Where to shoot in Seattle

Kenmore Gun Range

1031 228th St SW Bothell, WA 98021
(425) 481-8686
http://www.wcwinc.org/

Hours:

• Public rifle range: noon to 7pm or dusk, 7 days a week
• Public pistol range: noon to 7pm or dusk, Fri, Sat, Sun
• Member hours: 9am to 7pm or dusk

Cost: public: $12.50/6.25 junior, membership: $125/year single, $175/year family

Full pricing details are here: http://www.wcwinc.org/range/public.htm

Kenmore is the biggest and has the best facilities around Seattle. It has a public rifle range with 50 and 100 yards firing lines, members-only rifle range with 100, 200, and 300 yards positions and concrete benches, a public pistol range with 25 and 50 yd positions, a shotgun range, an indoors smallbore range (open only by reservation), and several archery ranges. All shooting positions on pistol and rifle ranges are covered.

Kenmore's extensive facilities are more than matched by their program roster. It has introductory training for riflery, basic pistol class, and classes on muzzleloading and reloading. They are home to a whole host of competitive shoot events, formal and informal.

Kenmore is a CMP-affiliated club, so membership there would qualify you for buying things from CMP.

For members Kenmore has an extensive lending program - you can borrow Garands, competition 22lr rifles (Remington 40x), and equipment such as chronograph.

This range is all about marksmanship and precision shooting. The closest shooting positions are 50 yards for rifle and 25 yards for pistol. If you cannot consistently hold all your shots on paper, expect to be asked to leave and join one of their excellent training classes. If you need help boresighting your scope, ranger master has all the equipment and know-how to help get you on paper.

There are several restrictions. Most can be lifted by attending a range committee meeting and asking for exceptions. In some cases granting a privilege is conditional on proof of abilities or a need (such as preparation for competition).

• You cannot load more than one round in a centerfire rifle, even if it is a bolt action. This restriction can be lifted for members who participate in NRA or CMP military shooting matches, by special request and with the proof of participation.
• Positional shooting is a privilege and is only granted to competitors. Without this privilege the only allowable shooting is from the bench rest.
• Rimfire rifles are limited to 5 rounds per magazine.
• To use members rifle range, a member must go through a training.
• To use a pistol range outside public hours a member must qualify - once per caliber and shooting position - by scoring at least 60 on the standard UIT pistol target at 25 yards.
• Use of a chronograph, black powder rifle, hunter pistol are all privileges for which members must apply.
• There are no guest benefits to speak of - a member can bring guests, but each person can come as a guest only once - and only if he or she has never previously been to the range. There is no exception to this policy.
• No 50BMG or automatic weapons. There is no exception to this policy, either.

Despite the restrictions - of which the 1 round limitation is the most onerous - the facilities are excellent, the price is low, and the people are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. And, of course, this is the only shooting range in the area that goes to 300 yards. I highly recommend it - this is my first choice among local ranges. I do maintain membership here myself.

Interlake Sporting Association

13633 NE 97th St, Kirkland
(425) 822-5703
http://www.interlakesporting.org/

Member hours: 10am-8pm or dusk. No public hours.

Cost: $200/year

The beauties of Interlake are two: first, it is very close to Microsoft. Second, most of the time the range is completely empty. There is no rangemaster on duty, and there are only a handful of visitors per day. So most of the time the range is yours.

Facilities include pistol range with 0-25 yard shooting positions (there is a cabin at 25 yards, otherwise it is uncovered, and you just drag the shooting table to wherever you want it to be), 25, 100, and 200 yard rifle range, and archery and shotgun ranges. The shotgun range only operates on Sundays, however.

All shooting positions are covered.

There are no restrictions other than basic safety, no 50BMG or automatics, and no photography on the range. Every member is required to pass a 2 hour PIC (Person in Charge) class and at the end of the class is given the locking combination to the gate - and that's that.

Guest policy is extremely relaxed - bring however many people you want, but only two people per certified PIC can shoot at a time.

Another great benefit of this range is that it is located in a ravine and is very quiet even in windy weather. This makes it uniquely convenient for load testing.

Overall, a very nice place, good facilities, and very uncrowded - just like your personal range. I maintain a membership here.

Issaquah Sportsmen's Club

23605 SE Evans St Issaquah, WA 98027
(425) 392-3311
http://www.issaquahsportsmensclub.com/

Hours: 12-6pm Wed-Sun; no separate members' hours

Cost: $12/day, or membership is $80/year single or $90/year family

This is the least expensive range in Seattle area. Because of this, and because it is conveniently located to the I-90 corridor it is usually very busy - but still short of crowded. There is no separate member access - members shoot at the same time and place as general public and rangemaster is always on duty. Membership is basically just a way to save on admission, and other than that confers no benefits. It pays for itself in 7 visits.

Facilities available are for rifle (100 and 50 yards) and pistol (7, 10, 25, and 50 yards) shooting. There are no shotgun activities and no archery. All shooting positions are covered.

Other than basic safety there are no rules.

The one significant problem with the range is that it is very windy. It does not matter for pistols, nor for military-style rifles, but it is hard to shoot bench rest or do load development in a constant 5-10mph wind. The wind and because it is a bit away from my normal travel pattern made me switch to the Interlake.

West Coast Armory

13216 SE 32nd St, Bellevue, WA
(425) 641-2877
www.westcoastarmory.com

Hours: 11am-9pm

Costs: $25/year + $15/visit, or $275-$350/year.

Full details here: http://www.westcoastarmory.com/the-range/range/58

WCA is extremely popular with Microsoft crowd, but, as any indoor-only range, it is fairly limited in what one can do (20-25yd firing lanes only), and is very expensive.

There are multiple tiers of membership. The cheapest allows you to pay $25/year, and then $15/visit and gives you access to 20yd bay. The next one is $275/year and it gives you free access. With both of these, you rent firearms for $15/day per class of firearm (pistol or rifle, you can switch individual guns within its class). The next up is $350/year and it gives you free gun rentals.

When you rent guns you have to buy and shoot their ammunition, which is, of course, expensive. However, this is still much less expensive way to try a lot of guns in action before settling on the one that you want to buy - compared to buying them all :-).

I've been there once specifically with this goal - to try a bunch of firearms. The staff was nice and helpful.

Seattle Police Athletic Association

11030 E Marginal Way S, Tukwila, WA 98168
(206) 684-7470
http://spaarange.com/

Hours: 9am-5pm Wed-Sun

Cost: $135/year ($80 for seniors). Discounts for LE.

This range is maintained by Seattle Police Association and is a rather large facility. It has up to 200 yards rifle range, as well as pistol, shotgun, and archery facilities.

It is the closest range to Seattle. It has a quirk: you have to pass a background check similar to the one required for a CPL to shoot here. Primarily because of that, and also because of somewhat inconvenient hours, I've never been here.

Wade's

13570 Bel Red Rd Bellevue, WA 98005
(425) 649-5995
http://www.wadesguns.com/

Hours: 10am-10pm 7 days a week

Cost: $15 Sun-Fri, $20 Sat. Membership: $350/year single, $400 family

Wade's is located right in the center of Bellevue and is basically custom-made for people with way too much money. Everything is way more than it is everywhere else in Seattle area (it will cost you $100+ to transfer a WASR through here), and WAY more than on the Internet. Range fees are no exception.

There are not too many redeeming features here, other than that for $50-75 you can rent a full-auto gun (you are required to buy their ammunition to shoot it, however, and it does not come cheap).

If money is no object, and location is everything, this is the place. Otherwise, I would look elsewhere. I've been here once.