Having your own shooting range at home is an extremely convenient way to enjoy your hobby without having to go to a commercial shooting range. It can even be more cost-effective, considering the fees that you would have to pay at a shooting range and the gas you consume to get to and from there. More importantly, having your own shooting range can let you practice to your heart’s content without having to worry about time constraints.
But before you can build a personal shooting range at home, consulting with a shooting range consultant is a must. To make your first consultation as fruitful as possible, here are the factors that you have to consider before you can build a residential shooting range.
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Legal constraints
First things first, are you legally allowed to build a shooting range on your property? Not every neighborhood will allow you to do so, even if it is an indoor and fully soundproof shooting range. That said, the first step is to find out the legal constraints in your area by studying the local gun laws and consulting with the appropriate government agency that regulates the construction of residential shooting ranges in your area.
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Space
After you determine the legalities in your area, figure out if you have enough space on your property to build a shooting range. The type of shooting that you plan to do and the number of people will determine how much space you need for your personal shooting range.
For example, a firing lane will require at least 2,700 square feet of space. The bullet stop will require 720 square feet. A scoring table and workbench will need around 180 square feet or more. Based on these values, you can arrive at a ballpark area of how much space you need and figure out if you have enough in your house or on your property.
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Cost
An indoor shooting range will require protective construction, safety features, and special attributes to pass inspection and become fully functional. That said, you must also consider the cost of the materials that you would need to build your shooting range. If you are not familiar with construction expenses, hiring a shooting range development company can help you figure out how much it would take to build a residential range that meets all the legal requirements and your personal preferences.
Apart from the construction itself, you must also take into account additional expenses that come with building permits, labor costs, as well as unexpected expenses that may come your way during construction. If you cannot pay for these expenses out of pocket, financing a personal shooting range is quite similar to building any other extension on your property; you can:
- Take out a personal loan
- Open a home equity loan line of credit (HELOC)
- Dip into your retirement fund or personal savings
- Ask friends and family for help
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Safety and security
When you build an indoor shooting range, your building must consist of durable materials to be up to code. Hiring a company that specializes in shooting range construction is the best way to ensure the safety of your shooting range for both yourself and those around it. But more than that, you must ensure that your shooting range is secure so that only authorized people can access it and the weapons therein.
To help ensure the security of your shooting range, here are security features that you should have:
- Security cameras
- Durable physical locks
- Digital locks that require biometrics
- Alarm systems
- Safes for firearms
- Adequate outdoor lighting (if your range is separate from your home)
- Warning signs to deter potential intruders
- Fences and gates
These security features will also add to your expenses, so be sure to consider the additional costs when preparing the budget plan for your shooting range.
Moreover, you also have to consider the safety of the people you live with. If you live alone or with other adults, keeping your shooting range secure may be easier. But if you live with children, you must take extra precautions to ensure that they don’t access the shooting range without your knowledge (e.g. putting extra locks, building the range outside of the home, educating your children about firearms, etc.)
There are many benefits that come with having your own shooting range, such as the freedom to practice whenever you want and the ability to practice in a more secure and controlled environment. But before you can enjoy these benefits, you must consider these factors first so that building your own shooting range can be as hassle-free as possible.
