Expensive Indoor Ranges

View · by **hard h2o** on Tue Aug 12, 2014 11:14 pm

Oakdale is $100 initiation fee, $90 per year and 18 hours service per year.

That buys you pretty much unlimited run of the place. You can bring three guests or family to shoot during non public hours or three family during public hours.

It is a heck of a deal.

View · by **FJ540** on Wed Aug 13, 2014 3:38 am

Oakdale still has a waiting list though don't they?

Public hours on weekends doesn't work for some folks. Then there's all the horror stories you guys tell about people who show up while you're doing your service hours on weekends with the public. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence. :lol:

$20 gets you the whole day and as many guns as you want at Bill's (North and Hudson are 50yds and don't have the brass eating chasm). Go in the day time during the week and it's pretty much a private range even in the winter.

View · by **Sigfan220** on Wed Aug 13, 2014 6:09 am

When you factor in the price of guns , ammo and gas the $20 per day range fee should be the least of your worries. My advise would be to join one of the local outdoor ranges like gopher campfire or rainbow. They are about $40 per year. Then when it's cold or rainy shoot at a local indoor range.

I've been shooting for free a bills for a while now. You just need up buy a lot of guns though. One free range pass per new or used gun purchase. They have a ton of used guns right now.

View · by **Thunder71** on Wed Aug 13, 2014 7:42 am

$20/year to shoot in the great outdoors.

View · by **shooter115** on Wed Aug 13, 2014 7:47 am

Or you could move out of the *******, buy a place out in the country and shoot in your own back yard any time you want for free

View · by **photogpat** on Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:21 am

I love hitting Oakdale in December/January -- no one else there, and nothing like digging your carry gun out from under a few layers for practice! 8-)

View · by **andrewP** on Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:27 am

hard h2o wrote:Oakdale is $100 initiation fee, $90 per year and 18 hours service per year.

That buys you pretty much unlimited run of the place. You can bring three guests or family to shoot during non public hours or three family during public hours.

It is a heck of a deal.

BESA is similar in that regard, but a bit cheaper and less service hours - $100 initiation, $75/year, 8 hours/year. Same deal with guests/family during non-public hours, but during public hours, anybody who's not a member has to pay. They also don't require you to be an NRA member, which may or may not be a big deal to some. It *is* an additional cost to be aware of at OGC if you're not already an NRA member.

(For the record, I'm not advocating against Oakdale here; I shoot USPSA there almost every Thursday during the summer, and I love the place. I just happen to be a member at BESA, and as long as we're advertising our clubs, I should give mine equal time/fair comparison, especially since IIRC there's not currently a waiting list at BESA, whereas I keep hearing about how there is at OGC.)

View · by **hard h2o** on Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:52 am

There are a few options in the metro area for outdoor ranges with varying distances, facilities, and amenities. If you want to go to an indoor range and stick with one distance then there are cheaper options that do not demand you volunteer.

If you do not want to pony up time and money then you have to shoot at one of the other ranges without as much versatility.

For me, with the trap, 200 meter, 100, 50, 25 yard, pistol range, clubhouse...5 minutes from my front door...anytime I want...year round...OGC is worth it.

I was going to OGC 4 or 5 times a year and sometimes more. At $20 a pop that ends up being right around if not more than the annual membership fee. That was the tipping point for me. I no longer have to wait until the first Saturday in June and quit when the deer sight in period was over.

I was not in a position to drive an hour to shoot. I live in Oakdale so the location of OGC is perfect for me.

I have shot at BESA and I like the ranges at OGC a bit better.

I am already an NRA member so that was not an issue for me. I understand that there was a move to try to have OGC recognize memberships in other pro-2A groups but I imagine it is some sort of insurance or liability issue.

We are lucky to have such a plethora of options. Everyone should be able to find someplace to shoot that works for them.

Good luck finding the right fit for a shooting range.

View · by **DoxaPar** on Wed Aug 13, 2014 11:20 am

xd ED wrote:Be advised that the Oakdale short/ pistol range is not open to the public.

While that's true it's worth mentioning that you can shoot pistols in the 25 yard range (at least folks were doing so last weekend).

View · by **xd ED** on Wed Aug 13, 2014 11:36 am

DoxaPar wrote:
xd ED wrote:Be advised that the Oakdale short/ pistol range is not open to the public.

While that's true it's worth mentioning that you can shoot pistols in the 25 yard range (at least folks were doing so last weekend).

Yes. I believe the public can shoot handguns at the ranges open to them.

View · by **xd ED** on Wed Aug 13, 2014 11:36 am

DoxaPar wrote:
xd ED wrote:Be advised that the Oakdale short/ pistol range is not open to the public.

While that's true it's worth mentioning that you can shoot pistols in the 25 yard range (at least folks were doing so last weekend).

Yes. I believe the public can shoot handguns at the ranges open to them.

View · by **photogpat** on Wed Aug 13, 2014 11:37 am

xd ED wrote:
DoxaPar wrote:
xd ED wrote:Be advised that the Oakdale short/ pistol range is not open to the public.

While that's true it's worth mentioning that you can shoot pistols in the 25 yard range (at least folks were doing so last weekend).

Yes. I believe the public can shoot handguns at the ranges open to them.

OGC has movable target stands on the 25 that you can place at any distance you need to. Members during members-only hours have been known to use 3-4 of them at various distances... :twisted:

View · by **Eric Marleau** on Wed Aug 13, 2014 10:16 pm

Just starting my 10 week pistol league at the Forest Lake Sportsmen's Club. $50.00 to shoot the league. You have the choice of not shooting the league and just shoot for fun or even shooting your rifle at the 50 yard range. We are shooting every Thursday from 2:00pm-7:30pm.

Then you can join the Club and end your search for a good place to shoot-:)

Eric

View · by **andrewP** on Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:23 am

hard h2o wrote:I have shot at BESA and I like the ranges at OGC a bit better.

I actually agree with you on that point (rifle/pistol ranges, at least), and of course the short drive to OGC for you makes it a no-brainer either way. I live about halfway between the two clubs. For me, the choice boiled down to BESA's lower fees and shorter required work hours, and the fact that my wife likes that there are real running water bathrooms there. We don't use them much when we're there, but it's nice when/if you do need to go.

For anyone looking to join a club, I think they'd be hard pressed to be unhappy at either of them, to be honest.

View · by **Ironbear** on Thu Aug 14, 2014 10:08 am

andrewP wrote:For anyone looking to join a club, I think they'd be hard pressed to be unhappy at either of them, to be honest.

Might even come down to other interests as well. OGC has trap, the 200 meter range, the short pistol range, and the airgun field. BESA has skeet, and the hunting archery range.