'It's a sport more than anything': Wisconsin's largest gun range opens in Cudahy

 

CUDAHY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- With earmuffs and eyeglasses on, John Nelson of Kenosha and his son stand inside of a bulletproof-glassed bay.

A target featuring a blue silhouette hangs from the ceiling a few yards in front of the duo, riddled with dozens of small holes.

"Once I saw this place, we just had to try it," Nelson told CBS 58's Ellie Nakamoto-White. 

The place Nelson is talking about is the Eagle Sports Range on E. Layton Ave.

With 40 lanes for pistols and rifles, plus the sheer amount of square footage the facility boasts, General Manager Todd Jaber said it is now the largest gun range in Wisconsin.

"For us to be able to open up our doors for as many customers as we possibly can is definitely amazing," Jaber said, noting they had a soft opening Dec. 21.  

Customers like Nelson can either rent one of the 100+ choices of available firearms, from pistols to AK-47s to hunting shotguns, or they can bring their own.

“We bought our own gun for Christmas, so it was kind of a present to ourselves, but it was the first time shooting it today, and coming here with the new gun was good,” Nelson said. "I've been looking for this thing online for probably the past year and I finally pulled the trigger and bought it, and it was everything we expected.”

Nelson and his son were just two of dozens on Tuesday morning, checking out the site.

On the east side of the building there are pistol lanes and on the west side is a rifle range.

Each area has 20 lanes which offer "unlimited shooting" -- meaning customers aren't timed.

To use the pistol range, expect to pay $25, with the rifle range coming in at $30. It costs $40 for both.

Customers can also add additional shooters for $15 with a three-person maximum per lane.

Gun enthusiasts have the option to sign up for the "Eagle All Access" memberships which are $50 per month, or $550 for the entire year with one month free.

Currently, several classes are offered, including concealed carry, intro to handguns, junior shooters ages 10 to 14, and private one-on-one lessons.

"Later in the year we'll introduce more intermediate courses as well," Jaber said. “Our sales staff is trained to help everybody and teach them for anything that they need to know, whether that’s simple things like how you load a magazine or how you rack a slide."

Jaber added that the controlled environment should help make anyone feel safe and comfortable, regardless of shooting experience.

“Our counter allows everybody to get everything that they may need, from safety equipment like eye protection and ear protection, and range safety officers are present at all times to make sure that everyone’s doing their shooting accordingly," Jaber said. “I know that sometimes they may look intimidating, but I think once you actually get a chance to get out there, get on the range, you actually learn a lot that this is actually a sport more than anything.”

Eagle Sports Range is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

They hope to host a grand opening in February. 

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