Rifle range costs

Ubbquittious

I had a look into joining the local range and seen a rather eyewatering cost of 500 a year mentioned. Seems rather steep for a field with a few mounds of earth and a jacks so where does the money go? does running a rifle range make sense from a business perspective ?

Rows Grower

Ubbquittious wrote: »

I had a look into joining the local range and seen a rather eyewatering cost of 500 a year mentioned. Seems rather steep for a field with a few mounds of earth and a jacks so where does the money go? does running a rifle range make sense from a business perspective ?

I'd say insurance costs would be fairly high.

Ubbquittious

Rows Grower wrote: »

I'd say insurance costs would be fairly high.

How much are we talking about?



Exaggerating insurance costs and being ashamed to admit you're making a few quid seems to be fairly well ingrained into Irish culture. Not too awful long ago I heard of a tradesman claiming to "work half the year for his insurance" when in fact he didn't have any insurance.

tac foley

Ubbquittious wrote: »

I had a look into joining the local range and seen a rather eyewatering cost of 500 a year mentioned. Seems rather steep for a field with a few mounds of earth and a jacks so where does the money go? does running a rifle range make sense from a business perspective ?

Take a minute or so so look at the Midlands National Shooting Centre. Sure, the initial cost is high, but there is good reason for that. You are an unknown quantity as far as they are concerned, and you might be using membership there as a reason to get hold of a gun legally - not saying that this is your intention, but it has been known to occur. The second year fees are around half that, IIRC.


So, for your 300eu you get access to one of the finest shooting ranges in the West of Europe, with the facility to shoot everything from handgun to long-range target rifle - all in one place.


Oh, it also has great washroom facilities, I'm told.

cookimonster

...so that's less then a tenner a week!

For that you get a place to legally target shoot in a safe and comfortable environment. There are people employed to maintain this safe and comfortable environment and support your needs.
Now on the other hand, visit your local Cinema and hand over your €10 and then another €10+ for goodies....

To me it's all relative. There are routine running cost for ranges that have to be paid regardless of club membership revenue and is one of the reasons why owning a small 'private' range in this country is unrealistic unless you and your mates have a good few quid to spend on the set up and maintenance both logisticly and administratively.

tac foley

A pal of mine up in Donegal had the right POV, he said, 'if you want to make a small fortune setting up your own range, first, start off with a large fortune.'

Because of a few newcomers into the village half a mile away from my local range making formal complaints about 'gun noise' [no s**t, Sherlock? Living near a gun range? Excuse me?], we have had to spend around £20k putting in extra sound insulation into our principal firing point - a kind of barn-like structure open on the target side, and with one large sliding door for access. We have totally soundproofed all the walls that you see here, and the ceiling too, in costy material designed to cut down noise of diesel generator sets in hospitals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0J2qBrJlDw

We have also had to raise the earthworks between THAT range and the adjacent 25m pistol and practical shotgun range by almost 4m to attenuate the sound from there. I'll let the civil engineers here figure out how much dirt it takes to raise a barrier 35m long and 5.5m high...

Here's the grand opening of the then-new range about six years ago - the earth bank on the left is now almost 5.5m high.

It's like folks who move into their new house beside an airfield complaining about the noise...

clivej

35k in total and also to get the members to help out to build a 25m 16 Bay range.
Then see how long it takes to recoup the money.
Put in a 24 bay turning target system, another 20K
Build 100m rifle 6 Bay range, 15k.
And that's just the basics, up keep once they are built. etc etc
Now try to turn a profit

tac foley

The only thing there that is set in concrete the the amount of bank-loand and maybe even mortgage required to set this up. Members can be fickle, to say the least, and are a moveable feast. If they stay away, then the range owner is left with a huge debt to settle.

CorkCBR6

€350 for two ranges in Munster I know of.. 500 is steep alright!

Ubbquittious

CorkCBR6 wrote: »

€350 for two ranges in Munster I know of.. 500 is steep alright!

Where are those ones?

Rows Grower

Ubbquittious wrote: »

How much are we talking about?



Exaggerating insurance costs and being ashamed to admit you're making a few quid seems to be fairly well ingrained into Irish culture. Not too awful long ago I heard of a tradesman claiming to "work half the year for his insurance" when in fact he didn't have any insurance.

I

don't

know.

BattleCorp

Ubbquittious wrote: »

I had a look into joining the local range and seen a rather eyewatering cost of 500 a year mentioned. Seems rather steep for a field with a few mounds of earth and a jacks so where does the money go? does running a rifle range make sense from a business perspective ?

It's not quite as simple as you are making out.

I'm not speaking for Harbour House but I'm going to use them as an example as I'm familiar with their facilities.

They have five ranges covering a fair number of acres. They had to landscape it, put in baffles, berms, backstops, sound reduction measures, target holders etc. Essentially the ranges have to be built. It isn't as simple as piling up dirt to stop bullets escaping. You need engineering advice to ensure you comply with the range regulations. Then you need machinery and access to a tanker load of fuel to move (I'm guessing here), thousands of tonnes of soil. And you need someone to do it for you too.

Three of Harbour House's ranges have covered firing points. They had to be built. Benchrest benches have to be installed. Ranges need safe areas where firearms can be cleared. They also have to be built and maintained. The Irish weather is hard on outdoor fixtures.

Then there's the clubhouse, canteen facilities, training rooms, locker room, gun cleaning/adjusting/fixing area. And toilets. They also have two firearms dealers on site every Saturday and they have to be catered for.

And club guns. I nearly forgot about them. Harbour House have club guns available for members.

Then there is the carpark facilities, walkways to be maintained etc. And the CCTV system and alarm system.

Then there's the health and safety paperwork to be written up. Range rules, emergency planning etc.

Then you need someone to train people with regard to these rules and someone to enforce the rules on the firing line. That entails running training courses, training up RO's etc. Provision of RO jackets etc.

Then there's the insurance and other costs such as electricity. I'm guessing they have to pay council rates too. And there's fees for getting the range authorised every three years.

Plus it costs money to print membership cards, range officer badges etc.

Then they run competitions. They have to buy medals, trophies etc. And the scorecards have to be printed.

I'm sure there are a hundred other things that I forgot but you get my drift.

So yeah, there's a bit more than sticking a target up in a field.

But to answer your other question, I don't think it makes financial sense to go out and buy land with the intention of building a range in the hope of making a fortune because you'll make fcukall.

And as has already been mentioned, you are getting a lot for your tenner a week.

I honestly thing that without members volunteering, there would be no range open in the country.

Hack12

Ubbquittious wrote:

I had a look into joining the local range and seen a rather eyewatering cost of 500 a year mentioned. Seems rather steep for a field with a few mounds of earth and a jacks so where does the money go? does running a rifle range make sense from a business perspective ?

Is that for year 1? Generally most have a once of joining fee and your annual membership.

Gorgeousgeorge

BattleCorp wrote: »

It's not quite as simple as you are making out.

I'm not speaking for Harbour House but I'm going to use them as an example as I'm familiar with their facilities.

They have five ranges covering a fair number of acres. They had to landscape it, put in baffles, berms, backstops, sound reduction measures, target holders etc. Essentially the ranges have to be built. It isn't as simple as piling up dirt to stop bullets escaping. You need engineering advice to ensure you comply with the range regulations. Then you need machinery and access to a tanker load of fuel to move (I'm guessing here), thousands of tonnes of soil. And you need someone to do it for you too.

Three of Harbour House's ranges have covered firing points. They had to be built. Benchrest benches have to be installed. Ranges need safe areas where firearms can be cleared. They also have to be built and maintained. The Irish weather is hard on outdoor fixtures.

Then there's the clubhouse, canteen facilities, training rooms, locker room, gun cleaning/adjusting/fixing area. And toilets. They also have two firearms dealers on site every Saturday and they have to be catered for.

And club guns. I nearly forgot about them. Harbour House have club guns available for members.

Then there is the carpark facilities, walkways to be maintained etc. And the CCTV system and alarm system.

Then there's the health and safety paperwork to be written up. Range rules, emergency planning etc.

Then you need someone to train people with regard to these rules and someone to enforce the rules on the firing line. That entails running training courses, training up RO's etc. Provision of RO jackets etc.

Then there's the insurance and other costs such as electricity. I'm guessing they have to pay council rates too. And there's fees for getting the range authorised every three years.

Plus it costs money to print membership cards, range officer badges etc.

Then they run competitions. They have to buy medals, trophies etc. And the scorecards have to be printed.

I'm sure there are a hundred other things that I forgot but you get my drift.

So yeah, there's a bit more than sticking a target up in a field.

But to answer your other question, I don't think it makes financial sense to go out and buy land with the intention of building a range in the hope of making a fortune because you'll make fcukall.

And as has already been mentioned, you are getting a lot for your tenner a week.

I honestly thing that without members volunteering, there would be no range open in the country.

Imagine spending all that money and not even having planning permission😣

scwazrh

BattleCorp wrote: »

It's not quite as simple as you are making out.

I'm not speaking for Harbour House but I'm going to use them as an example as I'm familiar with their facilities.

They have five ranges covering a fair number of acres. They had to landscape it, put in baffles, berms, backstops, sound reduction measures, target holders etc. Essentially the ranges have to be built. It isn't as simple as piling up dirt to stop bullets escaping. You need engineering advice to ensure you comply with the range regulations. Then you need machinery and access to a tanker load of fuel to move (I'm guessing here), thousands of tonnes of soil. And you need someone to do it for you too.

Three of Harbour House's ranges have covered firing points. They had to be built. Benchrest benches have to be installed. Ranges need safe areas where firearms can be cleared. They also have to be built and maintained. The Irish weather is hard on outdoor fixtures.

Then there's the clubhouse, canteen facilities, training rooms, locker room, gun cleaning/adjusting/fixing area. And toilets. They also have two firearms dealers on site every Saturday and they have to be catered for.

And club guns. I nearly forgot about them. Harbour House have club guns available for members.

Then there is the carpark facilities, walkways to be maintained etc. And the CCTV system and alarm system.

Then there's the health and safety paperwork to be written up. Range rules, emergency planning etc.

Then you need someone to train people with regard to these rules and someone to enforce the rules on the firing line. That entails running training courses, training up RO's etc. Provision of RO jackets etc.

Then there's the insurance and other costs such as electricity. I'm guessing they have to pay council rates too. And there's fees for getting the range authorised every three years.

Plus it costs money to print membership cards, range officer badges etc.

Then they run competitions. They have to buy medals, trophies etc. And the scorecards have to be printed.

I'm sure there are a hundred other things that I forgot but you get my drift.

So yeah, there's a bit more than sticking a target up in a field.

But to answer your other question, I don't think it makes financial sense to go out and buy land with the intention of building a range in the hope of making a fortune because you'll make fcukall.

And as has already been mentioned, you are getting a lot for your tenner a week.

I honestly thing that without members volunteering, there would be no range open in the country.

And after spending so much on all this you still can’t just arrive in mid week and shoot. It would make more sense to pay some range officers to be available during opening hours.

CorkCBR6

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Where are those ones?

Fermoy RC and MTSC

BattleCorp

scwazrh wrote: »

And after spending so much on all this you still can’t just arrive in mid week and shoot. It would make more sense to pay some range officers to be available during opening hours.

That wouldn't make financial sense. For the vast majority of the week nobody will be there shooting. It would be crazy to pay someone to act as an RO when there is nobody there.

The easiest solution is to become qualified as a RO and your shooting buddy to qualify as a RO. Then you can go midweek and RO each other.