Crazy idea -- is it stupid?

[Austin B.]

Hi all,

So I am new here. Love real estate & land. Always browsing Realtor.com just for the heck of it. I want to get into REI but I haven't been sure where to begin. Was considering house hacks but then I got laid off...so maybe not right now.

Anyway, I had a crazy idea that might actually work. Assuming I find some income in the meantime, that is. I currently own a house in Utah. Thanks to the market, this house has a sizable amount of equity in it and I've been here almost 2 years. I know this house is not the long-term place for me. I have a good roommate who I would like to keep.

I'm getting into competitive pistol shooting (USPSA). It's pretty popular here in Utah, along will all other shooting sports. The laws are very friendly to shooters. There is a club in Salt Lake City and near St. George. My idea was to purchase a parcel of land with a house on it in a more rural area -- not middle of nowhere but certainly more rural than here -- and build a shooting range on the property. I would then make it publicly available for a fee and start a Central Utah pistol shooters club. I suspect that such an enterprise could be profitable in the areas I am looking, although I do not know anything about the profitability of a shooting range so it's really a shot in the dark. This all assumes, of course, I do it legally and don't tick off the neighbors. I am thinking of minimum 10 acres.

Anyway, just curious as to what people's thoughts are on this endeavor. Thank you.