| DC2.2GSR |
11-19-2010 08:32 PM |
Dave.. just saw this review (and others like it) over on PAFOA...
Quote:
I checked out Wicen's recently when some friends came to visit. Because I'm not a member of any range/club at the moment, we were looking for a public range set up for handgun, rifle, and shotgun. Other than Wicen's, I don't recall finding any in SEPA.
Here's what I liked about Wicen's:
1. You can show up and shoot.
2. They're set up for handgun, rifle, and shotgun.
3. They run a tight ship with regards to safety. In my eyes, there were a ton of range officers there, and boy, were they watchin' close.
4. As far as I could tell, the people running the place are not lib gun owners (if you have to ask what I mean, then you yourself may be a lib gun owner).
Here's what I really, really hated about it:
1. The rifle range is split up into permanent lanes which are delimited with little huts equipped with benches. The roof of each hut is sloped downwards in the down-range direction. The significance? You must sit down in order to shoot rifle. This isn't only a result of the small hut, but a Wicen's rule (according to the range officer overlooking my group).
2. Also annoying and along the same lines as the previous item: the handgun lanes have huts with benches, too. These huts, however, are tall enough that you can stand up in them (if you're not a giant); also, you're not required to sit while shooting handguns.
3. They run a tight ship with regards to safety. There is a PAFOA thread (it may be this one) in which someone says that they had range officers all over them during their first visit to Wicen's. While I didn't observe this very much while it happened, I know it did. At one point I was removing some pistols from my range bag while facing downrange when I heard, "Very nice gun-handling! Thank you!" A compliment, no doubt, but I found it to be very strange. One plus, in my opinion, is that actions must be opened and all shooters must step away from the firing line during ceasefires. Other "safety" rules: three seconds between every round fired (yes, you must count), the aforementioned rifle huts, and the first-timer qualification for each of handgun, rifle, and shotgun.
4. This one actually made me laugh. One of my friends received a shotgun from me on the day we went to Wicen's (wedding gift). I gave him Hornady TAP 00 buckshot and some Remington #4 buckshot and told him to send a few rounds downrange. He attempted to do this while my other friend and I were on the handgun range, but he soon rejoined us: the shotgun range officer told him that both the 00 and #4 shot were "way too large" for their shotgun range. His response to the shotgun as a wedding present was, "That's a paranoid wedding present." (OK, they have at least one lib range officer.) Also, the shotgun range is apparently only for clay pigeons or some such fake animal.
5. While on the handgun range, the man in the lane to our left was seriously mishandling his pistol (we determined that he was somewhat mentally disabled). It must have been a broom, because he was sweeping our direction quite a bit. Now, if you recall, I said that the Wicen's range officers run a tight ship with safety. Not so in this guy's case. I am almost certain that he knew someone who worked for the range, based on the way they treated him with the muzzle sweeps and after he declined to retrieve his target stand during a ceasefire.
6. The mandatory range qualifications. I see where they were coming from, but this didn't prevent me from feeling like I was in first grade.
7. The cost--it adds up quickly (from what I understand, it's alleviated slightly during subsequent visits since you don't have to re-qualify).
I realize that it's their place and they can do what they want with it. While I would recommend Wicen's if you're in a bind, I don't think I'll go back. That may not make much sense, so I'll try and clarify: I needed to shoot and Wicen's fulfilled this need, but I wasn't satisfied with the entire experience.
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:roll: might as well just go to a SGL range... we'll have more freedom. I really wish I could find something around here. I was looking while at work today and asked a few people again and every range that I found requires membership that costs a ton and/or that you have to apply for and wait.. or wait for a particular day to sign up like once a week/month or wait for a range tour or attend a meeting... ugh.. what a pain in the ass. |
