Shooting range Zerbst. Five lanes, 25 metres, up to 7,000 joules.

With five climate-controlled 25-metre lanes and approval up to 7,000 joules, the Zerbst shooting range of the WaffenPro shooting sports centre is the largest indoor shooting range between Berlin and Leipzig. Every lane has electronic scoring, and the hall has modern extraction and step-free access. Free parking is directly at the centre at Bahnhofstraße 55, and Zerbst railway station is right next door – a two-minute walk.

The facility is the heart of four areas: the shooting range, the state-recognised firearms school, Freizeitschützen Zerbst e.V. with over 1,800 members, and the ApexLounge for the evening afterwards. You book a lane online, are provided with everything on site – from rental firearm to ear protection – and decide for yourself how far you want to go.

All five lanes are 25 metres long, climate-controlled and fitted with electronic scoring, so every shot is visible immediately without changing targets. The extraction system removes powder fumes and lead dust directly at the firing point, and acoustic damping lowers the sound pressure in the hall. On the monitor at your lane you see the position and score of every shot – and thus immediately how breathing and trigger control affect your shot pattern.

For sport shooters with their own firearm, this means training under reproducible conditions: the same lighting, the same temperature, the same distance, in January as in July.

Rental firearms from Glock, CZ, Heckler & Koch and Walther are available at the Zerbst shooting range, along with models from other manufacturers such as Tanfoglio, Haenel, Schmeisser and Hera Arms. So you do not need your own firearm to shoot here. Which models are available on the day of your visit depends on bookings and package; your range officer introduces the firearm to you in detail before the first shot.

The rental firearms cover rimfire .22 and centrefire calibres – from the gentle .22 LR for beginners to the 9 mm pistol of service standard. The overview shows which manufacturers to expect and what the firearms are suited to:

The indoor range is approved up to 7,000 joules and is suited to air guns, rimfire .22 (.22 LR) and centrefire calibres such as 9 mm, .38 Special, .357 Magnum and .45 ACP as well as centrefire rifles. All 25-metre disciplines under the DSB and BDS sport rules can thus be trained at a single facility.

For beginners the day usually starts with rimfire .22: little recoil, a quiet report, full concentration on posture and trigger. Those who wish move up to 9 mm and beyond over the course of the session – always in consultation with the range officer. For trap, 300-metre long range and IPSC the club cooperates with partner ranges. Ammunition is available on site, at club prices for club members.

Under § 27 WaffG, people without a firearms carry permit (Waffenschein) or firearms ownership licence (Waffenbesitzkarte) may also shoot on an officially approved range, provided a responsible supervisor is present. That is exactly the principle of taster shooting: you shoot real firearms under the supervision of a DSB-licensed range officer, and a valid ID card is enough. Centrefire calibres are possible from 18; young people shoot air guns from 12 and certain rimfire .22 firearms from 14 – in each case under supervision and with the consent of their legal guardians.^*

Guest shooters with their own firearms ownership licence book lane time with or without a range supervisor and bring their WBK and ID card. Hunters with a hunting-licence WBK are as welcome as sport shooters from other clubs; more on the page for hunters.

Members of Freizeitschützen Zerbst use all five lanes without limit and have priority in lane allocation. Members of public authorities also train privately with their service ID; units will find their offer in the public authority section security services.

Four basic rules apply at the Zerbst shooting range without exception: the muzzle always points in a safe direction, the finger is on the trigger only when firing, every firearm is treated as loaded, and the range supervisor's commands are followed immediately. You learn these rules in the safety briefing that precedes every visit – including those of experienced shooters.

Complete sobriety is required before and during shooting. Ear and eye protection are mandatory and are provided. Closed shoes and clothing that closes at the collar protect against hot cases. The range supervisor always has the final say; the house rules can be found under downloads.

A visit to the Zerbst shooting range begins at reception with an ID check, a welcome from the range officer and a safety briefing of around 20 minutes. Then you go through the soundproof door into the hall: cool, clear air, even light, and from the neighbouring lanes only a muffled tapping through your ear protection.

At the lane the range officer explains the firearm to you part by part, and you load the first magazine yourself. The grip sits more firmly in the hand than expected, the sights drift until you exhale. Then the first shot – a short push, and the hit appears on the monitor. Not in the centre, but on the target. By the third magazine you start shooting groups.

After the session you take your target with you, and the range officer shows you on the shot pattern what is already working. The evening winds down in the main room with bar or, Thursday to Saturday from 5 pm, in the ApexLounge right next door.

The shooting range is at Bahnhofstraße 55, 39261 Zerbst/Anhalt, centrally located between Magdeburg, Dessau-Roßlau and Wittenberg on the A2 and A9. From Magdeburg it is around 30 minutes (35 km via the B184/A2), from Dessau-Roßlau 25 minutes, from Köthen 25, from Wittenberg 35, from Halle 55, from Leipzig 60 minutes (85 km, A9), from Brandenburg an der Havel 70, from Berlin 90 minutes (120 km, A2/A9) and from Potsdam 95 minutes.

Anyone looking for a shooting range nearby and living in Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Berlin, Saxony or Thuringia will find a facility here that is worth the drive. Free parking is directly at the centre, Zerbst railway station is right next door – a two-minute walk.

Access and lanes are wheelchair accessible. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 8 am to 3 pm, Tuesdays and Fridays also from 6 to 9 pm, Saturdays by arrangement. Available lane times are shown in the online booking; separate pages summarise the journey from Magdeburg, Leipzig and Berlin.