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Thread: Ammo: What to buy and what to avoid for shooting ranges?

  1. #11
    Member TGS's Avatar
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    Paging @Nephrology.

    He might have some range and training suggestions for your area.
    "Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."- Last words of Todd Beamer

  2. #12
    Four String Fumbler Joe in PNG's Avatar
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    Regarding range memberships, be sure to try before you buy. If you find a range with helpful staff, well kept facilities, and you just like it, join there.
    If the staff is unhelpful or patronizing, if the place is a mess, and you don't like it, skip it. Even if it is cheap.

    Regarding buying ammo, I find that chasing the cheapest isn't really worth it. I've settled on buying 1000 round cases of Speer Lawman 147 9mm (usually from Luckygunner). I like it. It's the same size as my carry loads, the flat bullet nose pokes round, visible holes in the targets, and it works. Plus, it has a fully enclosed bullet, so lead isn't a problem.

    Good luck!
    "You win 100% of the fights you avoid. If you're not there when it happens, you don't lose." - William Aprill
    "I've owned a guitar for 31 years and that sure hasn't made me a musician, let alone an expert. It's made me a guy who owns a guitar."- BBI

  3. #13
    THE THIRST MUTILATOR Nephrology's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TGS View Post
    Paging @Nephrology.

    He might have some range and training suggestions for your area.
    Denver metro?

    Depends a lot on what you want. The indoor ranges are somewhat pricey and/or have very limited membership availability. I belong to the Colorado Rifle Club, which is east of Denver by a good ~45min-hr on I70. It's very rural and access gets dicey in the winter/rain, but it's basically an series of action pistol bays that you can use to your liking (safely, of course).

    For more supervised ranges with rental/purchase options, I'd look at BluCore in Lakewood. I haven't used their range but I bought a few guns there, fairly priced. Had generally good interactions with the staff, knowledgable (all carry glocks or similar). Good place for a new shooter - they offer training that is well priced and probably sufficient for a vast majority of gun owners.

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nephrology View Post
    Denver metro?
    ...
    For more supervised ranges with rental/purchase options, I'd look at BluCore in Lakewood. I haven't used their range but I bought a few guns there, fairly priced. Had generally good interactions with the staff, knowledgable (all carry glocks or similar). Good place for a new shooter - they offer training that is well priced and probably sufficient for a vast majority of gun owners.
    Thanks
    Yes, Blucore is the one that I mentioned above with low initiation fee.
    Others either have very high initiation fee or have to pay for the whole year up front.

    Bristlecone is also an option but seems pricey.

  5. #15
    THE THIRST MUTILATOR Nephrology's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mystery View Post
    Thanks
    Yes, Blucore is the one that I mentioned above with low initiation fee.
    Others either have very high initiation fee or have to pay for the whole year up front.

    Bristlecone is also an option but seems pricey.
    There are other options but I don't have direct experience with them unfortunately. I'd been thinking about finding an indoor range for the winter but have been increasingly preoccupied with work so it's fallen by the wayside.

  6. #16
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    Post Took a pistol class --- practice with 22lr and carry 9mm?

    I attended a pistol shooting beginner class and they only used is 22 LR.
    The instructor's conceal carry was M&P 9c but he said he also has Glock 19 and switches them depending upon mood.

    One interesting thing he said was to practice with same brand's 22 lr and carry 9mm.
    For example, practice with M&P 22lr and get M&P 9c or compact for carry so the controls, feel etc... are same.
    That way it doesn't cost a lot to practice and as it's same/similar gun, it adds that to EDC 9mm.
    Checking price, $200 gets 5000 22lr and only 1000 9mm rounds.
    Definitely cheaper but not sure if practicing with 22lr adds value when carrying 9mm even if it's similar gun from same manufacturer.

  7. #17
    Member Wake27's Avatar
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    It definitely adds value. The only difference is recoil control.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wake27 View Post
    It definitely adds value. The only difference is recoil control.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I see.
    Looks like 22 ammo is much cheaper than 9mm but guns are not that cheap.
    Price of 22 M&P is pretty close to 9mm so no savings on the gun.

  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mystery View Post
    I see.
    Looks like 22 ammo is much cheaper than 9mm but guns are not that cheap.
    Price of 22 M&P is pretty close to 9mm so no savings on the gun.
    At ~$180-$200/1000, 5k rounds of 9mm are $900-$1000. And you already know how much 5k .22 costs, so that initial gun cost is eaten by ammo cost savings. I wouldn’t be without one. Or three.

  10. #20
    Chasing the Horizon RJ's Avatar
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    Jan 2014
    I *almost* bought an M&Pc 22 simply because of the input I received here on the value of a .22 for learning trigger control at lower cost than 9mm, even though it is not like what I normally shoot (Glocks).

    Still thinking about it, actually. If Glock made a 19 in .22 caliber I'd probably already have one. When I looked into the 22 conversion kits for G19s it seemed like they were almost the price of an actual .22 so I decided not to go that route (I'm sure it was not exactly but that was my impression as I recall; could be wrong.)

    The other difficulty in the M&P design is the hinged trigger they use. My first handgun was an original M&P full size 1.0 model in 9mm. I concluded after a couple years shooting both the rental at the range as well as my own that I purchased (this was several thousand rounds) that I didn't, really, like the way it felt. So an M&P 22 compact while I am sure is a great gun if you have an M&P full size, at least "for me" doesn't make sense as the trigger on it probably would drive me nuts. I mean they sell a ton of handguns including the Shield at what? 4M of them? So it seems fine for a lot of folks. It just didn't work for me.

    But at any rate, yes I'd like to get a .22 at some point.
    Last edited by RJ; 03-03-2019 at 06:36 AM.

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