Seems there are way too many people who own local ranges that hate guns. I am toying with the idea of opening an outdoor gun range. So what do you guys(and girls!!)love and/or hate about the range you use. I am also looking for good ideas(within reason...The Miller Lite girls reloading your magazines for you is not an option!!!) So as they say fire away!!!

Well, I just went to the Scotia PGC range here near State College.

Other than the 3 round in the rifle rule, it's damn near perfect.

Here's what you need:

Seperate range areas at 100 yard (or more), 50, 25, etc, so each area can play with their targets without messing with the other guys.

Shotgun area, with a skeet tower.

Bathrooms! A big plus, and an area with vending machines and tables so people can hang out and take breaks.

Quality concrete benches and overhead cover.

Yup, stable benches and something to keep the sun off my head.

Some reactive targets are always nice...but they do tend to get SHOT TO BITS!

I agree, our two inch chrome moly plates look like Swish cheese.

1000 yards and alot of grass...

Tree line for shade..

Nice big impact area..

Mmmmmmmmmm Heaven...

grenade and claymore range.

Shade man, shade.

Allow ALL kinds of weapons and no limit on how many rounds per mag.
No holier than thou, sporting clay, gun snob range nazis.
Other than that, good benches, shade, and a place to sit and talk/eat/relax when taking a break.

Oh yea, almost forgot, FREE AMMO !!! [BD]

What I like about the range I use:

50yd range, with good reliable target returns
Low range fee ($7.50)
No stupid 'No Rapid Fire' rule

Problems:
Indoor range, pistol caliber only

What I'd have at the perfect Indoor range:

- 100yd Indoor range (WI winter is not a fun time to shoot outdoors)
- Safe for all calibers up to and including .30-06
- Rapid Fire and Class III allowed for pistol calibers, and rifle calibers equal to or less than .223

Perfect outdoor range:

- 100yd rifle range
- 50yd pistol range

Indoor-range-style motorized target retrieval (i.e. use a rotating clothes line type system, eliminating the need to cease fire and range-walk) on the short rifle and pistol ranges... The most annoying thing about outdoor shooting is the 'shoot, everybody stop,. check targets, shoot' cycle...

- 'Blasting' Pit
- Shotgun area, with clay throwers aimed over the pit.

Other things that would be nice would be a long-range area (maybe 300m), or a pop-up steel target range...

Would ammo restrictions fix this (can a steel target withstand being blasted by non-AP (i.e. no M855, etc) ammo)??

You want to create a range like [url=http://www.project2000range.com/]Project 2000 Range[/url].
It has 100, 50 and 25 meter rifle and 25, 10 and 7 meter pistol range. All in door and they let you shoot anything you want except .50 cal (Some idiot shot armour percing shells through their backstop). It also has a archery range and two (I think) skeet ranges.
It's in good shape and kept that way, it is also ran by a friendly and helpful staff.

The only down side is the $14 fee for the first hour and $5 for every after that. Other that, a top notch range.

100 yards is just barely getting started. I like 300+ yards for the AR10 and 700-1200 for the AR50.

Overhead cover
Solid Benches
Concrete pad
Target stands
Toilets
Food/drinks
Distance-O-Plenty
Class 3 Friendly
No ammo restictions
Golf carts for those "wat out there" targets.

Restrictions?? We don't need no stinking restrictions!! [;)]

The two inch plate will resist M855 for a period of time depending on the quantity fired. Eventually it too will eat away at the steel.
I was referring to 20 mm rounds that destroyed the two inch chrome moly plate. [:D]

Our local range is pretty nice. There is two pistol ranges, one for NRA card board silhouettes and one for other targets with a couple of steel gongs. there is  a skeet range, a trap range, a cowboy action range, a pattern board for shotguns and a smallbore/blackpowder range. I think there is an archery range somewhere as well. Oh yeah, there is also centerfire range with backstops at 25, 50, 100, 200 and 300yards. There is plenty of shade (it is heavily wooded around the ranges) the shooting area's are concrete with a roof overhead with decent wooden benches. each range also has some open area so you can shoot offhand or prone, or whatever. Plenty of trash cans around, a clubhouse with a phone for emergencies with a Kitchen as well. Plenty of parking right at the shooting line and areas for picnics' too. There is also some nature trails if you are into taking walk, just carry a side arm we also have lots of snakes.

The drawbacks are as follows:
No full auto!
A few snobby benchrest shooters. (they are afraid of the 458 Socom [:d]  )
Rapid fire is frowned upon, bump firing will get you kicked out.
You can't shoot any targets other than paper, no tanerite, clay targets(except the skeet and trap ranges)Bottles, Milkjugs of water etc.
Long KBI Background check (actually might be a good thing, just a PITA when you first sign up

The only things I would like would be a longer centerfire range out to 1000 yards and allow 50BMG. More reactive targets, a popup range would be fun. Or how about a mock city street with popups like the FBI uses for training? I think that would be fun as well.

A shooting pit that could be cleaned out every few weeks with a Uniloader or Bobcat would also be very cool. You could put a couple of old cars and some refrigerators in for targets and allow milk jugs etc.. just not glass.

OK we have no snobs!!!,restrooms, concrete benches and floor, overhead cover, nice place to hang and shoot the breeze(maybe even some grub),no NO RAPID FIRE rule, no limits on ammo used, .50 is ok(as long as I can shoot it!!!),long distance shooting,and several ranges.

I don't think will work...
The outdoors target retrieval system (I did think of staggering cease fires to allow faster access to the range)


I really love the city street pop-up idea...Bet the insurance company would hate it!!!
I was also thinking of a combat style reactive range...

Another idea I had was a beginner range. one that would be less intimidating for new shooter...maybe a nice ol grandpa type range master!!!

Thanks for the ideas guys!!! What else did I miss???