NRA Range Development Conference in Nashville

[Guest Len]

I was asked to pass the following along. If you are interested in owning, running, improving a range or are a shooting club officer, this is for you. NRA spreads these conferences out all around the country and there are only a few per year, so it wont be in Nashvegas again for a while. Details, including location, cost, schedule of events, etc are all at the url listed below.

-Len

The NRA Range Services Department is hosting a Range Development & Operations Conference in Nashville April 28 - May 2, 2007. We have several seats still open. Would you happen to know any individuals or clubs who may benefit from this conference? This conference discusses many issues that are important to ranges, and the conference is taught by instructors who are very knowledgeable in range development and operations. I am including a link to our website for further information about the conference. Thank you for your time and assistance.

NRA Range Development & Operations Conference --> http://www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/2007tn.asp

[towerclimber37]

Oof..Len, TGO would be an effective vehicle for making new ranges all over tennessee, simply because we're SPREAD all over Tennessee..the only problem is that this board is in its infant stages..heck, its only been up since January!

I wonder if anyone would be willing to go to the conference, if we were to ask for donations to fund the trip?

That way, when we have questions about a range, we would be able to get definitive answers on how to improve that range without my lame post about "the laws of supply and demand". Even I realize that going somewhere else is the last resort.

I'm a firm believer in the CMP, and wanted to compete in an idpa postal match..but couldn't find a competent RSO OR a place to shoot the match here in E. tn.

A quality public range (say behind or near a Gun shop) would fill a niche here.

just my 2 cents.

[TGO David]

I've actually had some interest in this conference. Not a day goes by that I don't think about eventually leaving corporate America and going into business for myself running a range and gun shop somewhere in the area not already serviced by one.

[towerclimber37]

Well Tung, I too was thinking that at some point in time, I'm going to have to get out of the climbing business.

if you were to buy say....10 acres here, you'd have MORE than enough room to do what you needed to do.

and a well run public range/gun shop with a good inventory would get a majority of the business here. as it is, if I want an ok gunshop, I can stay in town..for a good one, I have to go to Johnson city, 30-40 minutes away.

I can't even THINK of a public range thats not 40 minutes or more from Kingsport.

[TGO David]

There's an area in particular over here that I keep thinking about. Just not sure what I'd have to go through in order to get a business loan and/or backers.

[Guest Len]

A couple of buddies and I have thought along the same lines. A range/store run RIGHT would be an excellent business. In fact, one of my friends (lives in Montgomery County) is in the process of finding the land right now. He's had a hard time.

I have found some local ranges and shops to be a bit short-sighted in their business outlook, to the detriment of their bottom line, the shooting public, and the image our industry projects. Club does not like you? Blackballed. (I've heard of clubs that want to meet in you in person to make sure you are white before they let you in. What freakin year is this?) Range doesn't want your business or you commit a slight indescretion? They tell you to go elsewhere. What business makes money shooing away customers? None that I know of. You think if Bass Pro ran ranges, they would be like that? I dont think so!

A friend of mine is going to the conference and has promised to get two of every handout and allow me to debrief him when he's done. He's thinking of buying out a local place and turning it around. I have already offered him my services and my investment $. Also, a wise investment for anyone interested in range development or operations is the "NRA Range Sourcebook." It's the "range bible." The paper version is pricey, but the CD is reasonable.

A few smart TGO members with some $ to invest, a little business savvy, an under-served geographic area and a commitment to run a family and newbie-friendly operation could make an honest dollar.

Underserved areas: North of Nashville, East of Knoxville, north-west TN.

Underserved populations: Women, new shooters, non-shooters, virtually all minority groups.

End of Len's

There's an area in particular over here that I keep thinking about. Just not sure what I'd have to go through in order to get a business loan and/or backers.

[Guest Len]

With you 100% Tower. I'm willing to cough up 10% of the cost of the conference. If you do the same, we get 8 more TGO-ers to do the same, and someone is there. If we pick someone from Nashville area, they can sleep in their own bed at night and save the hotel $.

Be safe up there!

-Len

Oof..Len, TGO would be an effective vehicle for making new ranges all over tennessee, simply because we're SPREAD all over Tennessee..the only problem is that this board is in its infant stages..heck, its only been up since January!

I wonder if anyone would be willing to go to the conference, if we were to ask for donations to fund the trip?

That way, when we have questions about a range, we would be able to get definitive answers on how to improve that range without my lame post about "the laws of supply and demand". Even I realize that going somewhere else is the last resort.

I'm a firm believer in the CMP, and wanted to compete in an idpa postal match..but couldn't find a competent RSO OR a place to shoot the match here in E. tn.

A quality public range (say behind or near a Gun shop) would fill a niche here.

just my 2 cents.