RIPOFF: S. Florida shooting ranges now allow you to shoot ONLY ammo you bought there!

[Zero]

Hardley the same, dhoomonyou

As someone who is friends with and spends a great deal of time in a local range in Miami, I completely understand the range owners. And besides it's not like he was trying to charge you double for the ammo or anything, it's simply $2 more, and as far as I'm concerned that $2 matters less to me than the inconvenience of having to make an additional stop to buy ammo somewhere else.

 

[GunGoBoom]

I share your disgust, but this is a free market problem. If all the county ranges are doing it, this seems like an anti-trust / collusion-pricing law type violation possibly. In any event, I for one wouldn't go back there, but instead do what I already do, and that is become a member of a gun club where I can shoot any time all year long, outdoors. If they're not climate-controlling the ranges anyway, then you've lost nothing by shooting outdoors, except for windless conditions. And you'll get more fresh air, less noise, and a bit of back to nature feeling. This situation will provide a catalyst for the building of private ranges and gun clubs where that is NOT the policy, and they will lose business and hopefully have to change their policy. Ain't there plenty of swamps to shoot towards down there? If they force you to buy their high-dollar ammo, the least they could do is climate-control the ranges - ridiculous, agreed! (of course, the reason for the rule is 98% profit, and 2% liability reasons).

 

[Taurus 66]

If all else fails, open a range of your own and run it right. You'll soon put the others out of business—unless, of course, people can't figure out the obvious.

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I like Standing Wolf's answer best I understand most shooters must use a shooting range where rules are as the owner dictates. There are, however, a small number of us who have access to 170 acres of land and can use any type of ammunition we desire.

You should consider getting just a couple acres and build up some dirt all around it.

 

[Texian Pistolero]

While these guys are jerks, this is a free market solution.

I deserve to right to choose my ammo. Politely tell them to blow and walk.

What do you bet that six months from now, the only RANGE ammo is their "high quality reloads" obtained at a "special rate"?

That's the logical evolution of this crap.

For me it's not just cost, it's ammo selection. What are the odds that they have MY selection for only a $2 marginal cost?

Hell, I may want to shoot ammo that costs MORE than their ammo! OR my patiently assmbled reloads! I'm a pro, and don't have time for wannabe gunstore commandos who can't get dates with women.

(You may infer that I am ticked off!)

In the Dallas area about five years ago, they went to no FMJ rifle ammo anymore. I suddenly realized that I only go to the range about a third of the time I used to. Reason? I can't shoot surplus FMJ anymore.

No hard feelings, just Adam Smith's invisible hand.

 

[yobos4vr]

i just go to tactical zone where i pay my $10 range fee get some targets off them at $1 each and shoot my pistol(with my wwb ammo from wal-mart) and my 12 gauge(win super x shot from bass pro) . after which i clean up my brass put it in the bucket and go home. they're not part of the evil triad (delray shooting center,palm beach shooting center and gator guns) i do like how they lie. "all palm beach county ranges won't let you bring your own ammo"
ha... that's a lie!!!

 

[Texian Pistolero]

Give them your business card and tell them to give you a call when they go Chapter 11. Meanwhile, start putting together a group of investors to take over for $.25 on the dollar.

Also, call their phone from payphones after hours and leave farting noises on their messages!

NO MERCY! Pronounce a fatwa!

 

[RugerOldArmy]

The fact that local shops all implemented this policy at what I take to be the same time sounds like price-fixing/anti-trust violation. I wouldn't blame you for reporting this. (It might make room for a new gun shop.)

Midwest guns in the People's Republik of Illinois did this. I had previously, knowingly, paid $100 premiums on multiple guns, figuring that at least it supported a local shop (shops in this case). Similar BS, claimed Green Only ammo (which I don't like, preferring my reloads to any factory stuff), but when I showed up with some S&B non-toxic, they wouldn't allow it's use. At that point, I ceased to use them for anything.

With some luck, they'll be out of business soon, making room for another gun shop that values its customers.

 

[Babalouie]

Also, call their phone from payphones after hours and leave farting noises on their messages!

Made me laugh!

 

[Marshall]

An indoor range in Tulsa, OK. has this policy, I don't go there anymore. For what they charge to become a member, what they make on CCW classes and what they charge for range sessions on top of the membership dues, they don't need the ammo business. They are also a firearm dealer and sell gun safes, gun accessories, clothing, ammo and the like.

They sure have the right to make a policy that you have have to buy and use their dirty ammo just as I have right to not darken their door anymore.

They've lost a lot of customers over the ammo deal, I personally know quite a few folks and have met many others that don't frequent the place anymore for that very reason.

I really prefer shooting outdoor anyway and am lucky to have many places to do just that.

 

[peacefuljeffrey]

And for the OP, you were disgusted that he was going to charge you $12 when it's $10 at Wal-Mart. LOL if that $2 is going to break you, then perhaps you should sell your guns and buy some mac-and-cheese so you can eat. Bottom line, gunshops and ranges are a business like any other. If you were a restaraunt owner, you wouldn't like it if people came and sat at one of your tables, then pulled out their own food from a brown bag and started eating, only ordering a coke?

Pay attention. The large problem was I had already spent $60 on ammunition that I now would not be able to use. (At least, not without going on a different outing to a different, yet-to-be-determined range.)

So it was not about the extra $6 I would spent on three boxes of fifty. It was the $6 compounding the wasted $60.

You say gun shops and ranges are a business like any other.

Yes.

And like any other business, if their customers feel that the shop is ripping them off, those customers will cease to patronize them. Like I am doing.

Oh, and if that restaurant already had an established fee for bringing your own food and drink in to enjoy in their cafeteria, you bet your ass I would expect to be able to bring my own.

It is disingenuous of you to casually forget that we pay a fee to the range for using the lanes. We've done this for DECADES with no requirement that we also buy our ammo from that shop. Suddenly NOW it's too difficult for these ranges to stay afloat? Yeah, right. More like, profit-fever has struck them like it has just about everyone else, finally.



-Jeffrey

 

[Zero]

call before buying the ammo.

Or buy a box of theirs and shoot your ammo also..

 

[Majic]

We've done this for DECADES with no requirement that we also buy our ammo from that shop. Suddenly NOW it's too difficult for these ranges to stay afloat?

Has anyone noticed their wages in the last 10 years? How about the electric bill, water bill, gas bill, insurance premiums, rent, or taxes? Before ranting and raving you should see if there is an underlying problem causing the increase. One potential problem will be the overhead and if the area is growing that overhead could be substantial. And it doesn't have to be sudden. It may have taken years, but now something have to be done about the profits. All you see is the end results, not noticing the range struggling to stay ahead while you were enjoying what they offerred.
The $10 to $15 per shooter may no longer support the business expenses and the profit has to be made somewhere. No one likes prices increases, but our economy dictates the rising of prices. It would be nice to make 2005 wages and still pay 1985 prices, but that just ain't gonna happen.
Now I'm not saying this is exactly what happened, but this has happened to many businesses and public ranges are generally a business that have to turn a profit to stay afloat. Most range owners don't see their business as a hobby.

 

[redneck2]

Update...

just talked to an owner of one local shop. He was going to put in a range as an incentive for buyers. Anything built after 1999 (IIRC) has to have a water medium to capture the lead dust. There's a new range in Chesterton IN that had water and I wondered why...now I know. Ones built prior are exempt from that rule, but still have air quality checked by EPA.

Also, the air has to be exchanged something like once per minute and have negative pressure to pull the lead fumes from the shooters.

New range was going to cost $650,000

As to the guys that want to shoot rifle (indoors). Take a 1/2" steel plate at 100 yards and shoot it with a 30-06. Blows right thru. Don't know how much steel it would take to stop one, but it would be plenty.

You can argue this all you want, but I suspect indoor ranges will not exist in 5-10 years. If the anti's can legislate us from owning guns, they'll regulate us from owning guns.

Anyway, I'm taking my own advice. Next month I'm buying 3 acres across the road from me. I'll go there to shoot. Neighbors on both sides are shooters.