Building a shooting range

[neal bloom]

Living in the southwest presents a problem when trying to get a lot of practice in. The summer heat is intolerable. Some friends and I were lamenting over not having an indoor range. The closest indoor range is 200 miles away. Even our outdoor ranges leave something to be desired. We were wondering that with all the shooters in our area, why no one had built an indoor range or a decent outdoor range yet. One person told me that between the costs of the bullet traps and the EPA regulations that an indoor range was prohibitive. Only indoor ranges in metropolitan areas could recoup the costs.

Does anyone have any experience with the startup of an indoor range? Are the startup costs that great? Would banks even loan money for this type of venture? Are outdoor ranges similar in startup costs?

One friend is very serious about this and wants a couple of us to go in on a range. I am a little skeptical about it since I think that I read that ranges were closing down across the country.

 

[yankytrash]

To avoid the EPA problems, indoor ranges are the way to go. The disadvantage, however, is the limited caliber use.

If you got a list of people that would join the range, a petition per say, the bank would look kindlier on it.

The biggest trouble you'll have is liability insurance. Without good insurance, the bank will absolutely refuse to lend the money. And all the waivers in the world, you have shooters sign, do not stop civil suits.

From that stand-point, the bank may not lend. I'd try for a personal source for the money. Major real estate investors are usually in the side business of lending money at reasonable rates for a short amount of time, if you can show them some numbers. They usually could care less about insurance liabilty, and they write up their contractss as such. They will make everyone in your family liable for the money.

I fought our local problem by not setting up a public range. I set my outdoor range on my own property for personal use only. I let my friends go back there and shoot, as long as they leave the brass lay (I reload).
There are no regulations if you have your own outdoor range for personal use. Just don't get caught letting 10 shooters at a time go back there.

 

[Southla1]

I agree with yankytrash. IF you, or one of your friends, own enough property in a rural area, make your own private range. We did here. We got a 20 yard dump truck full of sand and just had him dump it in a pile at the end of a private road in our sugar cane field. We then threw up some boards on 3 sides to keep it from washing away. This gives up to a half mile lane of fire even though we do not fire that far. Two hundred yards is the most we shoot rifle, handgun is 100. Even if a shot would happen to fly over the backstop ther is nothing but swamp for 4 miles past the backstop.


I built a portable bench made of 3/4 mahogany plywood and steel pipe. Load it on the trailer and off we go.


I do not understand the statement about not getting caught with 10 people back there. Why? I had 8 one time in our canefield.

 

[PvtPyle]

If you think you will get away from dealing with the EPA by going indoors you are very, very wrong. All that lead dust from the weapon, and the bullet striking are hazardous waste, not to mention the bullets them selves. To get around the dust you can make the trap a wet type, but now you have the liquid that is contaminated. Then there is the pesky problem or what to do with the gunpowder smoke. Outside it's no problem, but you aren't outside. Now that you are inside you have the EPA and OSHA to deal with. Normal venting wont cut it either, you have to run those gasses thru an aproved HEPA filter to get rid of them, if not you are improperly disposing of a hazardous material.

You can get a trap that deals with the lead problems both airborn and the waste, and will handle the center fire rifle ammo. But, you also have to armor the side walls and roof. Normal cinder blocks wont cut it. Tell me if this sounds like something you want:

Will handle rifle ammo
25yds long
side and top protection
10 stalls, each 4 feet wide
Total containment traps for the spent bullets (allows you to re-cycle them@ about 16 cents a pound, scrap)
EPA and OSHA approved ventalation for the TCT and lanes
Retrieveable targets and turning targets at the butts

Sound like what you want?

 

[Dave R]

You might try calling Shooting World in Boise. Its a new indoor range that opened up 4 yrs (?) ago. They must've gone through the process.

208-321-1288

If you're lucky, you might be able to talk to owner into sharing some stories with you.

Its fun to be there at closing time. The guys who clean the range have to wear "space suits" like the guys who build computer chips.

 

[Dfariswheel]

Contact the NRA througgh your state NRA rep. NOBODY knows more about range construction than them.

I know the costs of building an indoor range are STIFF. Filters, backstops, and baffles cost BIG time.

Outdoor ranges are MUCH cheaper, and faster to build. If you can get a"Cat operator to turn up a burm or two, you're in business. That and a target holder are about all thats necessary.

Around here, most of us smarter shooters buy a LARGE beach umbrella and set that up to provide sunshade.

 

[PvtPyle]

To do the range I described above with the Action Target products (the best I have found) it would run you just over $225,000 per range. Thats not a typo. I know because I just had them bid us a very extensive range facility, both indoor and outdoor. I would contact them, and as Dfariswheel said the NRA. They sent me a ton of stuff and I am going to the range construction seminar and business meeting they are having in a few weeks in Reno. They will send you a ton of info, including where to get insurance, and financing. If you go out and pile up a bunch of dirt and call it a range you will eventually draw the attention of the EPA. You cannot reason or argue with them. They appear to be out to shut down as many ranges as they can and seem to be doing a good job. They and they OSHA goons have killed two here and have set their sights on a third. Once you appear on their radar screens there is no getting off. They are using lead contamination as the reason for shutting them down. Thats why I would spend the extra money and get the Action Targets TCT traps. They are very expensive, but against the long term costs of a major lead reclamation project they are cheap. We looked at a range to buy and to do the lead rec to get up to standard was cheap by most standards for this type of project, about $200,000. That was using my dads company for the job.

I am in no way trying to discourage you, just let you know what we have run into. The NRA will give you all the info you need, if you need the best contact I have found there, the National guy, drop me an email if you still want to do this and I'll help you out. If you do it right it helps with lots of aspects of the future costs and overhead. You may even get the local gov to help out as it would be an echo-friendly facility. But be perpaired for the costs, now or later.

 

[neal bloom]

Thanks for all of the advice. I certainly appreciate it.

PvtPyle, what you described sounds like what we want. I'll get in touch with the contacts provided and start gathering more information to start a feasibility study.

Again, thanks for the info.

 

[yankytrash]

Southla1 - I gis these is city folk we talkin to. $225000, shoooooooooweeeee! I kid bah me a pot-full o' land wid dat kinda doe! In I'd invite whoeve de hell I woant on it...

Dose city folks, they's sometin alright....