Recent trip to Sunset Hill (Henryville, PA)

[msquaredserver]

I know a few people have posted about this range and it's kind of a love it/hate it place, but I figured I should share my story. A few friends and I wanted to go to a range, and since it was a little bit rainy out, we decided to trek about 45 minutes out of the way to go to Sunset Hill. That was our first mistake.

First, we waited in line for about 30 minutes, in the rain. In the rain. What we went there to avoid in the first place. When we finally got in, we were rushed through the process. They asked if it was our first time. I said, "yes, I see it's $10 for range fees? That's pretty good."

She then tells me what their policy on using your own gun is. "It's $35 if you want to use your own gun" To which I hesitantly replied "Uhhh, OK." We get a little further in the process and the lady behind the counter asks if we're all shooting my gun. I replied that yes, we all were. She tells me that will cost $140. WHAT?? $35 per person. Lovely. Well, apparently, it's only $10 to rent a gun, with an instructor. This made no sense to me, but since we were being rushed, I said OK. She told us to go to the end and wait for an instructor. We did. Turns out, by "end" she meant "go outside." Another 10 minutes wasted.

This is the point where I should have said "no guys, we're leaving." She sees me carrying openly and tells me to conceal.

I'd like to reiterate that in it's own paragraph, and in caps-lock (yes, I'm yelling this right now):

A FIREARM RANGE EMPLOYEE ASKED ME TO CONCEAL MY FIREARM ON THE RANGE. WHAT???

Since I had 3 friends with me, I obliged, very begrudgingly. We went outside, to wait on another line. We were getting all stoked, and I kept on running over through my head how it made sense that it was cheaper to rent firearms, with an instructor present. It didn't make sense. One of the girls looked at the range and shouted "OHH AK-47! I WANT TO SHOOT THAT ONE!!" So I looked at it, and above the port where the AK was, there was a sign: "8 for $10." And it dawned on me. I took a little walk around the range to look at prices and was astonished at what people were paying. Most handguns were over $1/round. Fucking tourists, I thought (pardon the French, but I am angry and I don't believe it's against the rules to throw a little vulgarity in thread contents).

Shooting a gun comparable to my M&P40, which I bought a box of 100 for around $35, I would have paid over $96 (then extra for range fees). At a range packed full of New Jerseyans. Ugh, shoot me (pun intended).

We left after that realization, and I was open carrying again halfway out the door. I was dissatisfied. And there you have it. If you're a tourist and don't care about money, this might be a great place to shoot (if you're willing to spend $8 for 7 rounds of 9mm... ugh). Otherwise, steer clear.

[jcabin]

She sees me carrying openly and tells me to conceal.

I'd like to reiterate that in it's own paragraph, and in caps-lock (yes, I'm yelling this right now):

A FIREARM RANGE EMPLOYEE ASKED ME TO CONCEAL MY FIREARM ON THE RANGE. WHAT???.

Oh, so you found that shit hole Sunset Hill? It's a tourist trap and anyone who knows better wouldn't even consider it. You should have heeded our advice. Unfortunately, now we can add you to the ranks of dissatisfied SHill fans.

If you read back through my posts in previous threads, they asked me to conceal quite a few times to which I refused. The instructors there actually denied that we have a LTCF, and that we have a CCP. If we don't conceal we can go to jail, blah fuckin blah. I argued back and they backed down.

[msquaredserver]

Oh, so you found that shit hole Sunset Hill? It's a tourist trap and anyone who knows better wouldn't even consider it. You should have heeded our advice. Unfortunately, now we can add you to the ranks of dissatisfied SHill fans.

It was more one of those spur of the moment type things. We would have gone to the range in Archibald, but two of the friends were girls and I wasn't sure how excited they'd be about standing around in the rain.

As it turns out, we went back up to SGL 300, stood in the rain, and they had a blast. Without spending an exorbitant amount of money.

[Kramer]

We would have gone to the range in Archibald...

I was there a year ago with a friend and wow that place was special. I even got to see an idiot with a badge hanging around his neck (LEO?) sweeping the firing line in the pistol range. We waited for him a few others to leave before we went to the firing line.

[ungawa]

She then tells me what their policy on using your own gun is. "It's $35 if you want to use your own gun" To which I hesitantly replied "Uhhh, OK." We get a little further in the process and the lady behind the counter asks if we're all shooting my gun. I replied that yes, we all were. She tells me that will cost $140.

See ya!!!

Holy crap. I also don't understand all that waiting in line in the rain crap, but I've never seen the place.

[jcabin]

It was more one of those spur of the moment type things. We would have gone to the range in Archibald, but two of the friends were girls and I wasn't sure how excited they'd be about standing around in the rain.

As it turns out, we went back up to SGL 300, stood in the rain, and they had a blast. Without spending an exorbitant amount of money.

Darn, SGL 127 was about 15 minutes up the road, and they just built it. Real nice.

[armabill]

I visited Sunset Hill once, didn't shoot. I waited an hour for them to just open up and after I saw what it was- I left.

It was raining too.

[msquaredserver]

I was there a year ago with a friend and wow that place was special. I even got to see an idiot with a badge hanging around his neck (LEO?) sweeping the firing line in the pistol range. We waited for him a few others to leave before we went to the firing line.

You'll find morons on all the public ranges. Especially the ones close to the NJ border or popular NY/NJ vacation areas (Pike county range.. ugh NY kid picked up a 22 and aimed downrange while people were walking down to check their targets, dad wasn't even watching him...).

Holy crap. I also don't understand all that waiting in line in the rain crap, but I've never seen the place.

The line was out the door - the store part was incredibly small, barely two groups of people fit in at any time.

Darn, SGL 127 was about 15 minutes up the road, and they just built it. Real nice.

Damn. Wish I had known. But if it was 15 minutes in the wrong direction, that would have been a nuisance. At least SGL 300 was pretty much on the way back to Honesdale.

[jcabin]

Damn. Wish I had known. But if it was 15 minutes in the wrong direction, that would have been a nuisance. At least SGL 300 was pretty much on the way back to Honesdale.

Yeah, it was 15 minutes towards honesdale, so you def coulda used sgl 127.

[rovert97]

i would like to chime in on this since well i work there part time. but i dont know which lady inside helped you out. i will assume it was the boss' wife, who really has no idea what shes doing and shouldnt be at the desk.

if you brought your own gun, yes the first time it is $35. that includes a 1 year membership, and the range fee. if you went to the left side, thats where members shoot what they bring, if you goto the right, its for the tourists that wanna shoot anything and blow all their money on the high prices that the boss charges on the rentals. its a business, and people from other states who dont shoot on a regular basis dont know how much they "should" be spending to shoot like we do.

i assume since you brought your gun, but never shot you probably werent given proper directions and went to the rental side.

i dont know what more to post about this. im just a range monkey who needs money and does it part time. i dont agree with some of the stuff at the place or how stuff is done, but its not for me to argue with the boss.