Whether or not you have a gun – or are a shooter – the Center Mass Gun Range in Okeechobee may be the best shooting range in Florida. And we recommend it for young and old alike.

Those who follow us know we like the fun and funky. This place may not be funky, but it is fun. And it is huge. The owners told us that they’d carved the place out of a former pool supply company. It’s really a total shooter’s paradise.

To reach the Center Mass Gun Range, we had to turn off State Road 70 just before the bridge that goes over the railroad tracks, Watch closely – we almost missed it.

Virtual Shooting

At Center Mass we have had the opportunity to shoot live rounds. We also have had their virtual firing range experience. In fact they have seven simulation rooms. Inside we had our choice of hand guns or long guns to shoot laser beams at a wide variety of targets.

There are many different targets at the Center Mass virtual ranges.

In addition to zombies, we had the option of virtual wild west shooting, a pirate theme, hunting games, steel targets, simulated paper targets, a science fiction scenario and virtual clay & trap shooting among others.

We went virtual shooting with a couple of my wife’s friends and had a great time. The simulated shooting is great for kids and for people who might not be enthusiastic about pulling the trigger on real firearms.

Additionally, the virtual range offers skill building exercises, personal protection drills and law enforcement training. We found it to be both fun and educational.

On the Range

It was impressive to see the live fire ranges. We could shoot hand guns or long guns. The range officer at the site told us we could shoot everything from a .22 caliber and up. While we were there we saw folks with revolvers and semi-automatic handguns ranging from .380s to .45s.

There also were some shooters with long guns. One had an AR-15 and was shooting a long way down range.

Our favorite part was the high-tech system they had for setting our targets. The touch-screen system puts the target exactly where you want it, then brings it back for instant marking.

The bottom panel was for us to set our targets where we wanted, the top screen let us know the current price of ammo. They also provided disposable wipes for our hands.

Another nice thing was that Center Mass offered rental guns. This gave us the opportunity to try out revolvers, semi-automatics and/or rifles.

The Store

The first time we visited Center Mass, there were a few guns hanging on the wall and a few more in the showcases at the back of the store. Since that time, the inventory has grown significantly.

There literally were hundreds of options of firearms at Center Mass.

And it’s not only the firearms, there’s a varied and plentiful selection of ammunition, gun accessories, cleaning supplies and other associated products.

There were boxes and boxes of bullets at Center Mass.

The number of sales people on the floor was impressive. They were quick to help the customers. The folks we talked with were quite knowledgeable about the myriad of different products that were available.

Specials

Looking over their schedule it was easy to see they offer discounts for just about everybody. Mondays are Veteran’s Day, Tuesday is Ladies’ Day and Seniors’ Day is Wednesday. Simulation Day discounts are on Thursday with Machine Gun Madness on “Full Auto Friday.”

That is something I really want to try. Yes, I would like to have the opportunity to shoot a fully automatic machine gun – at least for a little while.

Taking a Break

They really have thought of everything. The entire place – showroom, ranges and the like – are fully air conditioned. They keep everything spotless from wiping down the display cases to sweeping up the brass casings in the live shooting range.

As far as we were concerned, the lounge area was one of the best amenities. We could sit down after shooting and talk about our experience. Or, had there been a full crowd, we could have waited in comfort for our lanes to come open.

The lounge offered overstuffed couches as well as widescreen TVs where we could see some of the action inside the ranges.

In Conclusion

We just have to say that this place is a lot of fun. Whether you’re a marksman, or just like to hone your skills. We have enjoyed both at the virtual range and at the live range. We’ve browsed the store and talked with the staff. All around, they were great experiences.

It’s an easy thing to say Center Mass is on target to be the best indoor gun range in Florida.

For something fun and different, you might want to make a stop in Okeechobee and try it out. By the way, the nearby Milking R Dairy is a great stop for ice cream afterwards.