The Range at Lake Norman - thumbs down

[Bill]

Visited the range and was suprised by the high cost of lane charges plus the high cost of ammo which you have to buy at the range. I buy most of my target ammo at Walmart. The staff seemed unfriendly and almost snotty. Thumbs down on the new range.

[Steve]

Bill, your review of The Range at Lake Norman is unfair, primarily about the staff being unfriendly. I have found them to be very helpful and took all the time that I needed answering pretty much all of my questions. Overall I would, and have, highly recommended the Range and suggest that you may want to give it another try.

[Nick]

Steve wrote:

Bill, your review of The Range at Lake Norman is unfair, primarily about the staff being unfriendly. I have found them to be very helpful and took all the time that I needed answering pretty much all of my questions. Overall I would, and have, highly recommended the Range and suggest that you may want to give it another try.

I agree with Steve. The staff is very friendly and lane charges for a whole days use are very fair. Ammo is expensive because you need to shoot TMJ, but it is fairly priced compared to the market. Great facility and friendly staff. Recommended

[John]

This range is clearly by women and for women. First of all, most of the floor employees are women who know little to nothing about guns. Honestly, it seems like they were put up to this by their rich husbands. The first day I went in, I watched one of the owners drop the loaded "clip" (her words)out of her overpriced Kimber onto the floor in front of a group of customers. Not to mention that the prices are ridiculous. I get the whole "lead free range" thing, ladies, but you've all got some nerve to charge 18 dollars for a box of 9mm rounds. Do a little more research about the things you sell, because I know for a fact that Blazer Brass 9mm is both TMJ and retails for 12 dollars a box.(Trust me, I've pulled it, even though it says FMJ on the box). And hell, 9 dollars for a box of 100 .22s? Winchester sells a box of 333 for 15 dollars, still TMJ. The whole "state of the art" range is great too, but I honestly don't need 10 employees watching my every move when I'm just shooting my target and minding my own business. Thanks for being so "family friendly", but I'll stick to Shooters Express where they aren't trying to commit highway robbery. Thumbs down.

[Joe]

They sell Speer lawman for 14.95 in 9mm, the majority of the employees are actually men, (most of which are either ex military or law enforcement/medical) and theres no such thing as a tmj .22lr- if you asked, you would know that you're allowed to bring your own .22 ammo since there's no difference. It's unfair to make such claims when it's a fact that at tr@ln, you can get law enforcement grade ammo at prices better than cheaper than dirt after shipping.

[walter]

the range at lake norman charges $25/hr/land for the rifle side where shooter's express charges only $15/hr/land for handgun or rifle. I would use the range at lake norman more if they would charge less for using the rifle lanes.

Their monthly & yearly memberships cost more than the shooter's express gastonia too!

The facilities are nicer at the range at lake norman than the shooter's express. But to drive from Charlotte it takes less time to drive the shooter's express.

Shooter's Express has a more extensive gun shop & they also rent full auto weapons to use at their range.

[Shooter]

This range is VERY BAD. Not only are they are charging too much, they're also telling you you cannot shoot FMJ and forcing you to buy over priced TMJ bullets in the name of being 'Green Friendly'. The problem is that we pulled their label off the of the TMJ ammo and found that they had really sold us the very same ammo we came in with. FMJ. They're liars and poor businessmen.

[TMJ]

I can affirm that they re-labeled the FMJ box as TMJ with their price sticker. Unless they have a good explanation, this amounts to fraud as FMJ is far less expensive. That and the range fees were awful steep.

[Reaper]

Okay, I have bought guns there and they are a bit more than Hyatt's in price. I have shot there and at Shooters Express it is more expensive, but closer to Huntersville and cleaner.

The staff is fairly unknowledgable about most firearm related issues. With the exception of the guy with the glasses and the husky guy that usually carries a Kimber, both of them seem to have extensive knowledge. The women are well, nice, but not going to be able to answer any in depth firearm questions reliably, the same goes for the older gentleman that is a Rangemaster sometimes. One of the women got her hand pinched in the slide of a Beretta and had to have another employee help remove it - nuff said on that issue.

The "Green Range" idea is hard to figure out. The whole idea of shooting your weapon is to sight it in and make sure it can cycle the ammo You are planning to use, I don't think many folks are using TMJ Cleanfire for home defense. Most of us use Hollow Point +P as we want to stop the intruder with maximum kinetic energy without over penetration and taking out our neighbors. So if You shoot here, You will have to be content with plinking and go to Shooters Express to evaluate Your weapon for ready use in an emergency.

Consistency in policy - seems like thier policy on ammo changes weekly and I have seen several customers pretty upset that brought ammo after asking and then weren't allowed to use it despite last weeks poicy when they called.

Lack of Stock - Lots of retail space, but little product for sale, Hyatt's, Shooters Express & Aisle Pawn have a much larger selection of everything at lower prices.

Overall I must be honest and give them a Thumbs Down, but I urge You to give them a try for yourself in a couple months, they are still a new range and need to get thier stuff together, hopefully they will as it is a convienent place to shoot and I hope it stays open and gets better.

[Shots Fired]

TMJ wrote:

I can affirm that they re-labeled the FMJ box as TMJ with their price sticker. Unless they have a good explanation, this amounts to fraud as FMJ is far less expensive. That and the range fees were awful steep.

The FMJ boxed ammo they sold was actually TMJ. It was Independence brand, when you pull the bullet you will see that Independence manufactures a total metal jacket but the box is printed TMJ. If you bring in something labeled FMJ but want it checked they will pull the bullet for you.

[Mel]

As a 1st time shooter, I found the staff friendly and knowledgeable and the facility amazing. The very first time I went made me want to keep going back. I see this place can be more than just a "let's go shoot" place. It's an event facility PLUS shooting. From the simulator to a room set up to host a party, it's a really phenomenol spot. I would recommend it to anyone!

[Darci]

I recently had my first experience at The Range, on Ladies' Night. A group of us decided to go. The staff were well-informed, courteous, willing to answer questions of all types, safety-conscious, and handled all the rooks with grace and humor.

We had a blast on the shooting range and in the FATS simulator, which is not available to the public in many locations. Can I say--it was ALL a hoot including the appetizers and beverages offered after. In other words, this place was...is...a destination spot for a good time.

My experience differs greatly from some of the guys here, and I thought my viewpoint should be shared as well.

I would also like to make two notes here. Firstly, as a female member of a large hunting family (i.e. mostly NRA members who are male leaking testosterone), my experience has been many men don't like to deal with women hunters or discuss shooting or archery with women unless it's in a patronizing manner--not all, but many. Secondly, this is a women-owned business; they are in business to make money. Pricing and selection of weapons and ammo as well as catering to the largest number of the general population drives the business, not the myriad personal preferences we all have. If I want to shoot what I like, I can always bring my own.

My group had a fantastic time and plan to make Ladies Night at The Range a monthly event. And, can I just say...we rocked!

[Richard R]

This is a great addition to the Lake Norman area. I like the clean and professional look of the place and the people that work there are great. Had a good time playing poker there one evening and getting to know some of the members.(not real poker but shooting the cards on a target to make your hand)

[Range owner]

Really Melissa, Have you had a peak at our financial statements. Please provide me with your name and contact information, I would be happy for our attorney to share our financial status with you.

Post your full name and we can have a very frank discussion. If you are brave enough

Nice to know in an economy as tough as it is today, that people like yourself spread rumors. I am pretty sure I know what moRON shared information like that with you, but I can guarantee, he is a liar, and despite what he has told people, he has never be involved in the Range at Lake Norman.

Thank you

[Range owner]

Reaper, thanks for the comments. Our policy on ammo has been consistent since day one. You will notice we have made some staffing changes, as few of our employees, did not understand and did not want to relay to our customers our ammo policy. the TMJ policy, is for a cleaner environment for pour employees. Same thing the federal government is doing with all federal ranges, and will soon pass to all commercial ranges. TMJ ammo fires cleaner and leaves less lead in the air and on surfaces.

As far as knowledge, you may have spoken to the same employees that are no longer with us, my apologies for that.

As far as inventory, as one of the owners, I can assure you our inventory grows daily. kind of unfair to compare us to businesses that have been around for 30 plus years !:)

As far as shooting critical or personal defense ammunition, we offer classes and will soon be offering a tactical night which will allow people to shoot jacketed hollow points. I don't know of anyone who wants to shoot jacketed HP's in a range on a regular basis with the cost of that ammunition.

Thanks again for your fair and honest comments, come back and see us and I think you will see changes. please also feel free to share any of your comments directly with any of the owners.

Reaper wrote:

Okay, I have bought guns there and they are a bit more than Hyatt's in price. I have shot there and at Shooters Express it is more expensive, but closer to Huntersville and cleaner.
The staff is fairly unknowledgable about most firearm related issues. With the exception of the guy with the glasses and the husky guy that usually carries a Kimber, both of them seem to have extensive knowledge. The women are well, nice, but not going to be able to answer any in depth firearm questions reliably, the same goes for the older gentleman that is a Rangemaster sometimes. One of the women got her hand pinched in the slide of a Beretta and had to have another employee help remove it - nuff said on that issue.
The "Green Range" idea is hard to figure out. The whole idea of shooting your weapon is to sight it in and make sure it can cycle the ammo You are planning to use, I don't think many folks are using TMJ Cleanfire for home defense. Most of us use Hollow Point +P as we want to stop the intruder with maximum kinetic energy without over penetration and taking out our neighbors. So if You shoot here, You will have to be content with plinking and go to Shooters Express to evaluate Your weapon for ready use in an emergency.
Consistency in policy - seems like thier policy on ammo changes weekly and I have seen several customers pretty upset that brought ammo after asking and then weren't allowed to use it despite last weeks poicy when they called.
Lack of Stock - Lots of retail space, but little product for sale, Hyatt's, Shooters Express & Aisle Pawn have a much larger selection of everything at lower prices.
Overall I must be honest and give them a Thumbs Down, but I urge You to give them a try for yourself in a couple months, they are still a new range and need to get thier stuff together, hopefully they will as it is a convienent place to shoot and I hope it stays open and gets better.

[Range owner]

Shooter, we do not require anyone to purchase ammunition from us. you can purchase anywhere you would like, but we do require the use of TMJ ammo. This is a cleaner ammunition and leaves less lead. There are lots of reports on the affects of lead on regular shooters, please read them.

as far as the TMJ ammo labels, as has been addresed before, nothing has ever been relabeled, and no one who has brought in TMJ ammo has been forced to buy ammo from us.

I would also encourage you to compare our TMJ ammo prices to ammo prices from other places in the area. you will find that $14.95 for TMJ 9mm is cheaper than anywhere else in the area, and many times cheaper than the dirtier FMJ ammo.

Shooter wrote:

This range is VERY BAD. Not only are they are charging too much, they're also telling you you cannot shoot FMJ and forcing you to buy over priced TMJ bullets in the name of being 'Green Friendly'. The problem is that we pulled their label off the of the TMJ ammo and found that they had really sold us the very same ammo we came in with. FMJ. They're liars and poor businessmen.

[Unknown]

Awesome! lets get real here... Gun enthusiasts who are putting down and complaining about one of the few ranges in the area? I mean really? Crying about a few bucks for ammo, ya'll probably voted for Obama...

The Range is great, I have bought a few guns from them, taken my concealed carry class and shoot there when ever I get time. First class facility.
THANKS!

[Real media]

The problem with social media and blogs that carry no requirement of legitimacy is that any moRON can say anything and fellow morons will take it as fact without conducting their own research and drawing their own conclusions. It's doubly worse when some moRON carries out a personal vendetta for no reason other than to cause harm, and frankly jeopardize jobs in a still-weak economy. All this blathering means nothing. If you want to try the range, show up, check it out and decide for yourself. If you don't shut up already and get a life.

[David]

I was around guns when I was younger, but it had been ten plus years since I had picked one up. With that said I have been to many stores and ranges and this is the only one that made me feel comfortable. Employees at most other places talk down to you and make you feel unwelcome if you have a very limited knowledge of guns. Thank you and keep doing what you guys do. I will actually see you guys in a few hours for some more good times shooting.

[meh]

My only gripe is that I had to leave my gun in the range room to purchase the ammo in the showroom and it took a few minutes. While I was away from my gun I noticed through the window that the range guy went over and opened the case to look at it. I would have much preferred that he ask me to see it when I am present.