Master Keith gives a master class in gun safety, gun laws, and concealed carry fundamentals. I feel…read moremore confident in my abilities and knowledge to carry and defend myself within the parameters of the law. I highly recommend the concealed carry class to beginner and advanced gun owners.

I took the concealed carry class which was taught by Keith English with the help of Mark James. The…read moreclass was 4 hours long but it did not drag on at all. Mr. Keith provided a-lot of good information and kept our whole class engaged. He was very patient with all of us (we had a lot of questions). They offer different classes that I am definitely going to sign up for. Overall I enjoyed the class and l would recommend to any body who is a "beginner" in firearms or any type of self defense. Everyone is very helpful and patient! Thanks Keith, Mark and Kayla!

Great staff, clean facility. A good variety of rental guns. Nice show room with lots of products…read more Would highly recommend

Don't go if you're not from Virginia, they hate outsiders. I went there last week, and one of the…read morestaff commented on my accent, next thing I knew they were all passing by me saying they hated Yankees. I'll never go again, that's for sure. That's some balz. Obviously these reviews are from their staff

The entire staff is friendly, helpful, and professional. The handgun ranges are modern, with…read moreautomated target systems controlled by the shooter. Sound damping, positive air flow, and reminders about safety factors such as washing hands to remove heavy metal contamination are all in plac-. The safety standards on the range are excellent, being cautious, and enforced in a prompt, helpful manner rather than the all-to-common screaming at you like a drill instructor. The reservation system has reduced wait times. The sale area is small but merchandise has been selected more to satisfy range needs rather than duplicating the main store which is within a few miles. The staff (range, sales, administration-membership) all seem to be open to suggestions for improvement. And another strong point - I have never encountered an effort at a hard sell for merchandise, membership, or any other offering.

Customer Service is 3 stars. The help desk is never manned. Poor service. Telephone voice messages…read moresent are never returned. If I could shoot indoors at another location I would.

First time here since it changed hands and I enjoyed it. Was going to GT but it's gotten too busy…read moreand some of the employees talk down to you. Glad to have another place to keep up on practice.

Freedom Outdoors is a welcome replacement for the old Colonial Shooting Academy in a great many…read moreways, and frankly we are lucky to get a new range option in a region without many of them. To avoid going through this review like I have a chip on my shoulder, I'll say it straight: I did not like Colonial at all, and Freedom Outdoors does everything so much better. Excellent staff who aren't rude or combative for no reason, reasonable range rules, and clean shooting bays without weird columns in the middle make this place an ideal destination. The biggest change is the staff, particularly the RSOs: they are cool and focused on making sure everything is safe but also without micromanaging every shooter. The one I interacted with during my range time was friendly and answered my questions without issue. The counter staff were quite busy but still processed me quickly. The shooting bays are quite nice, with a nice polished wood area to lay your guns while not in use and to do reloading, though they also have a few chairs behind the bays for that too. They use the standard electronic "fly in, fly out" target system where you can bring it in to attach paper targets and then send it to a distance of your choice. I was surprised the place wasn't busier for a Saturday, though that made my life easier since I wanted a somewhat calmer spot to test my new gun. I did not rent any of their guns this time though they appeared to have a good number of them. I didn't spend much time in their store, though they have a decent selection of firearms and accessories, with an ammo section in a separate room that I did shop from. One thing I noticed is that most of their firearm offerings are more common ones, as compared to the huge revolver collection that was here with Colonial. My one gripe is the cost of a lane: $30 for an hour for one person (or even their $50 for 2 people) is a lot of money. Their only competitor in the area is Green Top, which is $25 for an hour for one person and $40 for two. Essentially there are a few things worth paying the extra money for if you choose to come here: proximity to where you live (Green Top is a bit of a drive north), a calmer shooting experience (assuming it stays the way it is now), the chance of getting to shoot for a little longer than an hour if they aren't busy, and the fact that they are cool with you shooting full-auto/binary. For example, if I wanted to teach someone how to shoot, rent a full-auto or shoot my binary, or planned to shoot a LOT of ammo, I would choose Freedom. If I just wanted to get some basic shooting in with a friend who already knew how to shoot, I might go with Green Top purely because it's cheaper. Ultimately, it's up to you whether it's worth the drive to save $10. Super glad to have Freedom Outdoors in our backyard and will definitely return again soon! ---- Overall: 4.5 stars Pros: - Excellent range staff, top-notch RSOs. - Range rules are fair and non-restrictive. - Nicely-redone bays make for a pleasant (dare I say upscale?) experience. - Good selection of rentals, equipment, etc. - Same excellent parking lot as their predecessors. Cons: - $50 is a lot for an hour's entertainment, but in the circumstances I've outlined above, it's well worth it.

Jim Nida is an outstanding instructor hands-down. My wife, daughter and I attended his training,…read morewhich he adjusted to meet our busy schedules, and provided some the most professional yet personable training I've personally have ever participated in. His course is set within the NRA standards and he used his extensive law enforcement background to provide a very grounded approach to handgun orientation, safety, and firing. He dealt with three very different levels of experience within the same class and made it enjoyable and educational at the same time. He is patient and thoughtful with all his students and made both my wife and daughter feel totally at ease; no pressure, no games, no judgment. I would highly recommend him to anyone of any skill level seeking CCW accredited training or for more advanced skills; which we all agreed we will be calling him for soon. A great experience for all levels of proficiency; beginner to advance.

When I signed up for the First Steps class at Handgun Academy Va, I was a complete novice to…read morehandguns -- didn't know how to shoot, load, handle, or store a handgun. After just 2 hours in the classroom, I felt confident and prepared to head to the range with the instructor and try out what I had learned. Jim Nida is professional and clearly experienced at what he does, and makes an excellent instructor, especially for beginners. I received a certificate from attending his course that will allow me to apply for my Virginia concealed carry permit. I will be back to take more lessons from him on more specific skills (of my choosing, which is even better!). I will be recommending Handgun Academy Va to everyone I know, and anyone who is interesting in learning how to shoot. As a woman, it's important that I can feel protected, and thanks to Jim I feel like I can defend myself and handle weapons accurately and safely.

The older guy working immediately met us (my father, sister, and me) with a wary eye. We are on…read morevacation and my sister had no handgun experience so we were just looking to shoot some since we don't have a range back home. Asked about renting weapons and he immediately said "I can't rent to you," which kind of took us aback. We asked why - he said he doesn't rent to anyone under 21 - but he didn't even ask how old we were. Once I tried to explain I was over 21, he said it didn't matter because they don't rent weapons except to take a class (it's 3 hours and $75). I looked on some gun forums before going here but evidently they were a bit dated because this range NO longer rents weapons. This was a last minute side-trip for us or otherwise we would've brought our own. (I'll also mention that they don't allow anything that fires over 2k fps nor do they allow 5-7's in case anyone is interested). My dad chatted him up and the guy seemed to back down a little once he realized my father knew a bit about weapons - but he never once tried to speak to my sister or me or even make eye contact. Gun safety is no joke - but you shouldn't treat every stranger that comes into your facility like a felon or incompetent yuppie - and based on the fact that he never acknowledged me/my sister, I'd saying being female won't win you any brownie points. Other than the staff - the facility seems a bit dated (it's 26 years old) but sufficient. You MUST purchase your targets there - they have a decent selection and the prices are really reasonable. Some ammo is available for purchase but they are feeling the current shortage just like everyone else and had a limited amount. They also have earplugs and eyewear for purchase; nothing is included in the range fee other than the range, so bring your own everything.

I just started reloading so i was picking up my casings and they immediately came in and stopped…read moreme. Apparently thats how they cover costs at the range according to the guy who told me i couldnt pick up my own casings. Not sure what they do with the money i paid to use the facility. I hope they are happy with my 75 casings i left behind because thats the last thing they will ever get out of me