Economics and Politics of Range Startup

[dobie 0]

As someone who's relatively new to the sport I'm really surprised by the small # of public shooting ranges, particularly in the area where I live (Somerset/Middlesex/Union)

Most ranges appear to be private clubs, some with closed memberships.

 

What exactly are the political roadblocks to starting a new public range?  Is this a case of NIMBY? Are most towns simply against the establishment of shooting venues in their towns or are the prohibitions

really economic, i.e it's too tough to make a decent return on that type of business. I can see where paying rent on a large facility (particularly in Central NJ) might make the venture cost prohibitive and the only way to make it profitable is to own the real estate outright.

 

I don't want to name any ranges here but the few I've been to always seem busy. Why aren't there more?

[Lien 1]

I feel the same, living in Edison... there is hardly a range within a 45 min highway drive.  I assume a public range is not cost effective but a private range built as a business should work out since the options are so limited in Central NJ.  I would gladly join a range like GunforHire if it was local.  

[Sota 1,191]

because guns are evil, loud, dangerous, can blast through 10 feet of concrete and kill a school load of children on their own with their 1000 round autofire clips, and make passive sheeple into mass murders. and we don't want them anywhere nearby. think of the children.

[oneshot 45]

It is a costly under taking. Assume at least a couple of million dollars .It takes a long time to get all the approvals and permits . Most manufactures have about a 20k minimum to become a dealer.

   The air filtration system is very expensive.Not many people can afford to do it alone. Generally its a few partners. If you go to the NRA site you can check out there range programs and grants and some of the things that are required by the local ,state and federal Govt

[The_Matrix 105]

 

I don't want to name any ranges here but the few I've been to always seem busy. Why aren't there more?

I think it comes down to money.

[BlueLineFish 615]

And who you know

[67gtonut 847]

Rule of thumb.....

 

$100,000 per lane to open a range......

 

it adds up quick

[kman 56]

Gotta be cheaper to open an outdoor range in the meadowlands, somewhere far out where no round could ever hit any town.  I had hopes some group would set one up when Cabelas opened in Xanadu but so much for that.

[oneshot 45]

forget the meadowlands. they didnt want cabelas to sell guns which is why they pulled out of that debacle to begin with. And after that the project was pretty juch doomed. I made a a lot of money on a project that never got finished :-)

[Boejoula 0]

I feel the same, living in Edison... there is hardly a range within a 45 min highway drive. I assume a public range is not cost effective but a private range built as a business should work out since the options are so limited in Central NJ. I would gladly join a range like GunforHire if it was local.

I'm in Edison as well, have to drive about an hour to Easton when I go.

[Kaiser7 33]

I guess we don't have it quite that bad here in South Jersey. I'm near Bob's Little Sport Shope, Hagues's, Pine Valley gun club, South Jersey Shooting Club, and Square Circle. 

 

Pine Valley I know little about. Bob's is only for handgun caliber, Hagues' has a bad reputation, SJSC is $250/yr (+NRA membership), and Square Circle, in my experience, are very closed to any new members (To the point of members being hostile if you ask about joining).

 

Oh, and there's USANA, but I'm not exactly sure where that is, though I probably would have an in there.