New Indoor Range Opening in Westfield

[338sniper]

So you have no issue with having to buy their ammo and targets? Will you be the first in line for a $75 FFL?

No, like my post said, you have 2 choices. No reason to have a pissing match or bash the guys trying to keep the industry moving forward.

 

[ljk]

That's the great thing about America. If you think the price is to high you have 2 choices, don't buy it (or patronize it) or open your own indoor gun range (with all the upfront cost) and charge less.

meh, I'd just go somewhere else.

 

[venenoindy]

What needs to happen for all firearms enthusiasts is the shooting sport's get more affordable not the other way around, I do get the opening a place like this takes a ton of money and time (I wish the best to them regardless of me not been able to afford to shoot there). In oder to any business to succeed needs volume and stay competitive, I don't think anybody has purposely bashing the place is just is that is not in line (cost) with most of the place around Indy.

 

[ljk]

watched it on the evening news today. Grand Opening is Friday, 17th.

Westfield range attracting new gun owners | Fox 59 News ? fox59.com

 

[Trigger Time]

No, like my post said, you have 2 choices. No reason to have a pissing match or bash the guys trying to keep the industry moving forward.

$75 transfers (if that's the case) isn't moving the industry forward that's moving themselves forward by stepping on fellow gun owners.

 

[Cj52racers]

I WAS pretty excited about this, but I just don't think I'll end up going very often if at all. Prices are quite high and the transfer cost along with mandatory in store target purchase will keep me away most likely. I will certainly check it out with it being so close, but will probably still end up going to BGF for my indoor shooting. Hopefully it works out for them though, more competition is never bad for consumers.

 

[Iurobz]

Talked to them last night at the Hamilton County Sheriff's meeting on gun safety. They are open. For those interested, their range rentals are Glocks and S&W. I didn't get the exact models.

 

[sonovasailor]

I say "Good Luck". I'm sure they will survive. There are enough folks out there that don't do their home work. and price shop. Otherwise Don's Guns would be extinct by now. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And shoot at BGF.

 

[Lep36]

I went there yesterday, they just checked all my 223, and said I was good to go... I believe they just want to make its FMJ. If they did want me to buy it from them, their ammo prices seemed pretty good. 50 rounds 223 was IIRC under $23.00. It's a very well done range, nice to have the 75 feet stalls available as well, I did buy a membership and it will not be a problem to get my money's worth!

 

[fdbc]

The grand opening was busy and if that is any indication of how busy they will be it's a good sign. Tim and his family run the business and they are very nice people. I have been to a couple of other ranges and thought the prices were comperable to what I have experienced elsewhere.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

I went there yesterday, they just checked all my 223, and said I was good to go... I believe they just want to make its FMJ. If they did want me to buy it from them, their ammo prices seemed pretty good. 50 rounds 223 was IIRC under $23.00. It's a very well done range, nice to have the 75 yard stalls available as well, I did buy a membership and it will not be a problem to get my money's worth!

You sure about that?

 

[SMiller]

Any more update on fees, transfers, prices? I don't want to judge this place until it is said in stone that they are screwing people over?

Sounds like you can shoot your own ammo as long as it is full metal?

 

[Expatriated]

I stopped by tonight, talked with Tim, his wife Faith, and his son in law, Josh. I didn't shoot but I took a tour of the place. Here is my review of it, for whatever it's worth:

--the customer service was great. Everyone was friendly, took time with everyone, and seemed to genuinely want you to be comfortable with guns. You know the vibe you get when some gun store workers are always looking down on you or treating you like you know nothing about guns? I didn't get any of that with them.

--The pistol range is 50 FEET. The rifle range is 75 FEET. FEET--NOT YARDS. Frankly, I think this is far too short. To me, 25 yards minimum is a proper pistol range. 100 yard is the minimum for a proper rifle range but I will readily admit that is a difficult feat to pull off indoors for a rifle. Even FLETC indoor rifle ranges are 50 yards. This is a case of better than nothing but I scratch my head and think, "if you're building something from scratch, why not make it the full 25 yards? You did it for the rifle range." Anyway, that's my thought.

--The issue with buying the rifle ammo there, as it was explained to me was to ensure that no one brought ammo that would damage their backstop. I understand the concern, but I think an option to have your ammo inspected would be a good compromise.

--They have an RSO inside the range anytime someone's in there, which I don't have a problem with. Of course, that's all going to depend on the RSO. The one I spoke to is experienced and has common sense about him.

--They have a classroom that seems smallish but adequate for classes. I was told that a concession with the town of Westfield was that each person, the first time they got there, had to watch a 10 minute NSSF safety video before shooting.


Overall, it's always good to have another range option. There are always growing pains with any business and I saw a few minor things here and there. I didn't ask about an FFL transfer. $75 seems high. Not ever having used a transfer, it's not something that bothers me. I buy all my guns from private sales within state or from a gun store in IN. I find the range prices high but I don't see the world returning to cheap, do what you want, unregulated ranges. Unfortunately, those days are not ones we'll see again.

 

[Lep36]

You sure about that?

Oops, my bad, feet it is...

this is means my wife is right, I can't watch Barrett Jackson and surf at the same time. :-)

 

[Cameramonkey]

Sorry Im late to the game... Accidentally posted in a similar thread. I Would love to Get Tim's answers if he is still lurking.

First, welcome to INGO! Hopefully my questions dont come off as too crass.

The rules are an interesting read.

1: Curious about the logic behind no cast lead? Why not ban steel cased ammo while you are at it? On the surface it seems about as logical.

2: Only in-house targets? I cant even bring my own proper targets like I do at pretty much every other range I go to? I can understand not wanting paper plates and other makeshift targets, but in-house only? I think Don's is the only game in town that stoops to that level of money grabbing.

3: How do you deem a round "military"? Based on caliber, what gun its being fired out of, or the manufacturer of the ammo the person brought in to shoot? (PMC Bronze .223 in the range bag is OK but surplus 5.56 is not) If someone were to show up with an AR57, are you going to actually have the relatively obscure ammo on hand to sell at a reasonable price, or will you have to say "you cant shoot that here."?

4: And no holstering/unholstering for ANY reason? You are saying I have to unholster my carry weapon before I leave the house, empty it and place it into a different carrying case? (after all I cant handle it in the parking lot according to the rules) I can understand no practice draws, but to say my pistol cant come out of the holster even when I am standing in my assigned bay preparing the weapon to shoot, then returning the weapon to its holster before I leave the bay at the end of my session seems a bit over bearing. So does that mean I cant point my revolver at the floor to reload it since pointing my gun anywhere but down range is bad? (which I assume is part of the no holster rule and you are so adamant about even cased guns being pointed the right direction at all times)

I think I'll pass unless those rules are clarified/tweaked a bit.

But good luck to you! We can use another range in town.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Westfield range attracting new gun owners | Fox 59 News ? fox59.com

 

[22rssix]

I was there helping with an NRA class. My first time up there and I thought it was a nice place. They had a wide selection of firearms and I heard that they will be adding more. If you want buffalo-Bore ammo this is the place to get it. They had other ammo as well.

I got to shoot a little before the NRA class came out and I really enjoyed the range. While working with the class a lady had some old 38SPL ammo that was very smoky, the air handling system was good but runs in cycles so there was some plums of smoke that lingered longer than I would have liked. I am used to shooting at ECPR so air is always flowing through that place.


I would avoid shooting tula/wolf ammo there. The RO working the line didn't have a problem with it and it is not banned from the range. However every shot I took sparked as it hit the back stop. The other RSO helping with the class was shooting regular Federal 9mm and 45acp and had no sparks on the backstop. I can see the Tula ammo as a fire hazard once an accumulation of un-burnt powder collects down range.

As far as distance, the pistol range is 50 foot like mentioned above, I thought that was decent. My experience over the last few years working at ECPR most folks do not post targets that far. If you wanted to go further then maybe ask to use the 75 foot rifle bays.

 

[Cj52racers]

Stopped in there today and it is quite a nice shop. I still think the range prices are high for the length of the stalls, but it is a nice building. I think the membership is a decent deal, but still doubt I would spring for it. The employees seemed nice and capable. I will see how it goes firing there a few times, but I doubt it will be a place I frequent.

 

[Mounty09]

Going there here in a bit. I don't know how I feel about not being able to draw from a holster. I like to carry my gun in.

 

[Mounty09]

Shot today for an hour. Really nice facility and all the people I dealt with were nice. The place was very busy but seemed to get people through as fast as they could. Prices seemed higher than I am use to (this is coming from student pricing at Applied Ballistics in Lafayette). Wondered if this was because they have at least one RSO on duty while people are shooting. I did notice a lot of new shooters so this is probably a good thing. The guy I talked with was very nice and said it is nice to see an Ingo shooter there.

I still don't know how I feel about not being able to pull my carry gun out of its holster to shoot. There were many times when I was in Lafayette that I would just walk in with my carry gun to shoot 50 or so rounds. Hopefully this changes.