Anyone shot here? Should I go here or NRA for indoor?

Thanks,
John

I usually don't have to wait to shoot there, unlike the NRA range (from what I hear).

is the facility nice, ammo cheap, shooters... well not thug/negligent etc?

The staff is adequately friendly and you can shoot your own ammo - so if you use factory ammo, hit a Walmart first.

It's decent, rarely a wait when I've been, no issues w/ shooters or RSO's. I've never purchased ammo there though, not sure on pricing.



 

I work at the shop part time. That being said, I think the facilities are very good. Ammo prices are decent but, not generally as cheap as wally world. The shop is however, a reliable source for ammo.  Having been an RSO for a number of years, I can say that we try not to be overly intrusive. If there is a problem, the situation will be addressed.

I like Sharpshooters for their accessories, but I think they definitely have room for improvement.  The membership pricing is ludicrous in my opinion.  Being that Sharpshooters has an adequate selection of weapons, accessories, and other gear, it stumps me to why they tac on the gun version of car dealer fees.  

I've been shooting at Sharp Shooters just about every week for 4-5 years, now (ever since Shooters Paradise burnt down). I have the "premium" membership, which I think, is ~$285/yr now. That averages out about $6/wk for me...pretty cheap if you shoot regularly.



My only complaint is that the backstop, ceiling, & walls aren't hardened for rifle fire –– pistol & shotgun only. So, I still have to go to the NRA range for my 5.56 fix once in a while. Sure wish they'd take action on that. Also, the HVAC on the range can't handle the heat very well in the summer - - bring a sweat rag with you.



Now the good points: Sharp Shooters allows full auto and holster draws. The range officers are helpful and friendly (unlike the JBT gestapo at the NRA range. My observation/opinion...flame away, if you like). You don't have to buy your ammo from them, and can you keep your brass (no comblock-type steel core ammo allowed, though; e.g., wolf, barnul, etc.).



Overall, I'm happy with Sharp Shooters.

I agree there is always room for improvement. Please provide suggestions and I will be happy to fwd them to mgmt. Given that an annual membership comes out to ~$20 per month(Annual is $245), I think our definitions of Ludicrous may differ.  Discounts are given to annual members on non-sale items but, I am not clear if this constitutes "Car dealer fees" .  The reality of the situation is that a brick and mortar store is going to have a tough time competing with billy bob operating a web store with no overhead. The store however will often have things in stock vs paying for shipping and will be an advocate for customers who have a problem with any merchandise/manufacturers.

I go there periodically, and Blue Ridge.  

W/O a doubt my GF and I would join full time if their HVAC and air scrubbers worked better.  

Staff is honest and friendly, and RSOs are very good, and not intrusive.   Asked an employee about the new AR15 shotgun (they have two in the used section) on it's reliability and he was completely honest, stating that he had no idea, and had never fired them, or heard anything on them, as opposed to making up an answer.

Obviously, a 50 yard rifle range would be great too.  I'd definitely pay over $300 a year to join that with the above fixes.

That may or may not have been me

Those shotguns are interesting. I am however, a bit put off by the bedazzled selector markings. Plastic jewels must denote quality..............

Does that mean you'll save your brass for me? :p

I agree there is always room for improvement. Please provide suggestions and I will be happy to fwd them to mgmt. Given that an annual membership comes out to ~$20 per month(Annual is $245), I think our definitions of Ludicrous may differ.  Discounts are given to annual members on non-sale items but, I am not clear if this constitutes "Car dealer fees" .  The reality of the situation is that a brick and mortar store is going to have a tough time competing with billy bob operating a web store with no overhead. The store however will often have things in stock vs paying for shipping and will be an advocate for customers who have a problem with any merchandise/manufacturers.


The website needs to be updated. Most people who visit your site do not know about your firearm rental program for range use. A list is good. Pictures even better. This is the digital / google age and that will drive more customers to your site although I hate waiting so can I get a pass to cut to the front of the linee for my suggestion? Since I'm here :)

Do you have for rent  any Glock 34? I assume there is a 17 there

XD9 or 40 in 5" Tactical

Will fwd the suggestion. At this time there are no G34's or G17L's on the rental rack.  We do regularly rent 17's, 19's, and 26's. There are both XD's and XDm's on the rack as well. However, I do not believe that any are the Tactical model.

PS-if you still need that BDM holster, shoot me an IM.

I'm partial to the NRA for range time. A very clean and well lit facility with an extremely friendly staff. The only down side is no rentals, so you have to bring everything with you. You can also shoot rifles which is huge for me. Sharp Shooters is nice. I havn't used the range since it was Gilbert's a few years ago. Its pistol/shotguns only but they do have a nice selection of rental firearms. The store is pretty good, they have a good selection and even a "custom AR" counter. My biggest gripe with them is actually the same gripe I have with a few gun stores in NoVA. The staff isn't very accessible to show products or answer questions. I couldn't tell you how many times I've been there looking in the cases for 15 minutes and not one employee asked if I needed help, wanted to see anything, ect. Several times, the staff would socialize between themselves and ignore me. I'm young, only 28, but I can tell that I'm being discriminated against based on my age because the staff is quick to help older customers, even if I have been standing at the counter longer. While this complaint is typical of many gun stores in the area, it's still poor service. And what's sad is I have a large disposible income on firearms and accessories.
Maybe its the salesman in me, but I learned at a young age to not judge your customer based on his appearance. I couldn't tell you how many times when I worked in retail that the clean-cut man in a nice suit had his credit cards declined and the country bumpkin with dirty jeans bought half the store. Just a thought.

Jeremy S.

I'm just a lowly worker bee for Sharpshooters but, I apologize if you received poor service. Please swing by on any given Wednesday night when I'm there and I'll make sure you are well served.

You have me a little confused here. I have know knowledge of Sharpshooters at all,but if the ceiling and walls are not hardened than how do they allow full auto?

Is the ventilation any better than it used to be?  I haven't gone there in about three years, and while I'd love to shoot close to home, I've always felt like I needed to be wearing scuba gear.

They allow full auto for pistol calibers only (e.g., MP5, UZI, MAC, etc.) . . . no 5.56 M-16/M-4 or any other rifle caliber . . semi or full auto.

Well, let me put it this way:



I had a physical exam with blood lab work a year ago, and my blood lead level was "17" (measured in mcg/dcl, I believe). Anything over "10" in children is cause for concern; not a big red flag for adults. Still, I began to be more attentive about washing up afterwards.



Last month, I had another physical and popped a "24". I'm not exposed to lead at home or at work. The range is my only logical conclusion as to the source.



I heard that for awhile, the staff range personnel there had to wear masks. Blitzkreig, feel free to weigh in here.



I have a friend that shoots there that wears dedicated clothes when going to the range, and keeps them separate. A little drastic, but I may need to consider such measures if my blood lead level doesn't come down.

The range staff are required to wear masks for range clean up. I think there's a lot of unburned powder and some lead down there.

Jesus  

How busy is the range on a weekday at 2:00?

Glockslap: Weekdays are best if you can get there. I swung by to shoot with a buddy from out of town(who just had to shoot before he left) on Sunday around 230P and it was a nuthouse. That said, BRA and NRA are bound to be the same way on weekends.

With regard to Lead and powders fellas..........this isn't a hobby comprised of tiptoeing through tulips and sniffing flowers.....

Lead and powder are not good to ingest.  It is best to always wash at least your hands before you leave the range. It doesn't take much to get that crap in your eyes or mouth if its on your paws.  Sharpshooters did some testing for lead and after having become better informed, is taking steps to mitigate exposure, esp. for employees who spend tons of time cleaning up.  I worked at Gilbert's from 99-03 and after Ernie sold the place stayed on at Sharpshooters from '07 till the present. I usually pull one 6hr shift/week a sales or Range Officer.  It has always been SOP during my employment there to wear a respirator while cleaning downrange after the shop closes.
 
I had my lead levels checked this spring and came back as slightly elevated. The input from the Docs was that anything up to about 15(not sure of the scale units) was normal environmental exposure in adults. A 20-25 they start paying attention and above 45 they really start looking ways to change your habits or get away from the contaminants.  I can't say for sure whether or not all of my exposure came from the range since I also work in the electronics industry and do a lot of soldering on equipment.   After getting my results and improving my decon procedures my levels dropped 20% in less than 60 days. At last check my doc just recommended getting tested about every 6 months to keep an eye on things given that I have a double dipping situation with my jobs.

I'm not going to claim that you should make a career out of huffing on the line but, the regular customer shouldn't have any issues esp if they wash their hands after coming off the line.  Dedicated clothes aren't a bad idea but, it only makes sense if you also wash them separately to prevent cross contamination.  

I'll add in my thoughts about the ventilation system....before the remodel opening the range door was almost like opening a air lock...sometimes you had to give it a firm tug.  After the remodel the vent system lacks.  The door to the range is loose and sometimes swings open, and I've heard from several employees (not naming any names) that there is a issue with the vent that is a known issue, but has not been fixed.  Infact for a few hours after shooting I have a sweet taste in my mouth and my snot is black usually until the next day.

I'm the person that Gary123 mentions who has dedicated clothes to shoot in.  I'm in there several times a week, shoot lead reloads (they are smoky and I can tell the new vent. system sucks), and I make sure to wash my hands in COLD water before I leave the range.  I keep wet wipes in the truck and also wipe off my face.  I don't eat or drink until I get home and shower and I also use a Clorox wipe on anything that I've touched (ie my phone, etc).  

For me to join was a necessary decision.  It is definitely a dirty, poorly ventilated place, and I may just keep my range sessions limited to 30 minutes and just once a month or less.  Also will not shoot on the weekends with a full load of shooters.  I will not renew my membership next year if the vent is not changed.

Those who are claiming there is a problem with the new ventalation system are inccorect. Simply because we do not have a new system. We continue to use the same system we have had in place since 1984. Unlike some other ranges in the area we do not use recycled air. Our range is 100% fresh air ventalation. This is also why it gets hot on the range when it is hot outside. It is not possible for us to cool the air at the rate it comes into the facility. Fron the time the air is pulled in by the blowers it is filtered and back out of the facility in less than 45 seconds. 100% fresh air ventalation is also why we have never failed an OSHA inspection, witch we must ungo from time to time since many federal agencies use our facility for practice and qualification.

Whatever the issue might be I've noticed a huge difference in the system after the remodeling.  There was something about a tile up in the ceiling above the range door blocking the vent or not being installed properly or something....can't remember exactly what.

I've been into SharpShooters a few times since moving to the NoVa area, a little over a year ago.  Mostly been window shopping, and haven't shot there yet, but was seriously considering getting a membership.  I've also been looking at picking up another handgun in the near future and was down there looking at the 1911s in the separate case this last week.  Was really impressed with one of the Wilsons they had there, and the guy that was helping me out: friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about what he was doing (all the hallmarks of a good salesman).  

Anyhow, I was out running errands today and decided to stop by and see if they had a rear swivel mount that I was looking to put on my SR-15.  They had both models that I was looking for, and when asked if they'd be able to install one (I had the lower in the car), the sales guy said that he didn't see why not, but I would have to ask the manager.  Cool, no problem I thought, and go to chat with the manager who was talking with another employee behind the counter.  I was greeted with a "why are you bothering me" smirk, and got a flat "nope" when asked if they could install the piece for me.  Now I understand that a $25 rear swivel mount isn't the sale of a lifetime to lose, but this guy really pissed me off.  I would have been happy to take it home and install it myself, but I don't have the tools here with me.  Regardless though, I'm glad he acted the way he did, because it let me see the mentality that the store is managed with.  At the end of the day, that $25 sale he just lost ultimately turned into $3025, as I'll be buying my Wilson elsewhere.

I shoot there on occasion and if I ask nicley they let me shoot from strong side holster. The line RSO was nice and said I could shoot from strong side holster as long as he could watch me do it a few times to make sure I was safe. He even commented on my draw mechanics said it was 'robotic" and who ever taught me knew what they where doing. They were and I can thank Shaws mid south for that. Hoping to shoot my P228 from concealment when I get it to break in the mechanics of the draw.

I hope to find a range in MS that is membership so I can go out there and do some advanced practice without asshattery.

Well, since it was me that said no, let me address why. The salesman who helped you with the mount referred you to me because while he was being helpful, he has no idea how to install the mount. I certainly have the knowledge to do it but we have none of the proper tools at the range to do any AR work. A question was posed, I answered it. Sorry if I didn't have the answer you wanted. Some days when it is not too busy I can spend a lot of time with individual customers and other days, like today when the store is packed, i have to be in 5 places at once and help and answers can tend to be brief. The fact that the part was $25 had nothing to do with it, it could have been a $200 barrel and i still couldn't have done it.

Tim