What do you not like about ranges you've been to?

[Fireaustin]

I will be opening a brand new range in Central Texas in a few months. I'll give more specifics in a few weeks.

What are your complaints about any range you have visited in Texas within the last 10 years. Lets not bash any specific range, I just want to try to make ours as pleasant of an experience as possible for you.

Also, what is your favorite thing about various ranges.

This could be about pistol, rifle, shotgun, or archery ranges.

Thanks

 

[itchin]

Pistol ranges without bays where whoever gets out there first sets the distance. You gotta keep walking back to load mags. Pita for sure.

 

[rushthezeppelin]

Will it be outdoors? And please tell me this is going to be on the Hutto area.

Only complaint I've had about any outdoor range is the slope of the ground obscuring targets when down in prone.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

 

[robertc1024]

Pistol ranges without bays where whoever gets out there first sets the distance. You gotta keep walking back to load mags. Pita for sure.

+1 (I know what you're talking about Derrick)

Some cover is nice for the sun/rain. Having fixed steel targets on the rifle range is great too. First time fees suck. Very few allow you to bring your own targets - not necessarily paper - things like the plastic/rubber balls that you can shoot at different points and have them move around. Ranges that only have 100 yard max setups. I used to worry about not having a full time Range Master, but that isn't as much of a problem for me anymore because I'll jump up somebody's ass if the range is cold and some idiot is fondling their gun.

Where are you going to put the range?

 

[Dawico]

If you haven't been, check out Hicksville range in Gatesville. I like everything about that range. Laid back and seperate pistol paper, pistol steel, rifle 25yd, and rifle 100 yard ranges. They also have steel up to 600 yards.

Last range I was at I was shooting 100 yards rifle and some jackwagon kept having to walk up to the 25 yard targets while sighting in his AR. 3 shots for him then stop. 3 more then stop. Major pain in the rear.

 

[Orbie]

Charging per firearm. I am sorry but I don't understand what the point is. I will gladly pay to shoot and purchase additional targets. Please don't charge me for every pistol I take to the line.

 

[RickLovesBacon]

It would be nice to have a sevaral 25 yard rifle lanes.

 

[benenglish]

What are your complaints about any range you have visited in Texas within the last 10 years.

OK, you're not asking "What would you like to encounter?" but, rather, "What problems have you already encountered?" Major difference, there. You're also not specifying indoor or outdoor which makes it much tougher to respond usefully.

I will probably post on this thread several times as I remember things since I've been to lots of ranges and I'm easily irritable.

Number One to me will always be safety. Having well-trained RSOs who keep people safe without being PITAs is a major point of failure for many ranges.

For example, I know one outdoor range where the firing line is very, very long. It starts with short-range pistol berms on one end then extends all the way down to the longest-range rifle benches at the other end. There's far more area than a single RSO can cover yet I've seen that range cheap out on the personnel and use just one RSO during off-peak weekdays. Not only does it take that guy several minutes to confirm the line safe before allowing people to go downrange (slowing the pace of the place way too much), he can't be watching the line properly, ever. If I see someone pointing a pistol down the line while reloading, sweeping everybody, I'll say something directly to that person. However, unless things are too much of a problem, I'll delay a heartbeat before doing so to swivel my head back and forth, looking for the RSO. After all, this is the RSOs primary job and it would be better for everyone if I could just wave, point, and be done with it. At the range I'm thinking of, that never works. Look around during a firing period and 90% of the time during those low-staffed off days you can't see an RSO, anywhere. Not good.

I can think of other ranges where circumstances make the job of RSO needlessly difficult. I'll post other examples downthread.

More on safety: Weird safety rules mean you've done something wrong. Don't. For example, cased firearms are safe. Period. I know one range that treats cased firearms as a severe safety violation. They *want* you to uncase your rifles in the parking lot and bring them inside without cases. That's astoundingly stupid but it's the rules. Astoundingly stupid safety rules means your customers won't trust you to make other decisions wisely.

Oh, man. The flood of memories is too much. I'll post more, later, but I've seen so many things done so wrong so many times that I can't quickly organize them for clear communication. I'll give it some thought and be back.

 

[benenglish]

I've given it some thought and I give up. I can't organize all the responses I'd like to post here so I'll just post them at random.

Some ranges have the seating attached to the benchrests. That's always wrong. I know several places that do this. The result is that very small or very large people cannot sit at the bench properly. Test your rifle bench design. Make sure that an 8-year-old girl and a 600-pound man can both get into proper firing positions.

Make sure pistol shooters can use your benches. I know multiple ranges that assume pistol shooters stand all the time. We don't.

Prohibiting pistol use at long range is silly. Most ranges do it and I don't know why. I have several bolt-action pistols with which I can easily outshoot the average shows-up-once-a-year-to-sight-in deer hunter at 200 yards. Ranges with a blanket prohibition on pistols at ranges exceeding some arbitrary yardage are being stupid. Just have an RSO tag along and make sure the long-range pistol shooter is competent then let 'em shoot.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

I don't like the no FMJ rule. Its kind of ridiculous, especially when you're shooting into large dirt berms.

 

[Greg_TX]

Shooting benches that are too small are a pain in the ass. They don't have to be very wide, but at least be deep enough that there's a decent amount of space to put things down - especially if rifles are allowed. One indoor range that I take my rifles to almost gets it right; the bench isn't very spacious, but it's shaped in a way that allows a good seated rest. The only problem I have there is they used steel diamond-plate for the bench - WTF?

 

[benenglish]

I know several ranges where the firing platform is elevated (usually a problem with rifles) or the firing stations are connected (usually a problem with pistols). That's usually wrong.

No matter what my neighbor does on his bench (hit the bench, jump up and down in place, etc.), absolutely no vibration should be conducted directly to my firing station. Concussion from firing, obviously, is an exception. But if I'm sighting in and another shooter walks by or drops their bag on their bench, I should see no vibration in my scope. This is a basic design criteria; I don't know how so many ranges manage to screw it up.

IOW, an elevated rifle platform cobbled together from stuff that looks likes it was scavenged from the demolition of a bleachers section at a high school stadium is no proper substitute for trucking in enough fill, building retaining walls, and pouring concrete.

 

[benenglish]

It seems that more ranges than not fail to comply with the ADA. If you're building a new range I expect to be able to use every single one of your facilities from a wheelchair.

I don't use one (yet) but I find it offensive the way most ranges seem to deliberately, egregiously greet wheelchair users with a single upraised middle finger.

 

[benenglish]

I don't like the no FMJ rule.

I don't know any ranges in my area that do this. If I had any choice, I would not use a range with such a rule.

 

[benenglish]

Only complaint I've had about any outdoor range is the slope of the ground obscuring targets when down in prone.

+1

Worse, I know more than one range that prohibits position shooting either explicitly or by design. Down at the 200 yard line, at least, there should be a few benches with enough space between them to shoot from position.

The same goes at 50 yards for the rimfire guys.

 

[Fireaustin]

Great input so far guys.

Here is what we are looking to have:
It will not be an indoor range (for now). Long term plans do include an indoor range of some sort, but no set date right now.
All pistol and rifle positions will have covered fixed positions, with 25 yd max for pistol (wires at 7 & 15 yards).
Initial rifle lanes will be only out to 100 yds. Medium term plans include a second range with distances from 50 to 300 yards.
Archery range out to 100 yds.
Trap and Skeet fields. (eventually up to 6 fields)
All shooting positions will have 800# rated chairs - not fixed benches.
No first time fees (I don't get those). Sorry, Robert, no mobile targets on the range.
We will have RSOs on the ranges at all times. Cease fire every 30 minutes unless all shooters finish early. Must teach RSOs a little common sense.
No "per gun" fee, just per "shooter" - as far as I'm concerned, you are renting space, not weapons.
No tracer rounds (I really don't want my range on fire)

Keep the comments and complaints coming guys. I know with all of the different personalities out there, I can not please everyone, nor do I want to. My plan is a safe, fun, family environment.

Ben - keep em coming.

 

[benenglish]

Charging per firearm. I am sorry but I don't understand what the point is.

+1

The point is squeezing the customer. You take up no more of the range real estate whether you've brought along 1 pistol or 20. The cost to the range is the same. I know a range that does this and I will not use them except under certain rare conditions.

To the OP - this is one of the best ways to make your customers hate you. Customers who hate you and only use your range because they have no alternative are not good for business. They recognize that you don't value a relationship with them and don't respect them and they'll return that attitude in kind. They will, for example, go out of their way to order their supplies online rather than pick them up at your range.

 

[Dawico]

One range uses rectangular shaped boxes for chairs. Each direction is a different size (3 different heights) so you can just roll the box over for a different shooting height. Kinda handy from an adjustability standpoint.

 

[kurt]

Rapid fire restrictions. No FMJ.

 

[benenglish]

I know of a range that has steel targets in one bay for pistol shooters and charges extra for this bay. That's great and I'm happy to pay the extra money. Plate racks are fun.

However, the last time I went there the plate rack was so shot up it was essentially non-functional. Installed equipment should be kept in good order. I'd rather go to a stripped-down range that's in good order than a range with lots of features that barely work because they haven't been maintained.