Likes/Dislikes about Indoor shooting ranges

[gmg]

First, I had no idea where to put this so mods.please move if I have posted this wrong.

OK guys, I am about to open an indoor shooting range in NE MS. I feel like I can get the best answers from you guys that will help me deliver the best indoor range possible. I have competed for many years so I am familiar with with the shooting world but have basically no experience with what people want to see in a indoor range. So this is where I hope to get as many responses as possible from you guys that have access to indoor ranges regularly. Please tell me your likes and dislikes regarding indoor ranges, what works or doesn't work and anything else you can think of that might help me get off to a good start. Thank you in advance for your input.

Edited August 8, 2015 by gmg

[kneelingatlas]

Are you planning to host USPSA/steel there? Or just stand and shoot?

Good lighting and ventilation are the key to a good indoor range. Effective acoustic insulation is nice too.

Edited August 8, 2015 by kneelingatlas

[Toolguy]

Good lighting where the shooters are and on the targets. I have always thought one could save a lot of money by having a recirculating ventilation system that draws all the smoke downrange, filters it, and comes out of the vents again behind the shooters, not venting the heat and cooling to the outdoors. One of the popular ranges here has a big screen TV, couches and chairs, coffee and chocolate chip cookies for the shooters in a comfortable, brightly lit retail area. Also, large bulletproof windows with tables and chairs to watch the shooters on the range.

Edit to add:

You need traffic to be profitable. The best way to get that traffic is to have leagues several nights a week, something different each night. Look at a bowling alley and emulate their business model. Give the shooters a goal, something to do with their toys, don't just sell them something to put in the safe and never use. The spirit of competition and comeraderie that comes with a regularly scheduled activity will bring people back over and over. Of course they will want to buy the gear to do it with and practice in between times to get better than the other guy or gal. People don't mind spending money on something they are enthusiastic about and having fun at.

Have classes to teach different gun skills. A classroom is important for that.

You want a well stocked retail area so people can get what they want while they want it, then they can go out on the range and use it right away. Have a gunsmith in house or work out a deal with a good local smith for a small amount for everyone you send there.

Set prices at a reasonable level, not the last nickel you can get. This is the information age - people know what things cost at many other places. If you have vending machines, make the prices on the contents lower than average. That will show people you are not about price gouging and make them more likely to buy in the retail area. You lose a few cents on the vending, but make more retail sales.

Edited August 8, 2015 by Toolguy

[Hi-Power Jack]

Gun rentals and modestly priced ammo are great. Gunsmithing services.

Exotic guns (full auto, suppressed, etc) Different model guns (S&W, EAA, etc)

so people interested in buying can try them out first. Guns with red dots, and

night sights, and lasers mounted - and sell those items in your shop.

Sell new and used guns.

Reloading equipment, supplies & even reloaded ammo

and clinics to teach people how to reload and set up

their reloading equipment.

Rent out YOUR reloading equipment - set up 1050's

in 9mm, .40 and .223 - let people rent them and buy

supplies from you.

Ear muffs/eye protection to rent or borrow.

Chrono.

Moving targets/ timers.

Distance marked on walls - 25 yard line total, with 5 yard increments.

Spotting scopes in each bay.

brooms to pick up brass.

Sponsor competitions and classes on reloading, shooting, CCW, etc

Women's night (or day).

Work with local schools to form .22 rifle team?

Work with press for good relations - free publicity - let the reporters shoot

a rack of steel or pins.

Have steel racks and other reactive targets for rent.

Have two ranges - one for .22's and one for bigger stuff.

Offer some "night" shooting events - turn lights down low - I shot one COF in

low light (indoors) with spotlights shining towards the shooter.

Three big advantages of INDOOR ranges:

1. weather - always perfect weather indoors

2. usually closer to residential areas (outdoor ranges are usually many miles away)

3. you can easily simulate night shooting - perfect - no one ever gets a chance to

practice their defensive skills in low-light situations.

Bring vendors in to show off their new guns/equipment - let people shoot them.

Ran out of time ... got to go play pickleball.

Good luck with your new venture.

[Sarge]

If you are going to do ANY kind of action shooting where movement is involved texture the floor with some grit type paint or cover the floor with some kind of non skid matting. We shoot at an indoor range in the winter and when conditions are just right the smooth shiny floor gets covered in condensation and becomes more like an ice skating rink. See a couple of really bad head knocking falls

[alma]

Another vote for good light and ventilation.

[gmg]

Thanks to everyone for your time and opinions. I had to start small due to financial limits but the range will be 2 bays of 4 lanes each, 25 yds long with a 3rd bay partially completed at construction to finish out later. Jack I want to especially thank you for the list. Good ideas that will certainly pay dividends. Some I have already initiated. I will have a focus on youth and ladies

I think I have had as many calls from women as I have from men. The lighting will be LED lighting with adjustability and the ventilation system is from Carey's ventilation, the #1 company in range ventilation systems in the country. Thanks again and keep 'em coming.

[Hi-Power Jack]

I will have a focus on youth and ladies

My suggestion is to start youth and ladies with .22's, especially indoors.

Let them shoot some paper to see where their shots are going, and then

let 'em have at it on some reactive targets - that'll hook 'em.

Try to keep them away from 9mm's and the likes for their first visit -

you''ll be rewarded with more repeat business.

Work them up slowly with very light (almost squib) loads in a .38 - in

a heavy revolver, not a J-frame.

Go easy on them, and they'll develop better skills.

If you can find a good female shooting instructor, that will help also.

No reason to use DI's for a first visit to boot camp.

[IronicTwitch]

If you are able, highly recommend doing a wider range. For uspsa matches movement laterally really makes for a great and challenging stage. I shoot a local indoor range with 9 lanes so we can usually get 16 targets (groups of 4's) for one stage.

Lots of good ideas above too. Getting a local club to host matches there will really bring in business. Stock reloading supplies and some competition gear. We spend a lot of money on that stuff!!

Edited August 9, 2015 by IronicTwitch

[sundevil827]

http://www.alpharange.com/

Best private indoor range I've spent time at with competition in mind. From the floor, to the wall, to the ventilation, it was a great set-up. More bays would have been nice, and an extra 10 yards in length would have been great, but as is, no complaints.

[ToddKS]

Ventilation is everything. Poor ventilation is why I do not shoot indoors locally.

[dolton916]

Lighting , venting and price.

We have a indoor range local, nice shop, good people but at $17 an hour, no centerfire cartridge and the state run outdoor range at $6 a day it is just a darkest winter day that we shoot indoors.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rowdyb]

separate the guys shooting rifles from the guys shooting pistols. i find it impossible to shoot next to someone with an AR pistol or a .308 rifle with a brake. yes, i have been next to people shooting these indoors on a 25y range.

-cleanliness

-de lead style soap

-lighting

-ventelation

-reasonable policies

-weekly competitions

[gmg]

This is all good stuff guys. Send me some more!!

[lwink]

Definitely agree with competitively priced ammo.

Rental guns and a small stock of guns for sale that come with free range time.

Good big/even acoustically insulated dividers between lanes -- been to some where hot brass was all over me from the guy on my left and others when you step up to shoot its a lot of muzzle flash and blast coming across.

If rifles are allowed its nice to have a front bench/workspace larger than 18" to put a decent rest (front and rear) on and provide a couple properly sized chairs/stools rather than a cheap folding chair that's 10" short (this describes last indoor range I went to for rifle work in the winter).

I would imagine in your area even a 25 yard range could attract some hunters wanting to take a practice shot with the rifle. A couple places by me have hunting season specials just before rifle season and charge a 15 or 30 minute reduced rate or $10/gun site in fee.

[elguapo]

If you are going to do ANY kind of action shooting where movement is involved texture the floor with some grit type paint or cover the floor with some kind of non skid matting. We shoot at an indoor range in the winter and when conditions are just right the smooth shiny floor gets covered in condensation and becomes more like an ice skating rink. See a couple of really bad head knocking falls

Some really good advice on this thread, but this one is key

[elguapo]

Stock reloading supplies

But DON'T overcharge for it. My local fun store sell 1 lb cans of powder for $30. Guess how much business they get from people who shoot a lot?

[sfinney]

Ventilation is everything. Some noise baffling so its not deafening to shoot. Good "daylight" type lighting.

Dislikes:

Ranges that require you buy their ammo.

Rules like "can't fire a shot more than 1 per every 2 seconds" or similar

Close minded "range experts"

[EkuJustice]

For the stand and shoot section, use clear see through plexiglass for the dividers between lanes. If the barrier wont stop a bullet, its nice to see what the idiot next to you is doing. As for rapid fire, that is a touchy one because don't allow it and you have shooters complaining allow it and every idiot out there trys it. The ones how limit it to every 2 seconds do it for a reason. Ever hear of the new shooter mozambique? That would be 2 to the target one to the celing especially when they try it with something like say a glock 27. It is on the same lines as drawing from a holster. I know your competition shooters are gonna wanna draw from a holster but if you allow it then expect to have someone with a hole in their leg, floor someone else. The only way to really have a chance is selectively allowing rapid fire and holsters but that opens up a whole different can of worms. Make sure there is someone monitoring the range who knows what they are doing and is actually moving around not just posted up checking people in. When lanes are assigned try and put the inexperienced shooters in kind of a cluster(not to hard to spot) as it makes them easier to watch. We get spoiled with the normal group that shoots the matches but the public stand and shoot ranges you have some real idiots show up with ZERO gun handeling experience and no clue what they are doing and that can get unsafe pretty fast. How many ranges have holes in the walls floors and celings just a few feet out from the lanes. Its always great when you shoot and pass through one and some idiot is trying to make his gun work and its pointed right to the side at the guy next to him as hes racking rounds out and the old man "monitoring" the range is sitting on a chair with zero clue whats going on. You need to make the rules to handle the stupidest person out there. No matter what you do you are going to have some people mad at your policy or have a range thats unsafe

Edited August 19, 2015 by EkuJustice

[Camazama]

I sit on the Board of Directors for our Indoor Range and also serve as the Ladies Night Coordinator. Here are a couple of things from my perspective:

1) Good ventilation - a must and it looks like you already have this covered.

2) Sound deadening material - on the walls. It gets very loud indoors, which may deter some people from coming.

3) A viewing area - have an area seperate from the main shooting area where visitors can watch what's happening without needing the necessary personal protective equipment.

4) Hold classes - simple gun safety classes, doesn't have to be elaborate. These are very big at our club and whole families will attend.

5) Ladies only classes - ladies want to learn, but often have a difficult time with a large audience. Make it fun and encouraging.

6) De-lead soap - so people can wash their hands as they leave the building.

7) Good trap - self explanitory

8) Good cleaning system for the floor - especially if there are going to be junior shooters, a good machine to minimize the lead residue on the floor.

Those are just a couple I can think of at a moments notice.

Good luck.

[gmg]

Thank you Camazama. The range equipment and ventilation system are well taken care of. I could not afford ballistic glass but I will have a lounge area and something for the children to play with. Also there will be a sink in the air lock room for washing hands when they exit. I am currently talking with the Well Armed Woman organization for setting up a chapter there for the ladies. If you think of some more, please let me know.

[Doellemite]

One of my local indoor ranges has a simulator. I know this is a large investment, but it is a huge hit and a ton of fun! Maybe it's something you can look into doing after your range becomes a huge success ?? One thing my range does that I really like is they let you swap out any rental gun for one of the same caliber. If you rent a 9mm M&P for example, you can exchange it for any other 9mm they have. And they have a huge variety in all calibers. They do a lot to cater to the new shooter and give them a fun experience so they keep coming back.

[PatJones]

I am a gunsmith at an indoor range.

Ventilation is important for your employees, even more than your customers. We have our lead levels checked before employment and again every 6 months.

Many shooters are unaware of how slim the margins are in the gun industry. 10-15% is a common markup at your local gunshop, there isn't much room to dicker. The distributors sell at a lower price to the big chain stores than to the little guys. It is helpful if your retail area can carry items that are not stocked by the big box stores.

An on-site gunsmith offering general repair services will have a difficult time earning their wages if they are accessible to the public. An 8 hour day is easily eaten up answering the questions of shooters who have no intention of spending a dime. I no longer offer repair services. I only accept custom rifle work such as bedding, re barrels and full builds. This fits well with our business model as we have a 100 yard indoor range and we see a lot of competitive rifle shooters.

Consider becoming a class-3 dealer. Suppressor and SBR sales are becoming more popular. As an indoor range you can let the customers shoot their toys while they wait for the federal paperwork to clear, the transfer doesn't happen until the customer takes the item home. This is something that few of your retail competitors could offer.

[gmg]

Thanks Do and Pat. I do plan on handling Class 3 items and hoping to have it set up where they can get their trust their and also be able to send off for their stamp, and that is a good idea about letting them come shoot their toy while they wait.

Do I have looked into the simulator thing and I am going to wait until Action Target is thru with theirs. I really do think this would be a huge money maker.

[Hi-Power Jack]

Don't forget The Most Important Item - lots of insurance.

You might allow people to "fire quickly" and do other advanced

types of shooting, IFF they are Qualified -

Perhaps certain hours, or sections.

You will have local match competitors want to use your facilities,

and they should not be encumbered by the safety rules of the

masses.