Location for indoor range near GTA?

CanAm said:
If some lunatic was looking to open a new indoor range near Toronto, where would be best location be?
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I'd be interested to know what sort of facility you'd plan. What sort of berm/targetry you'd have set up in there, and what contractors would do the work...

I think a 25m or 50m with 20 or so lanes, a capacity for digital targets, and a storefront with a classroom would do very well. Especially when you consider the area and that all of the ranges around it are booked solid. Have a capacity to rent, be somewhere near public transit, and you'd probably get a lot of walk ins. There are a lot of people in the area with money to burn.

The red tape would be unreal though, but the potential is there.
 
Tyler said:
I'd be interested to know what sort of facility you'd plan. What sort of berm/targetry you'd have set up in there, and what contractors would do the work...

I think a 25m or 50m with 20 or so lanes, a capacity for digital targets, and a storefront with a classroom would do very well. Especially when you consider the area and that all of the ranges around it are booked solid. Have a capacity to rent, be somewhere near public transit, and you'd probably get a lot of walk ins. There are a lot of people in the area with money to burn.

The red tape would be unreal though, but the potential is there.
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They're in the gun business, I think they're used to the red tape :)

The range could be a win-win-win situation for them. More ranges means more people into shooting, and at some point, all the retailers can't only try to steal market shares from each other, the whole pie has to grow for business to make money. I don't live anywhere near the GTA, but from reading the comments here, the area has a large shortage of shooting ranges, which limits the amount of shooters. A CanadaAmmo storefront is also quite an obvious move, with the same prices as the web store. The publicity alone would be worth operating the store. It could also double as a warehouse for faster delivery to customers in eastern canada (ammo deliveries from Vancouver to Halifax by canpar truck must take like a century).

I'm surprised at the lack of shooting facilities in toronto. Waiting lists for club membership means there is a shortage, but people willing to drive 2 hours... Uuughhhh. Only retired people have that much time on their hands...
 
I would say Vaughan as there is good real estate and money in the neighborhood. I would also say anywhere in Durham. If you did pickering you would catch the Toronto people and if you did the far East like Oshawa or New Castle you would catch people further east and real estate would be cheaper.

Really all of the gta clubs have waiting lists so anywhere you build it they will come..
 
valencjo said:
50 bucks eh? Depends on how nice of a facility and how many members and bays. I would agree with Peel being the prime location. There are plenty of abandoned buildings in industrial areas and since there is already a range (only one I know of) it would harder for the region/city to deny permits.
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$50 per month gets you a roof with some heat and a decent place to shoot
 
Tyler said:
I'd be interested to know what sort of facility you'd plan. What sort of berm/targetry you'd have set up in there, and what contractors would do the work...

I think a 25m or 50m with 20 or so lanes, a capacity for digital targets, and a storefront with a classroom would do very well. Especially when you consider the area and that all of the ranges around it are booked solid. Have a capacity to rent, be somewhere near public transit, and you'd probably get a lot of walk ins. There are a lot of people in the area with money to burn.

The red tape would be unreal though, but the potential is there.
Click to expand...

Back of the napkin:

25ish lanes
rubber backstop
target retrieval
pro-shop
lounge
classrooms with PAL courses

no idea baout the contractors. Get bids and go from there, the usual.
 
El_Monty457 said:
Not to rain on a parade, but 2 to 3 hours isn't "close" to the GTA, IMO. It's in Ontario, but not near the GTA. I can drive way up to the Bruce Peninsula in 3 hours,... just sayin'. ;-)
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Reason I say 2-3 hours is that the GTA is a huge place... Hell it can take an more than an hour easy just to get from one end to the other!

If you stick it in Oshawa guys from Hamilton will have an hour plus drive easy...just keeping it realistic and honest...

Realistically there will be a small number of members within less than an hour pretty much no matter where unless you are right in the core of a major city (good luck with those reg/politics!)

Consider Silverdale...if your in Oshawa that's almost a 2 hour drive and yes lots of people are willing to do that!

Just my 2 cent
 
One indoor range will not have the capacity to realistically serve the entire pool of shooters in the GTA so would it really matter if it's central or not? Either way having another range taking new members is a very good thing and will have no trouble filling all membership spots.
 
The bigger question is what cities will accept you. Markham maybe? Ajax,Pickering, Oshawa, Bowmanville, Uxbridge. most likely. Whitechurch- Stouville? Whereever you go in the GTA, you will fill up fast.
 
CanAm said:
Back of the napkin:

25ish lanes
rubber backstop
target retrieval
pro-shop
lounge
classrooms with PAL courses

no idea baout the contractors. Get bids and go from there, the usual.
Click to expand...

A range that takes rifle calibers would be nice.
 
For the time being Mississauga and Region of Peel allows ranges. The main issue of course, is choosing a Firearms friendly jurisdiction in the "gun range starved" GTA where you're minimizing risk. You may also consider somewhere in proximity to the 401 corridor for ease of travel for those seeking a club.
 
Whitby Ontario, 25 miles east of Toronto. Lots of industrial sites and a very gun friendly Canadian Tire. Did I mention I live close by?
 
JeffBondar said:
I think an outdoor range at 500+ yards would be most profitable...
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Exactly. People would come from all over


And when people say land is expensive, it doesn't have to be, if chosen properly. A place that offer classes, gun store and range would be making good money, even with higher. When I was doing my course pal course 1.5 hours away from Toronto, the class was full, with a lot of folks in Toronto. Even if this 500+yards range costs $30 per guest visit, proximity and central location to Toronto will ensure high flow of people. Easily up to 100 people per day. That alone can pay mortgage.
 
Put it this way, people in Toronto are driving to Collingwood, and Madoc for ranges. Anywhere you build would be a Gold Mine. But seriously, the EAST GTA would be the best for a captive market. Durham Region I am suggesting.
 
Really the government should provide ranges as a public service
Would provide exercise, outdoor participation,employment,national readiness etc etc
 
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