Indoor ranges

[benenglish]

A new indoor range has opened near me with benches for rifles, 100 yards target distance. It has 6 benches, moving target carriers (no walking downrange), and video cameras trained on the target at 100 along with LCD screens at the benches to view the images from the cameras.

I haven't been there but I plan to go in the next week or two. I've never shot at that distance indoors and I'm not a competitive benchrest shooter. I just like to occasionally punch holes in paper. Like any range, it might be great and it might be awful, depending on the design decisions that were made.

I've read (on this board and elsewhere) about shooting in tunnels but this is different. There may be as many as 6 shooters, side by side, shooting down (essentially) a long hallway. I imagine the experience will be different from a purpose-built, one-rifle-at-a-time testing tunnel but I certainly don't have the experience to say that's certain to be the case.

For those of you with experience shooting indoors - what do you look for in a 100-yard indoor range? Are there any "gotchas" or common design errors that plague such facilities? Anything weird about shooting centerfire rifles indoors?

TIA for any insights.

 

[MilGunsmith]

Depending on how the ventilation system is designed, there can be some strange airflows. This can affect bullet flight for BR. We shut most of the ventilation down to minimum when doing accuracy testing in our 300 meter tunnel. Also sound levels are worse indoors, always use double hearing protection, plugs and muffs.

 

[Wilbur]

Depending on how the ventilation system is designed, there can be some strange airflows. This can affect bullet flight for BR. We shut most of the ventilation down to minimum when doing accuracy testing in our 300 meter tunnel. Also sound levels are worse indoors, always use double hearing protection, plugs and muffs.

And eye protection with side shields!

Me and a friend checked out an indoor pistol range (close up stuff) and left bleeding from the bitty pieces of jacket material that ricocheted around in there. How did we know it was jacket material...? Cause we picked it outta our faces and arms and looked at it. The bullet traps looked like they would catch anything for sure. Maybe somebody was missing the trap.

Anyways, don't expect to find "no conditions" in there. There's a rimfire range in a chicken house (actually two) where bullets drift left and right without being able to see what's causing it. Rod Collins set up smokers to try and understand it. We all looked at the smoke and said "oh well" as it didn't show much of anything. On the other hand, if you can find a rifle that shoots well indoors, save it for that early morning target.

 

[katokoch]

I shoot in here on occasion... only four stalls, 50 yards. Good for testing ammo.

The biggest issue in there is mirage and low light, but it's not a 24/7 issue even if there's pistol shooters blazing away next to you. Another possible downside is shooting on light benches not intended for BR shooting, but they get the job done. One day I was the lone shooter in there for awhile and with the owner's permission I put surveyor's tape ribbons on the other three target backers and set them at different distances downrange (like 10, 25, 40 yards) and they never moved once. I think that may be due to it being a small narrow range compared to the turkey barn indoor ranges.

And yes... as Wilbur says it can be LOUD.

 

[benenglish]

Anyways, don't expect to find "no conditions" in there.

I got a chance to shoot there (finally) and you're absolutely right. At this particular range, there are spotlights providing good illumination at 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards but there's an A/C blower mounted right at 50 yards downrange. Targets at that range never stop moving. It's sure convenient for sighting in a hunting rifle at 100 yards, though.

The LCD screens at each position show the targets at 100. That's convenient, too.

Given that the benches are all connected (range in top photo) or mounted to vertical walls that pick up vibrations (range in bottom photo), the muzzle blast and recoil of the guy next door definitely vibrates your bench. Thus, it's not a great place for people trying to push the limits of benchrest accuracy but for a duffer like me, it's kinda nice.

 

[coondogkid]

Lighting is biggest problem at the con roe range. They're set up for mostly set up for the
Reg guy . Not br shooter . I tried to get involved in building it but they wouldn't have no part of it.