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Taking it indoors...

989 views 8 replies 9 participants last post by  jj38 
#1 ·
So, yesterday here in Colorado Springs it was an overcast/rainy day. I work outside, and since the business is mine, I decided to NOT work. Hell, it was Saturday!

My oldest son, who had returned from Iraq just a couple of weeks ago called me and asked if I would pick him up at a car repair shop. I picked him up and we went out for breakfast. While eating we got talking about guns, and in short order we decided to go check out a place called Magnum Shooting Center, an indoor range up between Monument and Colorado Springs.

I've never shot indoors before, so the whole idea was rather novel to me. Imagine shooting and not worrying about rain or 20+ mph winds! We loaded up our gear and headed out.

First Impression: "It cost how much???"

I guess I'm spoiled with my normal range where I pay $10 and can shoot all day. Still, though, $30 bucks seemed awfully high. I know that there are other places that charge even more, so I'll keep my whining to a minimum.

Other than close proximity to other shooters, I really enjoyed the experience. Being able to inspect a target while not having to wait for the range to go cold was a pretty sweet deal. I could get used to something like that.

We declared it a small arms day, so I took my .357 Vaquero, .357 GP 100, Single Six Convertable, SR9c, Kel Tec PMR 30 (22 Mag), and my old trusty Mark III 22/45.

What can I say about the Vaquero? It is a sweet shooting, very accurate gun! I just need to find a decent holster for it! The GP is the most accurate pistol that I own. The trigger job I did to it a couple of years ago puts the pull at about 2.5 lbs, and the weight of the gun soaks up the recoil nicely. It is nothing short of nirvana.

I'm still learning how to shoot the Single Six. I haven't taken the time to actually site it in, but then this was just the second time that I've shot it. I think I'm up to maybe 30 rounds through it.

The SR9c is my guard dog. It's the gun that sits loaded in my sock drawer right beside my bed along with an extra loaded magazine. I can easily put 10 rounds into a 4" circle at 15 yards with good defensive ammo. When it comes to getting back on target for a followup shot I'm able to get off a second shot fairly quickly and place the shot within a few inches of the first.

The Kel Tek PMR 30 is an oddity that is both frustrating and fun at the same time. At least, it was yesterday. The gun is still pretty much new with less than 100 rounds through the pipe. I did not clean it before going out the first time, and I didn't clean it after the first session a month or so ago. After the first 20 rounds or so the gun began to struggle to load. It would tip the next round up to the chamber, but wouldn't push it in. It's pretty simple to get the round loaded, but it was a pain in the butt none the less. After about 40 rounds the trigger began to stick. My last 20 rounds was spent shooting, setting the round in the chamber, manually push the trigger forward, and shoot. Wash, Rinse, and Repeat. Every now and then I would be able to shoot off 5 or so rounds in a row, and it was NICE! The gun is very accurate and is a blast to shoot. I don't load up the magazines to their full capacity of 30 rounds because I get kind of nervous at how hard I have to push the damn things in after I get to 25.

So, 2 hours of shooting came and went and I used up about $120 in ammo...

Worth every penny!
 
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#2 ·
I can vividly remember my first indoor range session. We don't have a lot of winter here in NC, but I acquired a .44 mag RedHawks with only about 2 weeks left in deer season. I wanted to hunt with it, so on a cold, rainy evening, I went to the only indoor range within 50 miles of me. It was very different shooting a gun " in the house". I was expecting my dad to show up and whip my a$$ at any minute. Needless to say I didn't get scolded and had the .44 sighted in at 25 yards in no time. The remote targets set out to 25 yards made everything go faster and I stayed warm and dry. It was nice, and it was different, but since I've stuck to shooting outside.
 
#4 ·
Sounds like a day WELL spent to me. :D
 
#6 ·
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I enjoy shooting at outdoor ranges. Since I'm retired, I can go early in the am during the week. Sometimes I have the place to myself. It's been many years since I shot at an indoor range. Too busy, too crowded, too limiting, too expensive, and too loud for me.
 
#8 ·
I really enjoy the indoor pistol range when it's August in Louisiana , the heat and humidity is both over 100, it's so cool and I don't have to sit around waiting for a bunch of slow-pokes to put up or take down their targets. At the outdoor range more time is spent waiting on others than actually shooting. And I like the automatic target holders, change targets anytime I wish.
At the last range trip it was my birthday, my wife mentioned it and I got to shoot for "free " . I'm loading some right now for my Birthday shoot next month!
Gary
 
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