Bullet Hole, Inc — Attraction in Belleville

I visited The Bullet Hole a few weeks back in an attempt to obtain some basic information regarding an AR-15. My experience at this place was poor to say the least. To begin with, I was not greeted or even acknowledged when I walked through the door, even though the place was completely empty with the exception of a few people at the range. I then proceeded to the rear of this cluster phobic space they call a store, and stood in front of the cash register where two staff members completely ignored my presence and carried on with a conversation about some story in the newspaper. Finally, after approximately five minutes, I was greeted by a "what?" and a roll of the eyes from a rude and unhelpful female staff member who also neglected to introduce herself. I began by explaining to her that I was interested in purchasing an AR-15 and that I simply wanted to know the dos and don’ts of black rifles in NJ. Without even considering my question she quickly responded with “how old are you? Why do you need an AR15?” which, is really none of her business to begin with. However, since, unlike her and the rest of their staff, I am not a douche bag, I went ahead and politely answered her question by explaining that I just simply wanted a larger caliber rifle for target shooting, and that I was well over the legal age to obtain a weapon. In a very rude and dismissive tone she then added that for me to own an AR 15 I would have to get it directly from them or have a manufacturer ship me a completely NJ approved weapon. I then explained to her that I wanted to build the rifle myself, since I wanted very specific parts. When mentioned that I had already purchased some of the Magpul furniture she blatantly accused me of having committed a felony. She stated that collapsible stocks are illegal in the state of NJ and having purchased one, I had committed a felony, even though I did not currently poses any other part of the rifle. This statement was not only 100% false, but also alarming to discover the absolute ignorance of the staff that is allowed to run this store. At that point I thanked her for her time and walked out, leaving more frustrated and confused then how I went in. The Bullet Hole has permanently lost my business and interest because of rude, disrespectful and uninformed staff members. You can be assured that I will never be visiting this...

I’ve been to ~15 ranges in the tri-state area, and this is the most dangerous, disgusting, dingy range I’ve ever been to. I also witnessed an ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE while here, which the RSO handled very poorly.

From the moment I set foot inside I had alarm bells going off in my head. The space is cramped and poorly ventilated. There are hundreds of bullet holes all over the ceiling and side walls downrange — a little bit is normal, but this much is indicative of unsafe shooting practices and/or poor upkeep. The booth dividers are very shallow, and the cramped, busy layout with tables behind the firing line impedes the RSO’s view of the line.

But the most dangerous thing I witnessed was an accidental discharge while waiting for a booth, and the way the RSO handled it. There was a CCW class being taught in the 2 right-most booths, and a guy shooting in the booth adjacent to them. From the way he was behaving, I suspect he had poor eyesight. He fired a few rounds, and then turns the pistol on its side and brings it closer to inspect it — while keeping his finger on the trigger! He accidentally discharges a round and jumps in the air, clearly not expecting it, then looks around behind him to see if anyone else had witnessed this foolishness — I and one of the CCW students did. Fortunately the round went downrange and probably added to the collection of holes in the wall/ceiling. The student, feeling unsafe about having to shoot next to this person, notifies his instructor, who politely confronts the guy and asks him to use better trigger discipline. He loses his cool and gets defensive, so the instructor calls the RSO over to intervene and eventually calm the guy down. Witnessing this was the only time I’ve ever feared for my safety at a range. It should go without saying that ANY aggression or even disagreement at a shooting range, especially towards an instructor or RSO, is like lighting a match in a tinderbox and should have ZERO tolerance.

If this happened at any of my regular ranges, this guy would have been tossed out in seconds, likely with a lifetime ban. There’s plenty of fantastic ranges in NJ that take safety seriously, are clean, and have cutting-edge tech & ventilation. Sure, they’re more expensive, but safety is not something to...

Pros: Ammo is reasonably priced. Range time is $20 an hour. This seems to be the going rate or slightly below going rate, in my experience. I've never seen a wait line for a port, even on a Sunday afternoon or Saturday morning.

Cons: Horrible customer service. I don't intend to bash the establishment, but if it wasn't located 10 minutes from my home, I would never frequent this range. I have been shooting for roughly 2 years and had only been to Bullethole. I recently took the 40 minute drive to Randolph and visited RTSP, major difference in the way I was treated. I always feel unwelcome when I visit Bullethole. The nicest person there seems to be the owners wife I presume, but she doesn't seem very knowledgeable about shop business. I prefer to do all of my transactions with her rather than the other employees. To be fair, I haven't had a bad experience with one of the older gentleman behind the counter either.. But the main guy has the WORST attitude. The range officer has never given me an issue either. I have been reprimanded for shooting too high, but I take all corrections to form/technique as appreciated guidance. I guess it's really the attitude of the main guy that bugs me the most. If RTSP wasn't 40 minutes away, I would always go there, just for better customer service.

My advice to owners and management: PLEASE try to treat all patrons like they are welcome. You don't have to "put on airs" or be phony, just try to welcome the customers. Our dollars keep your establishment running. I would love to shoot more here, but am reluctant due to the customer service.

Jenny, I don't know if I have ever seen you in the store before, but you seem to care about the reviews here... Please take this one into account. I tried not to bash the establishment but provide a fair review. 2 stars for prices and non-existent wait time. 3 stars missing for the...