NFOA MEMBERS FORUM
General Categories => Shooting Sports => Topic started by: SemperFiGuy on December 30, 2012, 09:25:29 AM
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Omaha World Herald has these stories on page 3B today:
Planning Commission OKs Firing Range
Bellevue Planning Commission approved an indoor firing range at one of the city's busiest commercial intersections [3402 Samson Way].
Omaha Company Pushes for Papillion Gun Range
This one is for a shooting range at 108th and Portal Road [just down the street from our Paragon Firearms Training Center.]
An additional Omaha indoor range [not ready yet to discuss shooting type] is in progress, having been reviewed w/Omaha planning officials and--so far--given a positive welcome by those same officials.
FYI,
sfg
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but but but how can they do that if they ban all our guns?
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That's certainly encouraging. I live in far SW Omaha (almost gretna) so I'd like to see something out west. :)
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this is great, I love ENGC but there are times when I just need to function check or verify zero. the drive from Bellevue is long enough away
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It would be nice to have more options with regard to indoor ranges. One of those is less than 5 min from my place. Awesome. ;D
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this is great, I love ENGC but there are times when I just need to function check or verify zero. the drive from Bellevue is long enough away
You could always join the Bellevue Rod and Gun Club ;)
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Omaha World Herald has these stories on page 3B today:
Planning Commission OKs Firing Range
Bellevue Planning Commission approved an indoor firing range at one of the city's busiest commercial intersections [3402 Samson Way].
There's a mortuary at that address according to Google Maps, but there is plenty of room in that area to build. It's just off of 36th St and Hwy 370, so it should be very convenient for most people. Not very far away from where I live either.
(http://rowell.smugmug.com/photos/i-XzkwKqf/0/XL/i-XzkwKqf-XL.jpg)
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do you have info on membership? pistol,rifle range?
There's a mortuary at that address according to Google Maps, but there is plenty of room in that area to build. It's just off of 36th St and Hwy 370, so it should be very convenient for most people. Not very far away from where I live either.
(http://rowell.smugmug.com/photos/i-XzkwKqf/0/XL/i-XzkwKqf-XL.jpg)
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do you have info on membership? pistol,rifle range?
I'm pretty sure the membership requirements for the mortuary are pretty strict. And I don't think they have a pistol range, but if they do that's where I'm going when my time comes.
:)
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According to another article, the proposal is at 3403 Samson Way, which would make the address as Baldwin's Flooring, the bigger building to the west. The planning commission approved it, now it goes before the Bellevue City Council. Although, I have to say that Commissioner Cain asked a silly question. She needs to remember that Wal Mart sells ammo too, and they're right next to Bellevue West High School.
http://www.omaha.com/article/20121230/NEWS/712309930/1687 (http://www.omaha.com/article/20121230/NEWS/712309930/1687)
After asking some tough questions, members of the Bellevue Planning Commission approved an indoor firing range at one of the city's busiest commercial intersections.
The board voted 7-0 to approve an application by Bellevue residents Robert and Mary Whaling to build a firing range inside a building at 3403 Samson Way. The proposal will be considered by the City Council Jan. 28.
Commissioner Carol Swayne said firing ranges are generally used by responsible gun owners seeking to perfect their skills.
“It definitely would be a good business addition to the city,” she said. “It will bring other people to Bellevue.”
The project received support from Jim Ristow, president of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce.
Given that the range will be less than a mile from Golden Hills Elementary School, Commissioner Stephanie Cain sought assurances that children in the area will be safe even though the Whalings intend to sell ammunition to customers.
Robert Whaling said he expects ammunition sold at the range will be used at the range.
“It's awfully hard to say that we can protect anybody outside of our facility,” Whaling said. “Safety is going to be the key here. We're not going to allow people to enter the facility with loaded firearms, and they will have to leave with unloaded firearms.”
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“It's awfully hard to say that we can protect anybody outside of our facility,” Whaling said. “Safety is going to be the key here. We're not going to allow people to enter the facility with loaded firearms, and they will have to leave with unloaded firearms.”
Good luck with that
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That's certainly encouraging. I live in far SW Omaha (almost gretna) so I'd like to see something out west. :)
Very good news. I'd love NW Omaha to get some love.....but won't hold my breath. Too bad Elkhorn was occupied- I mean annexed by Omaha.
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NEBRASKA CROSSING at I-80 and Hwy 31 / Gretna is starting a full redevelopment program. All existing businesses are out and a major remodel to take place with new anchor stores. A good entrepreneur could look at a space there for an indoor range. ;)
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Very good news. I'd love NW Omaha to get some love.....but won't hold my breath. Too bad Elkhorn was occupied- I mean annexed by Omaha.
Somewhere west of the Elkhorn river and north of Hwy 93 would be ideal. Out of Obamaha's reach, but not too far...
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You could always join the Bellevue Rod and Gun Club ;)
I actually looked into that a while back. They have very nice facilities. Limited facilities for rifle and pistol, but their trap ranges are first rate.
Then I asked about membership. There are more hoops to jump through at the Bellevue Gun Glub than one must go through to open their own range in Omaha! OMG, the guy droned on for 10 minutes about membership requirements, work details, all kinds of junk. I thanked him and left as quickly as possible. I dont want to live with those folks, I just want to go and shoot occasionally, jeez!
Ron
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Has anyone heard of any progress being made on this new indoor shooting range yet?
Another one here in Omaha would be very nice!
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The shooting range in Bellevue has been approved and construction has started. Membership info will be available soon. It will be called TakeAim Bellevue. The owner is a retired AF Security Forces member they currently have a website and a Facebook page. It is scheduled to open late May early June. They will have a nice waiting area with WiFi access, TVs as well as classrooms. They are currently taking reservations for ther first CCW class as well. They will not be doing gun rentals. But will sell ammo. He plans on having customer appreciation nights as well as a plethora of other things to make the truly an excellent experience. Look it up on line and on FB. It is going to be a great thing for the city of Bellevue.
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I had heard at one time that there was going to be a new one around the 108 and Dodge area. I would be really happy if they would build one in NW Omaha or closer to Washington County.
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Checked out the website for TakeAim. They have some pictures posted of the construction. Kinda interesting. The facebook page is pretty good too -- lots of comments about planned amenities for the range and links to ammo deals.
If they run the range anything like they indicated they will, the Bullet Hole is gonna have to step up their game. That's not a bad thing.
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Bucket,
Thanks for the good words. We do intend on ensuring a good experience for the customer and if anyone ever sees a better way for us to do things, we are always open to suggestions. After all, the range really belongs to the customer.
Thanks
BDUB, Owner Take Aim
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Bucket,
Thanks for the good words. We do intend on ensuring a good experience for the customer and if anyone ever sees a better way for us to do things, we are always open to suggestions. After all, the range really belongs to the customer.
Thanks
BDUB, Owner Take Aim
Really looking forward to your opening. I live in Bellevue, so right now my shooting options are the BH or a drive out to ENGC. I love ENGC, but that's not all that practical for a weeknight when I just want to go expend some ammo.
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Bucket,
Good--we look forward to seeing you there. Make sure to introduce yourself when we open.
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Bucket,
Good--we look forward to seeing you there. Make sure to introduce yourself when we open.
Will do! I actually had some minor work done on my house by your construction guy. Assume you guys knew each other from past lives?
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just need to function check
THIS
Is why I don't like indoor ranges - you can't see what the person next to you is up to. At the range I can observe a bit and if a new shooter shows up I can observe from a distance before I fire next to them. Having a gun blow up next to you will make you do things like this!
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Anyone know what prices we are looking at for Take Aim? I looked on the website and nothing is up yet. It would be nice to have somewhere cheaper and closer than the Bullet Hole.
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Anyone know what prices we are looking at for Take Aim? I looked on the website and nothing is up yet. It would be nice to have somewhere cheaper and closer than the Bullet Hole.
I'll gladly pay a bit more for a better experience.
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How many lanes are they planing to have ?
I'd think once they open they will get over run kinda like BH ....at least for a bit anyways.
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I'm pretty sure the membership requirements for the mortuary are pretty strict.
They may be strict, but are they enforced?
When I was in grad school a man was hired to paint a local mortuary. He was in the embalming room painting away when a body under a sheet let out with a noise and moved an appendage. Witness say he tore through the swinging doors, knocking one off of its hinges. Investigating, employees found that a body which had been brought in for embalming wasn't dead. They rushed the woman to the hospital where she officially died .... again. I didn't read how they confirmed death the second time.
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BDub, I looked at the site but it still shows you as "Opening Soon". Are you now open?
The place looks great from the pics.
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Went to the brannew Take Aim indoor shooting range today in Bellevue, NE.
Located at the NE corner of 36th and Hwy 370 on Samson Way.
FWIW, My observations and impressions follow.
Very nice. Very nice, indeed. Got a brief and thorough tour from Floyd, the day manager. [I woulda rather had the tour guided by the Pretty Young Blond Lady who was tidying up the place, but such was not my luck.] Anyhow, Floyd has the day shift; owners Bob and Mary Whaling are on deck during the evening hours.
Location is in a classy, fresh, new, modern strip mall instead of the usual dark and grimy industrial area too often associated with shooting ranges.
Ample parking lot. Plenty of room. Could easily hold a nice summer swap meet there someday with plenty of tables of stuff.
Building is fresh and newly renovated. Attractive, clean décor. Spacious; not yet fully utilized.
Has front desk, large assembly area w/TV, large classroom, M/F restrooms instead of unisex. Ammo in various calibers and manufacturers on display.
Has two 5-lane bays, 10 lanes in all. 25 yards/downlane. Could hold CHP or LEO classes on one side; public shooting on the other. Target distances in one bay can be set digitally; no estimating needed.
Lanes have Meggitt-type [could actually be Megs] target carriers. No dangling cables. Target carriers on all lanes were in good working condition. [Now, why do I bother to mention that fact???]
Most targets are from Targets OnLine, a local Omaha printing company that makes Most Excellent Targets on thick, very high quality paper.
Has a Super ventilating system that DOES NOT blow the targets around. No Madly Dancing Targets on Lane #12 during CHP range qualification, IYKWIM. How about THAT, Shooters!!!! Just a nice, evenly distributed flow from a perforated plenum behind the shooters toward the downrange exhaust. Negative pressure in building to keep air contained. [In which case let your girlfriend pull the front door open for you while you carry in the range bag.]
Excellent baffling system, w/fully lighted range. [No dark dungeon here.]
Separate shooting stalls and counters for each lane. Nice, thick lane separator partitions for safety.
Attendant was properly gathering empty cases on floor w/a proper rubber squeegee instead of a broom [which we have seen elsewhere and which will annoy OSHA to no good end.]
Free WI-FI and coffee.
Rate schedule for shooters and classes is reasonable and competitive.
There’s more, but Eastern Nebraska shooters oughta go and see for themselves.
Coupla Other Items:
>No firearms sales here, consignment or otherwise.
>No shooting accessory sales here, either.
IMHO, a substantial revenue stream is being missed here. At the NRA Range Operations Conference in San Diego last October, the point was made that somewhere between 60-80% of shooting range total revenue and profits are usually derived from the above two sources. Well, it ain’t my store, but I did want to come back and try to make that point to the owners, But then, they no doubt already know it. Maybe they don’t have their FFLs yet [it took Randy Lauer of Thunder Alley in Lincoln many months to obtain his store FFL.]
SUMMARY
Many Eastern NE shooters have long wanted an alternative venue for shooting instead of single-source indoor shooting. Here it is. Take Aim is now part and parcel of the shooting sports system in Eastern NE. Like all entrepreneurs, the Whalings have gone to considerable effort, investment, and risk to make this excellent venue available to us. We should patronize and support this company through frequent use of its excellent facilities and staff.
And maybe even urge them to do IPSC/IDPA on Toosday nites, like the Good Ol’ Days of Yore.
sfg
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SFG, You left out the most important thing.................HOWD YA SHOOT ?? !!!!!
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Just made a visit to Take Aim and it is very nice just like all have stated. I hope they do well, there is certainly enough business in the area to support two ranges. Didn't get a chance to shoot today but will try to make it by the end of the week and give it a try.
Only issue I had is no drawing from a holster except during "designated times". The staffer who gave me the tour was not sure when that would be.
Im getting a chuckle out of the comparisons to The Bullet Hole. Its not quite fair to compare a shiny new penny to one that has been in public circulation for nearly two decades (traps, partitions, baffles..etc.) Just wait until your below average, untrained and incompetent shooters are stacked up at the door, everything but the target is going to have a hole in it eventually. I know cable target systems are a PITA, but when they are shot down, fixing them is an easy and inexpensive job. Im curious to see how Take Aims rail system will hold up to getting shot by the idiots who will eventually show up, especially by the high power rifles.
- Shawn
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Great news!!! Now maybe when I want to shoot at the BH it won't be crowded!
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Coupla Things:
2550sx
SFG, You left out the most important thing.................HOWD YA SHOOT ?? !!!!!
Actually, this trip was made in Recon Mode, consequently I purposely took nothing along with which to shoot. Scan first; shoot later. Wanted to meet the folks, check it out, see Wot's Up, all that.
FWIW:
sjwsti:
Its not quite fair to compare a shiny new penny to one that has been in public circulation for nearly two decades (traps, partitions, baffles..etc.)
Fair Point.
However, a bit of improvised (or even permanent) baffling on Lane #12 to redirect the air flow would fix or mitigate the Madly Dancing Target problem with which CHP qualifiers have had to contend. The MDT places additional pressure on folks who are already somewhat stressed by the CHP range qualification process.
Summary:
We're fortunate to now have two indoor ranges in Eastern Nebraska to accommodate all the potential new users who have acquired handguns in the past year or so. Let's support them both.
sfg
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I've made several trip to Take Aim already and have thoroughly enjoyed every experience. Granted, comparing a brand new facility to the well worn Bullet Hole facility has to be considered, but the key difference is customer service.
It's clear the folks at Take Aim have trained their staff to focus on customers. You are greeted when you walk through the door and immediately engaged by the staff. Often times at the Bullet Hole it seems like you need to pound on the counter to get one of the employees attention. I've stood there for several minutes while the kids behind the counter find other things to do -- talking to each other, adjusting guns in the case, or just avoiding eye contact.
I suspect the opening of the Take Aim range may force the Bullet Hole to step up their game a bit. For me, it probably doesn't matter since I would have to pass Take Aim if I wanted to shoot at the BH. I don't see that happening.
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Man! I hadn't noticed you opened already. I missed the Grand Opening on August 2nd. A bit disappointed that I hadn't been paying attention. Anyway, I'll be by soon to check out the facilities. I'm less than 5 minutes away!
So grateful to see this in Bellevue!!
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THIS
Is why I don't like indoor ranges - you can't see what the person next to you is up to. At the range I can observe a bit and if a new shooter shows up I can observe from a distance before I fire next to them. Having a gun blow up next to you will make you do things like this!
Good thing I'm not a new shooter. I own headspace gauges and only buy factory ammo. If ur so pansy why do u even go near firearms? What I mean is its a good place to get a quick zero if you change out optics and there's a steel challenge match coming up or to tune an adjustable gas block for some examples. Say ur getting rusty and miss 5 out of 8 pistol targets at the last multigun and wanna run some live fire drills, id rather go 5 mins after work vs 30 mins. But hey with all the new shooters showing up at the matches, you should stay away from ENGC on certain Sundays. :P good troll btw
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Just wanted to update (A bit late). Take Aim indoor range is open for business. Check us out at www.takeaimbellevue.com (http://www.takeaimbellevue.com)
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I'm kinda on the fence about the take aim range...$6/hr more than the bullet hole and less to offer. I'll reserve judgment for now.