Colonial Shooting Academy opens Saturday in Virginia Beach

A 50,000-square-foot indoor shooting range and retail operation opens Saturday in the vacant Bloom Brothers furniture store at 5070 Virginia Beach Boulevard.

This is the second location for Colonial Shooting Academy (CSA).  It joins one in Richmond that was selected by the National Shooting Sports Foundation as the Range of the Year for 2013.

The facility, a joint development by CSA and Harmony Investments of Virginia Beach, will employ 50 full- and part-time workers. It offers 34 lanes, a retail operation, classrooms for self-defense and a tactical range for police and military use.

Customers may shoot handguns of all calibers, as well as rifles through .30 caliber and slugs only in shotguns. The company said in a news release that range safety officers will be on the premises to ensure that customers follow the rules. Memberships are available, which provide unlimited use of lanes. 

“We’re giving shooters what they have always wanted, a safe, clean and modern indoor shooting facility to practice their sport in a welcoming environment,” Steve Satterwhite, the company’s CEO, said in a statement.   “It is important that we have something for everyone from the casual enthusiast to police and military.“

The business also caters to sportsmen. “Our customers want to expand their skill level and knowledge,” says Satterwhite, “and Colonial Shooting Academy allows them to do just that at their own pace.”

According to the company, customers, regardless of experience, will be required to watch a safety video once a year to be able to shoot at the range.

Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms and the sheriffs of Norfolk and Virginia Beach will be on hand for the opening ceremonies at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, which will be followed by tours of the new facility.