Public Ranges

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Hello everyone,
I am looking for info on public ranges either in MA of S.NH to do some shooting at while I wait for my application and readings to be completed for the club I have chosen to join.
I would appreciate names, phone #'s and links if you have them. Also if you have personal experience with them I would appreciate your honest feedback.

Thanks in advance
Adam
 
Thanks for the info.. I guess I should have been more clear.. I am looking for places that I can go and rent a range for a couple of hours without being a member... Like Manchester Firing Line and such..

Adam
 
American Firearms school in North Attleboro, right off rte 95, you can shoot by the hour, no FID or anything. You can rent guns there if you want, too. (508) 695-5869
 
There's Bob's Tactial Indoor Shooting Range in Salisbury, MA (right on the border of NH). I've been there several times on Sundays and the people are very nice. However, the air filtering/exchange leaves a lot to be desired. If you can get there on less busy times it's not bad, but when most of the positions are taken up (and if the fully automatic weapons get broken out), it can get awfully smoky.

Here's some links that may be useful as well:

http://www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/findlocal.asp?State=NH

http://www.webcom.com/gun_guy/rangesnh.htm
 
YogSothoth said:
There's Bob's Tactial Indoor Shooting Range in Salisbury, MA (right on the border of NH). I've been there several times on Sundays and the people are very nice. However, the air filtering/exchange leaves a lot to be desired. If you can get there on less busy times it's not bad, but when most of the positions are taken up (and if the fully automatic weapons get broken out), it can get awfully smoky.

Here's some links that may be useful as well:

http://www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/findlocal.asp?State=NH

http://www.webcom.com/gun_guy/rangesnh.htm

He beat me to it. Bob's has 3 hand guns you can rent (a .22, a .38 and a 9mm), plus a full auto. It's $10 for the rental (which you can switch guns - go from the .22 to the .38 and there's no charge, but you use one at a time), plus $10 per hour for the range and the cost of ammo and targets.

Hubby and I are usually up there on Sundays if we have students, as well as almost every Monday night. It's a bit shabby, but the company is great! :D
 
How about ammo.. Any restrictions on the ammo I bring? Also what type of guns are allowed there?

Thanks in advance
Adam
 
Adam_MA said:
How about ammo.. Any restrictions on the ammo I bring? Also what type of guns are allowed there?

Thanks in advance
Adam

They do restrict ammo to whatever can be shot out of a hand gun. No rifles, other than the handgun calibers and no shot guns.
 
There is special (expensive and crappy quality) frangible rifle ammunition for indoor ranges - it sucks without question.........I'd only shoot handguns at a 25 yard indoor range. I went to the Manchester Firing Line on Monday - had a great time - but I only recommend those types of ranges for handguns or submachine guns - waste of time with rifle caliber weapons.
 
What would be the point of shooting a real rifle at 25 yards anyway... I can't wait till I get my club membership so I can have a go at these rifles I got handed down to me...
About Manchester... I heard there has been a couple of occasions there where someone has gone in, rented a pistol, shot a bunch of rounds off, then put the muzzle in their mouth and did what they went there for in the first place... Any truth to this?

Adam
 
Adam_MA said:
What would be the point of shooting a real rifle at 25 yards anyway... I can't wait till I get my club membership so I can have a go at these rifles I got handed down to me...
About Manchester... I heard there has been a couple of occasions there where someone has gone in, rented a pistol, shot a bunch of rounds off, then put the muzzle in their mouth and did what they went there for in the first place... Any truth to this?

Adam

There was an episode at Bob's years back. He saved the last round for the roof of his mouth. Don't know about Manchester tho.
 
Adam_MA said:
What would be the point of shooting a real rifle at 25 yards anyway... I can't wait till I get my club membership so I can have a go at these rifles I got handed down to me...
About Manchester... I heard there has been a couple of occasions there where someone has gone in, rented a pistol, shot a bunch of rounds off, then put the muzzle in their mouth and did what they went there for in the first place... Any truth to this?

Adam

I didnt hear ANYTHING like that while I was shooting there........considering too that the procedure to rent handguns is the same as Class III weapons I find this surprising - possibly absurd........depends on the source I guess......I didnt notice any brains in my firing lane though. Manchester Firing Line is a good place but its either 9 or 14 bucks an hour to shoot. Depends on how badly you want to shoot - I think a lot of cops use the range, etc. You can fire shotguns too - but only lead slug ammunition. Good to rent subguns or shoot handguns - thats my only recommendation. That staff was very cordial - its just not practical for rifles at all.
 
Adam_MA said:
About Manchester... I heard there has been a couple of occasions there where someone has gone in, rented a pistol, shot a bunch of rounds off, then put the muzzle in their mouth and did what they went there for in the first place... Any truth to this?

Adam

I know of one such incident. It happened a few years ago. A man did rent a gun and end up commiting suicide on the range. At the same time a news crew from WMUR here in Manchester was present to do a story. That must have gone over real well.
 
I was doing the same thing a month or two ago, and I posted some of my 'research' on this thread http://northeastshooters.com/viewtopic.php?t=908&highlight=.

The three places I went to--ranked in order of best prices--were:
Bob's Tactical (Salisbury) - very inexpensive
American Firearms School (North Attleboro) - not bad
Boston Gun Range (Worcester) - very expensive

Unfortunately, if you want list them in order of the best variety and selection, the list is reversed. The Boston Gun Range had a huge selection, while Bob's was pretty limited.
 
I also want to confirm what Lynne said about Bob's. The people there were very friendly, and if it was closer it would be the kind of place I would go to all the time. The other two places weren't unfriendly, but they just couldn't compete with the nice people at Bob's.
 
John Jay said:
Unfortunately, if you want list them in order of the best variety and selection, the list is reversed. The Boston Gun Range had a huge selection, while Bob's was pretty limited.

Hopefully, in the not too distant future, that will change for Bob's. Regretably, it takes that lousey 4 letter word - time. But - we're optimistic! :D
 
I've never been there, but if it can be fixed, I'm confident you can do it, Lynne. Attitude has to be 90% of change, and you've got the right attitude already. 8)
 
Nickle said:
I've never been there, but if it can be fixed, I'm confident you can do it, Lynne. Attitude has to be 90% of change, and you've got the right attitude already. 8)

Oh gosh. :) If I had the capital, I'd be all over it. All I do is ring in the register and assign lanes. :D
 
Yeah, but Lynne, those are the only two functions that matter in the least. If you don't assign ranges, there won't be any customers/shooters. And if the register doesn't ring, absolutely nothing else will happen. Repeat after me: money makes the world go round, ... [wink]

Ken
 
Lynne, when my father goes to gun shows and sells ammo, my wife frequently goes and helps him. She waits on the customers and receives money, and answers some of the simpler questions. Doesn't sound like much, but my father says she's a HUGE help.

Now, you'll be doing more than that. See, it's important, even if YOU may not think it is.
 
Nickle said:
Lynne, when my father goes to gun shows and sells ammo, my wife frequently goes and helps him. She waits on the customers and receives money, and answers some of the simpler questions. Doesn't sound like much, but my father says she's a HUGE help.

Now, you'll be doing more than that. See, it's important, even if YOU may not think it is.

Hey - I'm making money doing it! (Which is more than I could say two weeks ago! [lol] )
 
Nickle said:
Lynne, when my father goes to gun shows and sells ammo, my wife frequently goes and helps him. She waits on the customers and receives money, and answers some of the simpler questions. Doesn't sound like much, but my father says she's a HUGE help.

Now, you'll be doing more than that. See, it's important, even if YOU may not think it is.

You know, what shows does he go too? It would be cool to run into you and/or your family at a show. That's if he does them in MA.
 
Just visited Boston Gun Range last week.

Wouldn't go back if you paid me. My impressions:

The problem with a place that rents guns to anyone who walks in the door, is well, they rent guns to anyone who walks in the door. I'm not being a gun-snob here.

There were some boys and girls (and I do mean kids (yes, no doubt of age though) who were downright scary in there. The "range masters", who kept rotating, seemed more interested in focussing on the hotties who were in there than keeping an eye on everything. As I came in and out several times there was some scary muzzle sweeping by a few yahoos who had rented some big iron. I sadi something twice and both times was given the "Who the EFF are you look?". I left after the second time. There just total lack discipline in there. Don't get me wrong, I like to have a good time when I shoot with buddies. laugh it up, hoot and holler when someone breaks out a new toy that makes good noises. But a hot range ain't recess.

I brought my own guns, but in looking over the rental offerings I felt they appeared ill-kept. Maybe they were just old and had worn finishes and I was judging books by their covers. There were some half decent looking guns in the case, but not many. This is not a place to go to try out the latest hardware before you make a purchase, unless you're looking for a 10 year old Beretta or Glock.

The counter employees were friendly enough, although the guy who seemed to be the manager left a very bad taste in my mouth. This, perhaps, was just a personal thing and entirely subjective. But if you partially judge a business by the help, well... you know.

Yes, it was expensive, but I knew that going in. No complaints there. The place has almost no stock, so don't go there thinking its a gun shop. It isn't. It's semi-clean, but run down looking all around.

I'll be joining a local club soon so this kind of place won't be a concern.
 
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