INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – The Indian River County Shooting Range’s days of operation will change later this month to accommodate the Sheriff’s Office.
The Shooting Range, located off County Road 512 between Sebastian and Fellsmere, will be closed Wednesdays beginning Jan. 25 and will be open Mondays. The switch was agreed to in December so Sheriff’s deputies could train at the range on their scheduled training day. For the last three years, the Sheriff’s Office’s main day for firearms training was Monday. But with the department’s recent switch to 10-hour workdays, training is now scheduled for Wednesdays.
Shooting Range Manager Holden Kriss said the change to when the range will be open is not expected to cause problems for staff, explaining that there are three full time employees and the rest are part time.
The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office is expected to continue paying its $10,000 annual rent for the days its uses the range for training. However, the rate of $250 per training day does not cover the amount of revenue the range currently was collecting.
At $825 a day, the range earned more than $42,800 annually on Wednesdays.
According to county officials, though, the lost revenue should be overcome through what they call aggressive marketing for the new open day – Monday.
To that end, Kriss they are considering offering incentives on Mondays to draw the Wednesday shooters. What those incentives might be, they have not decided.
The Sheriff’s Office and county officials have said that renting the range for training would be more cost effective than building a separate shooting range for the department.
The Shooting Range offers a variety of shooting options that include rifle and pistol ranges, shotgun, airgun, and archery.
“Some people play tennis; some people play golf,” Kriss said. “Others shoot. It’s their recreation.”
The Shooting Range has been open for the last eight years and in that time has logged approximately 54,000 registered users. Kriss said they average about 100 first-time visitors each week.
“We provide a safe place to shoot guns,” Kriss said, adding that the range is a controlled and supervised location that draws people from Palm Beach, Cocoa and even Orlando.
The facility also serves as a place for education. Hunters’ Education, basic shooting and other classes are offered on a regular basis. Loaner guns are available for rent at the facility.
For those who would rather not go shooting but still want to spend time outdoors with their child, there is fishing available. The Shooting Range has a stocked lake.
Want to go?
Location: 10455 102nd Terrace, Sebastian Phone: (772) 581- 4944On the Web: www.GoShootingIRC.comHours/Days of Operation: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday until Jan. 25, then same hours Thursday through Monday.Offerings:
Pistol Range with 35 firing stations
Rifle Range with 29 firing stations
Ranges provide 25-, 50-, and 100-yard targets and 2 200-yard stations
Shotgun Range with 5-stand range and sporting clay course
Air Rifle and Pellet Gun Range
Fishing – for those with children
