The Newest Fletcher's Guns Range

So we took a little trip out to the newest Fletcher's Guns range, the one in Pewaukee.

Formerly occupied by Waukesha County's police-training academy, this is a VERY spacious facility which includes three rifle/shotgun lanes (7.62x39 max, shotgun slugs OK) plus a dozen handgun/small-caliber rifle ranges.

The ranges are well-lit, well-ventilated, and have the automated-distance target carriers.  Once you figure out the ladder-logic (and there IS a pictogram!) you can place your target out to 31 yards maximum.  There is a lot of free space behind the line for storing targets, extra ammo, sandwiches, other vitals.

Just off the range is a retail-sales area emphasizing 'soft goods' such as hats, tees, Uplula (OK, they're not soft), and a room for washing powder and lead off your hands, which we did not have in BCT, yet lived to tell about it.

In another part of the building there is a large training room set up for classes of 30+ to accommodate those who wish to learn how to use a handgun safely and effectively.  

Beyond that is another very large room with more soft goods, various cleaning/maintenance tools and chemicals, and about 200 weapons from several manufacturers, plus some ammo.  There is more ammo behind the entry-area/check-in counter, but it's fair to say that the supplies are NOT great.

As is now common at ranges, you must watch a safety video and fill in a liability waiver before using any range.  Cost is $20/person/hour for a line, which is competitive.   They will rent pistols for 'try before you buy' if you wish.

The older Fletcher's is the "old-style" range, smaller, camaraderie abounding, tall-tales-told, nicotine-stained walls (even though smoking's been banned for 20 years), tightly packed with *necessary stuff.*  Nothing wrong with that at all.

The newer one is--perhaps--what will be the "new" American range.  I wouldn't be surprised to see a small sandwich operation in there (zoning permitting) with croissants and salads next to the bacon burgers in the near future.

We can also report that the percentage of female shooters is MUCH greater than it had been back in the '80's.  That's anecdote, of course, but things have changed since then, no?

You should try it.  Like Waukesha, it's only a couple of miles off I-94, but it's a lot closer to "Lake Country" Hartland, Delafield, and Oconomowoc.  Parking is a little tight, but there's a road around the corner out back with LOTS of space.