Weird Range Fee

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Barr

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I started looking at a new range I was thinking about visiting and heard of a new charge I had not heard of.

This particular range charges 175 dollars a year for membership. They then charge $5 every visit if you bring your own ammo for your own guns. This really stings because I reload all of my own ammo due to cost, performance, and an additional hobby. Even if I only went to the range once a month it would cost me 60 additional dollars a year. Two trips a month would cost an additional 120 dollars a year. Ouch.

The part that really stings is that this range is one of only two in the city that I will be moving to. The other range in town costs $400 for the first year.
 
I've seen two tiered pricing before. Like $12 if you buy ammo and $15 if you don't. The range needs to make money to be viable. I used to operate an indoor range and customers nickel and diming us was part of the reason for it's closure.

I feel your pain as well, ranges charge a lot for ammo generally but I usually try to buy a few targets and some ammo if possible if the range is a favorite and if they are decent people running it.
 
Like most people I would also like to get my range time as cheaply as possible. Times are not getting any easier to make ends meet.

That said ,I have a friend who owns and operates an indoor range - the cost to build, insure , and operate the place is not cheap. One way or another the owners have to come up with a way of paying for the costs. There are as many formulas to do that as there are ranges ,but in the end - it is charge enough to pay the bills, or go broke.

The easiest way to get the cost down at a range is to promote the range to your friends because the more it is used the cheaper it can be for all who participate.
 
One range charges $400 a year, the other will cost you $295 a year if you shoot every other month.

That part I understand...

The part that is confusing me is the part where you're complaining about the range fees of the LESS EXPENSIVE range. :confused:

Perhaps you could try this solution. Go to the range that charges $400 a year and then you won't have to worry about where you buy your ammunition. ;)

Ok, seriously, why not look at it this way:

Range one charges you $400 a year.

Range two charges you $175 a year and $5 per visit. They will waive the $5 per visit fee if you purchase your ammunition from them.

Ok, choose Range two--now you're saving $225 RIGHT OFF THE BAT!!! Even if you visit every other week and take your own ammunition, you'll STILL be over $100 ahead at the end of the year. But wait, there's MORE! On the days that you buy ammunition from them (maybe you need some more brass to reload) they'll even waive your $5 per visit fee!

WHAT A DEAL!!! :D
 
The range I belong to has a tiered membership structure. I just renewed my "platnum" membership for a year. $225 gets me unlimited range time, free rental of any of their rental guns (pretty good selection), 3% off on gun purchases and 10% off on everything else, including training classes. They require you to buy their ammo for rental guns, but I can bring my own ammo for my own guns.

They also have a "gold" membership, for about $125 that gets you into the range for $5 each day, $5 to rent a gun, you can use your own ammo in your gun, theirs in rentals.

The bottom tier is about $25, and you pay $10 each range day, $10 for each rental, and you must always use their ammo.

For me, The platnum is well worth the up-front cost, since I use the range at least a couple times a month, load my own ammo, and since they generally have good prices on guns to start with, the extra 3% off helps too. One more thing, with the platnum membership, I can bring a guest for free, the other memberships must pay for guests.

Ron
 
for my indoor range, only 25 yards, i only pay $7, 2 more if i forget my hearing protection.
 
My range fee is burning the trash and helping Grandma carry shopping bags into her house. Plus the drive is only about 500 yards.

The downside is avoiding cow pies and losing brass in the grass or creek.
 
i understand that ranges need to make money, but some ranges are just terrible. here in austin there is a range that does not let you bring your own targets, even if they are just plain old paper targets. they force you to buy their targets at 50cents a pop. can you believe that? that really p*sses me off. oh and on top of that, they charge hourly...
 
My range charges 142.00$ a year & 4.50 range fee every time you use the range. The next closest place in town costs 1200.00$ a year.
 
is there a minimum of cartridges to buy for them to waive the fee ?

buy 10 rounds each visit or so, you get to keep the extra brass and pocket the 5$
 
wow, that makes me glad to be in OKC, I pay $150 a year and I get unlimited range time and four targets per visit. additional targets are only .25 each and I can use any ammo and targets that I want. (of course, except steel core, it's an indoor range)
 
The part that is confusing me is the part where you're complaining about the range fees of the LESS EXPENSIVE range.
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No kidding!

I would go to the other one just out of principal.
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This is why I love gun people. They get so hung up on principles that they make stupid decisions. I guess paying all that extra money to the really expensive range will teach the cheaper range with the tiered pricing a lesson that they should be charging much higher flat rates.
 
The outdoor range that charges $400 the first year does drop to $150 the second year. They charge a one time initiation fee of $250 which sounds extremely steep to me. I would understand if it was $50-100 to make it worth their time etc.

I used to have a range in East TN that was $60 a year with a NRA membership. The one I go to now charges $20 a year. Thank goodness for being a student.

I know that ranges have to make their money but both of these cases sound a bit extreme. I would just go with the outdoor range for the variety of shooting opportunities etc., but that is a lot of money for a married student just getting out of college making a car payment, buying furniture, paying off student debts etc.
 
I suspect this cost will be peanuts compared to what it will cost you to drive to and from the range. So buck up and quit whinning.
 
I suspect this cost will be peanuts compared to what it will cost you to drive to and from the range. So buck up and quit whinning.
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Ok.

If you got mugged in a big city one day a month would you say, "Buck up it's no big deal. It's still cheaper than what I paid for lunch that day."

$5 is still $5. $120 dollars a year is still money that is earned and spent, and would like to avoid spending if I can.
 
Are there any extra benefits to the more expensive range? At mine, part of the initial fee is a deposit that we can get back if we finally leave the club.
 
Mine cost me $100 a year unless I sign up 5 people then it is free. It is bring everything and take it home. The draw back, rifle range is only 100 yards. We can shoot at only paper targets.

But I can shoot, hunt, fish and camp all for $100 a year.
 
I pay 183 euros per year for an indoor 100 yards range, and it's not really that well equiped

just because there aren't much ranges here :/
 
I used to go to a indoor range with a similar setup. where as long as i bought ammo, it was $10 cheaper to shoot. my solution, buy one 50 round box of .22 at $1.30 and then bring my other guns in on a second trip to my lane.
 
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