Portland needs a better Range and Store.

[digitalstephen]

Is there anyone on this site with a few million to spare? I was in Utah a few months back and I got to visit a really nice indoor range. They had a very nice Lounge where you could watch the shooters or wait for a spot. I think a coffee bar would have been nice to add. They also had a fairly big gun store I would say about 2500sf they carried all the major brands and a ton of accessories. It was impressive everything to a 22cal to 50bmg was for sell. They also had a nice rental dept too. The range was 25yards, yes 25yards! 6 handgun lanes and 4 rifle lanes and you can shoot any cal, excluding .50 BMG. They have memberships available that is comparable to what we pay for a outdoor range in pdx. They also have walk on price of $12 an hour and you can bring your own ammo! Somedays I was there for about a hour and a half and they didnt seem to care at all, as long as no one was waiting for a spot. Oh yeah and the range can accept class 3 shooting so there was no limit on how fast you could shoot other than being nice to the guy next to you.

I think the PDX area is in need of a nice indoor place to shoot that doesn't cost a ton to use. At 12 bucks an hour and my own ammo I could shoot every weekend. It would be nice to have a one stop shop too. Somewhere you can go to buy, gunsmith and shoot would be great. I know PDX could support this kind of place due to the fact that a lot of the ranges around town are close to being maxed out.

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[Mikej]

Just imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth from mamby pamby anti fire arms people! OHHH, the humanity!. Not going to happen here I'd say.

I have family in the Salt Lake Valley. We were amazed when we went into "GET SOME guns and Ammo" in Midvale, were I grew up. They had state of the art air filtration/ionization, 14 lanes back 25yards I think, motorized target return, shoot at any range. ALL firearms allowed! You could rent a full auto with 30 rounds in 9mm for $35.00, and up to 50BMG. The well stocked store carried all manor hand and long guns including full auto. Ammo prices were not bad either. Price for a lane rental was $19.00, for the DAY! Wifey and I shared a lane for a couple of hours. All that in the middle of population. I wouldn't get any hopes up for anything like that around here though.

Mike

 

[digitalstephen]

yeah I know its a pipe dream but you gota dream. Anyhow there are a few ranges in town just non that are super nice like in UT. I think the PDX metro could support one like it.

 

[Mark W.]

At 12 dollars an hour it would only take 16 hours to cover the cost of an annual membership at Four Corners Rod and Gun Club in Salem. And you would get from a 50ft indoor .22 range to a 200 yard rifle range. We have a nice class room area off the short range 10, 25, 50 yards with a coffee maker. And in the Indoor range we have a a full kitchen as well as a full kitchen snack shack at the long range 50, 100, 200

 

[JSJPDX]

Is there anyone on this site with a few million to spare?

Bingo! Not sure just a couple of million would do it though.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

I keep telling friends and family that if I ever hit one of those magabucks jackpots Im opening a public range in north plains or near there.

 

[ocarolan]

Remember the state can fund up to 75% of the range development cost. That's the purpose of the ammo tax we're all paying.


The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act ("Pittman-Robertson") authorizes the United States Secretary of Interior to work with the States, through their respective State fish and game departments (or their equivalents), on a variety of projects related to wildlife. Among these projects are the construction, operation, and maintenance of public target ranges. States are not required, however, to use Pittman-Robertson funds on target ranges. Such ranges are merely one of the uses to which the funds can be applied.

Pittman-Robertson funds are apportioned among the States. States may use the funds to pay up to 75% of the costs of a hunter safety program and the construction, operation, and maintenance of public target ranges as part of such a program. The other 25% may be derived from license fees paid by hunters (or from other sources), but not from other Federal grant programs.

In addition, for States that have not used the funds apportioned to them for a hunter safety program and the construction, operation, and maintenance of public target ranges (but, instead, used them for other Pittman-Robertson programs), Federal law further requires that $8,000,000 per year shall be apportioned among the States and used to make grants for the enhancement of various hunter education, firearm safety, and range programs, including the construction and development of firearm shooting ranges and the updating of safety features of firearm shooting ranges. For States that have used the funds apportioned to them for hunter safety program and the construction, operation, and maintenance of public target ranges, this same grant money is apportioned among the States and used to make grants to the States for any use authorized by the Pittman-Robertson Act, including hunter safety programs and the construction, operation, and maintenance of public target ranges.

States receive certificates of apportionment of funds available to them. If a State wishes to avail itself of Pittman-Robertson funds, the State needs to provide a notice of desire to participate, as outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations. States then apply to use the funds by submitting a comprehensive wildlife management plan or grant proposal.

Although Pittman-Robertson funds are only available to the States, the States often then make the funds available to individuals, organizations, or local governments for their qualifying programs. States have their own criteria and application process for obtaining these funds. The 25% share of the total project can often be in materials, labor, or other in-kind contribution, and not necessarily cash.

If capital improvements are made with Pittman-Robertson funds, the State must control the land on which the capital improvements are to be made. States do not need to own the land, however. Control may be exercised through title, lease, easement, or agreement. Thus, a landowner could lease land to the State for the State to construct, operate, and maintain a public range. It would likely be far less difficult, however, for a State to obtain funds to construct a range on State-owned land. (Leases expire and they can be broken or terminated and, unless a lease specifies otherwise, improvements to real property by a tenant generally remain with the property.) Many states that offer grants to individuals or organizations for range development do not seem to require this level of control. Instead, control seems to be had by requiring certain use of the range.

If States do not make grants and instead use the Pittman-Robertson funds by or through their own fish and game departments, an individual, an organization, or a unit of local government can always contact State officials with proposals to open or expand public ranges, e.g.:

•Identifying state land and proposing funding sources for the remaining 25% of the costs.
•Offering privately-owned land, or land owned by local government, to the State (either by sale, lease, or donation) with the condition that the land be used for a target range (and any other conditions that do not violate the control requirement).

Please see the following list of State websites detailing grants that may be used for shooting range development. These websites have State-specific information on grant eligibility and requirements. There may be other websites out there that are not listed. In addition, the availability of grants for shooting ranges may not be well advertised, i.e., grants for ranges may be available but simply not listed among the examples of eligible projects. In such a case, websites for grant information are provided, if readily available and findable, but shooting range grants may not be listed, even if available.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

Remember the state can fund up to 75% of the range development cost. That's the purpose of the ammo tax we're all paying.

Talk about a pipe dream! I am more likely to win the lotto than to have Portland pay one iota of the cost to open a range. Just because they can help with funds does not mean they ever would.

 

[Bam]

Having a few million isn't the problem, getting approval to build a range is.

 

[evltwn]

Consider a home in the country. I have a speed steel pistol range and a 100 yd rifle range.
.

 

[Mark W.]

The key operative word in the post about the Pittman-Robertson funds is PUBLIC the funds would not be available to a Private venture. So unless you can talk the local city gov the county gov or the State of to build the range no ones seeing any Pittman-Robertson funds

 

[misplacedtexan]

Remember talking to the man who started The Arms Room in Texas (Indoor Gun Range And Houston Gun Store The Arms Room.). He took over a target, installed an indoor range, installed needed ventilation, upgraded air conditioners, full smithing shop...etc and the bill to the bank was ~2.2 million. I liked that store a lot, and am surprised I haven't seen many more like it at all.

With that being said, I just don't get the feeling that there would be much continuous support for a store of the same size around here.

 

[tacticalgunner]

AP Arms in Virginia Beach was the greatest range ever. 6 dollars for an indoor range pass, .50 cal was the only thing that was prohibited to fire in their 50 yrd range. The best part of the range was every gun they sold, they had one to rent. If you decided to buy one of the guns you rented, the rental fee was deducted from the cost of the new gun. Solid "try before you buy" sales pitch. I never left there unhappy with a purchase. Even better, i did not have to deal with a bunch of over glorified sales folks that thought they knew everything and you had to take their word on it. They were all prior or current military, so they gave you as much or little help as you needed, and when you asked "hows it shoot?" 2 anwers always, first started with "Well my opinion is...................." and the other one was, "go in the range and shoot it and make your own opinion, because thats all that matters"
Its been a while since I have been to a great gun store, Keith and NW are fine, just I feel like everything I buy is done by instinct, not be hands on knowledge. Not their fault, but I sure would love a range like that here in P-Town.
Threat Dynamics has the set up, too bad you have to be a millionair to use their facility

 

[digitalstephen]

At 12 dollars an hour it would only take 16 hours to cover the cost of an annual membership at Four Corners Rod and Gun Club in Salem. And you would get from a 50ft indoor .22 range to a 200 yard rifle range. We have a nice class room area off the short range 10, 25, 50 yards with a coffee maker. And in the Indoor range we have a a full kitchen as well as a full kitchen snack shack at the long range 50, 100, 200

Ok first its in Salem Second the indoor is 22 only. the same range in utah has a annual membership that is around 200 too. But a lot of us are pay as you go. It was nice because I dont live in utah but I travel with a firearm all the time. I also think they had a day fee too. but when 45cal is $20 a box how long are you going to shoot anyways lol.

 

[digitalstephen]

Well I have over 10 years in highend retail management, almost 20 years in retail sales, 28 years handling weapons, 4 years of NRA small bore shooting (1st 1995 washington junior outdoor). 4 years of weapons safety training, and a Army E-9 for a Dad. So if anyone has the money I can help get it going.

Just seeing how all the ranges in the metro are filling up and how many new shooters there are now, I can see a full range/shop could live in the greater PDX metro. Hell if we can support bars the size of schools, Bowling alleys that cost $20 a hour and look like they belong in the Ritz, and Movie theaters that have leather seating that server 4 star food. I think a affordable higher class Gun store and range can live in portland. The Liberals in Portland for the most part are Lumberjack Liberals. "Save the trees, but don't touch my gun!"

 

[Velzey]

I love the old clubhouse/indoor range at Douglasridge. The old clubhouse/indoor pistol range at Tri County...ugh loved that..There was also an old one down at Clatskanie. I grew up going to them, the smell of old guys knawing on cigars...I actually built my shop to resemble one of the old clubhouses..

Not trying to sell anything here, but Douglas Ridge is a nice place to shoot. I can stop in after work and have the entire range to myself, just me and the goundskeeper.

 

[digitalstephen]

Douglas is a nice place to shoot in the summer spring and fall. Tri County is nice but they are maxed out. Tri County is always full on the weekends. I am not sure about Douglas but tri county's indoor is small bore only

 

[Roger65]

In general, the further one gets from the Portland city center, the better the ranges are. There is a range close in, around 60th or so, that only allows .22 or air rifles. And no hi velocity .22 lr. Then you go out a little farther to Delta Park or Clackamas and you can shoot handguns or rimfire rifles. Then you go out to Tualatin or Estacada and you can shoot rifles.

I'm not sure a range like you describe would be allowed in Portland. The one on 60th by the freeway and the one on Johnson Creek in Clackamas are both grandfathered in. They were built at a time when their locations were out in the boonies. Then neighborhoods grew around them.

I could be wrong, but I don't think it would be easy to get past zoning or obtain insurance for a full service firing range close in to the Portland area.

 

[Mark W.]

Ok first its in Salem Second the indoor is 22 only. the same range in utah has a annual membership that is around 200 too. But a lot of us are pay as you go. It was nice because I dont live in utah but I travel with a firearm all the time. I also think they had a day fee too. but when 45cal is $20 a box how long are you going to shoot anyways lol.

Yes I stated the indoor range was .22 only!

 

[chemist]

Standing like a statue and popping stationary paper targets isn't my idea of fun. Once the toys are sighted in, it's time to train the tactics that would make an RSO go pale. And that's why I shoot in the woods.

Salmonberry Rd. takes me the same 45 min. to drive to as Tri-County, so their pits don't offer any advantage.