NRA Indoor Range Advice

7/28/2019 NRA Indoor Range Advice

1/24The Range Report Winter 2011

Vol. 14 No. 1 Winter 201

Backstop & Bullet Trap Roundup

Q&A: How To Run a League

NSSFs Magazine for Shooting Facilities

Partner with

Local Retailers

Simulators Can

Stimulate the

Bottom Line


2/242 The Range Report Winter 2


3/24The Range Report Winter 2011The Range Report Winter 2011

8

Features

Backing and TrappingHeres a helpul roundup o some backstop andbullet trap options and innovations.

By Carolee Anita Boyles

Partner with Local RetailersCreate money-making arrangements with otherbusinesses.By Michael D. Faw

Simulation StimulationElectronic ranges are generating profts andbringing in new customers.By C. Douglas Nielsen

12

16

Departments

4Letter from the EditorThe SHOT Show? O course!By Glenn Sapir

Sighting InScoping out news or the shooting rangecommunity

By Glenn Sapir

5

Q&AHow do you set up and run a successul league?By Rex A. Gore and Mike Critser

The Undercover ShooterGetting into Handgunning in Tampa

Home on the RangeNew Study Can Aid PlanningBy Jim Curcuruto and Mark Damian Duda

6

20

22

www.nssf.org www.wheretoshoot.org www.rangeinfo.org

On the cover:

Ranges need to be aware o the latestin backstops and bullet traps.

Photo courtesy of Action Target

Vol. 14 No. 1 Winter 20

2011 National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Range

ReportSM, SHOT Show and all other trade names, trademarks and service marks of

the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole

property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundations prior

express written permission. All other company and product names are trademarks o

registered trademarks of their respective owners.

16

128


4/2444

Letterfrom the

EditorG l e n n S a p i r

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Don Turner - president of NSSFs Association of Shooting R

Shootingparkmanager

ClarkCountyShootingPark

NorthLasVegas,Nev. dmturner@

Robin Ball, ownerSharpShootingIndoorRangeandGunShop

Spokane,Wash. Robin@sharpshoot

Brian Danielson, sales manager

MeggittTrainingSystems

Suwanee,Ga. brian.danielson@megg

Glenn Duncan, owner

DuncansOutdoorShop,Inc.

BayCity,Mich. gcduncan@concen

Jon Green, director of education and training

GunOwnersActionLeague(GOAL)

Northborough,Mass. jongreen@g

Bill Kempffer, president

DeepRiverSportingClays,Inc.Sanford,N.C. bkempffer@deepr

Holden Kriss, director

IndianRiverCountyPublicShootingRange

Sebastian,Fla. kriss3051@bellso

Barry Laws, CEO

OpenrangeInc.

Crestwood,Ky. barry@openrangespo

Phil Murray, national sales manager

WhiteFlyer

Houston,Texas Murray826@

Tim Pitzer, president

OregonStateShootingAssociation

Albany,Ore. timpitzer@comc

4

www.nssf.org

The Range Report, published four times peyear by the National Shooting Sports Foundis dedicated to serving the needs and to helmeet the challenges of todays shooting faci

The Range Reportencourages letters,comments, suggestions, questions and tipsMaterial to be returned should be accompa

by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. ThRange Reportdoes not assume responsibfor the loss of unsolicited graphic or writtematerial. Correspondence should be sent t

The Range Reportc/o NSSF11 Mile Hill RoadNewtown, CT 06470-2359Fax: 203-426-1245E-mail: [email protected]

We reserve the right to edit for clarity and s

Managing Director Mark Thom

Editor Glenn Sap

Advertising Director Chris Dolna

Art Director Deb Mor

Letterfrom the

EditorG l e n n S a p i r

The SHOT Show? Of Course!

You have a lot o decisions to makein running your acility, and manyo themin act, mostarent

easy. One decision that should be ano-brainer, however, is whether to attendthe SHOT Show. Forget the excuses otime and money. Both fgure into aninvestment that will pay huge dividends.

I you are not amiliar with the SHOTShow, which this year runs Jan. 18-21,then I suspect youll likely be looking oryour shadow on Feb. 2. I you have beenliving on the bright side o the earthsoor, however, then you know that theShooting, Hunting and Outdoor TradeShow is the largest gathering o the sportshooting, hunting and law enorcementindustry in the world.

Founded in 1979 and orever grow-ing in stature, the SHOT Show bringstogether manuacturers rom all over theworld to display their newest productsto retailers, distributors, buyers, lawenorcement personnel, the largest corpso outdoor press on the planet and, yes,

range owners and managers.Its where you see the newest prod-ucts, literally rom A to Zrom ADCOArms to Zulani Saariswith a whole loto the 1,600-plus exhibitors in betweenholding a special interest to the rangeindustry. The SHOT Show is also whereyou can cash in on the exclusive showspecials many o these companies oer.

Besides having the spectrum o theshooting industry on view or your inspec-tion, you will treasure the chance to meetwith company personnel, including senior

management, product designers andperhaps your local sales representative, getyour questions answered and create valu-able proessional relationships.

In act, relationshipsand network-ingare, perhaps, the greatest benefts othe SHOT Show. Youll not only meetmanuacturers and other exhibitors, butyoull rub elbows and talk with ellowrange operators, ATF and NICS representa-tives, and a variety o other olks who couldprove o value to you in your operation.

SHOT Show University, the daylong

series o relevant seminars presented byindustry leaders, precedes the ofcialopening o the show. Range personnelwith an interest in improving their busi-ness as retailers make a point o arrivingat the show a day early to attend theuniversity. This years program will allowattendees, in addition to participating inthe lineup o sessions, to visit with repre-sentatives o many o the companies thatoer members o the National ShootingSports Foundation special member bene-fts, to learn about their programs and getquestions answered.

Not a member o NSSF? At the SHOTShow, NSSF sta members will manandwomana prominently located boothto meet, greet and answer any questionsyou might have about NSSF. I you are amember, stop by to say hello and pick upyour member ribbon, which allows youexclusive entrance to the NSSF MembersLounge and Business Center, where youcan dine conveniently on moderatelypriced meals and use the ree Internet,

printer, ax and copy service.The 2011 SHOT Show will kick othe business year with its run rom Tues-day, Jan. 18, to Friday, Jan. 21, 2011, atthe Sands Expo and Convention Center inLas Vegas. SHOT Show University opensits doors, or a nominal pricetoo low,really, to even reer to it as tuitiononMonday, Jan. 17.

It may be a last-minute decision,but you can still easily make all o yourarrangements online at www.shotshow.org. Here you can register or the show

and register or SHOT Show University.At the website you can also make airline,hotel and car-rental arrangements andlearn even more about the show.

I these words have sparked yourcoming to your frst SHOT Show, or reig-nited a desire to attend once again, thenlook or me at the press registration deskat the show. Id love to say hello and hearhow the show has rewarded you.

Association of

Shooting Ranges

www.nssf.org/ranges

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Don Turner - chairman of NSSFs Association of Shooting R

Consultant,DonTurnerLLC

NorthLasVegas,Nev. dmturner@

Robin Ball, owner

SharpShootingIndoorRangeandGunShopSpokane,Wash. Robin@sharpshoot

Brian Danielson, sales manager

MeggittTrainingSystems

Suwanee,Ga. brian.danielson@megg

Glenn Duncan, owner

DuncansOutdoorShop,Inc.

BayCity,Mich. gcduncan@concen

Jon Green, director of education and training

GunOwnersActionLeague(GOAL)

Northborough,Mass. jongreen@g

Bill Kempffer, president

DeepRiverSportingClays,Inc.

Sanford,N.C. bkempffer@deeprHolden Kriss, director

IndianRiverCountyPublicShootingRange

Sebastian,Fla. kriss3051@bellso

Barry Laws, CEO

OpenrangeInc.

Crestwood,Ky. barry@openrangespo

Phil Murray, national sales manager

WhiteFlyer

Houston,Texas Murray826@

Stan Pate, president

OregonStateShootingAssociation

Albany,Ore. onekmeters@m

4

RR

The Range Report Winter 2


5/24

Scoping out news for the shooting range community

Sighting InSighting InBy Glenn Sapir, Edi

TheNationalRangeSurveyIndustryIntelligenceReporthasbeen

updatedandplacedonlineinPDFformatinthemember

sectionoftheNationalShootingSportsFoundationwebsite,www.nssf.org.The

reportisavailableforfreetomembers.

ThisIndustryIntelli-genceReporthascompiled

trenddataandcurrentndingsfromNSSF

surveystorangesandisagoodsourceofinforma-

tionforpublicandprivate,indoorandoutdoorrangestoseewherethey

standamongtheirpeers. Onceinthemember-onlysection

oftheNSSFwebsite,visitorsshouldlookunderNSSFResearchPublications,Indus-

tryIntelligenceReports.Havingtroubledown-

loadingthereport?NotamemberofNSSF,butyoudliketolearnaboutbecom-

ingone?ContactBettyjaneSwann,NSSFdirector,

memberservicesat203-426-1320,e-mailbswann@nssf.

org. Forfurtherinformation

regardingNSSFresearchpubli-cations,contactDianneVrablic,

NSSFresearchcoordinator,at203-426-1320,[email protected].

MembersmayalsorequestaprintedcopyofthereportfromVrablic.

First Shots, Keystone

Promotion Can Get YouFive Free Crickett .22 Rife

ShootingrangesthathavehostedFShotsknowthatitisaproductivewayto

attractnewcomerstothesportandtothrange.Now,hostrangeshaveanotherv

goodreasonveofthemactuallytocommittohostingtwoFirstShotsthisye

KeystoneSportingArms,theMiltonPa.-basedmanufacturerofyouth-moderearmshasprovided1,000youthries

bedistributedtoparticipatingFirstShoshootingranges.Therst200rangesth

committohostingtwoFirstShotsseminarsin2011,ofwhichatleastonemust

bespecicallyforparentsandyouth,areligibletoreceivethesetofveries.

So,ifyouareashootingfacilitythathasbeenpresentingFirstShotssemina

scheduleyour2012eventsnow.Ifyouaarangethathasntcomeonboard,now

thetimetobecomeaFirstShotshost. Inadditiontothegenerouscooper

tiveadvertisingreimbursementtowhic

FirstShotshostsarealwaysentitled,anadditionalcoopadprogramhasbeenb

intothisspecialKeystonepromotion. LearnmoreabouthostingaFirst

Shotsseminaronlineatwww.nssf.org/FirstShots/RangeOwners/.OnlyNSSF

membershootingfacilitiesareeligible. TogetmoreinformationonNSSF

membership,contactNSSFDirector,MemberServicesBettyjaneSwannat20

426-1320,[email protected],orvtheNSSFwebsiteatwww.nssf.org/indu

try/members/.

Range Survey Report Updated and Online

The Range Report Winter 2011

New Signs and Decals or

Four and Five Star Ranges TheNSSFsAssociationofShootingRangeshasdesignedanewgraphicto

recognizeitsFourandFiveStarRangemembers.

Tohelpfurtherpromoteshoot-ingfacilitiesforachievingthisstatus,

FourandFiveStarrangeswillreceivewindowdecals,ametalsignandaweb-

basedgraphictouseonadvertisements,brochuresandtheirownwebsite.

Thisisanotherwaytorecognizeexemplaryshootingfacilitiesacrossthe

country,saidZachSnow,NSSFmanager,shootingpromotions,andweencouragemorerangestostriveandapplyforthis

recognition.

RangesthatareFourandFiveStar-ratedfacilitiesshouldreplaceanyold

signagewiththenewgraphic,toensureaconsistentlookfortheFiveStarRatingprogramthroughoutthecountry,Snow

added. Formoreinformationonhowto

becomeaFourorFiveStarrange,visitwww.nssf.org/PDF/FiveStar.pdfor

contactSnowat203-426-1320,[email protected].

H&H Gun Range Moves Up in INC Magazine 5,000

H&HGunRange&ShootingSportsOutlet,inOklahomaCity,Okla.,hasbeen

includedamongthenationsfastest-growingcompaniesinINCMagazinestop5,000privatelyheldcompanieslisting.

Thismarksthefourthstraightyearoftheshootingfacilitysselection.Itsrankingat1,123wasanincreaseof1,207positionsoveritspreviousmention.H&Hwastheonly

gunrangeandstoreonthelist. ThefacilityisownedbyMilesandJayneHall. INCisanimpressiveandimportantpublication,sothisisanhonortoouroperation

andtheshootersofourarea,saidMilesHall.



Q. How do you set up and run a

successful league?

A. Rex A. Gore, owner, Black Wing

Shooting Center:

AtBlackWingShootingCenter,we

havefoundthatleaguesareagreatway

togetbothnewandexperiencedshoot-

ersouttotherangeonafrequentbasis.

Wendthatifyouarentconstantly

creatingreasonsforpeopletocome

toyourplaceofbusiness,thenyour

competitorsmayseeyourcustomers

morethanyoudo.Pickyourslowest

dayoreveningandcreatealeague

shootforthattimeframe.Thiscould

becomeamuchmorebusyandprot-

abletimeslot.

Leaguessuccessisbasedonafew

fundamentals.First,theleagueneeds

tobewellplanned,organizedand

professionallyrun.Theleagueprogram

specicsneedtobedevelopedand

reducedtowriting,byoutliningthe

rules,scoring,shoottimes,costand

awards.Second,theleagueneedstobe

promotedwellinadvanceofthestart-

ingdate.Useyournormalmeansof

advertisingandhaveyourstafftalkit

upinthestore.Ifpeopledontknow

aboutit,thentheywontbesigning

up.Third,offerafreeclinicpriorto

theleaguesstartingforthosenewto

leagueshooting.Atthatclinic,goover

alloftheleaguerules,howtheleague

willbeshot,scoringmethods,etc.You

mightalsotaketheattendeestothe

rangetoshootafewtargets,which

willhelptheircondenceandtakethe

mysteryoutofit.Lastly,makesure

youaretheretosupporttheshooters

duringtheleague,makingitafunand

entertainingatmosphere,loaningthem

rearmsifneededandcoachingthem

whenpossible.Youhavetomakesure

theyhavefun,ortheywontbebackfor

thenextleague.

AtBlackWing,wehaveleagues

runningthroughouttheyear,onboth

ourindoorandoutdoorranges.Onthe

indoorrangeswehavethetraditional

rimreandcenterrebulls-eyeleagues,

bowlingpinleagueshootsandduel-ingtreeleagueshoots.Ontheoutdoor

ranges,wehavetrapleagues,skeet

leagues,sportingclayleaguesand

thepopularPolarBearLeague,which,

heldduringthewinter,isacombina-

tionofallthreeclaytargetgames.We

encourageourcustomerstoshootall

oftheleagues,challengingthemtoget

involvedandexperienceallofthevari-

ousshootingsportswehavetooffer.

Themorepeoplewecangetintothe

shootingsportsthebetterforeveryo

A. Mike Critser, IDPA volunteer coor

dinator, Connecticut Sport Shooters

Hartford Gun Club:

Settingupasuccessfulleagueis

notrocketscience.Thesameprin-

ciplesthatworkinmanagementwork

here.Findandsurroundyourselfwit

goodpeopleandthenlistentothem.

Toomanypeoplethinkitsallabout

justshooting;itsnot.Weprovide

entertainment.Ourshootersareour

customers,anditsimportantthatthe

haveagoodtime.

Top-notchsafety/rangeofcersa

keytomakingthishappen.Youmus

recruitandretainsafety/rangeofce

thatunderstandsafeshooting,theru

ofthesportand,mostimportantly,h

totreattheshooterswithrespectand

assurethattheyenjoytheexperience

Safety/rangeofcersarevolun-

teers,andthemistakeIseemostoft

isthatthoseinchargetendtotreat

themlikeemployees.TheyareNOT!

Theyvolunteertheirtimeandresourc

becausetheylovethesportandwant

tocontinue.Theyshouldbeshowna

treatedwithrespectandmadetofee

thattheyarevitallyimportanttothesuccessofthematch,becausetheya

Findarangethathasareputatio

forrunningatop-notchleague.See

whattheydo.Howdotheytreatthe

shootersandtheirrangeofcersand

safetyofcers?Talktotheshooters

tolearnwhattheylikeanddislike

abouttheleague?Findoutwhat

successfulpeoplearedoing,andthen

copyandimproveuponthat.

Your questions answered

Q&AQ&A

Rex A. Gore

Owner

Black Wing Shooting Center

Delaware, Ohio

Mike Critser

IDPAVolunteerCoordinator

Connecticut Sports Shooters

Hartford Gun ClubEast Granby, Conn.

InQ&A,The Range Reportinvites

NSSFsAssociationofShootingRanges

advisorycommitteememberspastand

present,andotherswithspecialexpertise,

toprovidetheiranswerstoquestions

ofinteresttoourreaders.Ifyouhave

aquestionyoudliketoseeaddressed,

[email protected].

Ifyouwouldliketocommentonthe

answersgiveninthiseditionsQ&A,orif

youhaverelatedfollow-upquestionsfor

thisteamofexperts,pleaseshareyour

thoughtsatthesamee-mailaddress.

6

A League of Your Own


7/24The Range Report Winter 2011The Range Report Winter 2011



Many critical components arerequired to build a successulrange. Whether you have an

indoor or an outdoor range, nothing ismore essential than some way o stop-ping lead thats headed downrange.

Over the years, ranges have usedmany techniques to stop and collect

bullets, rom sand and granulatedrubber berms to metal backstops and

louvered or Venetian blind backstops.The general trend were seeing

is an emphasis on the environmentalimpact that bullets bring to the wholetraining segment o the industry, saidTonie Kruse, marketing director atRange Systems in New Hope, Minn.As a result, were seeing a lot o envi-

ronmental inuence on how rangescapture lead and debris in bullet traps.Thats been on the table or manyyears, but theres a strong push or itright now; ammunition is changing, sothe range industry has to be aware o

building products that can tolerate thenew ammunition.

As technology has advanced, Krusesaid, so have bullet traps and backstops.

Every manuacturer is continu-ing to be more responsive to these

changes, she said. Regardless owhat kind o system a company builds,were all trying to do whats best orrange saety and the environment.That keeps everyone pushing ahead toproduce a better design.

Clark Vargas is a proessional engi-neer and president o C. Vargas andAssociates. He said that some old-style

backstops produced undesirable results.When a bullet slams into steel, it

releases a lot o energy, he said. Inorder or the steel not to be damaged

by the bullet, we made the steelharder than the bullet. The bullet wasdestroyed when it hit the steel, whichcreated dust and splatter. Plus, whenyoure shooting a bullet at 3,000 eet

per second and you stop it immediately,the amount o heat released is unbeliev-able. And what melts isnt the steel;its the bullet.Indoors

Although frst indoor ranges arecovered here, most o the systemsmentioned in this report can be usedoutdoors as well.

Vargas said one signifcant step inthe evolution o bullet trap design took

place at Savage Arms about 15 yearsago and resulted in the ormation oSavage Range Systems.

Manuacturers typically test frenewly manuactured frearms as parttheir quality-control process, Vargassaid. That commonly means threeshots out o every barrel, or, i its asemi-automatic, a ull clip. Thats a lo shooting.

Instead o continuing to use smaplates, Savage designers came up witha unnel arrangement that went intosnail-shape bullet trap.

The centriugal orce kept thebullet against the steel in the scroll,and riction orces stopped the bulletVargas said. Then the bullet droppeinto a bucket or another container.

The next stage in the developmeno this trapwhich became todaysSnail Trapwas to lubricate it with

water and eventually with a biodegraable-oil-and-water mixture.

Eoin Staord is vice presidentand general manager o Savage RangSystems in Westfeld, Mass. He saidthat about a year ago, the companycame out with a modifcation to theiroriginal Snail System, called the BigMouth Snail.

Some people had the perceptionthat i you were cross-fring on a ranshots could hit the steel supports and

cause some ricochet issues, he said.Wed never had a problem with tha

but we eliminated the vertical aces sthe throat is completely open across tront o the trap.

Although Savage patented theparticular recovery system, othermanuacturers ollowed suit withunnel-type systems. Several are onthe market today, each with its ownunique eatures. However, Vargas samost or all o these other traps are dr

traps, so that ranges still have the isso what to do with bullet ragments,dust and lead particulates downrange

Dry traps have dust-collectionsystems that collect all that stu that

has to be fltered, he said.There are some who fnd aws

with the oil-based system, which meatheres room in the market or a dry-trap option.

I think the oil traps can be a matenance problem or ranges because

Backing and TrappingRoundup o some backstop and bullet trap

options and innovations

By Carolee Anita Boyles



they may make things around the trapssticky, said Gary Johnson, presidento Johnson Architects in Duluth, Ga.Plus, the oil gets into the air throughthe mechanical systems, and you caneel it ater youve been in the buildingor a while.

The commonality o all these traps,both oil lubricated and dry, Vargas said,

is the angle o the steel plates that thebullets strike.Theyre all about 18 degrees,

he said. That means that the bulletkisses the plate and then rides up andthen goes into a collection system andis recycled. That kind o design is topo the line now.

Action Target also makes steel-unnel-type traps such as Vargasdescribed.

The Total Containment Trap is what

we consider our state-o-the-art trap,said David Mathis, marketing directorat Action Target. You can shoot rie,shotgun or any kind o military or lawenorcement small arms on it.

Mathis said the shallow angle othe plates that Vegas described means

that bullets cant escape rom the trap,no matter where the bullet hits.

I the bullet strikes the bottomplate and then goes up and strikes thetop plate, it continues to travel towardthe back o the trap, he said. Theangles unnel it toward the throat othe trap, which is a small gap where thetop and bottom plate meet. Once the

bullet goes through that gap it entersthe deceleration chamber, which is liketwo halves o a circle so the bullet cantescape. All the bullets are contained inthat deceleration chamber so they can

be collected with one o several systemsthat we have.Prevent Ricochets

As Savage Range Systems hasdone, Action Target recently removedinternal supports rom their Total

Containment Trap to prevent the possi-bility o ricochets, resulting in a ullyopen trap.

Until a couple years ago, in eachfring lane o the Total ContainmentTrap, the plates had to be supportedat the mouth o the trap, Mathis said.

In recent years weve developed acompletely open throat trap, so theunnel and the throat o the trap arecompletely open rom both sides o th

lane. You can be standing on the arlet side o the range and shoot diagonally across to the ar right side o thrange, and you wont impact any vercal plates; youll only impact the angl

plates so the bullets enter the decelertion chamber.Ranges now have a couple o die

ent options or collection systems on tTotal Containment Trap.

One option is just buckets thatsit on the bottom o the decelera-tion chamber and collect the bullets,Mathis said. We also have an augeroption, which is just a big screw thatgoes the whole length o the bullet trThe bullets all down in the decelera

tion chamber, and when you turn thauger on, it moves all the collected leand whatever else is there to a largecontainer such as a 55-gallon drum.Then you have someone come in wita orklit and pick it up.

A vacuum-operation air conveyo

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system is another option, but Mathissaid the most popular collection systemis the auger system.

Dry traps such as these have theirown HVAC or air-barrier systems

behind them to deal with contaminantsother than bullets.

They take the lead dust throughthat system and through flters, John-son said. Its a separate system romthe HVAC system or the building.

Both Savage Range Systems andAction Target have an option o this type.

When talking about indoor bullettraps and backstops, we cant overlookrubber. Quite a ew rubber traps o

various designs are on the market,including Action Targets rubber-bermtrap and Range Systems Encapsulatorrubber backstop.

Our rubber-berm trap is made ochopped rubber and is suitable or bothindoor and outdoor use, Mathis said.

With all-rubber berm traps, you haveto go in and mine out all the bulletsthat were shot into it. You have toclose down the range, dig up the trap,get all the bullets out o it and replacethe rubber.

One upside to this type o trap isthat it has a lower upront cost thansteel traps.

Johnson pointed out, however, thatall rubber systems are labor intensive.

It takes a lot o labor to get thebullets out o them, he said.

Staord added, Yet, many rangescontinue to use rubber systems becausethey have a smaller ootprint, and they

are less expensive.When I took over Savage Range

Systems our years ago, we didnt oerrubber systems, he continued. A loto people wanted them, so we startedoering them, but many range ownerswho have them say that i theyd known

beore they put them in what they knnow, they might have made anotherchoice.Outdoors

All the options covered can be usoutdoors as well as indoors. Outdoo

however, another option builds on thsaety berms that are already on manranges.

The least expensive option oroutdoors is sand, Vargas said. Thakeeps the bullets within three eet othe surace. In this case, the backstopis more than just a saety device toterminate the energy o the bullet.

Now its also a storage device. Youknow where the lead is, and periodi-cally you sit it out.

Even in a sand berm, Vargas saidthere can be innovation; he has starteputting what he calls bump-outs onranges.

We make them out o ballisticsand, which is a matrix o sand andclay or loam, he said. Then periodcally you just knock that down, sit iand put it back up.

A lot o actors go into choosingwhich type o backstop or bullet trapyoure going to install on your range

A lot o it depends on whether ia small commercial range, a commercrange that also has law enorcementtraining on it or strictly a law enorcment range, Johnson said. Its likepicking a car: do you want a Ford, aChevrolet or a Buick? There isnt anone product thats perect or everyapplication.

Resources

Action Target

(providesprintedresourcesontrapand

backstopconsiderationsanddesign)

P.O.Box636

Provo,UT84603

801-366-8033

www.actiontarget.com

Meggitt Training Systems

298BrogdonRd.

Suwannee,GA30024

763-568-7166

www.meggitttrainingsystems.com

Range Systems

5121WinnetkaAvenueN.,Suite200A

NewHope,MN55428

www.range-systems.com

Savage Range Systems, Inc.

100SpringdaleRd.

Westeld,MA01085

413-568-7001

www.snailtraps.com

Shooting Ranges International

665AndoverParkW.

Seattle,WA98188

206-575-9797

www.ais-sim.com

The Air Barrier System in Savage Range Systems Big Mouth Snail

creates a barrier at the throat of the deceleration chamber keep-

ing lead particles inside the chamber.

The Pulsatron Self-Abatement System lters and recirculates air

requiring less air volume for circulation, necessitating a smaller

fan motor and oering energy savings.


11/24

The future of your busines

depends on it.

For 50 years, our mission has always been

to promote, protect and preserve our hunting

and shooting sports. Now more than ever, its

time to shoot for more and become a NSSF

member. To join, contact Bettyjane Swann at

(203) 426-1320 or [email protected].

Join the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Help us attract, excite and inform

new hunters and shooters and turn them into your customers.

Your Future Is Our BusinessIts Also Our Mission and Passion

National Shootin

Sports Foundatio

All of us are a part of the lucky few who make a living

pursuing our passion. We are the National Shooting

Sports Foundation, the trade association of the rearms,

ammunition and shooting industry. By becoming a NSSF

member, you enable us to attract, excite and inform new

hunters and shooters in every state about the sport we

love . . . new enthusiasts mean more business for

everyone. Whether it is in the eld, on the range, in

Washington, D.C. or 50 state capitals, we stand proudly as

your voice. Help us make your voice louder and stronger

where it counts.

www.nssfmembership.com

iStockphoto.com/Sami Photography



Real-life Scenario

Retailing partnerships can beproftable. The great news isthat ranges, gun stores and

other shooting sports-ocused busi-nesses can explore an endless numbero ways to work cooperatively andproftably to better serve customers.

These partnership opportunities rangerom in-store exchange advertising, toproviding a ree or discounted rangeuse session as part o a frearms-purchase package. Partnering candefnitely bring more customers toyour sales counter and yield more posi-tive exposure or your business.

You might have more reasons topartner than you think.

We tell them where the outdoorranges are, and we also direct them to

Central Range, an indoor range up theroad in Dubuque, said Ernie Traugh,owner o Cedar Valley Outftters gunshop in Marion, Iowa. I would gladlyset up a partnership and advertise withthem (Central Range), and we alreadysend each other customers.

Cedar Valley Outftters teachesconcealed carry courses and carriestactical frearms, law enorcementgear and reloading supplies. The rangespecializes in high-end frearms and

technical shooting gear. Central Range,a ull-service store with an indoorrange, specializes in hunting gear. Itsabout 50 miles away rom the CedarValley Outftters gun store. CentralRange oten directs customers backdown the highway to Cedar Valley

Outftters.Each o our businesses attracts

dierent type customers, and we eelthere is very little crossover, saidCraig Stockel, owner o Central Range.When we have customers that askor gun parts or supplies that we dontstock or have, we send them down theroad to Cedar Valley Outftters.

Both stores sell ammunition andfrearms, and both businesses proftrom the working partnership. Many

customers also beneft rom this gentle-mens agreement. Other ranges andgun shops could beneft rom similarpartnerships.

Partner Opportunities

When it comes to creating a pro-itable partnership with retailers, alittle creativity and personal assess-ment o the services you and the storeoer can go a long way toward help-ing a wide variety o customersand

each business.Heres how a potential partnersh

could exist: As the customer beorea retail stores salesman ponderswhether to buy that new rie, shot-gun or pistol, the salesman casuallymentions that any frearm purchase

in the shop also has an incentiveattacheda ree one-hour shootingsession at a local gun rangeyourgun range. At your range the sta anadvertising signs redirect shootersto the original store or needed shooing supplies, ammunition and frearmpurchases. As an additional measureo specialized cross-promotion, yourrange and the store could orm a parnership where a receipt or shootingat the range could mean a dollar o

on a box o ammunition purchasedat the store. Perhaps a purchase o abrick or case o ammunition in the gstore could come with a coupon or adiscount shooting session at the rang

At Central Valley Outfttersin Marion, Iowa, customers whopurchase a Glock handgun get acoupon or a ree class coveringhandgun care and basic shootinginstruction with a local Glock-certifinstructor.

Partner with Local RetailersBy Michael D. Faw

Central Range staer Joe Pass, right, points customers from his Dubuque, Iowa, indoor range to Cedar Valley Outtteres gun shop in

Marion, Iowa, some 50 miles away, and, in return, Ernie Traugh, left, owner of Cedar Valley, steers customers to Central Range.



This helps me seal a sale, helpsthe instructor meet potential studentsor his shooting classes and helps thecustomer learn more about the hand-gun they purchase, explained Traugh.

That instructor recommendsCedar Valley Outftters to studentsas part o the partnership agreement.Other gun ranges and frearms deal-ers, or outlets that sell hunting andshooting gear, have also struck upvaried proftable partnerships thathelp both retailersand that helpencourage clients to open theirwallets. Its a win-win-win situation.

Think creatively and outside thebox when orming partnerships withretailers. Some ranges and gun storesprovide working counter space to anindependent gunsmith within theirbuilding. Ahlmans Gun Shop inMorriston, Minn., has such a partner-

ship. Alpine Shooting Range in FortWorth, Texas, has a close partnershipwith a taxidermist. Alpine Taxidermyshop has mounts on display withinAlpine Shooting Ranges store. Thenearby taxidermist, an independentlyowned and operated business, is in aseparately leased building. The rangeand taxidermist cross promote otherseach business. Its a partnership thatworks.

Atmosphere at no expenseI you partner with a taxidermist,

it pays to let the taxidermists displaymounts in your ranges lobby. Thiscreates atmosphere at no expenseto your business. You can also havethe taxidermists shop promote yourrange or gun shop through displayedbrochures.

Through partnerships, yourrange can oer more services to yourclients. The next best thing to on-site

service could be oering gunsmith-ing services to your clients, and thentranserring the in-need-o-repairfrearms received to a local gunsmithwhere you have developed a work-ing partnership. You charge yourclient $50 per hour or services orwhich the partner gunsmith chargesyou $35 per hour. Your proft is oryour time, and your customer ishappy when the repaired frearm isreturned to him or her in your lobby.

Again, both businesses could alsopromote each other on their bulletinboards or sales counters.

Marketing eorts that promotepartnerships or make them mutu-ally proftable can take many routes.Each side o a two-sided brochure canprovide hours, services and a map tothe partnering parties. This type omarketing brochure would help reduceprinting costs or both businesses. Youcan also partner with retailers thatoer concealed carry classes, have

womens shooting courses or thatattract customers who want to expe-rience frearms in a try beore theybuy program.

We do promote Calibers IndoorPistol Range in Greensboro, alongwith several other ranges in theregion, said Don Efrd, owner oArchdale Ammo in Archdale, N.C.We have yers and cards rom thosranges on our bulletin board, and wekeep membership applications orCalibers and those other places in a



magazine rack by our door. Calibers

defnitely sends customers up here.In exchange, Calibers Indoor Pistol

Range oten hands customers a busi-ness card with complete ArchdaleAmmo ino. At Calibers, customerscan shoot and try various handgunsor ree. Through a unique retail part-nership, those frearms are on loanrom Archdale Ammo.

I I think it will be a good gunor me to sell, Ill take it over there [toCalibers] and leave it or up to 90 days,

continued Efrd. We let their custom-ers try our guns, and Calibers stadirects those interested customers backto us or a purchase. The handgun hasmy company name on it while the gunsare there in the customers hands.

Thats a powerul partnershipwith a proven success record. Otherretailers oer passes, coupons andother items to move customers to part-nering ranges. Many discount couponsoered in these programs fnd their

way back to cash registers inthe orm o purchases andcustomer visits. Customerslove coupons!

We dont have ormalpartnerships, but we do haveseveral local pawn shopsthat give ree passes romour center to their custom-ers when those customerspurchase a gun, said BobOberst with Palmetto StateShooting Center in Ridge-land, S.C. Its all a part omarketing.

Oberst visits thepawn shops to drop o thepasses, and he indicatesthe partnership defnitelybrings customers to thedoor and sales counter.Anyone buying a gun at the

pawn shops has a recom-mended place to go try itout, and that makes custom-ers happy. In addition tocoupons, inormative yerswith a pull tab (or tag) onthe bottom that provides abusiness name and phonenumber are also customermotivators. These are otentacked to in-business bulletinboards, and customers pull

and take the tags. These promotionsare not as strong as word-o-mouth orsta recommendations, but they helpcustomers discover options.

Most retail partnerships providewider reach or exposure or thoseinvolved and create more efcientmarketing eortsthat is, more bangor your bucks. Partnerships can alsohelp grow a larger customer base.Including retailers in your eortsthrough various partnerships can bring

trafc to your acility.

Other Partnering Possibilities

While shooting ranges and gunstores without ranges are a naturalmarriage, it oten pays to seekpartnerships with outlets that sellhunting goods, such as tree standsor camouaged duck hunting boats.Those retailers could possibly sendhunters who purchase gear to yourrange or beore-the-hunt practice.

You could, in return, send shooterswho ask about tree stands, daypacksor hunting gear to the other retailerater you sell them ammunition or afrearm. Another possible retailer ftwould be a stand-alone sporting claycourse partnering with a dog breedespecializing in hunting dogs, or withlocal shooting preserve that has birdto hunt but no sporting clays coursewhere customers can practice. Bothcould point customers to each other,and both could easily sell frearms anammunition without detracting romthe other. Be creative!

Concealed carry classes are alsobringing a new group into the shooting sports, and these graduates couldbe looking or a place to practice or store to purchase supplies and gear.

Reach out to instructors whocan promote your services while

you promote their classes. Consideroering discount coupons or otherincentives to students in thoseprograms, plus a map or brochurewith details about your businessor range. The same goes or huntereducation, Boy Scouts and 4-Hprograms. Again, reach out and oea partnership. You will help thosegroups meet their training require-ments, and they will help you fndcustomers and make sales.

We hold hunter education classix times per year, plus charities useour range or charity shoots, saysowner Robby Parks with AlpineGun Range. Those groups includeBig Brothers, Big Sisters, the 4-Hand others. The groups mention ourrange in their event brochures, ontheir websites, and in their market-ing programs. This defnitely helpspromote our range and services, pluit brings customers out on the day o

the eventand ater the event.The range also has partnerships

with local builders, contractors, andother businesses.

Many partnerships are securedwith words and a handshake, butmore technical and detailed part-nerships might require a contract,especially i large sums o money arat stake. In other cases, exchangeo goods, space, services and otheramenities can be bartered or traded

Showing taxidermy work at the range provides

free dcor and outdoor ambience for no cost but

promoting the taxidermist.



participants), trap shooting (3 percentparticipation rate; 7.6 million partici-pants) and skeet shooting (3 percentparticipation rate; 7.0 million partici-pants). See the accompanying chart.

A regional participation breakdownshows the ollowing participation rates:Northeast11 percent, which repre-

sents 4.7 million participants; South16percent, 13.2 million participants;Midwest18 percent, 9.2 million partici-pants; and West14 percent, 7.5 millionparticipants.

The survey also asked about the dayso participation in each type o target orsport shooting. Nationally and in eachregion, shooting with a modern sport-ing rie is the activity with the highestannual mean days o participation (23days nationally). Nationally, this isollowed by target shooting with a rie

(17 days), target shooting with a hand-gun (16.7 days), skeet shooting (15.5days), trap shooting (14.8 days) andsporting clays (13.7 days).

Among the American public, shoot-

ers are predominantly rural or rom asmall city/town, and a majority do nothave a bachelors degree (although someo that majority have an associatesdegree or trade school degree). To nosurprise, the overwhelming majority oshooters are white and male. Americanswho live in the Midwest region partici-

pate in shooting at higher rates, and twoage groups are associated with higherparticipation rates: people younger than35 and people rom 45 to 54 years old.

Among shooters, those rom subur-ban areas with an education level o abachelors degree have a higher rate oparticipation in target shooting with ahandgun. Thirty-fve to orty-our yearolds, shooters rom the Midwest, thoseliving in rural areas and holders o abachelors degree or higher have higherrates o participation in trap shooting.

Shooters living in rural areas on a arm/ranch, those 25 44 and those with grad-uate or proessional degrees have higherrates o participation in skeet shooting.Shooters 18 44, living in rural areas

and those rom the West had higher rao participation in sporting clays.

The results o this in-depth markeresearch study can help ranges plan meectively by assisting them in betterunderstanding the shooting market --including participation rates by regionshooting activity, number o days o

participation in each activity and thedemographic make-up o each marketsegment. A basic premise o marketintailoring products to target markets andeveloping marketing plans based on asolid oundation o research. Incorporing the results o this study is the frststep or any range interested in developing marketing eorts based on a solidoundation o market research.

NSSF members may access the ulreport online in the member section athttp://www.nss.org/members/. Forgo

your login inormation or youre inter-ested in learning more about NSSFmembership? Contact Bettyjane [email protected], or Cindy Brutting,[email protected].

New Study Can Aid Planning...continued from page 22



Truth: Ammunition is anexpense, and in todayseconomic climate money is

tight or just about everybody.Truth: Todays young people are

not pursuing traditional outdoor sports

fshing, hunting and shooting withthe ervor o prior generations.

No doubt these realities are havinga fnancial impact on commercialshooting acilities across the country,but perhaps a page out o the high-techplaybook can help.

Maybe the time has come or old-school shooting range managers tomake room in their business ventureor an electronic shooting simulator,a computer-driven experience that

allows shooters to improve their skillswithout the overhead associated withshooting clay and other targets. With asimulator, targets are computer gener-ated and projected onto a screen. Theshooter aims and fres an electronic

shot that is registered by the computerand marked accurately on the screen.

Bob Ridge, a retired entrepreneurrom Duncanville, Texas, thinks rangemanagers who embrace the electronicshooting simulator can double theirincome within a year.

And, he said, Im talking aboutdoubling their bottom line, not thecash running through their company.

Ridge believes so strongly in theelectronic shooting simulators poten-

tial that ater retiring he went back twork as the United States distributoor the DryFire clay-target simulatorounded in England.

Feared by some, the electronicshooting simulator could provide

enterprising range managers with yeanother product or existing customers and a tool or recruiting newcustomers, especially rom the youngmarket. Consider that todays youthand young adults have never knowna world without the Internet, withoucell phones or without video gamesso advanced it is sometimes hard todistinguish them rom reality. Theywill, thereore, have little troubleaccepting a shooting simulator as pa

Simulators are generating profts and bringing in new customers

By C. Douglas Nielsen

Simulation Stimulation



o the shooting process.The shooting simulator works

especially well with new shooters, but Ido have really experienced tournamentshooters that come and use it when theyare having difculty or one reason oranother, said Dimas Nunez, a shootinginstructor at Etowah Valley SportingClays in Dawsonville, Ga. One o thebiggest challenges we have in shootingis having enough youth shooters comein. We just dont have that.

Nunez, who uses the DryFiresystem when teaching his customers,believes that shooting sports playsecond fddle to other sports likebasketball, ootball and soccer when itcomes to the expenditure o a amilysdiscretionary income. He also believes,however, that a simulator is the meansto make shooting more economical ora lot o people. A range can chargea nominal lane ee and still makemoney because there is no overhead

cost or clay targets or live ammu-nition, and shooters use their ownfrearm.

I think theyre missing the boatby not having these in house, Nunezsaid. It gives people an opportunityto shoot a lot o targets.

With the DryFire system, Nunezis able to adjust multiple variablesdepending on the individual shootersneeds or desires. Those variablesinclude target speed, ight angle,shooting station or skeet replication,wind speed, choke, shot speed andshot pattern, among others. I youare a shooter and need to work on aparticular shot at a particular range,Nunez can replicate that shot, helpyou identiy your problem with thatshot and then help you learn what youneed to make that shot.

That ability to identiy a shooters

particular problem is one reason whyyoung shooters enjoy using the shoot-ing simulator.

Thats what kids really loveabout it, Nunez added. They canreally see the relationship betweenbird and barrel and the gap betweenthose two [the lead] and how muchlead they need to actually break thetarget, said Nunez.

Once Nunez has coached a shooteron a simulator, guess where that

shooter is going to try out what he orshe just learned on real clay birds?

With the DryFire system andSquadding Sotware, up to fveshooters can shoot in rotation. Nunezcharges $75 per hour or an individuallesson, $150 per 1 hours or up tothree shooters and $150 per hour orour or more shooters. Those ees,o course, include instruction time.Without personal instruction, a rangecould charge much less. However,

managers contemplating the purchaseo any electronic shooting simula-tor should consider the cost o anemployee to oversee and control thesystem while in use.

In October 2001, the AlaskaDepartment o Fish & Gamepurchased an electronic shootingsimulator rom Laser Shot. In addi-tion to using the system as part oits Hunter Education program, thedepartment has designed a public

shooting range with the electronicrange as a primary element. Thesystem has not only become a valuabteaching tool in the Hunter Educatiorealm, but it also plays an importantrole or the shooting public. Shooterpay $12 an hour to use the simulatoto prepare or their annual huntingorays. With the cost o ammunition

where it is today, training like this isan important practice option or mahunters.

The E-Range [electronic range]simulates realistic shooting and huning scenarios that would be logisticaimpossible or cost prohibitive to creain the Live-Fire range or in the feld,said John Wyman, manager o theFairbanks Indoor Shooting Range.The system can also be used orstationary or moving target shooting

The Cost o Electronic

Business

Rangemanagerscanstepintotheelectronicageforaninvestmentrang

ingfromabout$2,600fortheDryFiresystemtoapproximately$24,000

fortheST-2ShootingSimulatorbySwedensMarksmanTrainingSystem

AB.Expecttopaynearly$8,000fortheLaserShotunitwitheverything

youneedtogetstarted.Tolearnmoreabouttheseshootingsimulator

contactthefollowing:

DryFireUSA

[email protected]

www.dryreus.com877-357-1485

LaserShot

ToddMallonSportsEntertainmentSpecialists,Inc.

[email protected]

303.926.1003(O)303.884.1109(C)

ST-2ShootingSimulatorTommyAndersson

[email protected]/

+4686412480



as well as scenarios such as videoootage o game species in naturalsettings, and as judgmental trainers

or sel-deense and law enorcementuse.

Whereas the DryFire systemallows shooters to use their ownfrearms, Laser Shot uses replica fre-arms that are true to weight and size.This enables shooters to repeatedlyreplicate the shouldering o a frearmand the sight-acquisition process.Wyman said demand or the E-Rangeis signifcant; yet, what he doesntwant to see is the industry using elec-

tronic shooting simulators as a videogame.

I we use tools like this as a gameor just a money maker, without theeducational aspect, we are sendingthe wrong message to uture genera-tions about hunting and shooting.

Another electronic shootingsimulator that is making its way tothe United States hails rom Swedenand appears to be something akin toa high-end cross between the DryFire

and Laser Shot systems. Called theST-2 Shooting Simulator, the systemis produced by Marksman Train-

ing System AB in Stockholm. Todate, just two o the 72 systems thecompany has installed are in the U.S.,one in a private residence and theother at a dude ranch in Wyoming.The remainder are scattered primar-ily around Europe but can be oundin other areas o the globe as well.

Most systems are used or seri-ous shooting advice, explainedTommy Andersson, company spokes-person. People come, oten in a

group o three to six, and spend twoto three hours with a shooting coachpreparing or the duck hunting ormoose hunting season,

The ST-2 oers shooters thechance to shoot all shotgun and riedisciplines as well as participate inhunting-based scenarios in whichgame animals move at speeds rang-ing rom a walk to a ull run. Claytargets can be made to y at a varietyo speeds, and i you wound a brown

bear, guess whos on the lunch menAndersson said there were our

principles that guided development

the ST-2: frst, the level o difcultshould be adaptable to everybody;second, the shooter must be able touse his own gun; third, eedbackshould enable the shooter to analyzand improve his technique; andourth, shooters should experiencerealism in terms o the presentedscenarios as well as exact registratio gun movement and fring direc-tion.

Any o these electronic shoot-

ing simulators could improve yourbottom line. An important pointis having the room to set up yoursystem and still have room oronlookers. Room requirements ranrom a space measuring about 12x1eet up to 18x20 eet, depending onthe system o choice.

I you clear the way or the instlation o such as system, you cansimulate shooting scenariosandstimulate profts.

Making Prot rom Electronics

Somerangemanagersareconcernedthatelectronicshootingsimulatorscouldendupcostingthembusiness.BobRidgeof

DryFireUSAbelievesthatsshortsightedandoeredthefollowingscenario:EveryweekJohnTrapshootershoots100claybirdsforwarm-upandthenshootsatesteventof100targets.Hiscostiseightboxesofammoatabout$5.50abox/$44total,andhis

targetcostis$4per25targets/$32total.Hisoverallcostforthedayis$76.Thecubsprotisabout$16--$2per25targets. AfterlearningthefullbenetsoftheDryFiresystem,Mr.Trapshooternowshootshiswarm-uproundonthesimulator,forwhichhepays$3perround.Basedonhispreviouslyestablishedshootingbudget,Johncannowaordtoshoot12practice

roundsindoorsandfourroundsonrealclaytargetsoutdoors.Financiallytheclubnowmakes$36forDryFiretargetsand$8forclaytargetsatotalprotof$44ratherthan$16earnedwhenMr.Trapshootershotallclaytargets.


19/24The Range Report Winter 2011The Range Report Winter 2011The Range Report Fall 2010



Getting into Handgunning in Tampa

A true contrast in facilities

Two indoor ranges in east-

ern Tampa Fla., could not bemore dierent. One range

is located at the ar eastern end

o Fowler Avenue next to a giant

fea market. Its convenient to the

Universit o South Florida and

seems to attract a lot o students.

The second range is in a light

industrial section on US 301 several

miles rom the rst range. The cli-

entele in this acilit is much more

upscale than at the rst range, andthe have mone to spend. Onl

members are allowed to shoot on

this range. I shot at both, showing

up at the desk with this stor: Im

the president o a small nonprot

club, I sometimes come home late

at night alone rom an industrial

area and m son has been nag-

ging me to get a concealed carr

weapon and permit. The onl part

I didnt tell them was m previ-ous experience shooting; instead,

I said m dad had taught me to

shoot a .22 rife when I was a kid,

but I hadnt shot since then.

Range A

Convenient to USF

TheIndoorShootingCompany

looksreallygoodonpaperandonitswebsite.ItbillsitselfasAgunrangeandtrainingcenter,andthatmaypossiblybetrueifyoudontlooktoocloselyandyousquintalot.ItalsoclaimstobeTampaBaysonlyair-conditionedrange,whichispatentlyuntrue;therearehalfadozenair-con-ditionedrangesinthearea. TheIndoorShootingCompany

islocatedinaverysmallportablebuildingthatdoesntlookfromtheoutsideasifitcouldpossiblyhouseashootingrange.Gunreisveryaudiblefromoutsidethebuild-ingandisalmostloudenoughtobepainfuljustoutsidethedoor. Inside,thereception/retailareaissmallenoughtobecrowdedwhentheresaclasswaitingtogoontherange.Evenhere,therangenoiseisloudenoughtomaketalkingdifcult. Ontheupside,staffmembersarecourteousandknowledge-

able,andoneinstructortookthetimetoexplainthedifferencebe-tweenrevolversandpistols. Therangeitselfisverysmall;itsonly25yardslongwithjustahandfuloflanes,andthetargetsontheretrievalsystembouncearoundanytimetheotherlanesareinuse. Thisrangehasonlyafewrentalgunsavailable.Therewerefourorverevolvershangingonthewall,plusperhapseightsemi-automatic

pistols.Twooftheinstructorswerediscussingoneofthepistolshav-ingmisredthedaybefore,withoneinstructorsayinghehadjustputveroundsthroughitwithoutaprob-lem.Giventheamountofunburnedpowderandfoulingobservedononerevolver,thecarethisrangetakesofitsrentalgunsishighlysuspect. Theclassesofferedatthisrangesoundgood.Accordingtotherangesbrochure,aone-hourbasichand-

guninstructionclassisavailablefor$45.Atwo-hourconcealed-carrycourseisavailablefor$75.Quiteafewotherclassesarelisted,includ-ingsevenNRAinstructorcoursesandfoursecurity-guardcourses.Whatisntcleariswheretheyretaught,unlessitsinthesmallshed-typeoutbuildingbesidetherange. Reservationsfortherangeareavailable,butwalk-insarewelcome.

Range B

Pricey, but worth it ShootStraightTampaisoneofseveralrangeswiththeShootStraighnameinsouthwestFlorida,allownedthesamecompany.TheTampalocatioisonUS301neartheStateFairgroundandjustsouthofMartinLutherKingBoulevard.US301isamajorthorougfare,andthisrangeiseasilyaccessiblfromallofeasternHillsboroughCount Thisrangeisinastand-alonebuildingnexttoBarloworld,aheavy

equipmentdealer.Fromoutsidetherewasnosoundofgunre,andnindicationthatarangeisinside.Inthretailareawhichislarge,open,andwell-litgunrewasbarelyaudible. Therangecheck-inareainthecenterofthestorewaswellstaffed,withseveral-dozenrentalgunsavailable.Incontrasttotherstrange,theserearmswereallcleanandunderglasslikethegunsinthere-tailarea.Eachonewaslabeledas

tomanufacturerandcaliber;brightpinksignsinacoupleofemptyspotsindicatedthatthosegunswereoutoserviceforcleaningandmaintenance Thestaffmemberbehindthecouterstartedexplainingthedifferencetweenrevolversandpistols,andwhepeoplebeganlininguptocheckinfotherange,hepromptlycalledanothestaffertocheckinshooterssohecoucontinuehisinformallesson.Oncethelessonwasdone,thestaffmemb

calledsomeoneelsetoexplainthenmerousclassesandprivatelessonstareavailableinthein-storeclassroom Onlymembersareallowedtoshoonthisrange.Themembershipsarealittlepricey,whichmakesthisrangeexpensivetoshoot.Therearebothriandpistolranges,includinga100-yardindoorrierange;thisisoneofonlytw100-yardrierangesintheTampaBayarea,andtheonlyonethatsindoors.



All reports, comments, impressions, opinions or advice expressed in the Undercover Shooter column are solely those o independent, recreational

shooting range consumers and do not necessarily represent those o the National Shooting Sports Foundation or its afliates. Neither the NSSF nor

its afliates make any warranty or assume any liability with respect to the accuracy or reliability o any inormation provided by Undercover Shooter

contributors. Readers are encouraged to and should perorm their own investigation o the inormation provided herein.

Signage, Visibility: 5 Theresabigsignatthefacilityitself,

billboardsareonthehighwayinboth

directionsandabrightlypaintedSUVisin

theparkinglot.Inaddition,anumberof

billboardsadvertisethefacilitythrough-

outTampa.Youllndtheplacewhether

yourelookingforitornot.

Appeal: 5 Theretailspaceisclean,brightandinvit-

ing.Thestaffisfriendlyandhelpful.All

informationaboutclassesandprogramsisprintedandreadilyavailable.

Cost: 3 Thisistheonlydisappointmentaboutthis

range.Withmembership,thepistolrange

is$13perhour,therierangeis$15per

hour,andthemachinegunrangeis$15

perhour.However,themembershiprates

makeitanexpensiverangetoshootat.

Retail Product Availability: 5 Theretailfacilityhaseverythingashooter

needs.

Rental Firearm Availability: 5 Dozensofrentalrearmsareunderglass,

cleanandlabeledastomanufacturer

andcaliber.Most,ifnotall,ofthemajor

manufacturersandcalibersarecoveredinbothrevolversandpistols.

Membership: 3 Onlymemberscanshoot;membershipsare

$35perpersonpermonth,$225perper-

sonperyear,or$275perfamilyperyear.

Lawenforcementmembershipsare$150

perpersonperyearor$200perfamilyp

year.

Classes: 5 Aseparateclassroomisavailablefor

animpressivelistofclasses,includinga

four-hourConcealedCarryclass.Private

lessonsalsoareavailable.

Overall Impression: 4+ Exceptfortheexpense,thisisasgood

asitgets.Thestaffisfriendly,helpfulandknowledgeable,andthefacilityistop

drawer.Everythingabeginningorexperi-

encedshootercouldpossiblyneedisright

hereinoneplace.

Shoot Straight Tampa Customer Satisfaction Rating

Editors note:TheUndercover

Shooterisanexperiencedrecreational

shooterbutisnottrainedintechnical

aspectsofrangedesignandoperation.

ScorecardEachcategoryisratedonascaleof1-5

with5beingthehighestscore.

Signage, Visibility: 2Nosignagetospeakof.Thisrangeiseasy

tomissifyouarentlookingcloselyor

dontknowwhereitis.

Appeal: 3 Pleasantoutside,butinsideiscramped

andnotparticularlywelcoming.Canbe

verycrowdediftheresaclasswaitingto

goontherange.

Staff: 4 Slowtogreetsomeonecominginthedoor

whenbusy.Staffmembersarefriendly

andknowledgeable,andtheytakethetime

toshowbeginnerswhattodoandgoover

safetyrules.

Cost: 5 $10perhalfhour;$15perhour.Prepaid

andgroupratesavailable.

Retail Product Availability: 2 Verylittleavailableotherthanammuni-

tiontogowithrentalguns,andafew

targets.

Rental Firearm Availability: 2 About12rearmsavailable.Gunsarenot

keptclean.

Membership: N/A

Classes: 4- Iftheyreallyofferalltheclassesthebro-churedescribed,thiscouldbearealnd

intermsofbeingaresource.However,

thefacilityssizeverymuchlimitswhat

classescanbeoffered.

Comments, Impression: 3 Staffisknowledgeableandhelpful,but

facilitydoeshaveitschallenges.

Indoor Shooting Company Customer Satisfaction Rating

IOO SOOTI COAy SOOT STAIT TAA

9402 E. FOE AEUE 3909 . US IAy 301

TOOTOSASSA, F 33592 TAA, F 33619

813-986-5456 813-627-8550

.IOOSOOTICOAy.CO .SOOT-STAIT.CO



The year 2009 was rich in sportshooting participation in theU. S., and a recent National

Shooting Sports Foundation-commis-sioned study sheds light on the specifcmakeup o the sport shooting market.The detailed results and regional analy-ses by specifc shooting activity can assistranges in planning eorts by understand-

ing market size and market makeup.The study, Shooting Sports Participa-tion Survey in the United States in 2009,was conducted or NSSF by ResponsiveManagement through a random digitdialing telephone survey o 8,204 U.S. resi-dents ages 18 and older. This was a highlyscientifc study with the sample meticu-lously developed on a state-by-state basis toconstruct national and regional data. Bothlandline and cell phones were utilized inthe actual proportions they exist withinthe American population. This type o

survey yields a 95 percent confdence level.The reports sampling error is plus orminus 1.08 percentage points.

Because the main objective o thesurvey was to determine national andregional participation levels in the shoot-ing sports, a strategy was devised in thesurvey questioning to avoid bias thatwould arise rom the tendency or thosewho do not shoot to reuse to participatein a survey about shooting. Thereore,three introductory questions were askedthat were designed to be o general inter-

est so that nonshooters would be likelyto participate in the survey. In this way,shooters and nonshooters would beequally likely to complete the survey.

The survey ound that 15 percent othe U.S. population participated in sometype o target or sport shooting. Thisrepresents 34.4 million people nation-wide. The most popular types o shootingare target shooting with a rie (11 percentparticipation rate; 24 million participants)and target shooting with a handgun (10percent participation rate; 22.2 million

participants). These two types wereollowed by shooting with a modernsporting rie (4 percent participation rate;8.9 million participants), sporting clays(4 percent participation rate; 8.4 million

Jim Curcuruto is the National

Shooting Sports Foundations

director of industry research

and analysis.

Mark Damian Duda is

executive director of

Responsive Management,

a survey research andmarketing rm specializing

in hunting, shing and the

shooting sports. He has

conducted more than 500

studies on outdoor recreation

and is the author of four

books. His newest book is titled The Sportsman

Voice: Hunting and Fishing in America, published

Venture Publishing.

Home on the RangeHome on the Range By Jim Cucurutoand Mark Damian

Duda

New Study Can Aid PlanningParticipation profles in your region identifed

By Jim Curcuruto and Mark Damian Duda

Views from NSSF staffers and guest contributors

Anytargetshootingorsportshooting 15.1 34,382,566 NA

Targetshootwithrie 10.6 24,045,795 17.3

Targetshootwithhandgun 9.7 22,169,700 16.7

Trapshoot 3.3 7,582,479 14.8

Skeetshoot 3.1 6,979,680 15.5

Shootsportingclays 3.7 8,399,989 13.7

Shootwithamodernsportingrie 3.9 8,868,085 22.9




Trapshoot 2.1 895,346 13.2

Skeetshoot 1.6 683,042 16.0

Shootsportingclays 2.1 890,847 18.4

Shootwithamodernsportingrie 2.2 937,113 20.0




Trapshoot 2.8 2,302,359 25.9

Skeetshoot 3.6 2,995,315 21.6





Targetshootwithhandgun 11.7 5,887,462 13.6Trapshoot 5.5 2,759,134 9.9

Skeetshoot 3.7 1,831,631 9.7






Trapshoot 3.2 1,658,404 9.2

Skeetshoot 2.9 1,521,980 11.1



Mean Days

ParticipatioActivity

Percent of Overall

U.S. Population

Estimated Total

Participants in U.S.

(ages 18 years and older)

National

NortheastRegion

SouthRegion

MidwestRegion

WestRegion

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