Dear Gunny's Indoor Shooting Range...

[Garufa]

So, anybody, whats this all about? - There, maybe that damned "Please, oh please post something" warning will go away...

WTF are you talking about?

[Garufa]

I'm a Norris Member and it is the best range on this side of town. I quit shooting at John Sevier because I was tired of the harassment from the range guys, tired of not being able to shoot at a pace I desired, and the overall experience felt like I was a criminal with police over my shoulder. Norris is great, but getting more crowded. If people don't keep it clean and respect other shooters more it's going to turn out as bad as other places. People keep shooting the backstop posts, stepping out in front of the line while hot, bringing groups of 10+ people there on a Saturday, etc....it's getting annoying.

I wouldn't put it past the Norris PD to shut the thing down anytime they so desired, so I hope people are more careful and curteous before someone gets hurt while doing something stupid. All it's going to take is one idiot getting hurt or huring someone else and the fun's over for everyone. One of the reasons the rate went up this year is that someone shot tracer rounds and caught the woods on fire behind the 100 yard berm.

I could not agree with you more. We have something really great up there but it is getting overrun with retards. While I don't agree the rates went up this year over that incident, which the LEO who was issuing my permit described to me (dumb-ass AR kid who talked mom into taking him up there, shot tracer and set the woods on fire. Tickets were issued.), I don't mind paying the price one bit.

I really would hate to think that all of our talking about that great place has recruited a bunch of fools. Therefore, I will no longer discuss the place.

Edit to add: my comment is not directed toward any one specific person, but as word gets around, whether through word of mount or however, you get more dolts. Just my opinion and it ain't my range but I sure do love it up there.

Edited July 25, 2010 by Garufa

[Moped]

I like ORSA, but I hate driving 30 miles to shoot, when I can run right down to Volunteer there on Rifle Range Road and shoot for a couple of dollars a pop. Range is limited to 100 yards though.

[Guest nj.piney]

whats the point of shooting a battle rifle at 25 yards?

mike ,

i always sight in at twenty five yards , it puts the rifle on target without wasting extra shots .

thats what i was taught in the army .

[jeremy155rr]

Dear staff, manager(s), and owner(s) of Gunny’s Indoor Shooting Range in Maryville, TN:

I know you all provide the one-and-only indoor rifle-capable shooting range in and around Knoxville, and I appreciate that. However, now that I know better, if you honestly believe that I am going to spend $18 just so I can have a lane in a poorly-lit, pathetically-ventilated, and barely-air-conditioned range, you are sorely mistaken. Sure, those eighteen dollars got me all the shooting I cared to do today, but for $40, I can go get a key from the Norris Police Department that will let me onto their outdoor range for 365 days, whenever I like, and their range stretches all the way out to a full 100 yards, as opposed to your 25.

And, really, it would probably be about as warm and muggy there in the forest as it was in your basement range.

So, thanks for stepping up when it comes to rifle-capable ranges, but I hope and pray that Coal Creek Armory eventually gets around to uparmoring their backstop in the near future – they are a hell of a lot closer than Norris is.

Sincerely,

Someone who might have given you a bit of money if you could just be bothered to provide a decent service.

(There, maybe that damned "Please, oh please post something" warning will go away...)

Just posting to get rid of the note too

that wooshing sound we hear is your post going right over my head

WTF are you talking about?

Mike, Garufa, the quotes in bold led me to believe that maybe someone at Gunny's posted a notice directed towards this forum that they didn't care if we complained about their service. It has happened before you know. OhShoot mentioned a more reasonable explanation for those comments but I haven't heard anything about that either.

[jeremy155rr]

Sounds like there's some new prompt built into the new Vbulletin version that urges you to post if you haven't in some length of time, although this is the first I've heard of it?

- OS

Thats the more reasonable explanation than what I was imagining.

[jess01999]

But you get 204 yards, not just 100.

- OS

Good one.......nice jab guys.

[Guest Linoge]

Thats the more reasonable explanation than what I was imagining.

Also, it is the right answer . This version of VBulletin bitches and moans at you if you do not post something every X days. Being the habitual lurker I am, it gets annoying after a while, especially since there is no way to dismiss the message without actually posting something.

That parenthetical part of my post was not intended to be a slight against Gunny's. The rest, however, was.

[Mrgreenmachine]

Gunny's had a change in management but the actual ownership remains as it was when opened. They dont quite get how to be gun guys in the gun business. They're just trying to run it as any other business. It doesnt work so good. They could be a heck of a lot more successful like TCGD, Hero Gear, Predator Custom, if they looked around and tried. I honestly think they're trying to squeeze every penny out of it so they can get out of it without too much loss. They jumped into the business because it sounded like fun and did not treat it like a business from the start. I see this happening in gun shops everywhere I've been to. They'll be gone before too long. Customers are what keeps the doors open and the dollars rolling in.

[TGO David]

Did the OP bother calling or emailing the shop's management or is the goal here to just drive away their business?

[jeremy155rr]

Did the OP bother calling or emailing the shop's management or is the goal here to just drive away their business?

Don't know... I see what your driving at, but in all honesty they don't need any help driving away business. I imagine any contact made would go like this; Your range fees are insanely expensive compared to your competitors, have you given any thought to lowering them to a reasonable rate?

Well we're in Maryville, we don't have competition. Don't like our rates? Drive to Knoxville, and good luck shooting that rifle anywhere thats not outdoors.

Personally I don't blame them if people are paying it. If their membership numbers or level of customers gets too low their bound to either close up shop or lower their range fees. I'm suprised myself, don't know anyone that would pay that much to shoot in a place like that.

btw David, I'm liking the new (don't remember ever seeing it) sig line, i'm so stealing it.

Edited July 26, 2010 by jeremy155rr

[Guest bkelm18]

Did the OP bother calling or emailing the shop's management or is the goal here to just drive away their business?

Does it matter? It's no different than the countless other threads reporting bad experiences at businesses. If it drives away customers, that's their decision, not the OP's.

[Guest Linoge]

Personally I don't blame them if people are paying it. If their membership numbers or level of customers gets too low their bound to either close up shop or lower their range fees. I'm suprised myself, don't know anyone that would pay that much to shoot in a place like that.

You and me both. I only went over the one day I did because I was operating under the apparently-mistaken impression that "indoor" was equivalent to "air conditioned". Now that I know better, I will not make the same mistake twice. That said, while I was there, the range was at about 50% capacity, with most people shooting handguns (not the rifles that make the range so inviting), and almost no one was up in the "store" section. The use of the range could have been due to Sunday being their women's day, and given that most of the shooters were female, that would follow.

But, as you say, if they market bears it, then the market bears it, and more power to them for finding that sought-after point... But this boy will not be bearing it in the future .

Edited July 27, 2010 by Linoge

[Guest TargetShooter84]

someone needs to print this off and mail it to Gunny's shop and let them read it for themselves. Of course, anonymously....

Problem solved.

[Guest buttonhook]

I'm not defending them as most of their prices are way to high. I have heard they are very good to Leo, Mil., and vets..if they know you are. Also they are willing to transfer any mail order guns so that does help if your in maryville.

Edited July 27, 2010 by buttonhook

[TGO David]

Does it matter? It's no different than the countless other threads reporting bad experiences at businesses. If it drives away customers, that's their decision, not the OP's.

Obviously it matters or I wouldn't have asked.

[Guest grimel]

whats the point of shooting a battle rifle at 25 yards?

Function check

[Guest grimel]

Don't know... I see what your driving at, but in all honesty they don't need any help driving away business.

That's true. I've been there exactly once. They were advertising on the radio and I was in Maryville. The shelves were half empty. The ammo they had was 2x anyone even Gander Mt. Nothing they did gave me the slightest impression they wanted my business.

[jess01999]

Dropped in there on the way to another outdoor range to buy some ammo week before last. A box of CCI mini mags $11.98........I do not mind paying a little more than Walmart prices at a local gun shop for stuff but come on. I hope the place gets a handle on things and turns the it around. I would like to see the place make it but from all the talk of members I know they say they are very unhappy?? I wonder why????

[kb4ns]

This might have been mentioned before (but I'm not wading through all of these posts again), how long has this shop been around?

[Guest buttonhook]

not too long 1 year+ some

[kb4ns]

Hopefully these things will soon come to their attention. Starting a business isn't easy. I'd hate to see anyone go out of business.

Edited July 29, 2010 by kb4ns

[Guest Oaklands]

Also, it is the right answer . This version of VBulletin bitches and moans at you if you do not post something every X days. Being the habitual lurker I am, it gets annoying after a while, especially since there is no way to dismiss the message without actually posting something.

That parenthetical part of my post was not intended to be a slight against Gunny's. The rest, however, was.

The S&W forum does the same thing.

[Guest navarone]

A friend of mine got his membership there. Against my advice. He bought a Glock at gunnys cost, then became upset when he saw the same pistol at Bill's Outpost for about the same price retail.

[Guest TargetShooter84]

Is this business still open?

I keep hearing mixed comments that its still open but most say its gone out of business.