How long do you spend on the range?

How long do you spend at the range on an average trip to the range?

  • Less than 1 hour
  • 1-2 hours
  • 2-3 hours
  • More than 3 hours

0 voters

What are your local range rules for the amount of time you can use the range?

How much do you socialize while at the range?

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I usually shoot for an hour, get lucnh, then go back and shoot for another hour, or shoot 1.5-2 hours and head home.

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It depends on how much ammo I have to burn but 60 to 90 minutes is about the norm. I run the drills that I want to run and donā€™t rush through it.

The ranges I go to donā€™t have time limits. Some might have time limits but I have not found one yet.

I actively avoid people in-general, so Iā€™m not social at the range. Even when my wife goes with me we donā€™t talk that much aside from me helping her when she needs or her getting excited when she drops a full mag into the inner circle of the target.

As itā€™s a member-owned club / range, there is no limit on time one can stay. A 24 lane rifle range, two Trap & Skeet fields,
four pistol bays, a ā€œprivate/familyā€ bay and a huge 5 Stand / Sporting Clays course offer plenty of room.
If weather turns bad, we have a club house with full kitchen and a pool table to ride it out! Iā€™ve been tempted to spend the night on more than one occasion. :laughing:

Socializing is a ā€˜thingā€™, yes. We will often go to lunch or dinner after a match or round. Good times!

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I have arthritis in my hands, so 30-45 minutes is about all I can take.

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Ditto. But ammo is expensive, so I usually check out in a half hour or less.
Which is a great way to spend a lunch break, by the way.

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However long my ammo holds out, or ā€“ if thereā€™s a waiting line, 2 hours. Whichever comes first.

When I first get to the range I get everything set up. The targets, the ammo, the guns all set up to go. I put up a torso target at 20 feet and do three shots with a shot timer. I call this my reality check. This is how I would perform if I was in a self defense situation.
Sometimes I talk with other shooters that are there but definitely to any LEO that are there, We have exchanged training drills and type of ammo they use and the idea of a training range idea I have.
I pay an annual payment to use the range anytime with priority to the range and how ever long I want.

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The range I use has a one hour limit but I think they rarely apply it, probably only when there is a line. As a member I get priority, I get a lane before non-members. And no one ever asked me to leave.

I like to grab a stool for my lane so I can shoot some sitting down and have a bit of rest if I start feeling unstable. Be hard for me to stand up for 90 minutes.

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My Range has limit 1 hr per lineā€¦ but for last 2 years Iā€™ve never had any issue shooting for 2 hr. Range stuff has been so nice so far. Perhaps annually membership helps with this? :slightly_smiling_face:
Mostly Iā€™m trying to attend classes, group training - to keep the surroundings as close to real life as possible. Shooting at the line is just for firearm handling practice. 1hr - 2 hrs.
Classes and group training between 4 hr and 8 hr. Iā€™m also attending 2 days class ā†’ 16 hr of defensive shootingā€¦ I love this one :relaxed:

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Counting cleaning my 2 guns I was at the range well over 2 hours.

I shot right at 100 rounds since I hadnā€™t been to range in a while and wanted to work on breaking in my pistol I picked up in Novemberā€¦

This time I was not going for accuracy. I loaded 1 round in 2 different mags. I put one in the gun and laid it on the table. I picked it up acquired the target and fired. I then worked on dropping the mag and loading the next. Same thing with acquire and quick fire. I also shot single handed from various stances. I did this with both strong arm and weak arm. I varied the distances. I also focused on figuring out my natural point of aim with both guns. Both my guns are Stoeger STR-9ā€™S and shoot very well for me.

I do know on the range I can shoot off handed and hit center mass out to at least 15 yards. I currently didnā€™t feel comfortable going passed that. I have more work to do there as follow up shots take a lot longer. I also know I can competently use my dominate hand by itself out to 20 to 25 yards in a couple different stances. Follow up shots are slightly longer than double hand.

I donā€™t have a timer yet and not sure if I could use on the indoor range I go to or not.

I tend to shoot handguns for about an hour at one range, then when Iā€™m ready for rifle, the RSOā€™s walk me to other range, and I get set up there. Between all of the hot and cold range times, and switching weapons, I easily spend 2 to 3 hours at the range.

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The range I go to has a cafe and wine and cigar bar. I usually shoot then go to the cafe to grab a bite to eat and something to drink while socializing. Then also have gunsmith on site so every once in awhile I will have him deep clean my weapon.There is no limit on how long you can shoot.

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To borrow from Barney Crouch Jr (Under the influence of Poly Juice Potion as Mad Eye Moody,) ā€œYou have a phoneā€. Lots of shot timer apps for free. Some work better than others.

I spend all day at the range because itā€™s the farm and if I go through the pain of setting up steel Iā€™m going for maximum training value. I donā€™t do local indoor ranges and rarely do the public outdoor range. Usually 3 pieces of steel will do for pistol but for rifle I will lay out 6 - 10 depending on what I want to accomplish. If Iā€™m shooting long guns I will set one at 700, one at 1000, one at 1400 and one at a mile (1760). I can go further but a mile scratches my itch. If I am really setting up for pistol I will brake out the PVC stands and do them from 3 - 50+ yards. PVC is easier to manage than steel but it will screw up some trees if you donā€™t lay it out right.

Cheers,

Craig6

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Ok. You made me feel like a schmuck. I didnā€™t even think about a phone app.

Thanks for the tip and Iā€™ll admit I would love enough property to have my own rangeā€¦but my wallet says no.

Thanks for the tips.

Have a great one.

@Martin36 AR 500 steel is fairly cheap unless you have to buy the whole sheet. The cost comes in with cutting it because you need plasma. I have 2x4 saw horses and wait for a sale at Harbor Freight to get grade 43 (or mebby 73) truckers chain and a whole butt ton of aluminum snap clips. PVC tubing is also very cheap and the ā€œTā€ fittings are as well. I can send you a pic or tell you what the dims are to maximize an 8ā€™ piece for shooting. Just because itā€™s cheap doesnā€™t mean it doesnā€™t work. I always suggest you fly Google Maps and then go knock on doors of farmers in you location and see if you can make an arrangement. Hunt clubs are another option as they usually have a year long lease but hunting season may only be a couple weeks long.

Cheers,

Craig6

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Would love pics. My neighbor has quite a few guns and has an old farm but the road needs work to get into it. I havenā€™t seen it but he says it is so bad a normal 4x4 would probably not make it in the winter because it is to wet. He is co owners with someone else.

I am thinking I might be able to offer to help fix the road in for him. I know right now they like the part by the main road being rough since it keeps the lazy curious out.

If I told him I had targets to it would be icing on the cake for him.

We only half jokingly say if shtfā€¦we are meeting at his house for guns and ammo.

Till the ammo is gone. Some days go faster than others.

Lately Iā€™ve been really trying to make the rounds stretch and shoot less. So I do a lot of 1-2 round mags so I can work on my weapon manipulation a lot.

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One to two hours is comfortable if shooting alone. Often with friends it will go an hour or two longer depending on what we are doing (maybe sighting an optic etc.).

After shooting it take another 2 hours to clean the weapon and get it back into storage.

Iā€™m s member at mine do I can shoot an hour early before range opens and an hour after it closes. No real limit on time, other than ammo

A few.minutes before I hit the booth and maybe 15 minutes later.