Why does it seem gun stores main objective is to screw you?

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I went home to MD to shoot this weekend (well eat crabs is the real reason I went), we have a big farm but it was just wet everywhere - so it was a no go.

There is a local gun shop/range a few miles away so we pack up and head over.

Get there, all the ammo I have "they can't let me shoot," it is either WWB or Remmy UMC 223, all FMJ. So, ok.

What do they have for sale that "i can use on their range" (which I find it hard to believe FMJ will "shoot right through their backstop").

$25 for 50 rounds of .45 or $20 for "remanufactured"

Ha! So needless to say we packed up and said thanks but no thanks. I know ammo costs are high, but I can pickup WWB for $29/100, no way I am paying what they want.

I mean I try to support local dealers but it seems they just price themselves out of the market.

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I think it's BS they wouldn't let you shoot your ammo. A box of.45 for $25.00 is not unreasonable.(Well, yes it's unreasonable but not beause of gouging.) Gun store prices cannot compete with WalMart.

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VAopencarry wrote:

I think it's BS they wouldn't let you shoot your ammo. A box of.45 for $25.00 is not unreasonable.(Well, yes it's unreasonable but not beause of gouging.) Gun store prices cannot compete with WalMart.

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I think it was less a question of the .45 ammo and more a question of the .223 Rem. Most FMJrifle bullets require a reinforced backstop as the bullet will punch through a sheet metal stop designed for lead or pistol rounds. There are quite a few ranges that are not FMJ-friendly for rifle. I have not yet seen or heard of a range, however, that would not allow FMJ pistol ammunition.

All that being said, yes, ranges generally overcharge for ammo, largely because they have a captive audience. If you want to shoot a rental, you buy their ammo. If you run out of your own and want to shoot some more, you buy their ammo (or pay to get back in again ater you've run to the nearest Wal-Mart or Academy). They also sell ammunition that is less available, or not available, at the big-box stores. To reduce the SKU count, department stores only stock what sells on a regular basis; that means they will have one, maybe two, varieties of hollowpoints, and two or three varieties of FMJ, in the calibers that are most common (usually .22LR, .32ACP, .380ACP, .38Spc, .357Mag, 9x19mm, .40S&W, .45ACP, and sometimes .357Sig, .44Mag and .45LC). If you want Speer Gold Dots or Hornady TAPs but your local Academy Sports or Wal-Mart only sells Federal HS, you have few options other than to go to a gun shop or gun show.

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Since FMJ wasn't ok, what type of ammo were they going to sell you that was approved?

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I've seen some ranges that were frangible only for rifles, don't know if that was the case but its possible.

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Out here, most of the ranges (indoors) require that I use their ammo which runs $16 per 50 9MM..another uses only frangible which is more expensive.

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I hate ranges that FORCE you to use ONLY their OVERPRICED ammo.... :lol:

I do not visit them.

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Why don't you open a gun store that isn't out to screw everyone and put all the others out of business. If you can prove it is profitable then you should be able to frnchise it.

I really don't see how gun stores and range operators can stay in business with the attitude they have. However with the money they are making by overcharging everyone so much I wonder why more people aren't in the business and run them like they should be run. :banghead:

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If a range is open 7 days a week..... and their break even with rent and all is about $8,000 a month (High estimate and depending on location).... they only need to pull in $267 a day.

It is rather easy to make this each day. I owned a business and you know your operating costs and what it takes to pay the bills.

You have to also balance your charges to get people in the door.

You can operate a range where you bring in a few willing to pay for your ammo...

or

You can charge a little more for the range and let people shoot heir own ammo. Some people order bulk, get it free, or load their own. They are not going to visit your range. (Me included)

Getting people in the door is a way to have them browse the store and buy your other wares.

The markup is 50% so they are making a good profit on anything they sell.

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Its not only a case of expense, but the range people think they are gods for goodness sakes. I can't fart w/o a comment.

When i lived in NY, they only allowed 1 round in a clip at a time, yet they would pick up their carbines and pop off 30 at a time w/o an issue.

I do understand they have insurance premiums and all sorts of other federal taxes/regulations, but they make shooting (esp. in an urban area) expensive and no fun.

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lame...

I just picked up 1000 rounds of Wolf 9mm that the local range will allow me to shoot as long its through my gun.

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And that is how it really should be.

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LEO 229 wrote:

If a range is open 7 days a week..... and their break even with rent and all is about $8,000 a month (High estimate and depending on location).... they only need to pull in $267 a day.

It is rather easy to make this each day. I owned a business and you know your operating costs and what it takes to pay the bills.

You have to also balance your charges to get people in the door.

You can operate a range where you bring in a few willing to pay for your ammo...

or

You can charge a little more for the range and let people shoot heir own ammo. Some people order bulk, get it free, or load their own. They are not going to visit your range. (Me included)

Getting people in the door is a way to have them browse the store and buy your other wares.

The markup is 50% so they are making a good profit on anything they sell.

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That is what I mean when I wonder why there is such a shortage of ranges. There is not a single public range within 50 miles of me. There are a few clubs that you can join in a yearly basis but not a single public one that I know of. With the figures I see it should be a money making business.

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PT111 wrote:

That is what I mean when I wonder why there is such a shortage of ranges. There is not a single public range within 50 miles of me. There are a few clubs that you can join in a yearly basis but not a single public one that I know of. With the figures I see it should be a money making business.

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The only thing stopping the average citizen will be the start up costs. You need money to get it off the ground.

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LEO 229 wrote:

PT111 wrote:

That is what I mean when I wonder why there is such a shortage of ranges. There is not a single public range within 50 miles of me. There are a few clubs that you can join in a yearly basis but not a single public one that I know of. With the figures I see it should be a money making business.

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The only thing stopping the average citizen will be the start up costs. You need money to get it off the ground.

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Yeah some people I know were looking at the startup costs for an indoor range. At upwards of a million dollars just for facility within a cityit seemed nearly impossible unless you were already rich.

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all these "clean" ranges are a due to the municipalities pandering to the environmentalists.

I wish there were more outdoor ranges here.

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Felid`Maximus wrote:

LEO 229 wrote:

PT111 wrote:

That is what I mean when I wonder why there is such a shortage of ranges. There is not a single public range within 50 miles of me. There are a few clubs that you can join in a yearly basis but not a single public one that I know of. With the figures I see it should be a money making business.

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The only thing stopping the average citizen will be the start up costs. You need money to get it off the ground.

Click to expand...

Yeah some people I know were looking at the startup costs for an indoor range. At upwards of a million dollars just for facility within a cityit seemed nearly impossible unless you were already rich.

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If your start up costs are a million dollars then your operating costs are going to be a lot more than $8,000 per month. If the profit is there then start up costs are not a problem. The average McDonaldsstart up cost is $1.5 Million and they don't have any problem raising that. If you can guarantee to turn a net profit of $100,000 a year you can find $1,000,000 start up cost.

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yeahYeah wrote:

all these "clean" ranges are a due to the municipalities pandering to the environmentalists.

I wish there were more outdoor ranges here.

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Hey Yeah Yeah...

Check this out:

http://www.lasvegashiddentrails.com/shootingareas.html



While not an "official" range.. it is an OUTdoor, Free, Great place to shoot. One of very few left in the immediate area. I have personally shot there and do so about once a month when I can with the kids.



Enjoy

Erus

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I shoot in the desert north of the 215 by me. its secluded and quiet but sometimes i like a place that's more formal and structured...

i really hope that range off north decatur gets done - it would be great.

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I wonder what the cost is for insurance at a gun range. Astronomical, surely.

At any rate, there may be a supply-demand aspect of this. Ranges overcharge in order to control the number of customers. If you only have 8-10 shooting lanes, and there is a huge demand for a range, it would probably work out the same to charge exceptionally high prices that 4-5 people per hour will pay, than to have 8-10 people pay lower prices but have to turn away the same number due to the range's being full. Hell, I know I wouldn't go to a range where it's a crapshoot as to whether or not I'll get a lane.

Or perhaps it's a way to prevent people from "spraying" their rounds, so to speak. Make them pay more, and they'll tend to be more careful with each shot to get it on target. The best solution? Maybe not.

Anyhow, just two theories.

The last time I went to my nearest indoor range, I paid about $12/hour and could bring my own ammo (for my guns). Gun rental was $8/hour, and their ammo was reasonably priced... IIRC, about $14/box of .45 reloaded ammo, $19/box of .44 mag reloaded ammo. Actually, I would usually buy their .44 mag ammo because it was cheaper than any commercial stuff I could get. I also didn't mind paying for the strict adherence to safety that the range owner enforced there.