I was told that the new range at Atterbury has raised their prices from 1 dollar/hr to 7.50/hr.
Does anyone have information about this?

Right now it's $1 an hour with a $5 refundable deposit as long as the target holder isn't damaged.

The new rate will be $7.50 an hour and you will be charged for 2 hours minimum. You still have the $5 deposit as well.

Posting stated the increase was necessary to make repairs to the damage the shooters was causing.

I did notice numerous locations where bullets were hint the overhead concrete panels. Scary

I'm sure the new rates will curb some peoples ability to shoot an a regular basis.


Copied from HI

I was there on the 1st of October,according to posted notices the higher rates were supposed to kick in on the 8th.

I'll be looking for another range.
parson

The range renovation was 75% funded by federal excise tax derived from the purchase of hunting and fishing gear. I feel the 650% increase in user fees is unfair and I will not patronize the range in the future.

From some one who has been going to this range for 20 plus years many memories and stories about the weapons I saw shot, the ones I got to shoot, the I people met and friendships created.
The face on my wife and kids when they first walked down and check thier target full of holes.

This inflated increase is not the way to get new people, young people and whole families into the shooting sports.

It will now cost me $80.00 for my family of 4 to shoot for 2 hours $20 refunded for target stand. This does not include gas, ammo, snacks, and targets....
So instead of increasing the funds coming to this fine new rage, There will be less people spending time and money there. THEN WHAT?
I will continue to teach my family and have quality time together at somewhere else? This is a shame. Not a good way to secure that a future generation will come to enjoy this past time. This was a place to teach and learn from the years of experience of the regular shooters.
Happy shooting to all.

Take your kids hunting and you wont have to hunt for your kids.

It was driven by greed, they will see when the demand falls off and they start to drastically lose revenue. It's just supply and demand economics!

I was there last week, there was no shortage of shooters willing to pay this fee.

I don't even remember us having to pay a deposit when they first opened... Chris and I were down there for Woody's cookout when it first opened...

Two hour minimum is crazy, as most people aren't going to shoot that long, given how loud those ranges are...

I enjoyed the trap/skeet range, but if they think someone from our area is going to pay $30 + fuel to run 1.5 hours each way to shoot there, and then what - you don't get your deposit back if the target frame has a hole in it...??? That's nuts...

I enjoy watching others shoot, but not for $15/hour (me + my son)... will stick with the 100 yd. range I've got set up on the farm...

Why do I feel that Mitch had a hand in this decision... anything for a buck...

I don't know much about this place but I believe anything government owned including parks should be open to the public free of charge. Your tax dollars paid for these places, and your tax dollars continue to pay for the upkeep. I am sick of the mis-management of money in this state. Taxes are an "open checkbook" to our officials.

I'm pretty much done using the Atterbury range---I have hunted on Atterbury and shot on the range for over 20 yrs. and know the property manager well. I was one of the guys who tested the new range a month before it opened to the public, even was invited and attended the dedication.
Well I went down this past Wed. to do some work with a 22br and decided that the fees are now more than I want to pay on a public range paid for by sportsman's and tax dollars.

Sounds like the increasing gap between the haves and have nots as far as how much disposable income you have, has found a new application.

Don't worry, Mitch and his boys who know what's best for you will make up the difference with increases in fees for all those hunter education hoops they'll have you jumping through soon.

See that one coming do'ya? Been predicting that for several years now, just a progression of things.

I'll agree that large of increase is unwarranted, but do any of you political experts have any shred of evidence Daniels even knows of the increase, let alone instigated it?

Or are the bunch of you talking out your...exhaust port, as usual?

Get a grip on yourselves, and look a lot lower on the ladder for the person responsible for the increase. Sheesh.

I strongly doubt Mitch has any idea Happens a lot on this board

These ranges are a pet project of the manager for fish and wildlife areas. He's a competitive shooter and a pretty good guy in my opinion. There's 3 so far and a fourth planned to serve the 4 corners of the state. Pittman /Robertson and state funds(both a one time expense) were/are used.
The following is my opinion--- Where he's got problems is the ongoing expense of running them and his budget---so Kingsbury and now Atterbury have been leased to vendors. He had a hard time finding someone to lease Atterbury(this is fact) so approved the fee increase when the vendor asked for it rather than face the alternatives.
Bottom line--It is still more than I want to pay and I'm hoping the vendor opts out(looses money) so it lands back into the DNR's lap. I as a sportsman already paid for the range and should not be "double dipped".