Outdoor Range vs Indoor Range?Which do you prefer?
- Thread starter USMC1911
- Start date
Net Engineer
Master Class
This is my local outdoor range, if I’m not mistaken it’s the largest public range in the U.S., I highly recommend it for anyone coming to Vegas ($11.00 per day access fee, low cost gun rentals, they sell ammo & targets at competitive prices).
Clark County Shooting Complex
Clark County Shooting Complex
Blackmesa96
Master Class
I'm getting old. There's a lot to be said for a motorized track which takes the targets out and retrieves them for me. Repeated 100 yard plus treks over uneven ground gets tiresome. A 300 yard climate controlled range? Count me in.
USMC1911
Master Class
That sounds nice. I definitely can relate.
Bassbob
Emissary
I'm old school, cuz I'm old. I belong to a gun club. All outdoors except the lodge, where the really old guys sit and play cards and drink coffee and sell me all their old 
nice and cheap. You can learn a lot from those old men.
There's about 10 ranges. Most of them shotgun ranges. They breed and train Brittanys there. They also raise quail and pheasant for "Hunting". If you've ever hunted pen raised birds you know why I put "Hunting" in quotations.
We have a nice pistol/rifle range. 12, 25, 50, 100, 150 and 200 yard. No motorized gizmos, but we have pipe buried in concrete which accepts the steel pipe target stands. We have a spotting scope in the target shed which helps minimize the walking. I'm nearly always by myself there, which appeals to me very much.
There's another old trap range on the other side which I have been kinda given free reign over. I blow a lot of up with shotguns over there. Those old hunters never seen shotguns run like that before. They think I'm nuts. I make a hell of a mess.
Oh right. Outdoors exclusively for me please. Even in the freezing cold.
nice and cheap. You can learn a lot from those old men.There's about 10 ranges. Most of them shotgun ranges. They breed and train Brittanys there. They also raise quail and pheasant for "Hunting". If you've ever hunted pen raised birds you know why I put "Hunting" in quotations.
We have a nice pistol/rifle range. 12, 25, 50, 100, 150 and 200 yard. No motorized gizmos, but we have pipe buried in concrete which accepts the steel pipe target stands. We have a spotting scope in the target shed which helps minimize the walking. I'm nearly always by myself there, which appeals to me very much.
There's another old trap range on the other side which I have been kinda given free reign over. I blow a lot of
up with shotguns over there. Those old hunters never seen shotguns run like that before. They think I'm nuts. I make a hell of a mess.Oh right. Outdoors exclusively for me please. Even in the freezing cold.
USMC1911
Master Class
Sounds like a great clubI'm old school, cuz I'm old. I belong to a gun club. All outdoors except the lodge, where the really old guys sit and play cards and drink coffee and sell me all their old
There's about 10 ranges. Most of them shotgun ranges. They breed and train Brittanys there. They also raise quail and pheasant for "Hunting". If you've ever hunted pen raised birds you know why I put "Hunting" in quotations.
We have a nice pistol/rifle range. 12, 25, 50, 100, 150 and 200 yard. No motorized gizmos, but we have pipe buried in concrete which accepts the steel pipe target stands. We have a spotting scope in the target shed which helps minimize the walking. I'm nearly always by myself there, which appeals to me very much.
There's another old trap range on the other side which I have been kinda given free reign over. I blow a lot of
Oh right. Outdoors exclusively for me please. Even in the freezing cold.
RickAnderson
Custom
Yep, Rifles on indoor range are distracting IMO. The boom in an enclosed space is rather much. Not saying they don't have a right to be there to shoot with their Rifle, just the reality, I'm shooting pistols with several others, then you start getting booms and pressure waves from the Rifle on the end of the line, its distracting.
I just picked up a set of 12X binoculars for $35 off Amazon.... ....only had a chance to try them at 100 yards so far, but no problem seeing your POI with binoculars instead of walking down to the target...
USMC1911
Master Class
I use a spotting scope also for the long guns and sometime handguns at the 50 yd line.
Jfal
Professional
Prefer outdoor, only because I ALWAYS bring out the bigger guns. Indoors 90% because of convenience (and weather).
I have to say though, I dislike many range rules at my outdoor facility: 1 shot/second, no calibers greater than .338 LM, no m855 ammo allowed (or any steel-core bullets), no shooting while standing at ranges over 50 yards (ranges at 100 & 200/300 available), no prone shooting.
I have to say though, I dislike many range rules at my outdoor facility: 1 shot/second, no calibers greater than .338 LM, no m855 ammo allowed (or any steel-core bullets), no shooting while standing at ranges over 50 yards (ranges at 100 & 200/300 available), no prone shooting.
USMC1911
Master Class
I wish my club had a range further than 200 yds. Hard to find one in New York. My club has a few rules also.
powerboatr
Professional
our has a few rules, but during the week its a ghost town, you are rangemaster, safety guy, light tuner off er and on er
gate close guy etc
only pita is we only have portable toilets, in summer the yellowjackets like to lay in wait as you open the door and ZAP they get you
SimonRL
Hellcat
Kind of spoiled here in that the indoor ranges are pretty high quality, particularly when it comes to shooting pistols, although my main club has 50 yd lanes available. A lot of the outdoor ranges I’ve been to have been pretty low rent, but ultimately it’s so hot here most of the time that indoor it is. No such thing as small clubs where you get a card and let yourself in or BLM lands here.
Bear007
Custom
Outdoor, which I prefer, at both my clubs. I got a heated vest for under my jacket for Christmas yesterday to make my sessions a little more comfortable. During the summer, when the grass can be taller before mowing, I take a big cardboard box and set it to my right to help catch the brass when I am sitting at the tables (20, 50, 100 & 200 yds.).
There are a few indoor ranges nearby that you can join or pay as you go, one is very nice but can be crowded evenings and weekends. But at $40 a lane/hour for 2 shooters, no thanks. I only use that range during free test firing guns/rifles during the different manufacturer's demo days. Recently during a Sig demo day it was over an hour wait to test fire a couple shots out of any of their guns, I skipped that. This range is where I test fired the Hellcat Pro and the Hellion earlier this year, both of which I own now.
There are a few indoor ranges nearby that you can join or pay as you go, one is very nice but can be crowded evenings and weekends. But at $40 a lane/hour for 2 shooters, no thanks. I only use that range during free test firing guns/rifles during the different manufacturer's demo days. Recently during a Sig demo day it was over an hour wait to test fire a couple shots out of any of their guns, I skipped that. This range is where I test fired the Hellcat Pro and the Hellion earlier this year, both of which I own now.
I'm very fortunate that my small club is very well maintained, has found various avenues for income streams and has good leadership. The membership is onboard with the majority of proposed improvements. Yes it is hot during the summer. My area of S Texas has exactly 0 indoor ranges that aren't low rent within reasonable driving distance, 60 - 75 mins. My local indoor ranges are extremely hot during the summer as all cool air is pulled out with range air via the vent system. I would love a large, modern, full service indoor range in my immediate area.
Net Engineer
Master Class
Don’t look now but you just articulated an entrepreneurial opportunity for yourself.
BobT
Master Class
I prefer an outdoor range with individual thermostats for climate control. Unfortunately Santa did not grant my standing wish this year. 
In the absents of that, the outdoor range I go to is superior in many ways. First of all, it is an honor system range. Second, I can practice drawing from the holster, double tap, shoot from behind barriers and any other real life scenario that is usually forbidden at staffed ranges.
The owner charges $15/day or $150/year per person (sadly up from $10/$75). The local police use the range for training and the range is sparsely populated during the weekday. The only down side is that the owner is sometimes lax in dumping the trash barrels on a regular basis but it is a small gripe considering the flexibility you get for real life training scenarios. Most of the users clean up after themselves and follow reasonable range rules.
In the absents of that, the outdoor range I go to is superior in many ways. First of all, it is an honor system range. Second, I can practice drawing from the holster, double tap, shoot from behind barriers and any other real life scenario that is usually forbidden at staffed ranges.
The owner charges $15/day or $150/year per person (sadly up from $10/$75). The local police use the range for training and the range is sparsely populated during the weekday. The only down side is that the owner is sometimes lax in dumping the trash barrels on a regular basis but it is a small gripe considering the flexibility you get for real life training scenarios. Most of the users clean up after themselves and follow reasonable range rules.
SimonRL
Hellcat
It certainly spoils you. I have my sister and BIL in town from upstate NewYork - they are cowboy action shooter - and took them shooting at Texas Gun Experience yesterday and they looked like they’d gone to the Taj Mahal! @KillerFord1977 joined us and we showed them how we do it ArmoryLife style!