Shooting Guns – Bullet Basics

There are a few variables when calculating the costs of shooting at a gun range and they’re not all necessarily intuitive. It can sure get expensive for a few reasons, but knowing what you’re doing can reduce costs significantly. How much does it cost to go shooting at a gun range? The all-in costs for one person to go shooting at a gun range is about $30 for those bringing guns to shoot and $50 for those renting guns. Whether rented, bought or brought, patrons will need to account for range costs, gun-rental costs, ammo costs, and protection costs—which all affect total range costs. It is difficult to determine how much a single gun-range outing costs because each person may have more or less gear and ammo of their own to bring to the range. Below we break down the potential costs of going to the range. Detailed Explanation Gun ranges have varied costs that need to be calculated when evaluating the entire cost of going shooting at a gun range. Whether the range is indoor or outdoor, all ranges charge an entrance fee to use the range. Additionally, they usually charge for visitors to use their range guns as well as the ammo you will shoot. Other costs that shouldn’t be overlooked are shooting lessons, hearing and eye protection, and target costs (for targets not provided by the range). Indoor Range Costs Going shooting at indoor ranges tends to be fairly expensive, likely due to upkeep costs. They are often located within city limits to give people a place to shoot close to where they live—which makes for higher real estate costs. The ranges are usually 25-50 meters, best for short-range shooting. Outdoor Range Costs Outdoor ranges, on the other hand, are often less expensive (though there are certainly exceptions to this), with much less upkeep required. They also tend to be located far from the city and require some drive time to get there. If it isn’t a million degrees outside, these tend to be more fun—and not nearly as loud. These ranges are best for longer-range shooting with rifles. Range Costs Range rental costs can vary significantly depending on where the range is located and how nice it is. Generally, though, visitors must pay to shoot on the range—usually by the hour or for an all-day pass (I usually only see all-day passes). For the first person on each lane, the cost is usually higher, with a reduced cost for every additional person up to the lane limit (often 2 or 3 people allowed per lane). So if the cost is $10 for a range day pass, each additional person may cost only $7 or $8. If the limit in each lane is 3 people, the fourth person must pay for another lane at the original $10. Range rental costs can be all over the place, depending on the range. Some ranges are much nicer and offer cooler amenities, which as you can imagine, means they’ll be more expensive. These can be $15, $20 or even more just to shoot on the range. Other things, like gun rentals are additional costs. Other ranges may offer only the absolute necessities, saving you some money. I have been to ranges costing only $4. They aren’t anything special, but they are basically free so I don’t complain. For those that plan to go shooting a lot, most ranges offer monthly or annual passes that can cut costs significantly. Members pay once and then have unlimited access to the range for that specific period of time. They usually receive discounts on other things, like ammo, as an enticement to buy things there. These are only worth the cost if attending often! Gun-rental Costs Visitors to gun ranges can rent guns from an inventory of gun the range has ready to use. These costs tend to be one of the most expensive parts of going shooting on a gun range. Most ranges have a few options for renting guns. Patrons can rent a single gun and spend their entire time on the range with that one gun; or they can upgrade to an unlimited-rentals pass to have the ability to try many different guns. As you can imagine, unlimited rental passes is more expensive. Typical unlimited gun rental prices are anywhere from $25-$30, while prices for a single gun rental is roughly $15. For unlimited rental passes, ranges usually rent by the caliber. In other words, the renter can shoot any gun within the same caliber. So if a person shoots a Glock 19, which is 9mm, they can shoot any other 9mm at the range. Ranges in the past have told me that I could literally shoot one bullet out of each gun of the same caliber if I wanted. All I had to do is bring the previous gun back to them and get the next. Some ranges offer specific deals that cut down all costs, with gun rental costs being the biggest discount. Make sure to ask about any deals or packages the gun range may have. They are usually for more than one person and are a set amount of money for the whole experience, which usually includes range cost, gun rental costs, ammo, hearing and eye protection. Ammo Costs Ammo costs are the most expensive cost when shooting if 1) the shooter shoots a large amount of ammo in a given outing or 2) goes shooting a lot. So finding a good deal can save some serious money. Ammo prices change often and vary by the caliber. Own ammo vs range ammo Range ammo is almost always more expensive to shoot. The exact same ammo can often be found elsewhere for dollars cheaper per box. So if you can avoid using the range’s ammo, you definitely should. Using your own ammo will all depend on whether the range will allow you to do so. If you are bringing your own gun with you, the range usually won’t require using their ammo. They may have restrictions on certain types of ammo, but that’s usually just to protect their equipment. Steel-core ammo, steel-cased ammo, and hand-loaded ammo is often restricted for this reason. The other reason to shoot range ammo is when renting range guns. Most ranges want to know what kind of ammo is being used in their guns, so they require the ammo they have at the range to be used. Other than that, most ranges allow visitors to shoot any other ammo they like; which means finding a good deal can save you a few bucks when going shooting the first time or a lot of money when shooting more than once. It is best, and more affordable, to use your own ammo when allowed to do so, and only use range ammo when renting range guns. Places to buy ammo You can find cheap ammo all over the place. Black Friday is one of the best times to get ammo very cheap! Some other places that often have great prices on ammo are: Online Palmetto State ArmoryCheaper than dirt In store Cabela’sSportsman’s WarehouseMany local gun shops Other Costs Shooting lessons Many ranges offer shooting lessons or courses for shooters with all levels of experience. Beginner handgun and rifle courses are great for shooters that are nervous about shooting, and guns in general, and want someone to walk them through all of it. They are also great for those that are just curious and want to know more. Obviously, shooting courses aren’t free. Prices vary as much or more than anything else we’ve talked about so far; they can be anywhere from $50 per course to thousands of dollars per course (which usually excludes cost of ammo), and what you learn from them varies even more. Hearing and Eye Protection Hearing and eye protection is essential when shooting guns. Guns are loud, which I hope isn’t a surprise to anyone; they can damage hearing permanently if the property precautions aren’t taken. Similarly, many things could damage eyes and cause permanent damage to sight. Consequently, both hearing protection and eye protection should be worn while at the range. In fact, most ranges will not allow visitors to enter the range without them. Hearing and eye protection is almost always included with the purchase of a range pass. It usually comes in the form of noise reduction headphones and goggles that cover the front, sides and tops of the eyes. However, it should be noted that some ranges require visitors to rent these items separately from the range costs. At most, they usually cost a few dollars to rent. Target costs You have to shoot something when you go to the range. Usually it’s paper targets at indoor ranges—though sometimes it can be steel targets too. Outdoor ranges are a mixture of paper targets, steel targets and other targets. Similarly to hearing and eye protection, target costs are often included in the purchase of a range pass. At indoor ranges it’s usually paper targets and at outdoor ranges it’s usually steel targets. Both, though, are just for the most basic types of targets at the range. For anything more “fancy”, visitors must pay. Ranges often have larger targets that are more fun to shoot at that cost $1-$2 each. That may have smaller ones, too, that are $.25-$.50 each. Related Questions Can children shoot at gun ranges with their parents? Generally speaking, most gun ranges will allow children to shoot with their parents. Ranges still usually impose an age limit, such as 10 or 12 years old; but, as long as they are accompanied by their parents, or by a responsible adult, they can shoot. Will the gun range supply a gun or do I need to bring one? Gun ranges usually can provide guns for rent, but don’t automatically provide them to visitors. Bringing guns, instead of renting them, brings down the cost of the shooting experience. Some gun ranges don’t provide rental guns at all.