Need a Bay Area Outdoor Range for Office Outing

[Manic Moran]

This is proving to be surprisingly difficult.

One would have thought it would be simple. Get 20-30 people together from the office for a company-paid trip to the range. Everyone who has firearms brings them along, rent out the range during business hours midweek (Hardly prime time for the range), and bang away for a couple of hours. We're based near Oakland.

First option, of course, is Chabot. We can deal with the insurance requirements, but they want an NRA-certified instructor which our office (we are in the computer games industry) rather lacks. Seriously? We're not doing a tactical course here.
Livermore suffers the problem of being bench-rest only, which is a bit limiting.
Santa Clara appears not to be open on the average weekday to begin with.
There are a couple of possibilities in Sacramento area, but the office mangler is looking a bit askew at a 90-minute-plus trip each way for a team-building outing.

I'm open to suggestions, here.

[Pandanin]

Try the Richmond Rod and Gun Club, maybe they can help you.

http://www.richmondrodandgun.com/

[windrunner]

Did they state why they want a NRA certified instructor? That seems really odd.

If you were to go up to Los Altos Rod and Gun, they are going to have range safety officers, so you would be perfectly fine there. They could very easily handle the volume of people coming from your office. Call them and make arrangements ahead of time so that they can accommodate you. Let them know what types of firearms your associates will be bringing. They have ranges there for pistol, rifle and shotgun.

I have been there several times and I particularly don't care to shoot there, but that is just me and my preference for shooting. For what you have described, they should be able to handle what you are looking for. The place is outdoors up in the Saratoga hills, so it will be great to get everyone out of the office and away from Oakland.

[ouch1]

Also check out the Los Altos Rod and gun club. http://www.losaltosrodandgunclub.com/
They have a pretty diverse range with just about everything you could want. Even a couple tin can ranges.

-ouch1

[soulfresh]

What's is your company name Manic? Sounds like my kind of work place.

[AfghanVetOrcutt]

Chabot probably wants an NRA instructor because you're talking about renting one of their 'private' or not normally used ranges instead of the standard range that everyone shoots on. Just a guess.

[Eljay]

With that many people it probably wouldn't be that hard to find an instructor who would be willing to babysit for a couple of hours for a few bucks each.

[mud99]

Don't underestimate the danger and chaos of 20-30 people who are not familiar with guns.

Either get an instructor to take care of the novices, or pair each novice shooter on a lane with an experienced shooter.

[rojocorsa]

Chabot seems pretty anal about safety. Over the top sometimes even. (I understand why, but no need for certain RSOs to use a certain tone when speaking to you).

[AfghanVetOrcutt]

Chabot seems pretty anal about safety. Over the top sometimes even. (I understand why, but no need for certain RSOs to use a certain tone when speaking to you).

From their website "We yell because we care"

[Eljay]

Also they yell because they have no idea what kind of hearing protection you're wearing and some of the old guys shooting there are pretty deaf. It always makes them sound harsher than they would otherwise.

[Ziggy91]

I say go with Chablt and get the NRA instructor. That's honestly your absolute best option for convenience and practicality. Open range out in the woods with plenty of space for parking.

[rojocorsa]

It was the snide tone, is all. It's annoying especially when the guy speaking looks like a wannabe range commando.