Verified Company
I took my sons to site in a couple 22s. The owners were so rude that my boys said they didn't like it there. No one welcomed us or acted like they were happy a dad was bringing the next generation to learn. I just wanted to work with each boy on shooting and they wanted to charge me for being in there with them. It wasn't so much that they had standards of pricing and safety, I get that. It was they were just rude all the way through each touch point of conversation.
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Got multiple guns from here all high quality, got a custom holster made it was done within a few days and is the best I've ever had including all market holsters.
Reply from Mad River Armory and Range
2025.07.05
Thank you, Brisk! We're thrilled to hear you're happy with both the firearms and the custom holster. Your satisfaction means the world to us, and we look forward to serving you again in the future!
Found the range to be clean and the staff well knowledgeable. Watched the video since it had been some time since I had been there. $18 plus 2 targets was just a little over $23. Had a nice time
Reply from Mad River Armory and Range
2025.07.05
Thank you, George! We're glad you found the range clean and enjoyed your visit. It's great to hear the video was helpful and that you had a nice time. We hope to welcome you back again soon!
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Went to have my gun appraised. Was given a rather poor offer compared to every other shop in the area and that’s not all that concerning. To me what really turned me off to the place was the older gentleman who spoke to me as if I was clueless about anything having to do with guns or selling items second hand. He reminded me that I won’t get full price for it in a rather condescending manner. Additionally he used analogy’s when explaining things to me that I didn’t understand and when I asked him to clarify or explain further I was met with more rude and condescending “answers”. If your an experienced shooter and have lots of knowledge about guns this may be a nice place to go. If you are unfamiliar or just not super savvy in the gun space I assure you this is not the place for you. You will be treated like a child no matter what prior experience you bring.
I’ll also mention that my gun was returned to me (rather ungraciously after I didn’t accept the low offer) the chamber flag was not put back inside the gun and they didn’t even give it back to me. I instead had to return back to the store to retrieve it. This feels like a minor safety concern that should be addressed. Especially when I watched a different employee hand a gun over to another customer without opening and checking the chamber or gun.
Overall the staff and management of this store seem to think they have everything figured out and are experts in the gun space. They act as if they know everything better than you and will become condescending if you ask questions they think are dumb or too basic. And they lack the very basic gun safety standards that one would come to expect in any other gun store.
At a very minimum I would love to see these safety concerns addressed immediately. A gun should never be passed over the counter to a customer without the employee and customer both inspecting the chamber and magazine the second the gun leaves the gun case.
Bought a pistol there once for my girlfriend and she decided to have it put in her name when we went to pick it up and the young man who worked there that helped us was very frustrated and non-professional because he had to do some paperwork I guess, I'll never spend my money there again.
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My family and I recently learned of Mad River and went there to purchase our first firearms. We have since signed up for all of their handgun classes and have now completed 2 of them. Skip is an exceptional instructor and is very patient with us newbies. I would recommend (and do) Mad River to anyone who is looking to not only purchase a handgun but also looking to learn how to be a responsible gun owner. Thank you Skip!
Nice Indoor range. The staff was very polite and friendly. You pay and then shoot for how ever long you want which was great! Others online complained about the staff being safety hawks but we didn't experience that in our visit. Only rule that was new to me was no loading mags unless you're at the firing line. While this was new to me the staff explained their reasoning for it and it made sense and is their facility. Since you get as much shooting time as you want there's also no need to rush and reload a mag while your buddy shoots to get the most out of your time. I will be going back in the future
Reply from Mad River Armory and Range
2025.03.18
"Wow, a 5-star review with no comments? You’re mysterious, and I love it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thanks for making our day brighter – you’re clearly someone with great taste (and probably amazing aim). If there’s ever anything more we can do to keep you smiling, just let us know!"
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Reply from Mad River Armory and Range
2025.03.18
"⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A silent but deadly 5-star review? We love it! Just like a well-placed shot, it hits us right in the feels. Thanks for the love, and we look forward to seeing you again—whether you're here for the range, a custom holster, or just to hang out with the coolest crew around. Bang on!" 🎯
Owning and operating a range is a task for the hearty. Dealing with the public sucks, add in guns and it gets way worse fast.
The range itself isn't a bad place to shoot at. They make you watch their video (once a year), they will data mine you (id and phone number), they will check your ammo for steel core, then you pay 36 plus tax for two people one lane.
The temperature on the range is either Sahara hot or Antarctica cold. And then there is their brass policy. They keep all brass.
I can get through all the rest, but you cannot keep my brass. I probably won't go back just for the brass part.
That's all brass I have to now buy again.
Reply from Mad River Armory and Range
2025.03.18
"First off, we appreciate the honesty—you took the shot, and we respect that. Yeah, running a range isn’t for the faint of heart, and we’ll admit dealing with the public can be… interesting. Add in firearms, and it’s basically a circus with live ammo. 🎪🔫
Now let’s dive into it:
Watching the video? We know it’s not Oscar-worthy, but it helps keep everyone safe and saves us from constantly explaining that no, you cannot spin your pistol like it’s a Wild West showdown.
Asking for ID and phone numbers and checking steel-core ammo? Yep, we’re sticklers. Blame the lawyers and the "we don't want random people ruining everyone’s day" mindset.
$36 (plus tax) for two people, one lane? While we do our best to price fairly, running an indoor range isn’t exactly cheap! Think about HVAC systems big enough to handle safer air quality and all that fun OSHA compliance stuff... but hey, no excuses; we're always trying to improve where we can.
Now, brass. Oh, brass. The issue here isn’t about keeping it for some diabolical scheme or greed. The truth is, we had too many people disregarding safety rules to retrieve brass—stepping over the shooting line, risking accidents, and putting everyone at risk. We hated enforcing the rule, but after enough close calls, we had to draw a hard line (literally). Safety always comes first, even if it means an unpopular decision.
We get that you’re frustrated, especially if you’re a reloader. If you ever change your mind and can live without your brass, we’ll be here to welcome you back. And in the meantime, thanks for giving us a shot—stay safe and keep your aim sharp!" 🎯
Now let’s dive into it:
Watching the video? We know it’s not Oscar-worthy, but it helps keep everyone safe and saves us from constantly explaining that no, you cannot spin your pistol like it’s a Wild West showdown.
Asking for ID and phone numbers and checking steel-core ammo? Yep, we’re sticklers. Blame the lawyers and the "we don't want random people ruining everyone’s day" mindset.
$36 (plus tax) for two people, one lane? While we do our best to price fairly, running an indoor range isn’t exactly cheap! Think about HVAC systems big enough to handle safer air quality and all that fun OSHA compliance stuff... but hey, no excuses; we're always trying to improve where we can.
Now, brass. Oh, brass. The issue here isn’t about keeping it for some diabolical scheme or greed. The truth is, we had too many people disregarding safety rules to retrieve brass—stepping over the shooting line, risking accidents, and putting everyone at risk. We hated enforcing the rule, but after enough close calls, we had to draw a hard line (literally). Safety always comes first, even if it means an unpopular decision.
We get that you’re frustrated, especially if you’re a reloader. If you ever change your mind and can live without your brass, we’ll be here to welcome you back. And in the meantime, thanks for giving us a shot—stay safe and keep your aim sharp!" 🎯
Reply from Mad River Armory and Range
2024.12.28
Thank you for your feedback! We’re always striving to provide the best experience possible, and we’d love to know more about what we could do to improve. If there's anything specific you'd like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly. Your input is valuable, and we’d appreciate the opportunity to make things right for you!"
They hover and are very annoying when it comes to 1 shot wait a few seconds and shoot again. I believe you train how you fight, I don’t think a bad guy is going to wait for me to make sure I fire count a couple seconds and fire again. The old man was standing behind us the entire time both in the shooting range and watching us on the other side of glass. Felt like I was 10 years old again and my dad was breathing down my neck watching every little thing I did. Was not a comfortable learning environment for my wife who doesn’t have as much experience shooting as I do. When we were done I asked the other old guy at the counter why we were being watched like that he said “we get a bunch of idiots and just have to make sure people follow the rules.” After some back and forth asking if we did anything wrong and him answering no and then me asking well then why did that guy watch us like that he stuck to his original answer. Idk I’m grown I don’t need someone holding my hand making my wife feel uncomfortable if she squeezes off a round .000000005 seconds to close to her last round. I got a membership out there in London at the outdoor range it’s laid back no one bothers you, you can shoot your weapon how you see fit as long as you’re safe. I’ll never go back to madriver.
Reply from Mad River Armory and Range
2024.12.20
It sounds like you had a frustrating experience, and I completely understand why it came across as uncomfortable and invasive, especially if you’re experienced and confident in your abilities. However, it might help to consider this from the range's safety perspective, even if it doesn’t change how the situation felt for you and your wife at the time.
Ranges like Madriver often adopt strict oversight policies not because they doubt your abilities personally, but likely because they’ve encountered safety issues in the past. Handling firearms responsibly is critical, and for better or worse, range officers tend to err on the side of caution—sometimes to the point where it feels excessive or even patronizing. This can understandably come across as frustrating, especially if you feel like you’re being treated like someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.
From the range's point of view, though, their main priority is ensuring that every single person on the range is safe at all times. Even minor lapses in safety—intentional or accidental—can lead to severe consequences. The policies they enforce, such as spacing between rounds, may seem restrictive, but they’re likely aimed at keeping everyone focused, minimizing risks, and maintaining control. For someone like you who trains for realistic scenarios, it’s understandable why these rules might have felt limiting or unnecessary.
As for the constant supervision, I can see how that felt overbearing and made the experience less enjoyable for both of you. However, based on the staff’s comment about needing to “make sure people follow the rules,” it seems their goal was to vigilantly watch everyone—not just you—and ensure that no one inadvertently compromises safety. That said, the way it was handled could have been better; overly critical oversight often creates a stressful environment, which can be discouraging, especially for someone like your wife who’s still gaining confidence.
At the end of the day, every range has its own style of operation, with some leaning toward stricter enforcement of rules and others being more hands-off. While these strict policies may work for some people, it’s completely fair for you to feel like it wasn’t the right fit for you and your wife. Shooting is supposed to be both a safe and enjoyable activity, and finding a range that offers a balance between those two things is important for anyone’s experience.
Ranges like Madriver often adopt strict oversight policies not because they doubt your abilities personally, but likely because they’ve encountered safety issues in the past. Handling firearms responsibly is critical, and for better or worse, range officers tend to err on the side of caution—sometimes to the point where it feels excessive or even patronizing. This can understandably come across as frustrating, especially if you feel like you’re being treated like someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.
From the range's point of view, though, their main priority is ensuring that every single person on the range is safe at all times. Even minor lapses in safety—intentional or accidental—can lead to severe consequences. The policies they enforce, such as spacing between rounds, may seem restrictive, but they’re likely aimed at keeping everyone focused, minimizing risks, and maintaining control. For someone like you who trains for realistic scenarios, it’s understandable why these rules might have felt limiting or unnecessary.
As for the constant supervision, I can see how that felt overbearing and made the experience less enjoyable for both of you. However, based on the staff’s comment about needing to “make sure people follow the rules,” it seems their goal was to vigilantly watch everyone—not just you—and ensure that no one inadvertently compromises safety. That said, the way it was handled could have been better; overly critical oversight often creates a stressful environment, which can be discouraging, especially for someone like your wife who’s still gaining confidence.
At the end of the day, every range has its own style of operation, with some leaning toward stricter enforcement of rules and others being more hands-off. While these strict policies may work for some people, it’s completely fair for you to feel like it wasn’t the right fit for you and your wife. Shooting is supposed to be both a safe and enjoyable activity, and finding a range that offers a balance between those two things is important for anyone’s experience.
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