Posted: 4/22/2006 4:49:05 PM EDT
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i went into that little range by the track after i went to the show just to see what it was like ive never actually been in there they want a member fee + $15 lane fee if you ever want to use your membership is this how most ranges work ? i know vary little about it but its kinda like they get you coming and going |
I pay 110$ a year for a nice covered range, no lane fees, and I can shoot when I want, howevoer many times I want. I go to the ARPC. |
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The best place in the Portland area is TriCounty. Get IPSC qualified and you can use any open pistol bay in the action range with whatever special targets you have. Lots of people bring steel action targets. Not all the bays are covered and this is an outdoor range so weather has an impact, but there is also a roofed pistol range there (I think it's 25 yards!) and an indoor .22LR pistol range. The Dundee range is nice, but further away and it was closed today for a pistol match. It's a smaller range so a pistol shoot is all it takes to shut the whole place down, including the rifle range. They have only four pistol bays so they have too. There is also the Public Safety Training Center off 205 near Sunnyside, but you have to buy their ammo. It's indoors though so you can shoot in comfort if that matter to you. They also have a full auto M4 clone for rent (once you take the safety class). The Place to Shoot, where you were at today is pretty nice too. You can bring your own ammo as long as it's not smoky like Wolf. I'm not up to date on what the prices of all these places are. |
I think it's 50 feet. Nice thing is that it's open 24/7/365 and has a indoor shitter w/a pop machine too  |
Imagine what rent costs on a building like that and the amount of square footage they are using. Whenever I've been in there, there are only 3 or 4 other shooters... Even at those prices of $15 per lane, I still don't know how they stay in business and pay employees. I've thought about opening a range out in Hillsboro or some place out west and looking at the numbers I just don't see how it can be profitable. |
The outdoor pistol range (covered firing line) is 25yd and 50yd. I've never seen more than 4 shooters on the ~24 position line; I assume most pistol shooters get IPSC certified and then use the action range pistol bays. The indoor .22lr-only range is 50 feet. The 24/7/365 thing is great, especially during winter when it gets dark before 5pm. Heads up on TCGC membership: at the last general meeting they mentioned that membership is getting high enough and growing fast enough that they're going to consider growth-slowing measures. Ideas mentioned included raising the initial fee (currently $175), raising the annual fee (currently $120), capping the number of members (possibly to 3,000), and/or requiring some sort of firearms familiarity class for new members. At the next board meeting (Wednesday) they'll discuss more seriously whether or not they should take any of those measures. They're still in the "brainstorming options" stage, so who knows if any of those options will actually be put in place. -a new TCGC member |
I do - I asked them - not enough business, pure and simple. So I asked why the decision to close the Beaverton range and not the Delta Park one -- again, simple math, Delta Park had more customers, and was cheaper to operate. I was sorry to see the Beaverton range closed down. It was much easier to get to. BTW: if you ever need FFL transfers done, The Place to Shoot will do them for you, and they were the cheapest I could find at the time. |
The down side to the Place to Shoot is the ventilation system in there stinks. If you do happen to go in there to shoot on a night when they have business, it can get pretty nasty in there as far as air quality. One of the local county mounties that teaches CCW classes, used to work there part-time, but had to quit due to lung problems from all the gun smoke - not to mention lead. But hit them when they aren't busy and it's not too bad, service is decent, too. PSTC on Sunnyside has a lot nicer facility going on. They should since the county and tax payers pay for it. You have to buy their ammo, as stated, and it's all Win-clean smokeless powder, but it helps to keep the air in there breathable. They do have better lighting and target trolleys, and you can pretty much rent just about any handgun you want (perfect for the try before you buy). You have to take their little safety class before they'll let you shoot (about a 15 min video and some questions after). Clean enough to bring the wife and kids, lots of vantage for them to watch you shoot without being in the way, great service. There used to also be the Johnson Creek Gun club, but haven't heard much about them lately or if they are still in biz. |
JCGC is still around. Never been though. |