Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

A few friends and I were planning on heading up to Silver Eagle Group in Ashburn to try out some new hardware. I just saw on their website that they're closed until further notice. Unfortunate, since I was very pleased with my last experience and have been hyping it up to my friends.
In the stead, is there another professional place in the general area I could try (two of us live in Alexandria, one in Ashburn)? I've heard the place in Lorton referred to as a "redneck shitshow" so I'm inclined to avoid that. My only real criteria would be a safe indoor facility (nobody swinging firearms around with abandon), and good customer service. I hear the NRA range is a win? Any tips on the best place to be able to shoot with little to no wait on a Saturday morning?

And finally, any idea when SEG is going to open back up?

Thanks all.

There's always Blue Ridge Arsenal in Chantilly. Not as polished as SEG, but also more consistent hours and no constant rumors about how they'd rather only cater to LEOs and .gov types if the economics worked out.

I've never shot at Sharp Shooters in Lorton, but plenty people on this forum have. I've never heard of it as "rednech shitshow". I'm sure that if some of the regulars here shoot there all the time, that what you heard is undeserved.

To be fair, I heard that from someone who only drinks hand-pressed coffee It's a bit of a drive for my Ashburn buddy, though, so I'll probably check it out on my own sometime.

Goldie wrote: In the stead, is there another professional place in the general area I could try (two of us live in Alexandria, one in Ashburn)? I've heard the place in Lorton referred to as a "redneck shitshow" so I'm inclined to avoid that.

That characterization has no basis in reality. Let me tell you a story: many months before I ever set foot in Gilberts / Sharpshooters, I read about it on a forum and some of the negative reviews gave me pause and I steered clear. Being bored one day, I swung by, found it packed with customers, but the staff was helpful and answered all of my questions. It had been a big mistake for me to ignore them for so long. I could have enjoyed many more months of convenient and cheap rangetime.

I get the feeling that they don't suffer fools, but if one's in a gun shop and range, one should never act like a fool. The RSOs are good guys. I shoot there regularly and there's been only one night where there were some assclowns on the verge of creating what your friend calls a "shitshow." The RSO on duty was on those morons like a fly on poop.

I have never had a bad experience at Sharpshooters. They're professional. They sell accessories and ammunition when I need it. They have a good selection of new and consignment arms. They answer questions when I have them. Their operating hours are awesome. People leave you alone on the range. What else do I need out of a gun range? Showers and a concierge? Hard sells? Full-auto rentals? Nope, not really.

FWIW, tell your friend that Ashburn is a nothing but a congested, wetback and strip mall McMansion shitshow.

Well, I'll just have to check it out for myself and see. I don't know anything about Ashburn or Lorton, I'd just like to find a good range and it doesn't look like my city will be getting one anytime in the near...ever.

You do make a good point about judging things for oneself, but like you said, their online profile isn't particularly flattering. If all I have to go on are negative reviews and a bad referral, why would I drive out of my way to spend money there? I'll check it out first hand and if I have a better experience, I'll be sure to share that with the individual that had such choice words.

LFS wrote:There's always Blue Ridge Arsenal in Chantilly. Not as polished as SEG, but also more consistent hours and no constant rumors about how they'd rather only cater to LEOs and .gov types if the economics worked out.

No, BRA has YouTube videos of its owner crowing about how great it is that he helped elect Obama.

Every range has some skeletons in its closet. You just have to decide how many bones you're comfortable with.

Despite the negative rhetoric Sharpshooters is a decent place to shoot. Are there better...yes...are there worse...oh yeah. Check it out and judge for yourself.

+1 for Sharpshooters - the only problem is they don't have a reasonable drop in rate - you need to either get a yearly membership (which are the cheapest around), or get a monthly membership for $12 and then pay $10 per hour.

The NRA range has a flat rate of $14 per hour (if you are an NRA member). So, if you are only going once or twice a month, the NRA range will be the cheaper option.

FatAndy wrote:+1 for Sharpshooters - the only problem is they don't have a reasonable drop in rate - you need to either get a yearly membership (which are the cheapest around), or get a monthly membership for $12 and then pay $10 per hour.

The NRA range has a flat rate of $14 per hour (if you are an NRA member). So, if you are only going once or twice a month, the NRA range will be the cheaper option.

I agree but I usually spend 2-4 hours at Sharpshooters when I shoot...never have to wait for a lane and I can shoot as long as I like...plus its only 10 minutes away for me...the good thing about NRA is you can also shoot rifle calibers...

Diomed wrote:

LFS wrote:There's always Blue Ridge Arsenal in Chantilly. Not as polished as SEG, but also more consistent hours and no constant rumors about how they'd rather only cater to LEOs and .gov types if the economics worked out.

No, BRA has YouTube videos of its owner crowing about how great it is that he helped elect Obama.

Every range has some skeletons in its closet. You just have to decide how many bones you're comfortable with.

What he said was that he voted for Obama. Its not like he said he went out campaigning for Obama. But imagine that, a black guy voting for the first black President. Shocker!

Besides, the guy who runs SEG was a big contributor for Hillary. So take your choice. I'll shoot at both places until they start directly contributing to anti-gun groups, which I doubt they will do.

My only gripe about SEG is that they keep changing their hours, and the persistent rumors that they want to close the range to civilians.

Tangent/sarcasm alert!

LFS wrote:

Diomed wrote:

LFS wrote:There's always Blue Ridge Arsenal in Chantilly. Not as polished as SEG, but also more consistent hours and no constant rumors about how they'd rather only cater to LEOs and .gov types if the economics worked out.

No, BRA has YouTube videos of its owner crowing about how great it is that he helped elect Obama.

Every range has some skeletons in its closet. You just have to decide how many bones you're comfortable with.

What he said was that he voted for Obama. Its not like he said he went out campaigning for Obama. But imagine that, a black guy voting for the first black President. Shocker!

I thought the media spent lots of time telling us the last election wasn't about race?

LFS wrote:Besides, the guy who runs SEG was a big contributor for Hillary. So take your choice. I'll shoot at both places until they start directly contributing to anti-gun groups, which I doubt they will do.

Perhaps the bigger question is, why are so many of our ranges owned/run by people you support anti-gun politicians? Is bribe money required to open a range these days?

gunderwood wrote:Tangent/sarcasm alert!
I thought the media spent lots of time telling us the last election wasn't about race?

What! The media got something wrong?

gunderwood wrote:

LFS wrote:Besides, the guy who runs SEG was a big contributor for Hillary. So take your choice. I'll shoot at both places until they start directly contributing to anti-gun groups, which I doubt they will do.

Perhaps the bigger question is, why are so many of our ranges owned/run by people you support anti-gun politicians? Is bribe money required to open a range these days?

For BRA and SEG, I have two words: government contracts.

LFS wrote:

gunderwood wrote:Tangent/sarcasm alert!
I thought the media spent lots of time telling us the last election wasn't about race?

What! The media got something wrong?

gunderwood wrote:

LFS wrote:Besides, the guy who runs SEG was a big contributor for Hillary. So take your choice. I'll shoot at both places until they start directly contributing to anti-gun groups, which I doubt they will do.

Perhaps the bigger question is, why are so many of our ranges owned/run by people you support anti-gun politicians? Is bribe money required to open a range these days?

For BRA and SEG, I have two words: government contracts.

Nah, the media is infallible and centrist, everyone knows that.

If they want government contracts wouldn't it make more sense to donate money to politicians who generally support increasing the military/LE rather than those who liek to cut those budgets to make room for more social spending? Or is it an attempt to not be part of the cuts?

gunderwood wrote: If they want government contracts wouldn't it make more sense to donate money to politicians who generally support increasing the military/LE rather than those who liek to cut those budgets to make room for more social spending? Or is it an attempt to not be part of the cuts?

It generally helps to "bribe" the ones in power.

LFS wrote: So take your choice.

Like I said, every range has some skeletons in its closet.

Well, I made it out to Sharpshooters and I definitely had an incorrect impression of the place. Great experience overall, will certainly go back soon. Full writeup is in the sharpshooter's thread, to make sure they get my positive review where people are more likely to look.