PA Public Shooting Range - Noobie Help

[Berncly]

Welcome.
If you have no experience with guns, it would be a very good idea to go to a firearm training class.
Many ranges offer basic firearm safety classes, they are not expensive, and they are well worth the time.
There are many private ranges (particularly indoor ranges) that don't require a membership to shoot.
You can shoot at many indoor ranges for about $15 per person.
An indoor range will usually also have a gun shop that can provide ammunition, safety gear (eyes, ears), targets, instruction, and range safety officers.
Just google "indoor gun ranges near me" in google maps to see what is close by, and call them if you have any questions about ranges and classes.
Best of luck, and please be safe.

[joelkbish]

All these private ranges near me seem to be required to have to be sponsored by a member of the gunmen's club and cost a pretty penny!
That's kinda why i just wanted to get a 30$ shooting range permit sucks its only good for two months though

[Marcus99]

All these private ranges near me seem to be required to have to be sponsored by a member of the gunmen's club and cost a pretty penny!
That's kinda why i just wanted to get a 30$ shooting range permit sucks its only good for two months though

The permit is good for a year but they expire at the end of june. If you buy one today it's good for April-May-June. You buy one in July 2017 and it's good until June 2018. You're not going to find an indoor range or public range of any kind that's going to let you shoot unlimited for 3 months for $30 or less. You could always wait until next years permits go on sale too, usually mid june I think.

[Berncly]

All these private ranges near me seem to be required to have to be sponsored by a member of the gunmen's club and cost a pretty penny!
That's kinda why i just wanted to get a 30$ shooting range permit sucks its only good for two months though

Both of these ranges are full service gun shops that are open to the public for about $15 per hour.

A&S Indoor Pistol Range: http://www.indoorpistolrange.com/index.html
Anthony Arms & Shooting Center: http://anthonyarms.com/

They are both about 1 hour from New Brighton, PA.
It may seem a bit far, but I routinely drive 45 minutes to an hour to hit the range.
It can actually be a very nice date night with your wife/girlfriend if you turn it into a range/dinner/coffee/scenic drive.
If you have no firearm experience, I strongly recommend that you get some basic instruction from a full service range before heading out on your own.
Please be safe, and don't hesitate to post any questions you may have.

[scruff]

All these private ranges near me seem to be required to have to be sponsored by a member of the gunmen's club and cost a pretty penny!
That's kinda why i just wanted to get a 30$ shooting range permit sucks its only good for two months though

Join us at our group shoot on April 22. Hang out, shoot guns, eat bacon. It's a good time! http://forum.pafoa.org/showthread.php?t=316384

[Neilthepilot]

A small pedant: No more than three rounds except a handgun at a designated handgun range, and about half of the state game lands with public shoot ranges don't have any designated handgun ranges. Just trying to keep him away from the Gestapo.

Also no shot of any kind, only slugs in shotguns.

New regs for this year. All ranges are rifle ranges unless specifically designated as a handgun range.

[bigandy1966]

sorry, but its a sportsmans club, not a "gunmans club" that would be one of the finer establishments in chester

[mosseater]

Welcome.
If you have no experience with guns, it would be a very good idea to go to a firearm training class.
Many ranges offer basic firearm safety classes, they are not expensive, and they are well worth the time.
There are many private ranges (particularly indoor ranges) that don't require a membership to shoot.
You can shoot at many indoor ranges for about $15 per person.
An indoor range will usually also have a gun shop that can provide ammunition, safety gear (eyes, ears), targets, instruction, and range safety officers.
Just google "indoor gun ranges near me" in google maps to see what is close by, and call them if you have any questions about ranges and classes.
Best of luck, and please be safe.

Absolutely! With the right comes the responsibility. We would all do well to never forget that.

[KCJones]

FWIW, when I came to PA I started out shooting at the gamelands public ranges, same reason as you: why spend more?

I soon found out why. I got tired of the untrained, unsafe, "yahoo!" shooters at the public range. One day I was heading out there and my wife asked why I had my various guns AND my daily carry piece on me. I realized it was because I didn't even feel safe there. (FWIW, the nearest gameland range to me is the one near Carlisle where in fact a guy got murdered a few years back).

In the end, I pay $180 a year for a 'family' membership at a local gun club vs. $30 each for wife and two kids + me at the gamelands range if I wanted us all to shoot. At the club we have outdoor pistol, 25-50-100 yard outdoor rifle, indoor pistol, indoor archery, outdoor PPC, "wood walk" paths with targets, outdoor black powder, outdoor archery, and more. Plus actually-enforced safety rules, and generally a membership that has a clue... So well worth the extra $60 I think.

[markshere2]

1) Welcome to PAFOA. Come for the info, stay for the snarky jerks*.

B. Let me know if you want to take lessons from a guy just north of Butler that has a range on his property.


* so says snarky jerk #315