NEW INDOOR RANGE

[SAM]

I met today with a group of architects/investors from the St.Cloud---Sauk Rapids area who are putting in an indoor pistol/archery range. Building has been purchased, plans are drawn and everything has been approved. Here's where it gets interesting----they are thinking about exclusively using lead-free frangible ammo throughout. I have never used the stuff. I am wondering if anyone here has any experience (firsthand) with lead-free frangible bullets. Would you go to a range where that is all that is allowed? Cost of the ammo is supposedly very close to lead when purchased at the range.

[Norsesmithy]

I'm a cheap skate, so I much prefer to bring my own ammo, but I think that if a person can keep the price of purchased range ammo within 5% of expected, they will still see traffic, especially if they have a good selection of rental guns.

But all the lead free frangible I've seen has been significantly more than standard FMJ ammo, can you mention price?

[1911fan]

It will fail. Cost differential istoo great. Most serious range users shoot reloads.

[Spike]

I personally probably wouldn't go there based on the ammo limitations. Quite often when I go to an indoor range I'm working on loads or want to practice shooting with my loads. I'd say in the last year that the only time I've shot range ammo is when I've rented a gun.

- Spike

[gyrfalcon]

It's better to get proper ventilation/filters than try and restrict ammunition to "lead free" variants. A lot of firearms don't have lead free ammunition available for them.

[bensdad]

I wouldn't waste my time there. They'd have better luck with an ice-cream truck that only sells fat-free, sugar-free treats.

[EJSG19]

The only way I ever went to shoot indoors was if I could bring reloads. To understand that people are money-saving oriented these days shouldn't be difficult for a potential new business owner.

Force me to buy your ammo = you won't have to worry about me giving you my money.

Or in other words, I couldn't, and wouldn't want to spend twice as much to shoot at that range, as it costs me to shoot my own ammo.

[mnglocker]

The only way I ever went to shoot indoors was if I could bring reloads. To understand that people are money-saving oriented these days shouldn't be difficult for a potential new business owner.

Force me to buy your ammo = you won't have to worry about me giving you my money.

Or in other words, I couldn't, and wouldn't want to spend twice as much to shoot at that range, as it costs me to shoot my own ammo.

Ditto what EJSG said. Eff frangible projectiles, I can't use my own custom tailored loads then. Not only that, back stop matterial is not that expensive and ventalation will be required any way due to gasses emmited from the primers.

[autobahn]

So basically popular calibers only? Sounds like a bad deal to me.

Your average bachelor party group might not care, but I doubt many serious shooters are going to want to have to purchase ammo at the range.

[bensdad]

Some questions and thoughts come to mind
Could they cut costs on vent. with this restriction? I doubt it.
Could they cut costs on backstop/capture with it? I doubt it.
Do they think this will appeal to the green crowd without alienating real shooters?

You say they wanna go lead-free, but you don't say why. The left has failed misserably with their attack on guns and gun rights. Their next angle of attack has been (and continues to be) to come after lead. I'd skip a place with such restrictions on principle alone.

[Steelheart]

A related point, there's no way to test defensive ammo this way. How is one to confirm reliable function if you can't test the ammo? Also, there's no way to periodically cycle said defensive ammo.

Being required to use their lead-free frangible ammo wouldn't be a deal-breaker itself with me. But if I was in the area I wouldn't be a regular customer.

Another point, is there even lead-free frangible 22LR ammo? I've never looked for the stuff so I don't know (or really care) but with many people doing more practice with 22's to try to keep their costs down this might be a factor.

What do you think will happen if they can't keep their special ammo in stock? How many customers will stop trying after a time or to when they wanted to go shoot and couldn't?

Will they guarantee that their special ammo will be reliable in all of their customer's guns? I recall that some guns have had ignition issues with the lead-free primers as they're harder.

Steelheart

[North Star Packer]

What a dumb requirement. I won't go if I can't shoot my own ammo.

[LarryFlew]

What they said +1

[rugersol]

Bensdad's sayin' what I was gonna. ...

1. I smell anti-gunners. ... talk about a great way to push for an anti-lead-range law

2. they'll git noobs. ... but the rest of us'd have no reason to go. ... even less (see #1)

[cmj685]

I'm with Steelheart here: the only reason I go to shoot anywhere, both range and competitive, is to test real ammunition in real guns in real life. I shoot only real defensive ammo at the range. So I simply wouldn't use a range like this.