I always preferred the outdoor ranges. Private or out in the boonies away from people.
Or in the backyard, if you have the right kind of back yard in the right place.
Before I moved to this part of VA I had a large choice of shooting places.
In the yard with a .22. Dandelions, honey bees, grass hoppers, targets, acorns on a tree limb, soda cans, etc. Distance was no more than 30 to 40 yds. to the woods behind the house.
Out on a reclaimed strip mine a few miles from the house. Ranges from 25 to 600 yds. Same range of targets plus, "see that rock up there to the right of that dead tree," " see the dead limb down low on the big tree back in that holler?", "see that soda can/water jug, etc someone tossed in the settling pond down there?"
And no one going down range to check/replace targets while you're sitting at a bench working to get a jammed rifle unloaded.
Used the 1911 and 230 grain FMJ to bust a limb up bad enough to finally break it so we could get it out of the old jeep trail we were using to take a short cut to a slate pile to do some shooting one day. Didn't even think to take a chainsaw or pole ax to go shooting. Just load the guns/ammo/water up in the old K5 and head out. That locust tree had blown down partially across the dirt trail and I hated the thoughts of trying to back all the way back up that trail to the gravel road above.
I belong to an outdoor range here but it's limited to 100 yds. Almost never go over to that range/lane when I go shooting though. Got a crowd that hangs out there with bolt action rifles and big scopes. Four or five guys. They take up several benches with their rifles/gear. One shoots, the other stand around behind the line BSing. When the first guy gets done, a different guy sits down and starts shooting and the first guy gets up and starts talking to the other guys that weren't shooting. I don't know if the sound of someone else throws them off or they don't have much ammo and like to maximize their time away from their wives. Gotta ask 2 or 3 times to get a cold range and then they look at you like you've got no business being there. Don't like the feel, so I just sight them in 1.5" low at 25 yds. and know they'll hit the serious stuff on out there. If I was going to groundhog hunt I'd have to go to the 100 yd. range and get it dialed in good so I'd feel confident of making headshots. Maybe should have typed "brain shots" as a head shot isn't 100% instantly fatal sometimes.
I still have the habit of taking multiple guns most range trips though. Habit from the old days when we'd shoot 400 to 500 rounds or more in an afternoon. Only now, it's seldom I shoot more than 50 or 60 rifle rifles and/or more than 100 to 150 pistol rounds (max).
