Nick's vs Palo Alto

thperez1972 · Jan 29, 2020

I'm looking for a decent outdoor range a little south of Baton Rouge and, so far, I can only come up with Nick's and Palo Alto. I'm looking for someplace that is family friendly, to include young children.

After a little searching, Palo Alto seems like it may be the better option. $325 for the first year and the family could all go. The youngest one would be starting out with a 10/22 and eventually working up to an AR. The only downside I see with Palo Alto is no 50 BMG.

Nick's doesn't seem to want people to know their prices and that's a little cause for concern. It makes me believe they are too expensive for what they might offer and they don't want people to realize it. As best I can tell, it's $22/day or a $90 membership + $5/day or some third package. Someone in a thread on here mentioned there was a third option but didn't know what it was. But I couldn't tell if that was $22 per person or for the family or the lane or what? And is the $5 per person? Does each family member need a membership? And what distance ranges do they have?

Now that I'm reading the information I was able to gather, I guess my question might be, why would I go to Nicks instead of Palo Alto?

340six · Jan 30, 2020

I used to hit up Nicks 1 or 2 times a month with my father in law as he was friends with the staff and owner. He lived in Reserve.
It was nice and had good staff. It was i think 22 or so plus each person.
If i went 1 or 2 times a year that is what i would do.
If more than that join.
It is all nice clean paved road unlike Honey Island. So taking a family car there is fine.
I may hit them up and shoot my 300blk 1903A4 and Garand.
But waiting till i get the dedicated 22lr AR done to try it at same trip

gmshooter · Jan 30, 2020

Palo Alto hands down. You don't have to deal with the crowds and the public. Most times you have the whole range to yourself.
Multiple ranges depending on distance. 50yd, 100yd, 200yd, 600yd ( need 2 people and have to be qualified). once you get steel qualified you can use those ranges targets also.
They have a bunch of great members on here also that should chime in.

beauxdog · Jan 30, 2020

I would guess you haven’t been to look at either range. The Palo Alto Range has a 600, 200, 100, 50 & 25 yard ranges. All but the 25 yard range has a covered & concrete firing line, except the 600 yard line, it has a special covering for shooting prone. There are concrete shooting tables at all the the ranges, except the 25. Palo Alto is open 7 days a week for members. They do hold many matches at the facility and they are listed on the calendar, which can be viewed on the web site. Anyone can go out there during a match to view the grounds, even if not participating in the match.
The first years fee is $325 and $100 is the initiation fee with $225 dues. No full-atuo and 50BMG firearms are allowed. You can bring guest, the cost is $15 per person & it’s up to you to pay that. Young children are allowed as you are responsible for them and their actions. I took my 6 yo grandson out there last Sunday. There is no fee for immediate family members.
Memberships are taken in April of each year. Go to the web site, *PaloAltoGunClub.com* and print out an application, fill it out and send it by mail to the listed address. Do not include any money. You will be contacted when it is time to join. This is the only so called waiting list we have. There is a place on the application for members to sign off, you Do Not have to have a member sign this. All new members will going through a training class to explain the rules and show you all of the facility.
If you need further information, you can contact them by email. The Palo Alto range is the finest range in this area. We do that for the enjoyment of all our members.

Bryan

thperez1972 · Jan 30, 2020

beauxdog said:
I would guess you haven’t been to look at either range. The Palo Alto Range has a 600, 200, 100, 50 & 25 yard ranges. All but the 25 yard range has a covered & concrete firing line, except the 600 yard line, it has a special covering for shooting prone. There are concrete shooting tables at all the the ranges, except the 25. Palo Alto is open 7 days a week for members. They do hold many matches at the facility and they are listed on the calendar, which can be viewed on the web site. Anyone can go out there during a match to view the grounds, even if not participating in the match.
The first years fee is $325 and $100 is the initiation fee with $225 dues. No full-atuo and 50BMG firearms are allowed. You can bring guest, the cost is $15 per person & it’s up to you to pay that. Young children are allowed as you are responsible for them and their actions. I took my 6 yo grandson out there last Sunday. There is no fee for immediate family members.
Memberships are taken in April of each year. Go to the web site, *PaloAltoGunClub.com* and print out an application, fill it out and send it by mail to the listed address. Do not include any money. You will be contacted when it is time to join. This is the only so called waiting list we have. There is a place on the application for members to sign off, you Do Not have to have a member sign this. All new members will going through a training class to explain the rules and show you all of the facility.
If you need further information, you can contact them by email. The Palo Alto range is the finest range in this area. We do that for the enjoyment of all our members.

Bryan

I spent a bit of time looking over the website and I read over the rules. There's a lot of information there unlike the information available from Nick's. They just come across as more professional than Nick's.

- - - Updated - - -

340six said:
I used to hit up Nicks 1 or 2 times a month with my father in law as he was friends with the staff and owner. He lived in Reserve.
It was nice and had good staff. It was i think 22 or so plus each person.
If i went 1 or 2 times a year that is what i would do.
If more than that join.
It is all nice clean paved road unlike Honey Island. So taking a family car there is fine.
I may hit them up and shoot my 300blk 1903A4 and Garand.
But waiting till i get the dedicated 22lr AR done to try it at same trip

So for a family of 4 it would be $88 in range fees to go for one day?

DAVE_M · Jan 30, 2020

I know the type of people that are members at Palo Alto.

I also know the type of people that visit Nick's.

Stick with Palo Alto.

DAVE_M · Jan 30, 2020

thperez1972 said:
So for a family of 4 it would be $88 in range fees to go for one day?

Yes, in addition to tax.

$22/day per person
$90 annual membership fee per person + $5/day per person
$225 annual membership per person with no range fees

In all fairness, places like FRC are $20 per day per person. Ranges do not expect you to bring a family of four.

thperez1972 · Jan 30, 2020

DAVE_M said:
Yes, in addition to tax.

$22/day per person

$90 annual membership fee per person + $5/day per person

$225 annual membership per person with no range fees

In all fairness, places like FRC are $20 per day per person. Ranges do not expect you to bring a family of four.

I usually end up there on a Monday and I've only gone there with someone once. It's a very nice range. But it doesn't seem like a good place to start a small one out shooting a rifle. If I still had access to some land outside of city limits, that would be ideal. But I don't think my ex would appreciate my bringing the new one over to shoot.

DAVE_M · Jan 30, 2020

thperez1972 said:
I usually end up there on a Monday and I've only gone there with someone once. It's a very nice range. But it doesn't seem like a good place to start a small one out shooting a rifle. If I still had access to some land outside of city limits, that would be ideal. But I don't think my ex would appreciate my bringing the new one over to shoot.

You would probably do better making the trip from BR to Honey Island if that's what you're looking to do.

thperez1972 · Jan 30, 2020

DAVE_M said:
You would probably do better making the trip from BR to Honey Island if that's what you're looking to do.

I’d be starting off around the Gonzales area.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

DAVE_M · Jan 30, 2020

thperez1972 said:
I’d be starting off around the Gonzales area.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You can look into visiting the local Sheriff's range. They have public hours on specific days.

topgunz1 · Jan 30, 2020

Sherbourne isn't a bad drive, it's free if you have a hunting or fishing license, and isn't too crowded outside of hunting season.

thperez1972 · Jan 30, 2020

DAVE_M said:
You can look into visiting the local Sheriff's range. They have public hours on specific days.

"Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office – The use of the weapons ranges are made available to the citizens of the parish on a regular basis. The rifle range is open to the public year-round on the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., or safe shooting light."

I suspect it won't be very crowded.

topgunz1 said:
Sherbourne isn't a bad drive, it's free if you have a hunting or fishing license, and isn't too crowded outside of hunting season.

That's an option. It would be about the same to go to Honey Island as it would be to go to Sherburne. Shurburne may be about 10 minutes closer.

Bmw69ss · Jan 30, 2020

Palo Alto is great range and they keep improving it every year. I’ve been shooting and competing there for years now and a member for about 3 years now. I went out Saturday morning to shoot at the 200 yard line and was the only one using it. There was a match going on at the pistol range and a few others shooting at the 100 yard line. I will go out there during the week to shoot at the 600 yard line and I’ll be the only one out there at the range. It’s a very relaxing range to shoot at without a lot of distractions.

DAVE_M · Jan 30, 2020

thperez1972 said:
I suspect it won't be very crowded.

From what I've seen, it's desolate. The hours are not ideal, but if you want to be free of Bubba and his SKS mag dumps, it's an alternative option.

miscverb · Feb 5, 2020

FTS in Larose is highly recommended. $325 i believe. Rifle range to 935 w/steel and pistol range (which they are revamping now). Covered shooting, gun store, shooting tower, nice benches, great staff, etc.

Suggestion - try them out, see which one you like best.

DAVE_M · Feb 5, 2020

miscverb said:
FTS in Larose is highly recommended. $325 i believe. Rifle range to 935 w/steel and pistol range (which they are revamping now). Covered shooting, gun store, shooting tower, nice benches, great staff, etc.

I thought FTS was way down in Cut Off?

Wait, nvm, I had Larose and St Rose confused.

thperez1972 · Feb 5, 2020

miscverb said:
FTS in Larose is highly recommended. $325 i believe. Rifle range to 935 w/steel and pistol range (which they are revamping now). Covered shooting, gun store, shooting tower, nice benches, great staff, etc.

Suggestion - try them out, see which one you like best.

I have no doubt FTS is great. But with a 1:45 hour drive, as opposed to a 40 minute drive to Nick's, the difference between FTS and Nick's would need to be quite substantial to justify the added 2+ hour driving difference.

miscverb · Feb 5, 2020

no problemo. big difference between nicks and fts. for FTS, bring multiple guns, rifles, etc. and make it a day. nick's, more of a plink and go. Good luck either way.

thperez1972 · Feb 5, 2020

miscverb said:
no problemo. big difference between nicks and fts. for FTS, bring multiple guns, rifles, etc. and make it a day. nick's, more of a plink and go. Good luck either way.

Are you saying one cannot bring multiple guns to Nick's?

Nick's vs Palo Alto

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