Range Rental - North Fort Worth ??

[pcgizzmo]

I talked w/my buddy. He did not have any trouble getting in w/Shoot Smart. Might want to talk to them again.

I WAS a Pioneer member when they first opened. When I asked about qualifying students I was told NO in no uncertain terms and very rudely. I have not been back for any reason and will never go back, nor to their new location.

I've heard this about shoot smart as well. I would love to open a range in the Roanoke/Keller area and have been looking at pricing. It's extremely expensive. The biggest cost is your going to need to own your building and air filtration well and the cost of a back stop. The lanes aren't too bad.

I would love to start a fund and anyone that donates a certain amount of money could have a life time membership and then once you get enough open the range. I am betting you would still get enough people to be able to run the range even with a bunch of lifetime members.

[bwilie]

I'm certainly not rich, but I would consider contributing to an instructor shooting range. I'm in Waxahachie and I'm having a heck of a time finding a place to qualify students.

[The_Busy_Mom]

You try the rangs off 35w and 28th street?

That is The Shooter's Club. Their range is only 10 yards, so it doesn't meet the standard to be able to shoot the last round of the qualification. Many moons ago, you could use a different/modified target if space was an issue, but this is no longer the case.

TBM

I did my class and qualifying there. The guy doing the class was a leo that I had run accross prior. He/they got some form of acception

I hope that your qualification wasn't recent. I have a feeling the guy got in trouble with the CHL gods because I went in there last week to talk about qualifying students, before I was aware of the length of the lanes, and the guy running the counter was all incognito about what was going on with CHL quals. CHL class isn't offered on their website anymore, either. And I know that the auditors are out in force around these parts. I don't know what exception he might have gotten, other than the modified target because of distance that was formerly an OK practice, but that practice certainly isn't OK now. Haven't heard back from him on the outcome of whatever he was trying to work out with DPS.

TBM

[The_Busy_Mom]

I talked w/my buddy. He did not have any trouble getting in w/Shoot Smart. Might want to talk to them again.

I don't understand why ranges will not let outside instructors come in. We are going to bring them new customers. If the customer likes the range, they are likely to come back.

Elk Castle will not let me qualify my students but said their instructors would for $15 (which is a steal - range fees are normally $17 - 20 at other ranges).

I would LOVE to know how he managed to get into Shoot Smart. I have qualified students there before, but I try to be very low key, and only on the private lanes. A few months back, they were hiring a CHL instructor, and I went to talk with the manager about what value I might be able to bring to their operation. I had already been told that they don't allow outside instructors, so I thought I might just contract out my CHL services to them. Not even close. You have to become an employee, which I would have done had there not been other issues. You have to teach their curriculum, and you cannot teach within a 30-mile radius of their store. I totally get their side of the story - this is their business, reputation, etc. Just wasn't what I was looking for. But this was long after I had been told no outside instructors. So I will take small groups there, like 1-4 students, but big groups go to either Quail Creek or Eagle Gun Range in Lewisville. I have taken probably 20-30 students to qualify at ShootSmart over the last year, and not 1 of them had even been into that particular range before. So it's free advertising for ShootSmart, they are still making money, and I get to qualify my students. Seems like it would be a win/win for all involved, but the great thing about America is that they can choose to set their own rules and run their own operation. Capitalism at its finest!!

TBM

[sjfcontrol]

I talked w/my buddy. He did not have any trouble getting in w/Shoot Smart. Might want to talk to them again.

I don't understand why ranges will not let outside instructors come in. We are going to bring them new customers. If the customer likes the range, they are likely to come back.

Elk Castle will not let me qualify my students but said their instructors would for $15 (which is a steal - range fees are normally $17 - 20 at other ranges).

I would LOVE to know how he managed to get into Shoot Smart. I have qualified students there before, but I try to be very low key, and only on the private lanes. A few months back, they were hiring a CHL instructor, and I went to talk with the manager about what value I might be able to bring to their operation. I had already been told that they don't allow outside instructors, so I thought I might just contract out my CHL services to them. Not even close. You have to become an employee, which I would have done had there not been other issues. You have to teach their curriculum, and you cannot teach within a 30-mile radius of their store. I totally get their side of the story - this is their business, reputation, etc. Just wasn't what I was looking for. But this was long after I had been told no outside instructors. So I will take small groups there, like 1-4 students, but big groups go to either Quail Creek or Eagle Gun Range in Lewisville. I have taken probably 20-30 students to qualify at ShootSmart over the last year, and not 1 of them had even been into that particular range before. So it's free advertising for ShootSmart, they are still making money, and I get to qualify my students. Seems like it would be a win/win for all involved, but the great thing about America is that they can choose to set their own rules and run their own operation. Capitalism at its finest!!

TBM

Couple of questions...

So, Eagle Gun Range in Lewisville allows outside instructors? I emailed them a couple of months back to see if that would be possible, and got no response (which I took as a 'NO').

ShootSmart doesn't allow outside instructors, so you only bring small groups there? Umm, wouldn't that be morally -- questionable?

[The_Busy_Mom]

I talked w/my buddy. He did not have any trouble getting in w/Shoot Smart. Might want to talk to them again.

I don't understand why ranges will not let outside instructors come in. We are going to bring them new customers. If the customer likes the range, they are likely to come back.

Elk Castle will not let me qualify my students but said their instructors would for $15 (which is a steal - range fees are normally $17 - 20 at other ranges).

I would LOVE to know how he managed to get into Shoot Smart. I have qualified students there before, but I try to be very low key, and only on the private lanes. A few months back, they were hiring a CHL instructor, and I went to talk with the manager about what value I might be able to bring to their operation. I had already been told that they don't allow outside instructors, so I thought I might just contract out my CHL services to them. Not even close. You have to become an employee, which I would have done had there not been other issues. You have to teach their curriculum, and you cannot teach within a 30-mile radius of their store. I totally get their side of the story - this is their business, reputation, etc. Just wasn't what I was looking for. But this was long after I had been told no outside instructors. So I will take small groups there, like 1-4 students, but big groups go to either Quail Creek or Eagle Gun Range in Lewisville. I have taken probably 20-30 students to qualify at ShootSmart over the last year, and not 1 of them had even been into that particular range before. So it's free advertising for ShootSmart, they are still making money, and I get to qualify my students. Seems like it would be a win/win for all involved, but the great thing about America is that they can choose to set their own rules and run their own operation. Capitalism at its finest!!

TBM

Couple of questions...

So, Eagle Gun Range in Lewisville allows outside instructors? I emailed them a couple of months back to see if that would be possible, and got no response (which I took as a 'NO').

ShootSmart doesn't allow outside instructors, so you only bring small groups there? Umm, wouldn't that be morally -- questionable?

If you want the contact for Eagle, let me know and I will get you his email address.

I am still a member at ShootSmart, and I still have the ability to bring in 4 guests with my membership. I think what ShootSmart really wants is to limit the number of people being brought in at one time. I taught a big class the other day, and had one guy who needed to leave before he shot the qualification. So we made arrangements to shoot at ShootSmart the next day. The RSO knew exactly what I was doing, so maybe ShootSmart isn't as hardcore now as they used to be. After all, a post above said his friend got in. And maybe they are now seeing that ShootSmart can capitalize on outside students. We can hope, anyway......

TBM

[RKlenka]

Im one of the CHL instructors Shoot Smart picked up a few months back. You can't be surprised that they don't allow outside instructors. They are a business and a big part of it is CHL.

Finding a range around here is pretty difficult, so i did the whole 'well if you cant beat them join them'. Its pretty nice, I show up and the targets are already set ready to go. Just teach, test and sign. I don't think they could make it any easier for me.

Now a open range that allows movement beyond a small side step, with barricades and a shoot house...ah that would be something.

[sjfcontrol]

Im one of the CHL instructors Shoot Smart picked up a few months back. You can't be surprised that they don't allow outside instructors. They are a business and a big part of it is CHL.

Finding a range around here is pretty difficult, so i did the whole 'well if you cant beat them join them'. Its pretty nice, I show up and the targets are already set ready to go. Just teach, test and sign. I don't think they could make it any easier for me.

Now a open range that allows movement beyond a small side step, with barricades and a shoot house...ah that would be something.

And I suppose THEY can't be surprised when outside instructors don't recommend ranges to their students that don't allow outside instructors -- or actually badmouth them when asked which ranges are good/bad. The fact is that 1) they would make money on the proficiency portion that they are now losing. 2) they would pick up those students brought in for testing for general range use and possibly firearms sales in the future.

It has always been my belief that we improve our business standing when we cooperate with others in our industry.

[switch]

I have been to Shoot Smart a couple of times. I have a friend that has 'privileges' there. It is too far for me to take a class. Still, seems like they would pick up more business if they allowed outside instructors to bring in students.

Not to mention that we all should work together on 2nd amendment issues.

I have an outdoor range (30 miles south of DFW). If you want to bring students, move, shoot, roll around in the mud, feel free to come out. :)

[RKlenka]

And I suppose THEY can't be surprised when outside instructors don't recommend ranges to their students that don't allow outside instructors -- or actually badmouth them when asked which ranges are good/bad. The fact is that 1) they would make money on the proficiency portion that they are now losing. 2) they would pick up those students brought in for testing for general range use and possibly firearms sales in the future.

I don't see how they could be surprised, I assume they did the numbers and found that their policy to be the best for them. I don't get the whole badmouthing a range just because they don't allow outside instructors thing. But then again i don't like indoor ranges so im only there when im teaching. I will pass on the idea of charge a extra fee to have instructors qualify there students though, it sounds fair enough.

I have an outdoor range (30 miles south of DFW). If you want to bring students, move, shoot, roll around in the mud, feel free to come out. :)

I have family in Venus and would totally take you up on that offer :P Here is what all i do: http://www.fortworthcombatives.com/ Most of our moving range work is out of Waco because we haven't found a good place up here yet. We should become friends :P

[switch]

I work at FW Gun Emporium Tues thru Sat, 9 - 6. Drop in an say hello. I might even have some ammo or a gun you cannot live w/o. :)

[n5wd]

I work at FW Gun Emporium Tues thru Sat, 9 - 6. Drop in an say hello. I might even have some ammo or a gun you cannot live w/o. :)

How come your (FWGE) web pages don't work?

[switch]

web site is being built.

[steven8669]

Guys,

Any updates on ranges that are instructor friendly throughout DFW? I am moving from Abilene to Dallas soon and have spent all morning surfing the web and calling gun ranges throughout DFW. I am not having much luck. The only range that agreed to let me come out was Elm Fork and they charged $200 to rent out the entire bay for 1 hour. This seems like my only real option, I haven't tried Quail Creek yet.

Thanks for any updates!

Steven

[switch]

Give me a call. I'm about 30 minutes south of Dallas).
jack
817-946-5657