San Diego ranges, from a store with no range
We don't have a range, which is exactly why this list is worth reading. Where San Diego shooters actually go — and what each one will let you put on the line.
Before the list
An Ammo Store With No Skin in the Game
Almost everyone publishing a San Diego range list either runs a range or sells guns. We do neither.
The part that matters is not the address — a map has that. It is the line rules: what a range will let you shoot. Steel-cased 5.56 is a bargain right up until a range officer runs a magnet over it and hands it back. So that is what each entry leads with, taken from the range's own published rules.
Call the range before you buy anything. We say the same on our ammo page: line rules change without announcement. Three questions cover it — do you allow steel case, bi-metal and steel core (name all three); what is the caliber ceiling on my lane; and if I rent a gun, must I buy your ammunition? We have no arrangement with any range here. Nobody paid to be listed, and nobody paid to be left out.
Five ranges, checked
Ranges In and Around San Diego County
Closest first. Every rule was read on the range's own site; where a range publishes no policy, this page says so rather than guess.
The Gun Range San Diego
Indoor
- Where
- 7853 Balboa Ave, San Diego
- From Kearny Mesa
- A mile and a half west on Balboa Ave — under five minutes.
- Access
- Walk-in, no membership.
- Lanes
- 13 lanes at 25 yards.
What their rules say about ammunition
- No steel-core ammunition of any kind. Their published test is a magnet: if it sticks, it stays in the car — which catches bi-metal jackets too.
- Rifle calibers .308 and smaller only, fired at 15 yards minimum.
- Standard bullet types only: full metal jacket, soft point, hollow point. No tracer, no incendiary, no black powder.
- No shotguns at all — their site cites OSHA. Rentals must use ammunition bought there; with your own gun you can bring your own.
Poway Weapons & Gear (PWG Range)
Indoor
- Where
- 13550 Danielson St, Poway
- From Kearny Mesa
- About 15 miles up I-15, roughly 20 minutes.
- Access
- Public walk-in. Membership is optional and mainly buys free lane reservations.
- Lanes
- 42 lanes across three ranges at 25, 50 and 100 yards.
What their rules say about ammunition
- Calibers up to .50 BMG — the widest ceiling of any indoor range here.
- No tracer ammunition and no muzzle-loaders.
- Shotgun is distance-ruled on the 100-yard range: bird shot to 15 yards, 00 buck to 25, otherwise slug.
Not publishedSteel-core, steel-cased and bi-metal are not addressed either way. Ask before you buy a case.
P2K Sports
Indoor and outdoor
- Where
- 2082 Willow Glen Dr, El Cajon
- From Kearny Mesa
- About 20 miles east toward Rancho San Diego — call it half an hour.
- Access
- The 25-yard and 100-yard indoor ranges are public; a third 25-yard range is members only.
- Lanes
- 16 public lanes at 25 yards, four at 100, plus outdoor shotgun and clays.
What their rules say about ammunition
- Bring your own ammunition, provided it is California legal and in safe condition.
- No armor-piercing. Tracer is not legal in California in any case.
- Any caliber under .50 BMG. .50 BMG and its derivatives — .416 Barrett, .50 DTC — are out.
Not publishedSteel case and steel core are not named; the operative words are California legal and not armor-piercing. Ask if you shoot bi-metal.
Iron Sights Shooting Range
Indoor
- Where
- 618 Airport Rd, Oceanside
- From Kearny Mesa
- About 35 miles up I-5, roughly 40 minutes.
- Access
- Public walk-in, no membership.
- Lanes
- 24 lanes: a 25-yard rifle range and a 15-yard pistol range.
What their rules say about ammunition
- Rental firearms must use range ammunition, and renting means bringing a second person — they run a buddy system.
- Their site notes that ammunition bought there is expected to be shot there the same day.
Not publishedNo steel-core policy, steel-case rule or caliber ceiling is published anywhere on their site. Call first.
South Bay Rod & Gun Club
Outdoor
- Where
- 1020 Marron Valley Rd, Dulzura
- From Kearny Mesa
- About 45 miles southeast, closer to an hour — the far corner of the county.
- Access
- A member club that sells a daily membership at the gate, so you can shoot without joining.
- Lanes
- Two pistol ranges, a 100-yard rifle range, a 300-yard rifle range and trap.
What their rules say about ammunition
- Their written procedures say it plainly: there are no caliber limitations.
- No incendiary and no tracer ammunition.
- No armor-piercing or steel-core in a handgun. The restriction names handguns — a rifle load no indoor range will touch may be fine here.
- Slugs and buckshot are restricted to specific ranges within the complex.
Hours and lane rates are left off on purpose — both move, and a wrong number costs somebody a trip. Check them on the links above. American Shooting Center on Ruffin Rd still turns up in San Diego results and is missing here because it is closed.
Brass-cased full metal jacket gets on every line in this county, and it is what we reach for once you tell us where you are shooting. The pistol calibers, rifle calibers, rimfire and shotgun loads we keep on the shelf are on the catalog page; prices are a phone call, because they move weekly. Newer to this? Buying ammo for your first range trip covers quantity and what else to pack, and range ammo versus self-defense ammo explains why the cheap box and the serious box are not interchangeable.
Common questions
Range Questions We Get at the Counter
From people about to drive somewhere with a box of ammunition in the passenger seat.
Does LAX Ammo San Diego have a shooting range?
No. We sell ammunition and accessories only — no firearms, and no range at the Kearny Mesa store. That is exactly why this list has no thumb on the scale: we gain nothing by sending you to one range over another.
Can I bring my own ammunition to a San Diego shooting range?
Usually yes with your own firearm, and usually no with a rental — most ranges require rental guns to be fed ammunition bought on site. Separately, every range restricts ammunition type. Those are range policies, not law, and they change without notice, so confirm by phone before you buy a case.
What is the difference between steel-cased and steel-core ammunition?
Steel case means a steel cartridge case instead of brass: cheap, not reloadable, and a nuisance for a range that reclaims brass. Steel core means a hard steel penetrator inside the bullet, which damages backstops. Bi-metal is a third thing again, a copper-washed steel jacket. A magnet sticks to all three, so a rule written as no steel core stops all three at the door.
Stock & deal questions
Tell us where you're shooting
Call or text with the range's answers and we'll match the box to the line — brass-cased for an indoor lane, whatever the club allows outdoors.
Se habla español
- Ask if your caliber is in stock today, and what it runs.
- Ask what the in-store Deal of the Week is before you drive out.
- Ask what to bring for the California eligibility check.
- Ask anything about a load, a caliber, or your gun. No pressure, no attitude.
- Phone
- immediate during business hours
- Text
- anytime — immediate during business hours, forwarded after hours
- Hours
- Mon – Fri 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM · Sat – Sun 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
How This List Is Maintained
Range rules last read:
Every rule above came from the range's own published rules on that date, never from a directory or a review site. These are private businesses setting their own policies, not law, and any of it can change tomorrow — their site and phone line always win over this page. We have no commercial arrangement with any range listed and nothing here is an endorsement. There is no range at our Kearny Mesa store; we sell ammunition and accessories only, no firearms.
One point of California law does touch this page: ammunition changes hands face to face at a licensed vendor, so whatever you take to the range is bought in person, after an eligibility check. That is general information, not legal advice. The full explainer is how to buy ammo in California, last reviewed , and the official source is the California DOJ — Ammunition Purchase Authorization Program.
Where We Are
LAX Ammo San Diego4411 Mercury St, Suite 103San Diego, CA 92111
Kearny Mesa, San DiegoOpen in Google Maps
Hours
- Mon – Fri
- 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Sat – Sun
- 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Call or Text
858-987-0509Calls only
310-499-3499Text only
Text anytime. Anytime — immediate during business hours, forwarded after hours.
Before You Visit
- Bring your California ID — every ammo purchase needs an eligibility check.
- Purchases happen at the counter. No online checkout, and we don't ship ammo.
- Ammunition and accessories only. No firearms, no range at this location.
Se habla español
How California's ammo law works