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One thing I loved at Buds Gun Shop in Lexington, KY
They had a steel reactive targets. Maybe 10 od them that would pop up at random just the "head" part of the torso outline. Was pretty awesome.

It's nice to have something different.

I would also set up CHL classes, gun handling classes, and discounts/ training days for LE.
 
I go to johnson creek shooting club for 130 dollars a year. I get to shoot my own ammo meaning that I can get the best deal I can find on all my calibers of pistols. I would highly recomend allowing people to use their own ammo. Maybe not reloads but at least factory ammo that most of us buy in bulk and do not want to buy more to shoot at a range. If you build a range. Charge under 200 a year. Allow for shooting at distances less than 50 feet unlike Johnson Creek...Such as the average real assault distance 10-20 feet and just have kind people make sure nobody is doing dumb things such as loading a gun in the direction of others or not wearing eyes and ears. Have reasonable hours like johnson creek. I would be willing to pay up to 300 a year for a club of that nature.
 
If you do this, keep in mind that you're doing it to be a viable business, not a place for your buddies to come hang out.

So, charge enough to make it work. Set policies to make it work.

A few thoughts on those policies:
1. Let people shoot their own ammo in their own guns. But, if they want to rent your gun, they need to buy your ammo (you don't want someone testing their reloads in your stuff).
2. Let people reclaim their own brass. There will be plenty left over for you to sell later, don't piss off customers with dumb rules about if it hits the ground it's now yours.
3. Don't 'lease' your range to a 'training business' on weekends. These days will be the days where you get the most walk in customers, and you don't want to have your lanes all blocked up with someone else's class.
4. Push for practice contracts with every local LE agency within driving distance. If your building will support it (ie, have enough space) find a way to offer 'secure storage' for each agency's practice ammo. If you can help the local departments with this, the chances of getting their contract (and then holding it) greatly increases.
5. Listen to the NRA and other sources when they talk about 'safety rules'. Not just standard safety rules, but procedures for renting guns to folks. If a sad looking fellow comes in and wants to rent a gun and buy one round of ammo... well, it's probably not going to be worth it to you.
6. As related to #5, if you can put drains in the floors, and a water faucet in the range, clean up will be easier. ;)
 
the NRA has a book call "The NRA Range Sourcebook" that might be worth a read. As a note, they also have a Public Range Fund Grant Program. Check out the links on the left side of the page of the link I provided below.

Purpose of Source Book
The NRA Range Source Book provides both basic and advanced guidance to assist in the planning, design, construction and maintenance of shooting range facilities. The source book discusses methods and technologies which may result in a fuller use of range operations.

NRA Shooting Range Services - The NRA Range Source Book
 
5. Listen to the NRA and other sources when they talk about 'safety rules'. Not just standard safety rules, but procedures for renting guns to folks. If a sad looking fellow comes in and wants to rent a gun and buy one round of ammo... well, it's probably not going to be worth it to you.
6. As related to #5, if you can put drains in the floors, and a water faucet in the range, clean up will be easier. ;)

Good point - the range I used to shoot at long ago in West Sacramento had one of these happen - guy comes in who had escaped from medical transport headed for a 5150 evaluation - the next day he walks into the range just after opening, rents a gun, buys a box of ammo and one target. He posted a nice group on the target and when he was down to his last 6 he walked down range, laid down on the floor head toward the backstop and ended it. Range was closed for 3 days due to investigation and cleanup. Its difficult to get the commercial suicide cleanup teams to work on a "toxic lead hazard" area and if they will do it it generally involves a significantly higher fee. Not sure if the health and safety/epa types would frown on the floor drains though as they might site it as a potential for heavy metal water contamination.
 
Like someone else said, you can count on neighbors and the anti gun. Residents in general to raise holy heck and maybe even try to bog you down with legal stuff.
But congratulations for you for having the drive a d desire to get something like this done. Small business is the backbone of our economy and those that reinforce the 2A are even more important.
 
I would pay $100 or so just because there is another indoor range within 15 min of you that charges $75 anually w/ no other range fees and you shoot your own ammo in your own guns but you are a closer drive. Some ranges have a bring a pistol to rent a pistol policy to cut down on the suicides. I would prefer 24 hr access key or cardlock. I would'nt shoot at a range that did'nt let me keep my brass or shoot handloads either I can understand no handloads in rentals.
 
I don't think the math of a million dollar indoor range in a rural county would pencil out. The entire population of Cowlitz is only 100,000 people. Less than 5000 CCW's, so it's a pretty small customer base. And according to what I've read, law enforcement contracts are rarely lucrative for ranges, so don't count on that.

Also, looks like the outdoor range in Cowlitz that Swedish K mentioned will be opening next month.

http://tdn.com/news/local/toutle-ar...cle_454806a8-20c9-11e2-9d7d-0019bb2963f4.html
 
I don't think the math of a million dollar indoor range in a rural county would pencil out. The entire population of Cowlitz is only 100,000 people. Less than 5000 CCW's, so it's a pretty small customer base. And according to what I've read, law enforcement contracts are rarely lucrative for ranges, so don't count on that.

Also, looks like the outdoor range in Cowlitz that Swedish K mentioned will be opening next month.

Toutle-area gun range finally takes shape

Cowlitz county Leo's have a private range. So I would'nt count on a contract with them.
 
The Place to Shoot in Delta Park rates a 'B-'. It would rate an 'A' if:

You could preload magazines with ammo and be all ready to shoot when you are assigned a spot. But no. You must purchase your ammo there. That is fine. If I have pre-loaded up eight BX-25 mags with CCI mini mags I would be more than happy to buy two 100-bricks when I get there and put them in my bag.

However, please don't make me load my mags in the freezing cold lane for fifteen minutes before I can get to it.

Also, how hard is it to replace the light bulbs overhead in the booth, the spot lights that shine on the targets, fix the target hangers - just general maintenance. The broom left in there to clean up the brass looks like it is 100 years old and barely works. Really simple to fix things.

I don't get how most businesses just don't take care of the basics and listen to what their customers want.

If you are starting a range spend the majority of your time asking others what they DON'T like about other ranges and make sure yours is better.
 
As with everyones advice on costs and all of the construction needs you obviously know you are looking at a huge investment. Every single thing you do all the way to the phone line into there should be under a LLC. There are other options but I have owned a few places and find the limited liability to be the easiest and best protection. Get as much money put into the place through a loan as possible. As I said everything under whatever LLC company name you choose. This will not eliminate but vastly help withyour personal financial responsibility and so on if god forbid all your plans fail and the place is a bust. You get the loan because if you file the LLC bankrupt it does not go againt your personal credit but the corporations instead. You may already know this but I have known many people who have made the mistake of letting themself be responsible for many parts of their places that they should have had under the corporate name and not their own.
 
a couple of though:
Modular bullet traps, the would help cut building cost.
Good lighting on the range.
Have a good safety brief for first time shooters - I can email you one I just wrote as an example.
Have reduced cost punch card for people who don't want to be members. This help with cash at the front end.

I suggest your put togeather primary drawings and sit down with a good general contractor. I would think Angie's list would be a good place to look. Meeting wit a coule of contractors would give you a better costing of the project.

Do a yearly electrical budget as part of your bussiness plan. With the lighting, ventalation(range) and all you HVAC your costs are going to be most of you operatign budget.

Staffing - How is it going to be staffed? I would suggest only NRA certified RSO be hired. It may help with insurances rates.

I appluad you ambition but I think your time frame is overly ambititons.

Also sound baffling would make the place around you happy. If your neigboring businesses are happy they might send some busssiness your way.

Also make contact with cetrified instructors who can do classes at your range. If you had a well designed classroom with good nosie reduction I think you could get rent out the space for birthday shootings parties and other function.
Good luck
 
As with everyones advice on costs and all of the construction needs you obviously know you are looking at a huge investment. Every single thing you do all the way to the phone line into there should be under a LLC. There are other options but I have owned a few places and find the limited liability to be the easiest and best protection. Get as much money put into the place through a loan as possible. As I said everything under whatever LLC company name you choose. This will not eliminate but vastly help withyour personal financial responsibility and so on if god forbid all your plans fail and the place is a bust. You get the loan because if you file the LLC bankrupt it does not go againt your personal credit but the corporations instead. You may already know this but I have known many people who have made the mistake of letting themself be responsible for many parts of their places that they should have had under the corporate name and not their own.

Except no bank will loan a startup like this money without a personal guarantee...
 
Yep... I know a guy that had around $85,000 unsecured business debt from a corporation, glued right to his personal credit record. Before the bankruptcy, anyway.

Nobody will loan money to a non-person entity anymore.
 
It may be more difficult than it was 5 years ago when I walked into the bank and asked for a couple hundred thousand but the banks have poeple in charge of the yes and no answers people get. A presentation is a must have with documentation showing your proposal all the way down to marketing. If you can make a bank truly believe what you are doing will be profitable it is not impossible to get a loan. Do not get me wrong you will not get everything on a loan which is why I say get as much as you can. A bank will loan you money if you are putting a large portion of your own cash down. 5 years ago I only needed 20 percent...today I am not up to date on what they might want to see.

If the people above are truly correct and not just guessing a bank will not loan money to a llc then the other option is investors. partenerships have their pros and cons so choose wisely....As in do not go into it with a relative who believes you are going to make them rich unless you do not mind having that relative dislike you a whole lot if things go bad. I have seen that happen a few times.

One job I had was President of a local franchise and part of that was every time someone bought into the franchise I helped them find a location, secure loans, and every step all the way down to the certificate of occupancy. Which is the last thing you will need before opening your doors to the public. As some have said hopefully this is not just a dream hobby but a real investment because when you open the doors most places do not make a dime for the first year at least. Your presentation should show the bank how you are handling that first year as they are very aware of the statistics of this.

Ask as many people in the industry from shop owners to range owners how things are going. As someone said before you need to work in the industry before owning a place. You do not need to sweep up shells but you have a lot of homework to do my friend. If the numbers are not there then walking away from a dream is better than living a nightmare in the business world.

Though had I listened to all the nay sayers I would be a poor poor man right now and never had been able to sell locations and move on to deciding what to do now. So ignore the ignorant and do your howmework. Decide for yourself if you are making a good decision.
 
They'll loan to an LLC or corp... Nobody is saying they won't give a loan. This issue is that they won't do it without a personal guarantor- You have to put your own neck out there.
 
And once a corp has established a decent rating for a few years, they'll loan small amounts to the corp itself, but that initial plunge is simply an unknown, and no bank will make a loan to an unknown.

If you find a bank that will, let me know, and I'll be right down, before it goes out of business.
 
I suppose it would be very different as every loan I have taken out was for a existing establishment with records to prove it was already making money or had the potential to make money given new ownership if you show it is simply being poorly managed but still breaking even. My LLC has been the same for 15 years and things may have changed as far as loans go. Then again I do not get involved in anything that I am not sure I can make a profit at or flip to make my profit after some hard work. If you are a first time investor or owner I would guess these guys are right in that a bank is going to be difficult to get money from...If you have been making your bank money for 15 years you are given a little more wiggle room in what they will do for you.
 

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