Call it dramatics, but we all know someone who scares easily. Hi, nice to meet you. I am that person. For someone who startles easily, loud noises are the key to making my body freeze up. I never expected to move in sync with loud noises until I went to a gun range for the first time. I remember my first time going to an outdoor range and jumping at each report. However, it was different when I went to an indoor gun range for the first time.

My First Time at an Indoor Gun Range

“How on earth am I going to be able to focus with all that noise?” I thought, doom settling on my mind. Ranges are not territories that I am familiar with, nor a stomping ground I plant my feet in regularly. The first time I heard the lineup of firearms being shot, I winced, thinking this was going to be a terrible time. 

“You get used to it. Trust me, the sound helps,” I was told with a matter-of-fact tone.

Trust me, I wanted to scoff. Yeah, right. I was proven wrong in about 10 minutes flat once I began shooting. No idea why, but the noises helped me tune in to what I was doing.

It was not just loud noises, I realized—it was music. A sound of symphonies forming together to create a beautiful sound. An explosion of drums beating against your heart. I understood it and wanted to add to the sound. Each musician played our part in the band with our instruments of firearms.

The loudness can still startle me if I am not expecting it, and it takes a moment for my mind and body to adjust. I’ve tried outdoor gun ranges, and now I want to step foot into an indoor gun range and see if I can create the same type of music as others around me. 

Walking In

We all deserve to get spoiled now and then. If you want to be spoiled, go to Huron Valley Guns to get pampered. This place is loaded with guns galore, complete with a gun shop, a gun range, and even a barber shop and restaurant. 

Like going to an outdoor range, I had to sign a waiver and get my ID checked. The waiver made you agree to wear ear and eye protection at all times. Likewise, there is no using the gun range while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the firearm should be pointed down range at all times and never higher than the target. The list was basic and seemed self-explanatory. 

I entered through the door and turned the corner to find ashort, narrow hallway. This brought me to a table with a sink next to it to wash my hands. In this area, I put on my eye and ear protection and gathered myself mentally.

I always want to prepare myself for a shooting mindset. This is a mindset where I need to focus on my surroundings and prepare myself for loud explosions. 

I scanned a sign plastered in front of the table, “No guns or magazine handling in this area.”

All firearms should be put away in cases or range bags and only handled at the booth.

Once ready, I entered a small room. The outer door needs to be closed before the inner door can be opened to access the range. This is to prevent hearing damage for those who have yet to put on their ear protection.

Entering the Range

In the range, I was met with several booths lined up in a row. Black bulletproof panels separated them to barricade you from other shooters. I winced at the first initial shot from a booth near the door, flinching like I had been hit. After the initial jolt to my system, I quickly adjusted to my surrounding elements. 

Each booth had a table with a tray underneath to hold your gun case/range bag and all your belongings. The entire room was small, occupying 16 booths, and I spotted signs informing people to clean up, with directions on where to put the empty casings.

Firing Line

Stepping into the booth, I stared downrange at the targets lined up at different distances from each other. I noticed all the little black dots speckled along the walls. No doubt, in my mind, those are remnants of bullets.

A piece of cardboard lined with bullet entries stared back, eagerly waiting for me to attach a new target. I added a new piece of paper to the well-loved cardboard with binder clips and placed a new target with a sticky backing.

To my left, I spotted the control panel that moved the target up and down the range. On the screen was a short list of range rules that I agreed to with a tap on the screen. From there, I was brought to the home screen. The screen was easy to use, and I had different options to change the target’s distance.

You could place the target at a distance of 6 to 75 feet. I chose the 15-foot option, as I did not want the target too close or too far away. The control panel also had the option to set up drills, where the target would turn back and forth at different intervals and the lighting would change to red and blue strobe lights.

As a novice shooter, I politely opted out of that method for target practice. However, I could see how it would be beneficial to someone practicing for self-defense. 

Expanding My Horizons

I tried guns I liked and guns I did not enjoy as much. As I shot, I made mental notes of the things I needed to improve and plans on how to fix them.

My stance needed some adjustment, and I needed some extra practice loading the magazine. The bigger the magazine, the fewer difficulties I had with loading. Dry firing at home would help me correct these mistakes and improve my skills. 

Quickly, my hour came to an end. I had my fill of shooting, and my fingers were sore from loading magazines. With a clear mind, I swept up the discarded casings and cleaned my station. The booth was now empty, with the only telltale sign being the hanging cardboard with bullet holes, calling for its next shooter. 

I knew with no doubt in my mind I would be back again. 

In or Out?

The indoor ranges were a different world compared to outdoor ranges, especially the noise levels. The sound at an outdoor range had plenty of room to travel, while an indoor range had less room. Foam panels cover the walls at an indoor range to help deaden the sound. Yet, even with these precautions, it was still noticeably louder.

The indoor range is not the place where you could have a conversation. I found it hard to ask questions over the noise and had to turn my ear to whatever direction a person was talking.

I found that indoor ranges allow you to do your own thing as long as you obey the rules. At any given point on your lane, you can inspect your target on your terms. However, an outdoor range brought lots of interruptions, as the staff would allow shooters the time to walk downrange to inspect targets.

During these times, you unload all firearms and place them on the table. Likewise, you would have to stay behind the line until instructed that you could continue. For safety, no one could be near their firearms with people downrange. That is unnecessary at an indoor range and allows you to be in your bubble. 

As for shooting, there was no difference in how I shot. I did not do better in one versus the other. I enjoyed both ranges, but from a beginner’s point of view, I find outdoor ranges better suited for newbies. It was easier to hear, much less confining, and less loud.

However, indoor ranges are great for those days when the weather conditions are not the best.

Becoming a Part of the Music of the Range

We all have our preferences for what we like best when it comes to where we shoot. Indoors or outdoors, whatever you choose, just be sure to be safe and obey the rules.

From there, you can join in creating a beautiful symphony of music with your fellow shooters around you. You can write a song no one will understand unless you are there to participate in making it.

Sometimes, listening to music is not enough—you need to create your own. And who’s to say that shooting a firearm is not the key to making it?

If you live in Southern Michigan and would like more information about Huron Valley Guns, please visit HuronValleyGuns.com.