Rhudson505404 Posted December 19, 2021 Report Share Posted December 19, 2021 Hi, I'm getting plans together to construct a shooting range so I'm doing a little but of market research. I plan to have steel animal targets at 300 yards, gongs at 500 and 700. Paper targets/gongs at 100 for group testing and zeroing. Smaller animal targets at 50 for rimfires only All shooting from benches or prone under a covered position. Would the cater for most peoples needs? I'm open to other suggestions Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangbangman Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 Sounds great. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcampbellsmith Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 Some paper targets at 25, 50 and 180 yards would be handy too. Regards JCS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhudson505404 Posted December 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 37 minutes ago, jcampbellsmith said: Some paper targets at 25, 50 and 180 yards would be handy too. Regards JCS Noted, thankyou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 Pay as much attention to your business model as the targetry. I am sure that setting up a proper facility is incredibly expensive but when I see others needing / wanting to charge £35 per hour it becomes out of reach personally. Can the UK market stand what you may need to charge to recoup your outlay? I any event ...the very best of luck....we need more ranges and ones that cater for more than paper punching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhudson505404 Posted December 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 5 minutes ago, DaveT said: Pay as much attention to your business model as the targetry. I am sure that setting up a proper facility is incredibly expensive but when I see others needing / wanting to charge £35 per hour it becomes out of reach personally. Can the UK market stand what you may need to charge to recoup your outlay? I any event ...the very best of luck....we need more ranges and ones that cater for more than paper punching. £35 is massively out of reach for most im sure. Where is it thats charging that? Is that the average rate to use a range these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popsbengo Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 14 minutes ago, Rhudson505404 said: £35 is massively out of reach for most im sure. Where is it thats charging that? Is that the average rate to use a range these days? With regard to club bookings. One 500yd range we use is £160 per day for three lanes, that provides proper targeting and butts. We paid £160 (I think?) for two lanes for a day at Bisley for electronic targets to 1000yds. Military ranges are a similar charge. On top of range fees are other costs like MoD License, NRA Affiliation etc etc. For an ad-hoc use of a "range" that shoots out to 250yds (in Staffs); they charge £25 per person on an open day once per month. As DaveT suggests above, I'd be very clear about your business model, it's not just the cost of setting out a field. Also best of luck with neighbours and noise, not to mention planning (be aware of falling back on the so called "28 day rule" - it doesn't protect you from other enforcement like noise). Others have tried in Staffs, and failed. I wish you the best of British as you're local to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akeld Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 Similar set has folded in Northumberland, suggested gold silver bronze membership plan, which initially had to be silver membership at £1500 for the first year, and you were allowed ten visits a year so £150 for a days gong shooting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nCognitos Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 Read this and the best of luck! https://www.gunmart.net/shooting-advice/where-to-shoot/shooting-range/silverstone-shooting-centre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popsbengo Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 32 minutes ago, nCognitos said: Read this and the best of luck! https://www.gunmart.net/shooting-advice/where-to-shoot/shooting-range/silverstone-shooting-centre Interesting but a very expensive way to go shooting at short range. For example, our club in North Staffs is £130 pa membership. That is inclusive of 12x full bore shoots at 500yds, everyday all-year access to 50yd undercover carbine range, two evenings a week, 51 weeks a year, indoor smallbore, and for an extra £35pa, all-week, every week access to .22 smallbore 100yd outdoor ranges with covered firing positions. We also offer four Bisley 1000yd shoots for an additional £25 each, four times a year. What would be the attraction of spending £650 pa for far less? (taking Silverstone's "Gold" plan as an example). I can see the occasional fun day out plinking gongs, but that's not going to sustain a business is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akeld Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 Pretty sure silverstone scrapped that system very quickly as take up wasn't great. The club I'm with in Northumberland gets 12 days on a military range (out to 600 but usually 100,200,300) for £115 all in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popsbengo Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 1 minute ago, Akeld said: Pretty sure silverstone scrapped that system very quickly as take up wasn't great. Not according to their website Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One on top of two Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 10 hours ago, jcampbellsmith said: Some paper targets at 25, 50 and 180 yards would be handy too. Regards JCS Why 180 yards ? I get 25 / 50 / 100 /200 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Re-Pete Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 I pay £18.50 an hour at Bisley, low season electronic targets.......... Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT3_richy Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 2 hours ago, Akeld said: Pretty sure silverstone scrapped that system very quickly as take up wasn't great. Nope, https://www.silverstoneshootingcentre.co.uk/shop/membership-renewal/, that's the current costs - people will pay it and more if it fits them. Same with the £35/hour mentioned above - plenty of people will pay that and more if the circumstances are right and their wallet permits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popsbengo Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 37 minutes ago, GT3_richy said: Same with the £35/hour mentioned above - plenty of people will pay that and more if the circumstances are right and their wallet permits. "Plenty of people" - there's the rub, sufficient to make a business pay? I do hope so but I doubt it especially in the north midlands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT3_richy Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 As I said, if the circumstances (inc location) are right. There was a 1200ish yard plinking/prs training type thing operating about 15 mins down the road from me (until he fell out with the land owner recently), he was charging £475 a day 1 to 1, with additional shooters at 75 quid a pop - and I know people were paying it ;s Silverstone are doing ok I assume, as they're building a load more ranges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryh Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Gents you cannot compare a club with a commercial range. Clubs are normally run by officers who are volunteers ie no associated costs. Also costs, such as say buying a steel target for £109 are ‘at cost’ to the club where as a business would use a value of more than double this for the same item if they have a real business model. There is always a pool of folks with sufficient spare beer tokens to pay for things and commercial operations cater for this - just look at coffee shops and iPhones Good luck with any enterprise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newsatten Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Brilliant idea! shame no one’s looking to do something like this in Kent ! absolutely dire here , plus both my clay shooting venues have closed due to housing developments garden of England I think not! best of luck with your endeavour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popsbengo Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 2 hours ago, terryh said: Gents you cannot compare a club with a commercial range. Clubs are normally run by officers who are volunteers ie no associated costs. Also costs, such as say buying a steel target for £109 are ‘at cost’ to the club where as a business would use a value of more than double this for the same item if they have a real business model. There is always a pool of folks with sufficient spare beer tokens to pay for things and commercial operations cater for this - just look at coffee shops and iPhones Good luck with any enterprise As you say the business structure is quite different, but I feel the cost comparison is valid and was just to flag up the cost of the alternatives to attract shooters money, any good business case should be aware of the competition I feel. I say good luck with the idea, if it works that will be a great asset and I'll certainly spend some occasional dosh there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nCognitos Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Silverstone are heavily into their mini-rifle competitions, and they've signed up to run US NRL 22 competitions in the UK. They have a certain clientele who are probably not well served by traditional clubs and, from what I hear, it's very well run. It would be great for .22 and load development on full bore as well as LBP and potentially Section 1 shotgun. I think their market is towards the more dynamic shooting styles, if you want to lie in the grass squinting at a target 600-1,000yds away (as I do), then Bisley is your place. If you can shoot during the week, and you want to join in the dynamic fun, then the Silver at £550 all in for a whole year sounds OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Re-Pete Posted December 22, 2021 Report Share Posted December 22, 2021 +1..........but as well as the grass, don't forget the rain, snow and frost..........we sometimes suffer for our fun. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akeld Posted December 22, 2021 Report Share Posted December 22, 2021 On 12/20/2021 at 9:57 PM, GT3_richy said: Nope, https://www.silverstoneshootingcentre.co.uk/shop/membership-renewal/, that's the current costs - people will pay it and more if it fits them. Same with the £35/hour mentioned above - plenty of people will pay that and more if the circumstances are right and their wallet permits. I stand corrected Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ontoproofer Posted December 22, 2021 Report Share Posted December 22, 2021 On 12/19/2021 at 7:09 PM, Rhudson505404 said: Hi, I'm getting plans together to construct a shooting range so I'm doing a little but of market research. I plan to have steel animal targets at 300 yards, gongs at 500 and 700. Paper targets/gongs at 100 for group testing and zeroing. Smaller animal targets at 50 for rimfires only All shooting from benches or prone under a covered position. Would the cater for most peoples needs? I'm open to other suggestions Thanks I would speak to Marc Gardner at Gardners guns he's set up the top 2 shooting ranges in the uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralpharama Posted December 23, 2021 Report Share Posted December 23, 2021 I suppose the well healed can shell out huge amounts for their pleasure, but sadly I don't fall into that sector of society. That said, I really enjoy rubbing shoulders with fellow paupers at rifle clubs. Whilst having loadsa money may open more doors, I remain to be convinced that it more pleasure is to be derived from great wealth. I somehow doubt that a rich person would gain as much pleasure from a rifle, however expensive, that only represents a fairly small percentage of their over wealth, as some oik like me that has sacrificed a far higher percentage of their personal GDP on a far lesser, but more highly prized toy. What really makes said oik uber happy is when he out-shoots a fabulously rich chap with some fancy rifle the grubby pleb could only dream of 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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