A gun range turned me away with a 6.8spc...

Interesting story. First and last time I will ever visit this place. I discovered a range close to our new house and decided to check it out. I get there and they ask me to sign in on a computer and as I am doing that I notice that they have listed very specific calibers you're allowed to shoot. I have my 6.8spc AR with me (pressures around 57000 and speeds around 2450 at the muzzle with 120gr). I noticed they allow .270win, .308, 300blk, and 7.62x39. I am thinking OK, my little AR round will be OK here, no problem. I get up to the counter and the guy asks to see my ammo and puts a magnet to it. They are checking for steel core ammo, no problem. It is an expanding Hornady round with ballistic tip. Clear there...he then asks me the caliber and I say "it's a 6.8, a .270 bullet with much less powder than a .270". He says "I have to call the owner and see if it is OK for you to shoot this round here". Now I am aggravated because the closest range is 15 miles away and I just need to shoot 5-6 rounds to make sure my scope is still on. He calls them and after asking I hear him say "No? OK." By this time I am already dialing up what I am going to say. He hangs up and says "you can't shoot it here" I just stood there and looked at him for a second then said, "you do realize that a .270win is a CANNON" compared to what I have here. He says "I don't make the rules I just enforce them" Grabbed my shit and walked out...

Rant over...what a crock of shit. The place is super nice inside and they have a ton of cool shit but they just lost a customer for life. I get that they have to protect their range and the customers but I dare say my little round would have done MUCH less damage to their backstop than a 270win or 308. They acted like I walked in there with a damn 338 Lapua. Am I crazy in thinking this was a little overkill on their part? The pressures those other rounds hit are 7000-8000 psi higher than my round.

 

Just cause he owns a range doesn't mean he knows jack about cartridges. I shoot 6.8SPC as well. Great for deer, but it's certainly no .308...

 

What kind of range limits the calibers you shoot? What a crock! Our local range here allows automatic weapons. Of course, you'll have to have all the appropriate stamps and paperwork should a game warden or sheriff show up. Are you in California?

 

The ranges around here don't let you shoot anything that they don't sell. I think they hope to make more money selling ammo? Either way that is DUMB

 

I would never step foot in Commiefornia. Haha. I'm in Georgia. That makes it even worse.

They suck. I'll never go back.

 

Hmm. I figured GA would be a gun lax state! I'm just right next door in Bama.

 

They are. These idiots didn't get the memo. Glad I didn't bring my tax stamp items. They might have shot me...ROFL

 

Honestly I think they just aren't familiar with the round. Which is unfortunate. But maybe find the email info and let them know of your experience and disappointment? I had a range in NC I had a misunderstanding with, spoke to the owner a few days later and we both realized it was completely out of context. Gave me 3 hours of free range time for it and went there for years after with zero problems

 

Methinks they don't like black rifles. They did act a little weird when I said it was an AR. Those types are the ones that think an AR-15 can only be chambered in 5.56/.223.

 

Already did this and the owner replied defending his employee. I took the high road and didn't respond.

 

The 6.8 has become my go to. It's a deer/hog slayer.

 

I have been to plenty of ranges that limit based on what they sell or based on size. The one that got me was no MP 15-22 where 22LR was allowed and AR.223 and .556 was not

 

This was my first time dealing with someone like this. I went to my old range, told them the story and they laughed about it. They also said I wasn't the first person that had come in and complained about it. Apparently they've done that to many other patrons.

 

Yep. We had a local place here in the city of Denver that had a range in the basement. Neighborhood grew up around it and became more residential over time as the industrial businesses moved. They had limits but were a great family run shop. Just recently put in a bunch of money to renovate it. It caught fire this week. I hope the city will let them rebuild and get a new permit. Despite the limits it is nice to shoot handguns without having to go all the way up the mountains or to Kansas.....

 

Based on those 3 data points, I'd bet my hard earned money the owner is a "Fudd". Best caliber on this plant starts with a 4 and ends with a 5! TwO WuRlD WaRz.

His range, his rules, and I respect that, but sometimes it's infuriating when you have facts on your side. Had a similar range experience a few years ago. AR-10 platform was right out per the RSO. Go put it back in the car! But my buddy unpacks his M-14...no issue

 

Ya figure if someone is going to open a range, they would have more knowledge of guns and ammunition before proceeding to do so!

 

Was this an indoor range?

 

My local range doesnt allow AR pistols on the pistol range regardless of caliber (gotta take that 9mm AR pistol to the rifle range) or the use of any accessory that isnt 50 state legal on the grounds that "it might scare someone else".
A while back, I asked about using my Evo3 with my binary trigger. The replied that because the binary trigger isnt legal in all 50 states (still legal in OR when I asked), I couldnt use it. And, I am not allowed to bring the Evo3 to the range in a SBR configuration (when stamped) and use on the pistol range because it might scare someone who may think it is a machinegun.

 

I think, as with OP, it had more to do with being an "Assault Rifle" ... than the actual caliber. Despite both being battle rifles (in military form), and being adjacent in SASS lineage.

Don't get me started on RSOs. I am sure there are good ones out there somewhere...I have yet to find one.