At the moment, I feel blessed to have a great range near where I live. The facilities are basic, but that’s just fine with me – and the ranges themselves are generously sized, allowing me to shoot while moving if I so desire. The longest rifle range is just 200 yards, but if I feel the need to shoot farther than that, another nearby range offers 1000 yard shooting.
While the personnel at these ranges are extremely safety-conscious, and I don’t want to give any other impression, they are unlikely to “get in your business” unless you give them a reason to. In addition, the range rules relate to safety and not damaging range property – basic stuff I would expect to find at any range.
I’m in California at the moment, and wow, do these people have it bad. After slogging through traffic for over two hours, I made it to the “Oak Tree Gun Club,” which offers an impressive array of facilities, including a restaurant (My grilled ham and cheese sandwich was excellent). The name is not hypothetical – the setting was idyllic.
The shotgun ranges were quite large, and microphones at each firing station enabled shooters to say “Pull” to a machine which would then launch clays for them. Fancy! While the pistol ranges were more basic, there were a variety of steel targets that entertained me for several hours as I waited for some friends to slog their way through traffic.
There was a large selection of rental firearms – one of the largest I’ve seen outside a place like Scottsdale Gun Club – although one of the two firearms I examined was in need of some qualified gunsmithing, and the other was well on its way to that same point.
So, what was so bad about this range? It sounds pretty good, right?
Before I go any further, I should say that my interactions with range personnel (Rangemaster and RSOs) were as follows:
– Being reminded by the rangemaster to not shoot at the closest row of steel targets with rimfire, when I had not done so even once in nearly an hour of continuous shooting on that range.
– Being politely reminded to slide my eye pro down onto my face. I truly appreciated this, because I like my eyes, and want to keep them.
– Being told (also politely) that I couldn’t fire “any more” steel cased ammo. I had yet to fire any, but I did have a box of steel cased .45 with a few rounds left in it that I had intended to shoot at some point. I did read the range rules carefully, but failed to understand that the “no steel case” rule did not only apply to the steel target pistol range.
I generally avoid breaking range rules, even if I don’t like them, but especially when I’m the guest of someone who I like and respect and is a regular patron of the “gun club.”
I want to point out these interactions so as not to give the impression that I was reprimanded, cajoled, yelled at, etc. for some gross safety violation, and that this post is just sour grapes. Also, I want to highlight the fact that almost all of the personnel who were out and about on the range were polite and professional.
I did, however, witness a few questionable actions, have issues with some rules, and safety concerns about their firearms and ammunition.
First, the rangemaster. He would constantly interrupt conversations between people at the range, ostensibly to correct behavior or to remind them of the rules, when in fact no violations of the rules had been made or were apparent. This occurred to the point of annoyance. It also seemed to occur most often when groups including one or more women were speaking to one another.
Second, the rules. They were legion, but the ones that irked me most include a ban on steel-cased ammo and that picking up your own brass was against range rules.
My brass is my property. I paid for it, and I intend to keep it. For the purposes of yesterday’s trip, I was willing to sacrifice any brass I fired. However, this alone would prevent me from ever returning.
In an ironic twist, the “pro shop” sold, among other things, reloading supplies and components. Exactly what am I supposed to reload with? Factory new brass? I didn’t see used brass for sale, but that would be hilarious. Oh, boy! I get to pay for my own brass TWICE!
Banning steel cased ammo, regardless of bullet construction, is just plain silly. I do suppose that it would be a pain for them to sort out the steel cases, since they’re keeping everything that’s fired on the range. However, that would make these mutually correcting issues – fix one, and the other goes away.
Finally, their firearms and ammunition. I’m well aware that rental firearms see heavy use – and abuse – and cannot be kept in like-new condition. However, it’s not a stretch to imagine that they would be kept in serviceable condition. Also, the store-brand reloaded ammunition they sell – which is, by the way, priced the same as brand new ammunition anywhere else – was made to no standards whatsoever.
Fully half of the .357 Magnum rounds I tried would not seat in any chamber of the rental S&W 686+. The ammunition components were clearly selected for the lowest possible production cost. Powder charges varied significantly. I don’t mind being required to shoot range-bought ammo in range-owned firearms, but I do not like being sold poor quality, unsafe ammunition. Given their hyper-vigilance regarding safety, I found this very odd.
The range personnel behind the counter were responsive to these issues, and, like the vast majority of personnel outside, friendly, polite, and professional. Although I think the locals have it bad, they hold a different opinion. The range was busy all day, and they’re clearly not going to be hurting without my presence and money.
However, I won’t be going back at any point in the future, and I can’t wait to get back to “my” range.
As a gun owner, I couldn’t possibly entertain the idea of ever living in Kalifornia.
I feel the same way about my local quarry vs the indoor ranges in Bellevue, although that’s more of a rural/urban issue.
Neither give me a chance to shoot over a hundred yards or so, so obviously I’ll have to make a trip out east some time: sounds like you have it good!
Happy Thanksgiving.
The ranges in my state that are run by the Dept. of Natural Resources are similar. The rules are endless and RSOs are always interrupting to point out safety violations where there are none and give “shooting advice.” However, at $3/hour it’s hard to beat. Even so, I choose to shoot at a private outdoor range where I am my own RSO.
Enjoy those ranges my friend. I’ve yet to see over 100 yards anywhere in Connecticut and most places get nervous if you’re drawing from a holster. Any type of “aggressive” reloading and shooting is also frowned upon. It’s a shoot off the bench ‘sportsmans’ environment up here. Not fun, and not practical for what I’d like to learn and practice.
I’m thankful for the fact that these 200 yard and 1000 yard ranges exist somewhere. I will find them one day..
@topslop1 New Haven Sportsman’s Club has a 200 Yard range. There are several others around as well, nothing over 300 in CT though (NY has the closest 500 yd. range as far as I know). It is a shame that there are not alot of ranges that will allow you to practice defensive shooting. I really miss the midwest where we could shoot forever and my range fees were 30 bucks a year.
I have lived in California my entire life and have been shooting since I was a young man. While I am certainly not in favor of ranges like this, I have been to many as described and some much worse than described. I would like to offer a defense, or an explanation as to why some of this behavior occurs.
First and foremost we live in a state that does not like guns and loves to sue. Many range masters are terrified of an incident on their range because there is a line that would stretch around the block of lawyers willing to sue or take up a case against a shooting range or any case to show they are pro “gun control.” Thus many ranges go out of their way to be extra cautious and even superfluous in order to prevent an incident no matter how small. This does generally impede the shooters comfort and ability to train though. Secondly as stated before there is a lack of a “gun culture” in California as it is not very gun friendly many of the shooters have very little experience with firearms at all, and honestly many at the range are handling a weapon for the first time ever. Which makes their safety amateur at best. This lack of familiarity also leads to the “mall ninja” effect. Where a person has very little firearms training and handling experience, but spends many hours playing video games or on the Internet, thus making him/her an expert in their own minds while being fairly dangerous for those around them.
So I suppose I see the cause of some range’s and their behavior, it does annoy me greatly when I am lumped in with the massively uneducated sector of the shooting community purely by osmosis. I am lucky however my local range grants you a certain amount of freedom after they get to know you and you can prove that you are not unsafe. Yet no matter how much freedom they grant me, I am still in California and I can only shoot 10 rounds before having to reload.
Speaking of 10 round mags, I saw a certificate on the wall at this range that said something to the effect of “California DOJ High Capacity Magazine Ban Exemption.” What was that all about?
As Greg said FFL holders can receive a permit allowing them to buy and sell “non ban” magazines. This is generally reserved for “brick a mortar” FFL holders, meaning they must own a building or shooting range of some sort for it to be granted. Most FFLs will only sell to active law enforcement and even then sometimes FFLs require written consent from their commanding officer to allow purchases. These parts are also sold as parts to rebuild legally owned “pre ban” magazines sold before the federal assault weapons ban.
FFLs can apply for a high capacity magazine permit/exemption that allows them to have, use and sell if desired standard capacity magazines that would be otherwise banned in the state. Typically it is used to sell firearms to LEO types.
Interesting. Thanks.
Interesting – maybe there is something of a disconnect between the management and the people who actually are in the trenches working there on a daily basis. Sounds like they are all about the buck but have some passionate safety minded people working for them.
I’ve said it before but I do like PPC. If I were ever to be in need of a range to join, it would be PPC. I like the desert more but PPC is a close second!
I guess I’m lucky also. My works provides me with a membership to an indoor range that is a nice place to shoot pistols and do quick function tests etc. I pay for a membership at an outdoor range that is about a hour away where we get to do more fun shooting and moving etc.
The indoor range is especially nice since I was able to add my wife to the membership very cheaply even though my membership is paid for by my work. She now actually goes to the range by herself and enjoys it. She did not enjoy going to the outdoor range.
Unfortunately, not too uncommon for ranges in CA.
Another common thing is for ranges to disallow any bullets that will attract a magnet, calling it either steel-jacketed (which some commie ammo is) or steel-cored (depends…). This is at outdoor ranges, and they say it’s to prevent sparks starting fires. If it’s true, CA must be operating under some special law of physics, because South Texas is just as dry or drier, and no range I’ve found cares if your ammo sticks to a magnet. Tracers (which will land you in prison for a couple years on CA just for possession… even if they’re not loaded ammo) are a different story, though.
They don’t seem to realize that some Euro stuff has enough nickel in the jacket to attract a magnet, too.
As a shooter, I’m very glad I got out of California.
I live not all that far from Oaktree, and it’s probably the best open to the public range in California. The sporting clays is superb, and I am a big fan of their gun store – they do consignments which helps keep desirable guns in California (trickiness related to our stupid “Safe Roster”). I’ve never had a problem collecting my brass there. Their greasy spoon breakfast is great, and they have a bar. But it’s still a public range. I go there very rarely these days though because I am the member of 2 private clubs in the area, and they rule. They are locked private facilities with 24 hour access, and most of the time I end up shooting on my own private range doing whatever I want (so long as safety rules are adhered to).
Yes California sucks for gun owners, our government is positively idiotic, but it was 85 degrees in LA on November 27th. I got sunburned at my club USPSA match. There are multiple matches every Saturday and Sunday of the month, every month of the year. In the neighborhood where I live, if you’re not making six figures, you’re positively poor. It’s an economy of scale. If I could move to Vegas and make the same kind of money I do now, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
Next time you’re in CA and you want to see the top of the shooting heap, have someone bring you to a match. It’s a whole different world. The casual gun owners in CA are probably stupider than the rest of the country due to our lack of gun culture – public pistol ranges can be downright frightening. But due to our climate, our economy, and our large population, there are a lot of really talented shooters in this state. All 30 million of us are not left wing morons – just our politicians and bureaucrats. The Democratic congressman in my district runs unopposed and has for many years. That’s how California politics works.
The bar threw me for a loop. I wasn’t quite sure what to think of that…
Some ranges around Southern California have suffered extensive fire damage, multiple times in the past, due to sparks produced by steel/bimetal jacket bullet impacts. This is not a theoretical risk. It is unfortunate, but shooting related brush fires feed arguments against the ranges that have yet to be shut down.
It is incredibly dry here in Southern AZ, and we have bad wildfires here as well – yet the ranges do not ban bimetal jacketed bullets, because they don’t cause problems.