[Gun Quest] A new place to shoot in HIlo.

So a few years ago, I started hearing some chatter about an indoor gun range opening up in Hilo. It took a while, including a period of worrying silence, but White Shark Arms is now open for business. They are currently operating on a reservation system, and you can book lanes through their web site for $15 an hour. They also have a range of rental firearms available, although you'll currently need to bring your own ammunition.

Their retail space is rather large, but they don't keep much in stock. Apparently, they prefer to work on "builds" for their firearm sales. Time will tell if they are planning on bringing in more inventory. I can't imagine the firing range rental fees alone would be enough to make this a profitable business. Eventually, I suspect they will switch to the standard model of making their profits from ammunition sales.

On a first visit, you're greeted with the usual waiver paperwork. There is also a check-in process where they make a note of the serial numbers of any guns you bring, as well as doing a safety check. The range itself is separated from the retail space by what was referred to as an "airlock", a small room with doors on the store and range sides.

White Shark Arms currently has three lanes available, although the range space could easily house ten or twelve. There is no HVAC system installed, so if you're concerned about breathing aerosolized lead you might want to avoid this place. It also gets extremely warm, and by the time I'd finished my hour I was drenched in sweat. To be fair, it was a summer afternoon at around 2 pm.

Targets are moved using a mechanical pulley system, and can be set out to 20 meters maximum. I was advised to be careful if I were going to be shooting at the maximum range, as the targets can fall off the end of the track. There is, of course, a range safety officer present at all times.

So will I go back? Sure! Other than the lack of air conditioning, I found this a perfectly pleasant place to go and shoot. It's also the only game in town now that GRA has closed their membership.