With today’s society being all about protection, training is a must, as with everything. Driving for example, there are open air tracks that offer a single lane for someone to practice on, and closed tracks to learn how to go 100 mph around a corner. The same goes for firearms; there are a variety of indoor and outdoor shooting ranges in Las Vegas where you can practice your shot, learn about ammo and firearm maintenance and become a better, safer shooter.
Outdoor shooting differs from indoor shooting in a few ways, the main one being the ability to shoot in the elements that are more commonly walked around in. Think of a nice, spring day; the birds are singing, the trees are swaying in a cool breeze and brass is flowing through the air echoed by that wonderous boom of a .45 caliber pistol. Granted, that’s offering picture perfect conditions, but say it’s raining heavily, and mud is flowing down the shooting lane. Not many people would want to shoot in that area, but some do anyways just to get that different type of training and experience.
Instructor Zero, the famous YouTube shooter, practices to the idea of shooting in less than desirable weather. That way the fundamentals and muscle memory stick with the shooter and make it much easier to stay on target, in any outdoor condition. However, let’s say it burning 110 degrees outside, with no wind, no clouds and the black top of the road reflecting the heat right back up. With some handguns and rifles, the heat can make them malfunction.
In addition to the heat, with outdoor shooting you are also exposed to wind, which is no fun to shoot in. Target stands sway in the wind and might even blow away. Mix the heat and the wind together and suddenly it creates a perfect storm of malfunctions and target papers blowing away.
Luckily, the shooting world has upgraded to indoor shooting ranges, offering air conditioning, lead-free trap faces that cycle the air through filters for that added safety, and rentable lanes where the shooter has control of the target lane and lights. Clean-up is also a breeze with indoor shooting ranges. Usually, the attendants can sweep up the brass, trash and everything else in the lane out of the way for the next shooter.
A major difference with indoor shooting, as opposed to outdoor, is distance. Sure, the max distance with a pistol is looking at about 20 yards, but with a rifle there’s several different distances depending on caliber. If the idea of testing sights, maybe grips, new magazines, or even that 1911 from 1943 that was found in grandpa’s closet, then indoor ranges are the best bet. If trying to hit that 1 mile shot with a 300 Winchester magnum rifle, outdoor is preferred.
Many outdoor shooting ranges offer a more individual setting, whereas indoor often accommodates more people at once. Say a bus of bachelor-party-goers show up to the range to pop off some celebratory AK-47 magazines, it can be hard to sight in those freshly installed night sights. At an outdoor range its normally just the shooter and the firearm.
Indoor ranges require hearing protection, for good reason. Its also a good idea to double up on hearing protection while indoors. Outdoors however its easy to get away with just one set of hearing protection, such as the Walker over the earmuffs that allow for an aux cord so Kenny G can be playing in the background while blasting.
Indoor ranges are often considered to be safer, as the Range Safety Officers watch and help as they go along the lanes. LVSC is one of the top-rated shooting centers in Las Vegas, with some of the best lanes, lighting, A/C, rental selection, and range safety’s ready and willing to help. We also accommodate private events, offer multiple shooting packages for all ages and feature an on-site retail store stocked with various firearms, ammo and firearm accessories.
