goodnews729

At $16 per visit, I am quickly finding out that this is going to be an expensive hobby!

220combat

Join a local club. I shoot about once per week, for 2-4 hours each time. My club costs $165 per year. BIG savings.

SOUTHPAW

This is an interesting topic, especially considering the present economy. I am relatively young (28) but aware that long gone are the days where only the hardware was the expensive part of this hobby. Nowadays, I know far too many people who have the guns, but can't afford the ammo or range time.

About 2 years ago, I decided to go back to school, so money became really tight. I think I went to the range a total of 4 times in 2 years. The average going range rate here is $20-$25 an hour and we all know the increase in ammunition cost. But a few months ago I discovered an outdoor range that charges $5 for the first hour, and $1/ quarter thereafter. So half of the equation is now resolved. I have actually been to that range for 4 consecutive weekends. Now I have to take a break because I've dumped hundreds in one month on ammo.

My primary hobby used to be cars, possibly the only thing more expensive than guns but in the current market, it's not by much of a margin. It's too bad the glory days are long gone because I'd really prefer to go weekly...

boblenaere

Ditto on joining a club. I belong to a private club in SW Florida. We have outdoor shooting with a 200yd range, several 100, 50 and 25 yard ranges. A 15 yd pistol range. A range for trap shooting and a containment range for machine guns. We also have a range with steel tables to shoot bowling pins for timed matches. Every 3rd Sunday of the month the club has competition shooting with a different event each Sunday. Our membership fees are $65 a year. This plus reloading helps keep shooting affordable and more enjoyable. Plus we have access every day of the year; locked gate and all members have the combo. You could go shoot Christmas day if you wanted to.

CoastiesDad

Indoor ranges here have memberships. $250 per year this gives unlimited range time for the year. The outdoor clubs are great if they are near you the one in Canton has an indoor range nice for the winter.

SOUTHPAW

I am definitely considering joining a local range as the $5 one I mentioned is only open to the public on weekends (members only during the week and a year-long+ waiting list to join). There's a local outdoor that has a 100-yard and skeet. I believe it's about $250 a year but I'm not sure of the stipulations. Most ranges here charge a membership fee up front and only a reduced rate per visit which is BS but whatever.

Connecticut sucks for shooting. We are actually thinking about moving south for many reasons (warmer weather, realestate, taxes, job market) but a state with better gun laws/zoneing is definately a factor. We are considering FL, TN, and AZ right now. I'd love to build up a little more equity in my house here in CT (value dropped about $180k in the last 2-3 years), and scoop up some decent acreage in one of those states, and just set up a personal range on my property!

talldrink

Very nice outdoor range.... free. Gotta love the Conservation Dept My in laws have a small gun shop that has an outdoor 50 & 100yd set up. My side of the family also have some land that I can use to shoot on. If I do happen to be driving by an indoor pistol range near STL its $17 hr.

Right now I shoot at least once a week

220combat

Must be High Rock, I've shot there a few times and the perple who shoot there were a little "scary". My club has about 1+ year waiting list also, as do most. Mattabasset club, in Meriden I believe, is open for enrollment right now to the public, no wait. You can also get annual memberships at Wolf's or Hoffman's, with unlimited indoor range time.

Gregor

I am fortunate to live in the country where I've constructed a 300 yard range. It has proven to be invaluable to my sons and I and most of our shots on white tail deer and predators fall within these ranges.

The up side is the zero cost for enjoying my own range. The down side is not being challenged/informed by other knowledgable benchrest addicts. Most of the guys in my local hunt club use crude 100 yard beer can methods to sight in their rifles each year and then go hunting. With the logic: "If I can hit a beer can....."

My boys and I enjoy spinning metal targets with our .22 and .17 calibers and I try to shoot all my deer rifles two or three times a year just because. My new favorite at my bench is my AR-15. It is flat and accurate. I dream of putting a Sightron scope on it to get even more accuracy.

razadp

Although range fee is NJ is high (200 for single, 360 for couple), I have joined. Its the closest outdoor range, but its still an hours drive, so I don't go all that often. Probably average once a month. Since its so far I tend to stay for 3 or 4 hours.

SOUTHPAW

Yep! High Rock is awesome compared to my local indoor range (Bridgeport) trust me! . Don't know where Wolfs is but Hoffmans is a hike from me (I'm in Milford) but I gotta check it out next time I'm up there. I was thinking about looking into Ansonia Gun Club actually. Private range only w/ guests. Ever been there?

DArBad

When range fees, ammo prices, and gun prices were cheaper----- about 4-5 times/year.

Now that everything is expensive----- just once/year--- its my way of telling the ammo makers, gun manufacturers, range owners--- I don't appreciate all the high prices.

Also, for me shooting is nothing but a hobby, not a necessity. It is something I can do without, when push comes to shove!

SOUTHPAW

Maybe I'm just overly passionate about my hobbies, because whether it's cruising on my bike or In my Vette (or working on them), car/bike shows, shooting, etc., I try and enjoy them as much as possible. If money were no object, I shoot almost every day...

gwnorth

I stick to free Nat. Forest outdoor ranges, so my only cost is gas to get there, and the ammo I shoot. However, the closest is about 1hr round trip away, which is the major down side as it limits me pretty much to weekends only.

220combat

Wolf's is in Bristol, near the Southington line near ESPN. About 15-20 minutes from High Rock. I have never shot at Ansonia, but there are a bunch of clubs between Waterbury and B-port along rt-8.

savage shooter

I've been going once a week using courtesy cards, but it's time to bite the bullet and join at the $225.00 annual fee for unlimited range time +5 guest passes. Walk-on price for this range is $20 unlimited time Monday-Thursday with same price for only one hour of range time on Friday-Sunday.

It's easy to see how going once a week @ $20 a pop ($1040.00 per year) is a waste. I'll Save the money for ammo.

220combat

Even once a month at $20 is $240 per year, the membership is still a good value.

peacemaker 45

Indoor range fees around here are about $15 to $20 an hour. I usually go to the indoor range only once in the winter because of the price. What I usually do is reload a few hundred rounds, wait till the weather breaks and then go to the state park range, which is about 20 min from here and their price is $6 and you can shoot as much and as long as you want.

Rugerismisticness

Once or twice every month, about 8$ per visit+ammo.

rclark

$55 a year for family. Not to bad if you use it a lot. I did go out quite a bit last year, at least once a week... weather permitting of course.

Fitch

Definitely join a club range. There are lots of "Fish and Game" clubs here in PA, many of which have rather nice shooting ranges.

I belong to two. One is primarily a rifle range with backstops from 25 yards to 800 yards. $50.00/year dues. Very well maintained, members are good folks. I made 36 trips to that range last summer. It's about 20 minutes from home.

The other one is primarily a handgun club range with action pistol contests every other week and good facilities for handgun shooting, more good folks as members, well maintained. I was there about half as much (I'm more of a long gun guy). It's $40.00/year.

I'm retired so go during the week. There are the "retired regulars" out shooting. I've ment some pretty incredible riflemen at one club, and some national class handgun shooters at the other. Lots of fun, I learn a lot.

Fitch

.357 mag

Mine is 100 bucks a year for me and the family. Thats fishing, handgun, and rifle range. If your not a member, you can't use these things. Trap and skeet is open to the public. You get a discount if your a member. $1 off per round. And if you do 8 hours of work at the range, membership becomes 50 bucks. Not bad...

TLJack

I go to the range to shoot 1 to 3 times a week depending on the what else I have to do during the week. I belong to a great club so shooting is free other than the $48 a year family membership fee and $120 work bond. Both of these can easily be worked off. We have numerous ranges from indoor, archery, archery walk through, pistol, 22 cal. 200 yd with gongs at 297 yds (our longest). Additionally we have a 100 yard range that is open to the public. It includes targets 12, 25 and 50 yards. Targets are free to the public. Members pay $.05 ea. for them if using the other ranges. Also have multipurpose building, clubhouse and shotgun range with hand operated and automated throwers. Everything is situated on nearly 40 acres not quite 8 miles from my house.

We charge non members $10 per day and guests over 12 $2 per day. Admittedly, we have it made.

SOUTHPAW

I hate you.

(starts packing for move to Oregon)

Walkalong

Gone are the days I could ride to the edge of town, find a red clay backstop where they had been digging dirt, and shoot to my hearts content. No on cared back then. No one worried about lawsuits etc. (sigh)

Joined a club a few years back when I lost my last good place to shoot free. 22 miles away and $120 a year, but a great place to shoot.

A new place opened on the edge of town. I think they charge $8 a pop.

Troutbum

I belong to a gun club in Northern Michigan. Annual membership is roughly $60 for an "out of area" resident. I shoot trap almost weekly, and at least once a month use the falling plate handgun range. Trap is $3 per round for members, $5 for non-members. The rifle, handgun, and archery ranges are free and available to members only. It's outdoor, but very reasonable.

CorneliusIII

I have property out in the sticks, so range-time is free. I try to make it out there once a month. I have a little 100yd range I usually use, but if I need to I can stretch out to 600 yards.

Magmoose

I live in rural Mississippi and have a personal range on the family farm (old dairy) in Snakeditch Community. It's about 15 minutes from the house, set up with three revetments (25 yds - 50 yds - and 100 yds), and has two shooting tables (I built a few months ago). My brother and I have other property two miles away where I can set up temporary table/targets out to 600 yds (if the river is not flooding). I try to shoot when it's not raining.

supv26

My range is my back yard. I can shoot for free and as often as I want. I have 310 yards to a berm and then past that is 1,000+ yards. The only issue I have sometimes are the cows. They don't seem to mind me shooting, they just get in the way.
I would have been shooting all weekend but we have snow on the ground. I have been spending this time reloading and working in my loading room.

oldcowboy

My range is about 2 miles away and cost is 14.00 but I try to go once a week and stay abou two hours.

TLJack

Come on out but don't complain about the rain..............=)

BuckJM53

I'm a member at a local indoor range that charges $14/hr for non-members. The annual membership fee of $300/yr (unlimited range time) breaks down to about $1.50 per hour that I shoot (twice per week / 2 hours per session).

savage shooter

I joined on Friday for the $225 annual fee. Shot there 3x already and used one of the five guest passes. Goals for this week; Must buy stock in ammo company, and must not shoot more than 100 rds. per range visit. I will fail miserably on the second goal, and probably missed the boat on the first one.

jhrosier

I shoot once or twice a week.
My club is about 7 miles away and charges $35 per year for a family membership.
All outdoors, trap, skeet, rifle & pistol ranges out to 200 yards.
The firing line for rifle and pistol is about 20 positions and is covered.
The ranges are available all of the time except for a couple of mornings a year when the police qualify and 3 or 4 mornings a year when the pistol matches are held.
Yeah, I'm pretty lucky.

Jack

JRICKARD81

I shoot in my back yard. I live out of town and can just step out and shoot. I shoot a least once a week sometimes everyday. If u want to cut the cost reload you own ammo. It cost to get the gear but it pays for itself.

JZ06

South...

Wolf's is the one I told you about tonight. Again, I was read the riot act at the beginning, but I'd go there again. Just the whole rapid firing thing is taken different ways. I was instructed NOT TO do so, but clearly, that method of fire was taking place. If you want to go one time, I'll be glad to take the trip. It's a big range, well ventilated and not TOO bad on the price, $22.00/hr.

You can NOT beat high rock when the conditions are right, the range isn't packed and those little holes are forming on the paper just the way you like them to!

gqucool

You know it at $16.00 per visit shooting can be pricey! But what hobby isn't with some sort of cost! Gun range in my area I would have to travel 12 miles oneway then its $12.00 per hour. Well I don't like that cost so I drive about 30 miles to go where I want to shoot out in the sticks so to speak!!! I would rather put a few more miles on my truck and be out it the great out doors and forget the shooting range! But man the cost of ammo reloading components etc has all gone up yuk! But I would rather be shooting or riding my 4wheeler then about any other hobby I can think of!!!

el gavilan

I usually shoot my reloads 3-4 times a month. If the honey-do's aren't piled up.

44s rock

Not often enough! Couple times a year at the indoor range, the rest of the time at my backyard range. Got to start reloding though, getting spendy!

curt mini14

at least once a week only have to walk a 1/4 mile from the house to shoot and with coyote season all year long allways have moving targets to call in.