Poll: New Indoor Shooting Range

[philen]

There is a definite need for a good gun club in the Portland area. I loved ARPC, but it is far to drive to. I have tried to get on at Tri-County, but I have been on a waitlist for almost a year. All of the clubs have unrealistically long waiting lists.

I share the concern that the fees have to be reasonable and comparable to the other clubs. But if somebody was to open a good one, at a reasonable price, there are a lot of people on the Tri-County, Douglas, and Clark Rifles waiting lists that would be extremely happy. If your looking at offering premium memberships I would suggest looking at land in West Linn or Lake Oswego areas.

Here is what some of the clubs in the area say about joining:
Clark Rifles: "Due to an extremely long waiting list , five years, we are not accepting inquiries to join the waiting list at this time."
Tri-County Gun Club: "As of January 2015, there were almost 2,000 names on the waitlist."
Douglas Ridge: [updated - Douglas ridge confirmed that they don't have a waiting list at this time]

 

[bolus]

Hi everyone,
I'd like to get some feedback from the members. Last year my husband and I were talking about indoor shooting ranges here in Oregon. To my surprise, there weren't many. I visited all the ranges within 90 miles of where I live and really didn't find anything that appealed to me, let alone any that were taking new memberships. So I started doing some investigating and found that most ranges (not all) were opened in the 1940s and 1950s and that not many new ranges have been opened, and certainly not premium ranges. What do I mean by premium? Take a look at the Frisco Gun Club, www.friscogunclub.com and the Governors Gun Club, http://www.governorsgunclub.com/. These are the types of clubs, as a woman, I would want to join. I want to pose this question to the members. Is this the type of facility you would like to see in the Portland area?

I am asking because I have created the business model (LLC, attorneys, accountant, etc), found a location, and am working with an architect on the design and layout. We are called Stonebridge Shooting Academy and will offer the following:

• 24 lanes - 25 yards each for handguns
• 4 lanes - 100 yards each for indoor rifle
• indoor archery
• 3000 sq ft of retail
• restaurant with outdoor covered dining
• acreage of gardens for event and wedding rental
• cigar lounge
• gun storage
• onsite lockers
• adjustable shooting tables for each shooting lane (shooting lanes will look similar to those at the Frisco Gun Club)
• membership and non membership pricing
• training/classes
• specific nights for women only
• conference center (available for rental)

Is this something you would be excited about? Is there anything else you'd like us to consider?
As I've said, we've found the 18 acre lot on which to build. I hope to have the building rendering in my hands in the next 30 days at which time I will be fundraising. Our goal is to be Oregon's Premier Range and the Premier Range in the NW.

I welcome your thoughts and feedback.

Maru Kramer

Maru, any progress on your range?

 

[NWGlockgal]

Maru, any progress on your range?

Probably not since she hasn't been here since March......

 

[tdocz]

Hi everyone,
I'd like to get some feedback from the members. Last year my husband and I were talking about indoor shooting ranges here in Oregon. To my surprise, there weren't many. I visited all the ranges within 90 miles of where I live and really didn't find anything that appealed to me, let alone any that were taking new memberships. So I started doing some investigating and found that most ranges (not all) were opened in the 1940s and 1950s and that not many new ranges have been opened, and certainly not premium ranges. What do I mean by premium? Take a look at the Frisco Gun Club, www.friscogunclub.com and the Governors Gun Club, http://www.governorsgunclub.com/. These are the types of clubs, as a woman, I would want to join. I want to pose this question to the members. Is this the type of facility you would like to see in the Portland area?

I am asking because I have created the business model (LLC, attorneys, accountant, etc), found a location, and am working with an architect on the design and layout. We are called Stonebridge Shooting Academy and will offer the following:

• 24 lanes - 25 yards each for handguns
• 4 lanes - 100 yards each for indoor rifle
• indoor archery
• 3000 sq ft of retail
• restaurant with outdoor covered dining
• acreage of gardens for event and wedding rental
• cigar lounge
• gun storage
• onsite lockers
• adjustable shooting tables for each shooting lane (shooting lanes will look similar to those at the Frisco Gun Club)
• membership and non membership pricing
• training/classes
• specific nights for women only
• conference center (available for rental)

Is this something you would be excited about? Is there anything else you'd like us to consider?
As I've said, we've found the 18 acre lot on which to build. I hope to have the building rendering in my hands in the next 30 days at which time I will be fundraising. Our goal is to be Oregon's Premier Range and the Premier Range in the NW.

I welcome your thoughts and feedback.

Maru Kramer

Maru, long time to ser. It is good to see that you are well and active in the firearms community. I wish you and hubby well with your putative business venture. Cheers.

Take care, Tony

 

[EUGENE the REALTOR]

I'd join...

 

[TexasBanker]

Hi everyone,
I'd like to get some feedback from the members. Last year my husband and I were talking about indoor shooting ranges here in Oregon. To my surprise, there weren't many. I visited all the ranges within 90 miles of where I live and really didn't find anything that appealed to me, let alone any that were taking new memberships. So I started doing some investigating and found that most ranges (not all) were opened in the 1940s and 1950s and that not many new ranges have been opened, and certainly not premium ranges. What do I mean by premium? Take a look at the Frisco Gun Club, www.friscogunclub.com and the Governors Gun Club, Governors Gun Club. These are the types of clubs, as a woman, I would want to join. I want to pose this question to the members. Is this the type of facility you would like to see in the Portland area?

I am asking because I have created the business model (LLC, attorneys, accountant, etc), found a location, and am working with an architect on the design and layout. We are called Stonebridge Shooting Academy and will offer the following:

• 24 lanes - 25 yards each for handguns
• 4 lanes - 100 yards each for indoor rifle
• indoor archery
• 3000 sq ft of retail
• restaurant with outdoor covered dining
• acreage of gardens for event and wedding rental
• cigar lounge
• gun storage
• onsite lockers
• adjustable shooting tables for each shooting lane (shooting lanes will look similar to those at the Frisco Gun Club)
• membership and non membership pricing
• training/classes
• specific nights for women only
• conference center (available for rental)

Is this something you would be excited about? Is there anything else you'd like us to consider?
As I've said, we've found the 18 acre lot on which to build. I hope to have the building rendering in my hands in the next 30 days at which time I will be fundraising. Our goal is to be Oregon's Premier Range and the Premier Range in the NW.

I welcome your thoughts and feedback.

Maru Kramer

MARU, please update. Where are you in the process? Thanks!!

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Maru appeared to dump this idea two and a half years ago, likely as the funding\loan didn't pan out.

I can say with reasonable confidence that the site is having something else developed on it now.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Maru appeared to dump this idea two and a half years ago, likely as the funding\loan didn't pan out.

I can say with reasonable confidence that the site is having something else developed on it now.

What, another Costco???
.

 

[Ramjet12]

I've been to the Frisco Gun Club. It's very nice but you can drop a lot of cash in a hurry there.
Something like that won't work here.

 

[DLS]

In today's regulatory and political climate, it costs about $200,000 per lane to build an OSHA and EPA compliant, properly permitted indoor range according to companies that specialize in this type of architecture / construction. That's factoring an average permit costs.

Since Portland and region are one of the more heavily taxed and building regulated regions of the country I would imagine this cost estimate to be low.

Several of these consulting groups stress that you will not cover costs from range fees alone and will need a significant amount of revenue to come from retail, training and other sources.

I can dig up the links if anybody is interested, I know I have them somewhere, saved from when I was doing a feasibly study to do the same thing in the PDX metro region.

 

[TexasBanker]

I've been to the Frisco Gun Club. It's very nice but you can drop a lot of cash in a hurry there.
Something like that won't work here.

RAMJET12: Thanks for the info. As to the range you frequent what are the 3 things you like/dislike about it?? Also, in terms of time (not distance), how long are you willing to drive to get to a range you really like/ ---Fred

 

[TexasBanker]

In today's regulatory and political climate, it costs about $200,000 per lane to build an OSHA and EPA compliant, properly permitted indoor range according to companies that specialize in this type of architecture / construction. That's factoring an average permit costs.

Since Portland and region are one of the more heavily taxed and building regulated regions of the country I would imagine this cost estimate to be low.

Several of these consulting groups stress that you will not cover costs from range fees alone and will need a significant amount of revenue to come from retail, training and other sources.

I can dig up the links if anybody is interested, I know I have them somewhere, saved from when I was doing a feasibly study to do the same thing in the PDX metro region.

DLS: I would greatly appreciate the links you refer to. Please post. As to the range you frequent, what are the 3 things you like/dislike about it? Thanks, Fred

 

[DLS]

I'll get to it his over the weekend.

 

[TexasBanker]

I'll get to nt his over the weekend.

Thank you, sir!!

 

[Flymph]

I thought it was a great idea until I looked at the supposed cost of admittance... to which I could only laugh.
I just assume anyone around here that could afford that, is also likely to have a personal range.

 

[TexasBanker]

I thought it was a great idea until I looked at the supposed cost of admittance... to which I could only laugh.
I just assume anyone around here that could afford that, is also likely to have a personal range.

FLYMPH: Thank you for your feedback. In terms of TIME not distance, how far would you be willing to drive to get to a range you really liked?