In the past few years, range therapy has gotten so much more expensive.For a time, ammo was extremely scarce and where you could find it, prices were often offensively inflated.That has improved in recent months, but we may never see the low prices we enjoyed prior to 2020.
What was once a (relatively) affordable pastime for some of us has doubled or tripled in price.
Worry not - if you still want to enjoy range therapy or just some casual plinking, there are ways to stretch your dollars.
These are some of our top tips.
1.If you pay for range time by the hour, get a speed loader.
Some ranges require you to pay for range lanes according to time slots. If so, the actual time you spend shooting is critically important.
Case in point, do not waste time manually loading rounds into your magazines. Get a speed loader designed for your mag/caliber and get the most of your range time by spending more time shooting and less time loading.
2.Look into group discounts or yearly memberships (or just bring a friend to help cut costs).
Some ranges offer discounts for groups of shooters. You may also be able to save a little money by signing up for a range for a year or for some other extended period of time.
Another thing to keep in mind is that many ranges offer discounts to NRA members. Others offer discounts for local gun advocacy groups so be sure to ask the range safety officer or facility administrator if any of these discounts are available to you.
3. Get familiar with hunter training areas.
Many states’ departments of fish and wildlife services, game councils, or other political entities maintain outdoor shooting facilities that serve as hunter training areas.
Most states have these: you should look into them in your area because they are effectively free to use (assuming you have the proper licensure or permits) but in many areas, for the price of a hunting license (or whatever additional permits are necessary) you can use the range as much as you want, throughout the year.
4. Shoot more affordable ammo.
Save the good stuff for hunting and competition. If all you’re doing is plinking and punching paper, you probably don’t need full-metal jacket ammo and brass cases. Alternatives like TulAmmo and CCI Blazer aluminum 9mm Luger might be cheap, but what does it matter if all you’re doing is shooting paper or steel targets for fun?
5. Do not buy ammo at the range.
Some ranges might require you to buy ammo there, and others may not allow you to shoot hand loads. But if you have any flexibility in the matter (without breaking range rules, of course) do not buy ammo there. Get it beforehand, since most ranges charge way too much for ammo purchased on location.
6. DIY targets.
Not that store-bought targets are particularly expensive but you still don’t need to be paying for these. You can make your own targets and target spots with printer paper, a compass, and a marker. Some shooters even craft their own targets out of paper plates. You’re literally shooting holes in your targets - if you’re not using them for scoring, don’t pay extra!
(Just make sure your range allows this before attempting, as many ranges have stringent rules on the types of targets that are, and are not, allowed.)
7. Reusable targets.
Another option is to use targets that you can shoot over and over again. For instance, self-sealing targets and steel silhouettes are great alternatives to paper targets that, while they have a higher upfront cost, will last much, much longer.
8. Buy ammo in bulk.
If you do a lot of high-volume shooting, do not buy single boxes of 50 handgun ammo cartridges or 25 target shells. Most gun shops offer significant discounts if you buy a whole case. Also, pay attention to sales, which can save you even more.
9.Take up reloading.
We’ll be honest. For some shooters, taking up reloading will actually cost money, not save it. It’s not worth it if you shoot through 50 rounds per month.
But, if you are one of those shooters that burns 50 rounds an hour or several hundred per day, then yes, it makes sense to reload.
There will be a substantial upfront investment in a reloading press, scales, dies, loading manuals, and so on and so forth, but these are more or less one-time investments that you can use for the rest of your life.
And you don’t need to buy brass. Just buy high-quality target loads and reload the brass as you shoot through it. Hardcore reloaders sometimes even cast their own lead bullets.
Another trick is to ask the range offer for permission to collect brass - some ranges have rules against it, others will allow it.
Do not attempt to collect brass without getting permission first, though.
Save on TulAmmo, Blazer Aluminum 9mm, and Other Affordable Target Loads Here
If you’re serious about saving money at the range so you don’t need to curtail your enjoyment of range therapy, we can help with some of these pointers.
If you’re going to take up reloading, we sell a wide range of high-quality target loads made with virgin brass casings that can be reloaded several times.
We also sell a wide range of high-quality yet super affordable target loads, such as TulAmmo and Blazer aluminum 9mm that, while they can’t be reloaded, are reliable, accurate, and affordable.
And, as always, we offer great prices on industry-leading ammo such as Federal, Remington, Norma, Ammo Inc., and countless others.
Stock up here and save on your next range therapy session.