. Otherwise it's one round per second on paper.

Now our target stands are wide enough for me to staple 3 8.5" X 11" targets that I can keep moving between. So one round per second isn't so bad that way.
 
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#26 ·
I feel the same way. I hate having to shoot paper. Theres a place called Pops down here where anything goes. You can bring propane tanks, tannerite, or anything else you care to destroy. There is a $100 membership fee. Then you get to have at it. Big sand dunes and open spaces. You can work on whatever drills you want, and not have a RO breathing down your neck. Once the MCX comes in, I will be making a trip to check it out.
 
#31 ·
I'm a member of two outdoor ranges. One has a pistol range with lots of steel, but you have to be a life member or CFI to shoot on the steel range. Of course early on, someone went and shot all the plates on both plate racks with a high enough power rifle that they put holes in all the plates. I don't know what kind of steel they were, but my 9mm didn't do any more than knock paint off of them.

The one where I mostly shoot now has no steel, but you can bring your own. You just have to use plated or non-jacketed bullets. They're worried about jacket fragment ricochets cutting people. I have my own AR500 plates and have become a big fan of coated lead bullets.

Both ranges are members (and their guests) only, but you still get the occasional idiot (perforated plates at the first range, and someone recently shot up a computer at the second, and was dumb enough to leave all the evidence).
 
#33 ·
When weather dictates, I punch paper at a nice indoor range nearby.

Otherwise I drive about 30 minutes to an outdoor range that has huge tactical bays. RO drives around on a golf cart, You police yourselves and are free to shoot handguns, rifles and shotguns.
For $16 (two hours) you have the tac bay all to yourself. If there is no-one on the waiting list you can stay all day.

Draw from a holster, rapid fire, double tap are allowed. Targets are whatever you bring, including steel. Barricades (barrels, standing panels) are allowed as well.

The most fun of any range in the area.
 
#35 ·
When I read post like this I get reminded how nice it is to live in Texas. I have 2 ranges within a hour that keep steel up. There are 3 ranges within a hour that hold a USPSA match with steel every month. Texas is such a joy.
 
#39 · (Edited)
Lolz, I live in the SF Bay Area and I have ranges within an hour of me for action shooting.
Long distance rifle is a drive to Sac, LA, Fresno-ish area for 1000yd+.

I have Richmond for action shooting on paper.
You just have to take a safe competitor class, then draw, holster, shoot as fast, run around as you please.
I'm starting to prefer using a shotgun and running a course of fire instead of a pistol there.

Steel shoot is in San Leandro, same deal but steel plates.

If I want to go a bit more varied with targets and distances, Angeles range is doable BC I work in LA often enough.
I do not bring a handgun with me, I prefer shooting an M14 pattern rifle both scoped and irons.
The limit there is 600yds, so packaing Benelli and slugs is pointless.
 
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