Shooting Range Survey

[Rovert]

I hope I can impose on the membership here for a few moments to ask for your help.

I've been commissioned to conduct a survey of gun owners to determine if your needs for a range are currently being met, and what sort of range services and shooting styles you guys would like to have available if your present range/club does not provide them.

The survey is completely confidential and takes less than five minutes to complete.
Please feel free to circulate this link among your fellow gun owners. The more responses we have from a diversified population, the better the quality of information.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation!
http://www.gothammarketing.com/site/index.php/market-research-polls-surveys/range-survey

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Well, I tried. After I hit "Submit" I got the following error message:

Could not instantiate mail function.

"Instantiate"?

I have no idea whether or not my survey went anywhere.

 

[Rovert]

Thanks for taking the time to bring this to our attention.

That warning appears if you prefer to remain anonymous and do not enter an email address. Unfortunately, as cool as technology is, sometimes it's not as smart as we'd like for it to be. Kindly disregard.

 

[DaleA]

So...did his survey get counted?

 

[Rovert]

Dale, sorry - I don't know - the information is anonymous. I don't have a mapping between the screen name here and a name/email entered on the site, if s/he did so. Sorry, I just can't answer the question, however the form does function and data is being gathered so all is well.

Thanks for asking!

 

[SamNavy]

I tried. At the end of the survey, they had one of those asinine "verification boxes" that I tried 10 times on using every possible letter and number that 2 of them could be and it still kept telling me I was wrong.

Here's what I want out of my indoor range:
25yds
Centerfire rifle up to .22cal
Membership $240yr for punch card of 24 visits.
Free guests.
Free gun rental if I buy whatever crap overpriced ammo they sell.
A range officer that isn't a total prick.
THE END!

I don't even mind waiting if it's a bit busy... more people shooting is awesome in my book. I just want a place to shoot. I don't need any special treats on my birthday or a discount at the bowling alley next door.

We've got a new Colonial Shooting open in Virginia Beach... I'm out on cruise right now but will check it out when I get home. I don't know how I'm going to feel about the "boutique" atmosphere... it all depends on how the range officers run the place. I'll certainly want to try a few times before committing to a membership. I'll obviously never buy anything from there because it's all going to be absurdly overpriced... I know this already because the one in Richmond is. But if the shooting is good, and they can meet my expectations of the range experience, I'll give it a shot.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

FWIW (and in case my survey didn't go through), what I would like is:

• Indoor
• Pistol and centerfire rifle
• 50 yards for rifle
• Good lighting on the targets
• Reasonably/fairly priced ammo and accessories
• Reasonable membership fee or hourly rates
• Decent range officers
• Permission to scrounge brass (or, at least, to save my own)

What I don't need is a spa/country club/resort atmosphere. When I go to shoot, I want to shoot. Before and/or after I enjoy jawing with other shooters about shooting. If I wanted to join a country club, I'd join a country club.

 

[Oruglock]

Mostly I want some reactive targets, as all I get to shoot at the indoor and outdoor ranges locally are paper. Moving targets even better.

I also had trouble with 'guess the letters' at the end, as one was almost completely illegible. I also have no idea what the membership is but I was forced to make a guess just to clear the question. That's something the range needs to know, not the individual member.

 

[Rovert]

Just wanted to chime in and thank everyone for their feedback.

SamNavy, we're looking into a more legible anti-spam verification. We appreciate your patience.

Oruglock, the number of members is not a required field specifically for the reason you cite. You might be mistaking it for the membership dues amount which is a required field because everyone knows what they pay (or get a close guess), even if you pay zero.

Keep up the great work, guys. I appreciate your support.

 

[Machineguntony]

We need more ranges to allow full auto.

It perplexes me how people, at least on the forums I read, want the Hughes amendment repealed, or the MG registry to reopen, but 95% of ranges act like full auto is the most dangerous thing ever invented, and consequently prohibit full auto.

Since most people have never seen a full auto in action, people dont understand it, so naturally, they only have Hollywood and mysterious, but incorrect, lore to educate them on full auto.

Let's pull back the curtain and remove the mysterious aura of the machine gun.

More ranges need to allow full auto.

 

[DaleA]

I'll second every suggestion made so far and especially:

Reactive targets

Also:

Clean Air
One lane with a chronograph
Ransom Rest (with inserts) and lead sled

(Yeah, I know, not too practical but a guy can wish._

 

[pax]

I'll go enter my wants on your survey, but let me put my 2 cents in here: can someone please, please, please tell outdoor range owners and club boards that flush toilets are IMPORTANT???

Every class I've taught in the past year, I've had women explain how much more often they would shoot if they didn't have to put up with the disgusting outhouse that men have peed all over.

Kathy

 

[Shadi Khalil]

I tried to do your survey but it refused to accept my "how many times a year do you shoot". Anyhow, I'm fortunate enough to have access to private land and the NRA range. There are a lot of shortcomings another local range I frequent with a few friends and co-workers who are members. Here are some things I would like to see...

- Good ventilation
- Benches for my stuff on the range
- Adjustable height for the firing line bench
- Good lighting
- Large rifle rental selection (range has extensive handgun rental case)
- Knowledgable staff, helpful and vigilant range master.

 

[Rovert]

I tried to do your survey but it refused to accept my "how many times a year do you shoot". Anyhow, I'm fortunate enough to have access to private land and the NRA range. There are a lot of shortcomings another local range I frequent with a few friends and co-workers who are members. Here are some things I would like to see...

- Good ventilation
- Benches for my stuff on the range
- Adjustable height for the firing line bench
- Good lighting
- Large rifle rental selection (range has extensive handgun rental case)
- Knowledgable staff, helpful and vigilant range master.

Shadi, that field is a numeric only, which might explain the bounce. Would you be willing to try and resubmit? You have some really good points here and I'd very much like for them to be included in the full results.

Thanks!

 

[FrankenMauser]

Every class I've taught in the past year, I've had women explain how much more often they would shoot if they didn't have to put up with the disgusting outhouse that men have peed all over.

In my experience, it's generally the women that pee all over ... as they hover over the seat that they're afraid to touch.

I cleaned men's and women's bathrooms and "porta johns" for 6 years.
Womens' bathrooms almost always have less trash on the floor, but they're far more disgusting and have far more urine (and worse) splattered around. The women that occasionally got stuck cleaning with me, would often voice the same observation - that society thinks men's bathrooms are nastier, but in reality, it's really just the trash scattered around that makes it look bad.


So, I might wager that "Paper donuts" a.k.a. "[Butt] Gaskets" a.k.a. 'seat protectors' could be a partial solution. ....'Cause even with flushing toilets, they're still going to hover and pee all over, if they don't have an adequate supply of quality [Butt] Gaskets.

Yes. Yes. ...Not really gun-related, but the subject came up.

 

[pax]

FrankenMauser,

The problem with the portajohn is that the design of a standard one puts the urinal (and everything that naturally splashes on the wall around it) right at face level when you sit down to pee. That's not really avoidable no matter how good the guys' aim is.

pax

 

[Skans]

I tried to take the survey, but I don't know if it was accepted or not - didn't say "accepted" or something similar after I pressed submit.

 

[Rovert]

Just wanted to jump in and let everyone know that the responses have been rolling in and thank those who have filled out the survey for their time. We are nearing completion and will close out the survey soon, so if you have been thinking of responding, please do so as soon as possible.

Thanks!

 

[oldcabin]

I did the survey. Never thought of combining all the amusement park and family fun center stuff in with a gun range. I'm not sure if it's a widespread socially acceptable thing yet.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the survey about portable toilets ...

 

[cryogenic419]

After looking at the survey and seeing what some people wish they had at their ranges, rates they are paying for membership...I have to say I am really really lucky.

I pay $80 a year for a range that has trap, 70 and 100 yard yard ranges for pistol and rifle which accommodates multiple shooters at same time, 300 yard rifle range which you can also use as 200 and 300, 500 yards rifle range, and another area they use for cowboy action shooting that goes out to 100 yards that is suitable for pistol and rifle. Their policy is pretty much if you are legal to own or possess it you can shoot it out there, and there are a few folks around here that have machine guns that shoot there all the time. No exploding targets, glass, tracers or incendiary rounds.