Has anyone built their own range or converted a building into a range?

[IndianaLead]

I'm wondering if anyone has tackled this task recently and what kinds of hoops you had to go through? The NRA quotes the average about $325 per sq. foot, from what I've read. I'd appreciate any feedback or guidance. Thanks!

 

[TopDog]

Tagged for an interesting read.

 

[JettaKnight]

Personal or Professional? I would guess the NRA quotes is business, which would incl. OSHA stuff...

 

[jackadew]

A building 10 feet wide and 90 feet long would cost you $292,500.00 at $325 a square foot.

 

[Westside]

lots of questions before you can get any good answers.

1) private or public.
2) what calibers (the larger the caliber the more the range costs)
3) new construction or remodel? (you can buy and old building, demolish it and build new in its place.
4) how long do you want the range to be.
5) indoors or outdoors
6) do you already own/occupy the location you want to convert to a range.
ETC.

I did a business plan for an entire shooting center (indoor and outdoor both on same site) and the price tag was several million dollars before I could even open the doors.

 

[IndianaLead]

I was thinking personal to start with. I already have land, so an outdoor version for personal use would be pretty simple (I think). Though, if I had to build from scratch I'd probably want to buy land closer to me. My goal is to eventually open a small indoor range to reduce cost. If it turned out to be a big hit, then I could consider expanding. Right now I have no expectations on length or caliber since I have limited knowledge of ranges.

I guess I'm interested in what it takes and the legalities people have faced trying to get one.

 

[wagyu52]

I'm building an underground range in my basement. My wife said absolutely no way. So I work on it at night when she is asleep, I have disguised the hole with a big " got Sig" sticker, I carry the dirt out in my pockets and scatter it in the yard unsuspicously. my planis to blaming the shooting on oil fracking.

 

[TopDog]

I'm building an underground range in my basement. My wife said absolutely no way. So I work on it at night when she is asleep, I have disguised the hole with a big " got Sig" sticker, I carry the dirt out in my pockets and scatter it in the yard unsuspicously. my planis to blaming the shooting on oil fracking.

Brilliant! I can never come up with great plans like that.

 

[mkbar80]

My father and I built a backstop in our woods with about 150 railroad ties and 3 tri-axle loads of dirt. About 8' high and maybe 40' wide. I'm guessing 2-3k including some equipment rental. If I can find pics I'll post (edit: pics added, several tons of dirt dumped up against this...can't find pics of that).

 

[KLB]

Shooting on your land all depends upon where that land is. For me it s legal, so I have a berm of dirt 20' wide, 8' tall and from about 15' to 4' thick. A couple of posts and some plywood give me targets until I get some steel. Only cost was the plywood and fuel for my tractor.

I've used it with up to .308 so far.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

Providing I can get a backstop, Ive got a 150yd range in my backyard... but thats alot of dirt, and heavy equipment I do not have

 

[IndianaLead]

@wagyu52 -Should you change your user ID to Shawshank? Still......the thought of having a hidden one underground sure is tempting.

mkbar80 - Would love to see pictures if you can find them!

 

[Fedempl]

I have not, but, a few weeks ago my wife and I were out looking at homes and found one that was originally built in the basement for a pistol range it was about 80 feet long. The current owner uses it to practice his golf swing. It was every gun owners dream come true and looked great. I wish I had a camers and took pictures.

 

[wagyu52]

@wagyu52 -Should you change your user ID to Shawshank? Still......the thought of having a hidden one underground sure is tempting.

mkbar80 - Would love to see pictures if you can find them!

If I hit my septic line I'm not crawling through it





Man up and vanished like a fart in the wind

 

[BluePig]

I have disguised the hole with a big " got Sig" sticker

I am glad I was able to contribute to this enterprise in a small way...
But I am betting that somehow, I will also share in the blame when Mrs. wagyu52 finds out.
I can hear it now "Bluepig told me to do it..."
That worked in the past, but I don't think it will now.
Hope you like sleeping with the cows and barn cats...

 

[BluePig]

This remindes me of an incident that happened with one of my friends.
He decided to build an indoor range in the basement of his home.
He took a large piece of steel and angled it and then was using a tray of sand to "catch and trap the bullets".
Problem was, geometry was not a strong suit with him or he just missed that day.
He had another friend test the trap while he was outside listening for the noise that it created.
The other friend after firing, heard the richochets and only shot twice before he decided his life was worth more than an indoor shooting range.
They found no bullets in the sand trap, but by tracing the marks on the floor and ceiling, recovered numerous bullets in a pile of intake manifolds on the other side of the basement.
We still tease him about his "shooting range".

 

[esrice]

Would this just be for personal use? Or are you talking about a public range? I can post pics/specs/ideas of the range(s) lovemywoods and I built, but its just our private range.

 

[vitamink]

....So I work on it at night when she is asleep, I have disguised the hole with a big " got Sig" sticker, I carry the dirt out in my pockets and scatter it in the yard unsuspicously. my planis to blaming the shooting on oil fracking.

This sounds a lot like "shawshank redemption"...without all the prison rape. I think the main difference is you are telling the story, and not a second party voice over. That begin said, if "shawshank redemption" was told through the eyes of Andy Dufrain, I'm sure he'd focus on the "escape" and less on the "butt sex"

So far in this thread i have learned that to build a range requires:

A. 325 per sq ft
B. Sneaking around on your wife
C. OSHA
D. Possible Surprise Butt Spelunking

 

[BluePig]

You also need some kind of tool to use.
Using your hands will give away the whole operation and ruin your peticure.

 

[Trooper]

I'm wondering if anyone has tackled this task recently and what kinds of hoops you had to go through? The NRA quotes the average about $325 per sq. foot, from what I've read. I'd appreciate any feedback or guidance. Thanks!

Lots of old factories that could be made into ranges.

My best guess is that most of us just do not have the funds. Why could we not get more rich guys into the hobby? But then how many of us just do not support what we have. And the kids are not doing anything that does not have a very quick fun factor. It is why so many hobbies are dying.

It would be nice if there were legislative mandates that every county have at least one range for the purpose of training people in preparation for serving in the military (NRA was formed after the Civil War because so many soldiers from the urban areas were horrible with firearms. The south was far better marksmen)