BlueCore Shooting Center - Lakewood

[Akyla]

I initially had high hopes for BluCore till we saw the ammo policy and then I was with a lot of you saying I would never go. Well, apparently BluCore heard the complaints and changed the ammo policy as most of us are now aware.

As ammo prices are going up, I decided I needed to order some ammo. But, I wanted to try out a different bullet weight in one of my pistols before I ordered. I didn't have time to go to the National Forest during the week and wanted to see how accurate different loads would be. So, I decided to go give BluCore a shot (no pun intended). I live only a few miles away, so its quite convenient for me.

I brought my gear in, chatted with the guys. They were friendly and the place is much cleaner and more professional looking than when it was Green Mt Family Shooting Center (GMFSC). They have a great selection of paper targets to choose from and the ones I looked at ranged from $0.25-$0.50. You pay after you shoot, so its easy to grab a few more targets if you need them. Before I headed in, I read the range rules and it said no rapid fire. I asked them about it and they said that they understand the importance of rapid fire in training, but just asked that you don't shoot too fast to keep complete control of your pistol. Fair enough.

I overheard another guy ask them about the price being per hour. They told him that it is a per hour charge, but if they aren't backed up, they will let you shoot as long as you want. This is the same rule that most ranges have as far as I am aware.

My 11 yr old son was off from school yesterday, so I brought him along. He didn't shoot this time, but kids 11 and over are permitted to shoot with an adult. Sounded like they previously had it at 8 and over, but two jackasses already screwed that up by letting kids shoot guns they couldn't control. Based on the description the guys at BluCore gave, I really can't blame them.

Range was clean and well lit. I shot my own ammo and they also let you pick up your own brass. I also wasn't bothered while I shot. Range Officer was not breathing down your neck like GMFSC.

I also chatted with the guys in general after I shot. These guys are new to this too and understand that some of the rules and regs of the range will have to evolve. They seem to be intelligent and have a lot of training. I think when we have an issue with a rule, if we can provide them a good reason why it shouldn't be that way, and can still be done safely, they will consider it.

They also asked me my opinion about what AR15 accessories I would like to see them carry in the retail shop. They understand that most people will buy the majority of their gear online, so wanted to know what I would like to see locally.

As I do need to practice more and want to be able to test out my reloads, I signed up for the year membership for $269.99. I know its not cheap, but I think I will get my monies worth out of it.

I was pleasantly surprised by my experience at BluCore and hope more of our members will go try them out (and no, I received no compensation for my review ).