Reasons An Outdoor Range (Sometimes) Beats An Indoor Range

People have been target practicing for as long as there have been firearms. Whether it was to simply get better at hunting or to challenge a friend to find out who was the better shot (the most likely scenario!), there has always been a need for a place to shoot that wouldn’t put the public in danger while helping shooters improve their marksmanship.

Of course, the original shooting ranges were all outdoors. The idea of firing a gun indoors was simply ludicrous unless you were committing a crime, considering that ear protection wasn’t very good until recently.

Where do you feel most comfortable, at an indoor or outdoor range? A lot of it depends on what you’re shooting, where you live, and the experience you are looking to get out of it. Here are some of the top advantages (and a few disadvantages) of an outdoor range.

Positives

  • It’s better for rifles – Because outdoor ranges are away from metropolitan centers, they’re allowed to sprawl more. Want to try your hand at a 1000-yard shot? You’re not going to find that at an indoor range!
  • There’s less sound reverberation – You always need to wear hearing protection when you shoot, but when you’re outdoors there’s much less reverberation than there would be in the enclosed space of an indoor shooting range.
  • Real world experience for hunters – If you’re interested in getting real-world experience in preparation for a hunt, you can’t beat outdoor shooting. You’ll have to deal with wind, changes in light, and frozen fingers that can prepare you for a real hunt.
  • No restrictions – Well, “no restrictions” might be taking it a bit too far. But there are considerably fewer restrictions on an outdoor range. You can shoot .22 or 30-06, muzzle loaders and full automatics. Take your shotgun along and see how good you are with slugs. Indoor ranges have many more rules because of their confined space
  • Cheaper – Because a large building doesn’t have to be constructed and heating and cooling bills aren’t an issue, outdoor ranges are often considerably cheaper than an indoor range.
  • Fresh air – Firing a fair amount of rounds puts quite a bit of gunpowder into the air. When you’re outside, most of it simply blows away before it gets into your lungs.

Negatives

  • It’s weather dependent – If your idea of shooting is a completely controlled environment, an outdoor range isn’t for you. Outdoor ranges are going to get hot or cold, you’ll need tinted shooting glasses, and it’s going to be raining some of the time.
  • You have to get out on the lane – Outdoor ranges are safe, but you still have to get on the range when you want to put up a new target. Also, if you’re going for that 1000-yard shot we mentioned above, that’s going to take quite a bit of time.
  • If you forgot something – There might be a small building with a rangemaster’s office, but there aren’t many outdoor ranges with pro shops. So you’d better not forget your ear protection or cartridges, because you’re probably going to be out of luck.

So, are outdoor ranges for you? If you love your rifles, the answer is almost always “yes.” But because we mostly sell speedloaders, we’re selling to revolver shooters who often find themselves on an indoor range. Find out more about indoor ranges in our next blog.

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