Welcome speedloaders! Sure, there are quite a few people who use their pistols at outdoor ranges, but for year-round shooting it’s hard to beat using your speedloader at an indoor range.
In the last blog we talked about the advantages of an outdoor range, and we thought of quite a few. But when you want a controlled environment, nothing beats an indoor shooting range. Indoor ranges allow shooters to enjoy their guns all year long. Here are some of the top advantages (and some disadvantages) of an indoor range.
Positive
- You don’t have to step out onto the line to fire – If you’re on a range, you might be surrounded by a dozen people firing in the same direction you are. One great advantage of an indoor range is that you don’t have to step out into the line of fire to change your targets, because there are mechanical means of getting your target back to you for replacement. It also prevents the monotony of walking up and down the range, which can be bad if you’re there for a full day of shooting.
- Pro shop – Most indoor shooting ranges have a pro shop, so if you forget something at home (like hearing protection) you can buy or rent it on the premises. It’s also good to have a shop around in case you run out of ammo, or if something breaks. We’re pretty sure they’d be willing to sell you a new gun while you’re there, too!
- Controlled environment – Perhaps the greatest advantage of an indoor shooting range is that you’re in a controlled environment. You can shoot inside when it’s freezing outside, or be cool when it’s 100-degrees. You’ll also be shooting in the same lighting conditions all the time, so you don’t have to complain about the changes in light like at an outdoor range.
- Moving targets – Because the environment is so controlled, you’re more likely to find a variety of shooting environments at an indoor shooting range. There might be bobbing targets so that you can practice your shooting on a moving target, or you might get to practice in a tactical room.
Negative
- Smaller space – Indoor ranges are a much more confined space. Because you’re enclosed it’s going to be louder, so you might need more hearing protection. Also, you have to be much more careful of accidental discharges: a bullet hitting the ground in front of you at an outdoor range isn’t going to harm anyone, but one fired inside could ricochet with disastrous consequences.
- Pistols only – Most indoor shooting ranges are “pistols only.” Rifles are often too powerful for the backdrops, and the sound would be even more deafening. The smaller lengths of an indoor range doesn’t appear to many rifle shooters anyway.
- Gunpowder – At an indoor range, you’re shooting a lot. Even more if you’re using one of our speedloaders. Multiply that by everyone else who’s shooting at the range and there will be a lot of gunpowder in the air, which isn’t good for your lungs. Many indoor ranges have ventilation systems designed specifically to handle this, but older ranges might not be so well-ventilated.
Indoor ranges are very friendly to revolver shooters who enjoy our speedloaders. If you’re heading to the range anytime soon, make sure to grab the right speedloader for you gun before you go!