Posted: 6/25/2006 4:14:51 PM EDT
| I've been doing some thinking here lately. I live in Winston-Salem and there is really nowhere to shoot around here. I'm looking for an outdoor 200+yd range. Well, haven't been able to find one within a good hour + driving time. Been thinking seriously on the RCGC range thats an hour and ten minutes from me. I've also been thinking very seriously about the possibility of just buying a tract of land that could safely support a 500yd range away from populated or residential areas, maybe 20+ benches or more if needed to keep it not so crowded, maybe even a 50yd pistol range as well. Just get the land, have a dozer come in and get a nice tall pile of dirt for a back stop. Now how would somebody go about this, what types of permits should someone expect to run into when trying something like this. I have a couple of people interested in going in with me on this idea as far as cost splitting, of course people that make an initial investment have free lifetime access. The cost would be small, maybe $20 for all day unlimited guns, full auto, whatever somebody wanted to bring within reason. I'm looking for any and all imput on this, locations, advice, permit info, cost and rules, etc. I'm not really thinking as much about it being a club range, but a private range that's for anybody to use that pays the small fee. Maybe have a membership for regulars like $5 per month. Everything is drawing board right now, so I'm looking for anything anybody wants to add. |
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www.rangeinfo.org/PDF/catalog.pdf This might be a good primer for now. Good Luck in persuing your dream! Go for it!!!!!!!!!! I'll support it. Lex |
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Hey man, Contact Pete at Range 1 in Bunn Level and he will tell all of the headaches you will deal with as far as starting a range. Things like making sure buildings are compliant with local building codes, handicap access, legal issues, insurance and liability. I had a friend who was going to build one in New Hanover county and the cost for all of the above was far greater than burning some gas to drive to Jacksonville or Fayetteville to shoot on the weekend. There are a lot of cons to think about man. The idea is good anywhere there is a lack of facilities but that 1 in a million chance that an accident is going to occur is the one you have to weigh. www.range1.com |
| Sounds like a pain. Be alot easier to just buy a few acres of land, get and dozer to make a large dirt pile and just shoot on it but don't call it a shooting range. Just private citizens doing their own thing on their own private land. Just everybody that helps with it gets to use it free for life and those are the only ones that use it except for invites. |
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Thomasville here. I also have thought about starting a new range in this area. I considered something very informal all the way to a full blown facility. I sent away for literature and began looking at land. It is not so simple as buying a piece of crap land that nobody wants and turning it into a range. There are sound and lead abatement issues, zoning, neighbors, insurance, various governmental agencies, etc. Oh, and by the way - to have enough facilities to make it profitable requires an absurdly large initial investment. It can be done, but the best route may be to find people who are willing to buy into a private club and sell shares of that private club to raise the funds necessary. Then you set an annual membership dues to maintain the property (see Rowan County Wildlife Association for an example). I'd be interested in participating somehow, either as a buyer of a share or three, or possibly something more. |
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I live in Winston Salem and obviously have the same problem. I recently "solved" it by joining the RCGC. Great place! Too bad it's 70 miles away. Nevertheless, it's got skeet, trap, pistol, and 100yd and 200yd ranges that are nicely set up. If something is built in Forsyth county, that would be great and I'd certainly be interested in participating. I do know that there are other people who've been looking for land for a range in WS and have been looking for a long time. Unfortunately they haven't been able to find the right parcel. They're thinking of a 1000yd range which would be awesome.  |
Very doubtful that you will find a parcel around here with 1000 acres. IM inbound |