How much would you pay for a good gun club membership?

[Shynloco]

Since I'm moving closer to the West Coast, I started looking at the availability of gun clubs in the area. No one within a reasonable distance has more than a 100-yd range. There's a 1,000-yd range on the opposite side of the city, but that is an ugly commute. There is also another gun club that is closer and much nicer. Only problem? . . . First-year membership is $440, and it is a members only club. My current club costs $30 per year, and I almost never see anyone else there.

First question: Is it worth paying more for a well-managed and huge campus, all-hours staff, mandatory safety training for members, and the exact matches that I want to participate in?

Second question: Is this nicer membership going to be more like a golf club membership . . . but with guns, or will there actually be some normal people there?

Clunker,
Without knowing exactly where on the West Coast you are talking about, if it's Californicate, we have less than half the ranges available to shoot anymore compared to 10-20 yrs ago. So the problem for many of us is not a membership fee, its where a range is that can accommodate what we are wanting shoot. The range I belong to is a private range only five miles from my home. But the max shooting distance for score is 200 yds. If you want to shoot 1K, you have to drive almost an hour or more to get way out in the desert. And our range has been recently upgraded to handle NRA sanctioned shoots. But still the membership fee is a joke and I pay the "seniors" fee which is $48 and we have slightly over 1500 members. Now there is a Lions Club public range 18 miles away that is also an NRA sanctioned shooting range with a variety of shooting available including a western town setup for multi-gun competitions. But the long gun range is also only 200 yds. And that's a pay by shoot deal and there is no membership per se fee. SO I guess its all relative on what's available. Personally, I don't go to the Lion's Club range any more because the "City Slickers" have discovered the range and I'm more concerned about getting shot in the ars by one of these "City Slickers" than I am about having fun while enjoying the sport. Each to his own I guess.

Alex

 

[clunker]

Wow! Thank you all so much for the input. I got up this morning expecting to see maybe three responses and instead I got three pages. I was trying to be discrete about the location (Portland, OR) because I didn't want to draw too much attention and accidentally crash their website. Almost all of the clubs within reasonable driving distance are indoor and/or short range, and some of them charge $20 per day . . . No thanks. The 1,000-yd range (Douglas Ridge Rifle Club) is where they hold the State tournaments and they charge entry, whether you are a member or not. The one I really like is called Tri-County Gun Club. Gated entry, clubhouse with plumbed restrooms at three locations (plus several portables throughout the campus), 230 acres with 10 ranges up to 600 yards, 15 miles from where I will be living. Of course, that 15 miles can take 45 minutes at certain times of the day. The campus is brilliantly laid out so that almost none of ranges interfere with each other. 200/300 and Action Rifle ranges are closed when 600-yd is open because they overlap, and a schedule is posted for when this takes place.

After looking further into the membership details, the initial $438 includes orientation, and annual dues are $210 thereafter. There is a waiting list to join, and orientation includes mandatory competency in shooting and safety. If you can't shoot or can't show that you know how to handle a firearm safely, they will decline your membership and partially refund your dues. Of course, they train all members (regardless of background), so it is probably difficult to fail the competency test. The 600-yd range has 20 covered benches as well as areas for prone shooting. Targets are lighted, so you can shoot after dark. 200/300-yd range has an additional 20 covered benches with even more areas for prone shooting. They hold sporter and vintage shooting events here, which I was just asking about on another thread. Unless the club is a bunch of rich snobs or someone else can think of a problem with this club, I'm sold.

 

[Steve Ladino]

Since I'm moving closer to the West Coast, I started looking at the availability of gun clubs in the area. No one within a reasonable distance has more than a 100-yd range. There's a 1,000-yd range on the opposite side of the city, but that is an ugly commute. There is also another gun club that is closer and much nicer. Only problem? . . . First-year membership is $440, and it is a members only club. My current club costs $30 per year, and I almost never see anyone else there.

First question: Is it worth paying more for a well-managed and huge campus, all-hours staff, mandatory safety training for members, and the exact matches that I want to participate in?

Second question: Is this nicer membership going to be more like a golf club membership . . . but with guns, or will there actually be some normal people there?

Try and find a member at each club that will take you as their guest......it may help you decide before you buy in. Maybe at your local gun shop / smith.

 

[rkittine]

I pay $75.00 a year for one and $60.00 a year for another, but those are 1,000 yard ranges only. For the 100,200, 300 yard rifle, plus pistol range I pay $147.00 as a senior. For my 100. 200 yard, skeet, trap, bunker trap, indoor and outdoor pistol and 5 stand I pay $150.00 and for the one with all of that plus super sporting clays, I pay $1,400 but can work off $400 of it by doing work at the club at $15 per hour.

Bob

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Our club (St. Louis Benchrest rifle club) www.shootingstl.com charges $500 initiation fee, and $250/year.

It has a 60 bench ( all benches are covered on all ranges) 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 yard range.
A 20 bench 50 & 100 yard range,
A 20 bench 100 yard 22 rimfire only range
A shotgun range
A 50 Bench pistol range
A 25 bench 50, 100, 200, 300 yard range
a restricted 1200 yard range (training, testing and additional 1 time fee)

A large clubhouse with cooking facilities, loading area, and bathroom with showers.
A loading pavilion for large national or world matches.

All ranges have an adjacent year round heated bathroom facility, and 3 have a heated indoor loading area.
http://www.shootingstl.com/facility.html

Matches include:

Benchrest group and score
22 benchrest
steel silhouette
F class
NRA Highpower
IDPA & USPSA

The range is secured with motorized lift gates, and you need your membership card to activate the gate.

I think it is a fantastic bargain! I have to drive 70 miles to reach it, but it is well worth it.

you have the nicest br range in the usa by far. its my favorite range to go to.

 

[clunker]

I pay $75.00 a year for one and $60.00 a year for another, but those are 1,000 yard ranges only. For the 100,200, 300 yard rifle, plus pistol range I pay $147.00 as a senior. For my 100. 200 yard, skeet, trap, bunker trap, indoor and outdoor pistol and 5 stand I pay $150.00 and for the one with all of that plus super sporting clays, I pay $1,400 but can work off $400 of it by doing work at the club at $15 per hour.

Bob

So, $210 annual membership for a club that covers all of those shooting disciplines except 1,000-yd, is probably a pretty good deal.

 

[BenPerfected]

This sport is expensive, the cost of range and membership fees is small compared to the what we spend in a year in CF shooting. (see bitching thread)
Ben

 

[JMayo]

West coast money is bigger than money in most places.
Comparison is not going to work. Imo

I wish I had a 600yd and less with pistol range to be a member of closer.
I'd pay 25 monthly after up front fee.

 

[Devin Wiggett]

Clunker
Tri county is a good club with a very active 600 yard fclass group, we shoot every Tuesday night and the third Sat. Alot of our shooters also belong to Doug Ridge (another good club), for the access to the 1000 yard range. Our fclass group pulls 30 plus people per night and is going to E targets shortly.

 

[orbitup]

My range is $600/year and I wouldn't call it nice. It's more of a tactical range/mud pit. Lots of pistol and tac bays but they have a lot of 3 gun or steel challenge matches on the weekends so sometimes a lot of the bays are used for that. There is a 100/200 yard range with benches. All of this is available to any shlub who pays $35 for the day. There is also a 1250 yard range with plenty of steel targets for members only. That's why I joined it. No facilities to speak of unless you are impressed with a port-a-potty.

 

[boltman13]

Here in western Colorado I belong to 2 different clubs. Both require NRA membership. One is $55 to join and $50 to renew, and has 300 yard range with benches, 100 yd range with 2 benches, two short range pistol bays, and a 50 yard RF only range with one bay. The other is $100 to join and $80 per year with benches a silouette range and goes out to 600 yards. We also have a second NRA Mid Range F-Class range with e-targets for matches. There is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife range under construction that has multiple ranges that charges a day use fee and eventually plans to have a 1,000 yd range, hopefully in my lifetime.

 

[Mark W]

Anyone who feels like the shooting sports are expensive should try Drag Racing or Bass Fishing sometime.

 

[hogpatrol]

Anyone who feels like the shooting sports are expensive should try Drag Racing or Bass Fishing sometime.

Yep, or airplanes, ten grand a year before it moved out of the hangar and that was for a single engine bugsmasher.

 

[Spike A]

i envy you guys with good ranges... the closest one to me only has 125yd.... (3 miles..)... they charge 75 a year and if you are willing you can work it down to nothing... ( 15 an hour for how ever much you want to work )... the next closest is 45 min away and thats 500m.. must take class and qualify to use 200+... ( not a big deal but still its there)... there is another about 80 miles away... they do have 1000 they charge 275 for an individual.. 500 for spotter+shooter... and 500 for family...

my issue is i have several places on land i can stretch out to 1000... so i have a hard time paying and driving to ranges... the only issue with this is you dont get to meet other shooters this way.. makes it a very tough choice... i am playing with the notion to try the 1000 yard range this year and see..

 

[JSH]

I find this an interesting thread. Before it gets hijacked, I don't think there was any complaint on what it cost, more about seeing what folks get for their $1.

After having been a board member for 20 years I have made several observations.

Folks are not any smarter today than they were years ago. Happened on to the minutes from the 70's, complaints of range damage and high rates of uncontrolled fire,aka magazine dumping.

FYI, fishing ponds, archery, three gun, bullseye, trap, 75 yard covered range, 200 meter covered range with 15 concrete benches,indoor rimfire bullseye,large club house with large kitchen nice bathrooms with showers.
Limited to 500 members, initial membership I believe is $750, yearly dues after that are $60. I would like to see it go to $120, I mean what in the heck can a person do for $10 a month?

I see a fair number of people come and go. A lot think they are shooters, yet they may show up 4-6 times a year. So yes that 4-6 times a year gets expensive. We have about 25-30 members that pay their dues and have not been on site for at least 15 years.

Clubs need active membership. Show up to your meetings! You make time to shoot, darn it take another few hours to get involved in it, and not just your discipline either.

Please carry on folks, I myself find this very informative.

 

[Downhill]

Our club in central Texas costs $125 for annual membership. Discounted senior and military dues. Under 16 shoot free with a member. Lifetime memberships are given to those who volunteer for maintainence, repair or run various programs. $20 a day for non members. 50, 100, 150 and 200 main range with pistol bays. 300 and 400 yards for members (after 2moa qualification at 200). Programs include CMP rifle, NRA reduced course rifle, lever gun silhoutte, black powder silhoutte, rim fire sporter and bullseye pistol. Rules are strictly enforced. And we still have people whine about the price.

 

[rkittine]

I have way to many expensive hobbies which is why I am still working at 70. Also being in the Metropolitan New York area, you would think that the costs here would be really high, but they are lower than a lot of Gun Friendly states that I have lived in over the years. I only pay $150 a year for my New York City indoor range membership 7 blocks from my apartment.

 

[D Coots]

Anyone who feels like the shooting sports are expensive should try Drag Racing or Bass Fishing sometime.

Exactly. Replaced 2 Moser axle shafts and a Ram clutch setup this winter in my car, right at $2,500 No range fees here, have my own.

 

[butchlambert]

Exactly. Replaced 2 Moser axle shafts and a Ram clutch setup this winter in my car, right at $2,500 No range fees here, have my own.

Yeah! I know that you are very rich!

 

[butchlambert]

My club has no initiation fee and $125 a year. if you live long enough and have been a member for several years, seniors pay nothing. We have 25,50, 100, and 200yd covered rifle range. We have a separate pistol ranges as well as trap, skeet, and sporting clays. i understand the machines on the shotgun ranges are pallet fed and a couple type remotes to be able to shoot by yourself. The rifle range and shotgun range each have clubhouses. Bathrooms are at both locations. Hope to have a 600yd range soon.
Terrell Pistol and Rifle range north of Terrell, Texas