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The Pros and Cons of Public vs Private Gun Ranges

Talyn

Talyn

Emissary
Founding Member
Whether indoors or outdoors, the firing range is a place where shooters can learn, explore, strengthen their skills, and even create lifelong friendships. As a result, it is essential to recognize that the type of range you choose plays a fundamental role in how successful your shooting journey can be. So, we will discuss the pros and cons of public vs private gun ranges.

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The Pros and Cons of Public vs Private Gun Ranges

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I don’t believe I’ve ever been to a “public” range where I haven’t almost been killed. Fortunately I am a member at a private range.

In my neck of the woods a “public” range is either the national forest/WMA range, or the dirt range “attached” to the shack that may or may not sell guns - but da*n sure sells dip, ammo and beer.

No such thing as a trained RO at the WMA or shack, and, let’s be brutally honest….you don’t have to take a test to buy a firearm, so I would submit to you the IQ level of the majority of firearms owners is probably in the 70-80 range on the scale.

I’ve seen many people at these “public” ranges over the years who have absolutely no business handling, much less owning, a firearm.

OTOH, I am a lifetime member at my local FOP lodge so access to shooting is far more tightly controlled and our new members have to both be sponsored and “qualify,” which means demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of firearms and the handling of them. We do about an hour class demo then hit the range with the new members a few times a year. I much prefer this “private” to “public” approach.

Of course, YMMV.
 
I went to an indoor range in town ONCE. A group of foreign college students came in, rented several pistols and the group went back to shoot. Muzzles were pointing everywhere😳. I grabbed my junk and left-right now-stopping only long enough to tell the owner he’d better get back there before somebody got killed. Never, ever shot there again..
 
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Obligatory picture of my private range.

That said, I worked mostly nights the last 15 years of my work life.

During that time and in retirement I made a point of going to to the range on Monday or Tuesday around 0830.
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I always had the range to myself So I could work on drills that the trainer for my church security team taught me without impeding someone else's range time or having an RSO or self appointed RSO impeding on my range time.
 
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Shibadog said:
I went to an indoor range in town ONCE. A group of foreign college students came in, rented several pistols and the group went back to shoot. Muzzles were pointing everywhere.
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I was at a public range with some friends 20 or so years ago. The range was full. That should have been our first clue we should have packed up and left immediately.

While we were shooting a group of Eastern Europeans showed up. They didn't ask for a ceasefire or anything like that.

They unpacked their guns, pointed down range (I will at least give them that) and started BLASTING.

TBH I have no idea what they were aiming at. One of them swept me. I asked him as politely as I could to be more careful. he denied having done it.

The second time it happened I told my wife and friends to pack up and we left. I haven't been to a "public" range since.

Even the one in the second picture, if another person came to the range I packed up and left immediately.

Shibadog said:
I grabbed my junk and left
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You didn't mean that the way it reads did you?
 
In my state Fish, Wildlife & Parks owns some ranges and has a range manager on them, and they also have a grant program that funds shooting ranges owned by other entities. FWP also initiates and develops its own shooting range projects to expand access to shooting sports in the state.
  • Direct Ownership:
    FWP owns some ranges directly, and lease the land or have other agreements with local entities for management.

  • Grant Funding:
    The FWP shooting range grant program provides funding to various other entities that own and operate shooting ranges, including those that host archery, shotgun, pistol, and rifle activities.

  • Development and Administration:
    FWP also actively initiates new shooting range projects and works to develop them, as seen in new proposals, and has a goal of creating more FWP-administered facilities to increase recreational opportunities.

    Private indoor ranges are rare. I only know of three in the entire state due to the high costs to build and manage them

 
The Night Rider said:
I was at a public range with some friends 20 or so years ago. The range was full. That should have been our first clue we should have packed up and left immediately.

While we were shooting a group of Eastern Europeans showed up. They didn't ask for a ceasefire or anything like that.

They unpacked their guns, pointed down range (I will at least give them that) and started BLASTING.

TBH I have no idea what they were aiming at. One of them swept me. I asked him as politely as I could to be more careful. he denied having done it.

The second time it happened I told my wife and friends to pack up and we left. I haven't been to a "public" range since.

Even the one in the second picture, if another person came to the range I packed up and left immediately.



You didn't mean that the way it reads did you?
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Not THAT junk🙄. The other junk ya take to the range. Some people’s kids😊
 
The Night Rider said:
During that time and in retirement I made a point of going to to the range on Monday or Tuesday around 0830.
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This! Fortunate enough to be retired, I can’t remember the last time I signed into my local indoor range much past their opening time (1000), or on a Saturday or Sunday. Tues-Wed are my days of choice, but a few Mondays or Fridays here and there have proven to be uneventful. Almost always out by 1130.

I presume mine would be considered a “public” range since the only requirement is to be of age and pay the $25 fee to shoot (or pay annually or access to shoot anytime, as I do, no added fees).

I think I’ve only run across one situation that made me leave in the 10+ years I’ve been buying annual access. Two young guys came in and rented a few guns. Once they started thinking dual wielding/shooting was a good idea, I was gone. Never saw them there again.
 
For 30 years myself and others used to go to a gravel pit in the desert owned by BLM. Never had an issue. They started building houses in the area and ONE owner kept complaining and calling the Sheriff on everyone. Finally law enforcement convinced the BLM to block access to the area with some massive boulders. So, now I go to a range run by the county. Employees are friendly and no-one bothers you. Shooters are respectful of others and it's less than $50 a year for retired military. I go a couple of times a week and spend about an hour each time. Place is clean and is right at the foothills of Sacramento Mountains. A very pleasant place to go shooting.
 
NMEDGE said:
For 30 years myself and others used to go to a gravel pit in the desert owned by BLM. Never had an issue. They started building houses in the area and ONE owner kept complaining and calling the Sheriff on everyone. Finally law enforcement convinced the BLM to block access to the area with some massive boulders. So, now I go to a range run by the county. Employees are friendly and no-one bothers you. Shooters are respectful of others and it's less than $50 a year for retired military. I go a couple of times a week and spend about an hour each time. Place is clean and is right at the foothills of Sacramento Mountains. A very pleasant place to go shooting.
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Based on your user name I'm assuming New Mexico?

I have a friend that lives in Albuquerque, he says there's a shooting park in Albuquerque that is just top notch and it's run by the city or BLM and it's open to the public.
 
Other than my skeet club, where everyone has manners, I avoid public ranges. I built my own range when I started my training business.
 

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A lot of us don't have so many options of what kind of range we utilize. I used to be able to use my in-law's property to shoot as much as I wanted, any way I wanted. But after my father-in-law passed away, my mother-in-law said she didn't want any more shooting done out there. It upset her animals too much. Her place, her rules. I have to respect that. There is a very nice indoor range near me that I shoot at now. I kind of like this over a public outdoor range. There is no going "hot" or "cold" about target changes with the indoor target retrieval system. Nice not having to wait for permission to fire all the time. I go during the week when they first open, and the majority of the time I'm the only one there. With my veteran's discount, I pay $7.50 to shoot for an hour, but they always tell me to shoot as long as I want. I don't abuse it. I'll shoot for a full hour and then clean up my brass. I'll also take a few minutes to clean up other lanes also, just to be nice. I don't go often enough to worry so much about lead contamination. It is climate controlled, and I believe they have some type of filtration system. I'll try to remember to ask next time I go. They also offer training that I might send my adult daughter to. She's taken an interest in shooting recently, and we've gone to this range together several times to let her shoot. I am more of a doer, not a teacher. I can recognize that in myself. I don't have the temperament to teach. I would rather she be trained by a professional. Anyway, I like this range, but I do miss my mother-in-law's place also. Sometimes it's just fun to do a few mag dumps. Warning!!! Watch out for FUDD alerts about my occasional mag dumps! lol
 
At my range there's a members side & the public side.

Other than maintenance work the range officer spends 99.99% of the time on the public side where the problems occur.

The public side is closed 3 days in mid-week, but the members side is open.
 
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