Joining a New Gun Club

[Narragansett]

One of the disappointments of moving to GA, at least in my area, is the lack of places to shoot. I would have thought in a gun friendly state with tons of land there would be plenty of small clubs. That is just not the case.

There is a public range about 30 miles away, and a couple indoor ranges which do not interest me close to me. Hunter Army Air Force base does throw trap and skeet targets for the public. I do not know about bullet shooting. There is a very well known shotgun only club 5 miles away, but it takes forever to join so I am told.

Then I found a family orientated rod and gun club 29 miles away with very limited membership that pretty much has it all including Thursday night dinners. I was fortunate enough to submit a resume so to speak and was given consideration. My orientation is this Sunday.

I still hold my membership in a RI club. That has been 43 years.

If anybody is interested, the new club is 17 South Rod and Gun Club in Fleming, GA

 

[Tom S.]

I am blessed with places to shoot. Within a 10 mile radius, there are two outdoor ranges and 3 indoor ones, though one place which has both indoor and outdoor ranges requires membership. If you expand the radius to 25 miles, there are two more outdoor and 4 more indoor ranges. However (we are seldom satisfied, are we?) I would love to have a 1,000 yard range within a suitable driving distance. One of the ranges had a 200 and a 300 yard range, but some idiots built a subdivision behind it and were successful in getting it closed down.

 

[Glashaus]

Glad that you found a club!

I was in the same boat when I relocated to Houston back in 2011. I had lived on land my whole life prior and had shooting ranges of my own set up. Houston has quite a few indoor ranges and very few public outdoor ranges. I did get on a hunt lease early, 2800 acres in the Hill Country, and can shoot up there on ranges that we have made but that is a four hour drive.

After a couple of years I was able to get on the waiting list of a local private shooting club with excellent outdoor ranges, five miles from my house. I had shot there a couple of times as a guest. I became a member and really enjoy shooting there. I will have to do it all over again when I retire and we move somewhere. One of the things that I look at for locations to retire is what the local shooting scene looks like

 

[ladder13]

There’s quite a few indoor ranges nearby, but I don’t care for shooting indoors.
There are some outdoor ranges closer but I chose Frontline Defense which has ranges from 1,000 yards to 7 yard plates.

Rifle Range | Frontline Defense | North Carolina


“Frontline Defense was recently named one of the Top 10 ranges to visit in the country! We have three 1,000yd rifle range’s, 25yd-100yd rifle, 300yd rim-fire range and a 32 bay 25yd pistol range. The 200yd-500yd rifle range is open to the public. The 1,000yd rifle range and all other longer ranges past 500yds are reserved for current range members only and some areas for training and competitions only. These are just a few things we have to offer.”


I travel about 45 minutes to get there cause it’s very rural, and am usually the only one there, along with the owner who is a dynamite dude.

 

[Bald1]

Uh oh….don’t be surprised if the “Yankee’s” application goes to the bottom of the pile.

 

[pharmer]

I moved to Osceola County Fl in 1980. I walked maybe 200 yds to the end of my street and set up on a berm. Within 5 years hundreds of houses were there. I found a large concrete bunker at the end of the Kissimmee airport runway. Within 2 years I was warned about "armed trespass" as the golf course half a mile away was complaining. Moved out to a spot south of Disney, now there are a thousand houses there. Yes, the South is "gun-friendly" but the land is $development friendly. I travel 30 miles each way to a "FWC" run range. It is RSO controlled but safe and the firing line is not shot to ****. It takes a little while to "acclimate" (never tell anyone how it's done "up north") but realizing life is so much better here, you'll wonder why it didn't happen sooner.

Joe

 

[Denverd0n]

Here in the Tampa Bay area there are plenty of ranges, but what I would like most is an outdoor range where I can practice drawing and firing. Or, if not that, then at least practice shooting from half hip or 3/4 hip. (If you don't know what that is, search out the cover photo of Bill Jordan's book "No Second Place Winner.")

The closest and most convenient range to me (Dade City Gun Club) has once-a-month competitions that include draw and fire, but they don't allow you to practice that at all! If you're shooting a handgun, except during the competitions, you must fire with the gun at eye level. That really doesn't allow for realistic self-defense practice.

It's frustrating.

 

[lkabug]

The Fleming Georgia area brings back several memories associated with the Ft Stewart area. Some good folks down there.

 

[Onomea]

A good local range is a blessing, the closer the better.

I had to wait over two years to be admitted to my gun club. It's 14 miles away per Google Maps — maybe that's as the crow flies? — but in light traffic will take about a half hour, and in heavy traffic close to an hour.

Various outdoor pistol, rifle and shotgun ranges, including 13 "action range" bays which require training and qualification, but allow for shooting steel or cardboard from the holster. I spend most of my time on the action range and to date have always had a bay to myself. I tend to avoid weekends when it gets busy, though, unless taking a training class.

RSOs on duty, strict safety rules enforced, which I appreciate.

There's also an indoor rimfire range which is open 24 hours a day. Outdoor ranges open up at 0800 and close at sunset.

I wish it were closer, and am envious of those of you who can step off your back porches and shoot.

 

[dockmurgw]

and am envious of those of you who can step off your back porches and shoot.

This I can do, its definitely nice to be able to do it. But I'm envious of people that have easy access to ranges for the social aspect of shooting. We don't have any here.

 

[Walkin Horse]

This I can do, its definitely nice to be able to do it. But I'm envious of people that have easy access to ranges for the social aspect of shooting. We don't have any here.

You can stand there and talk or draw that smoke wagon boy

 

[Narragansett]

A good local range is a blessing, the closer the better.

I had to wait over two years to be admitted to my gun club. It's 14 miles away per Google Maps — maybe that's as the crow flies? — but in light traffic will take about a half hour, and in heavy traffic close to an hour.

Various outdoor pistol, rifle and shotgun ranges, including 13 "action range" bays which require training and qualification, but allow for shooting steel or cardboard from the holster. I spend most of my time on the action range and to date have always had a bay to myself. I tend to avoid weekends when it gets busy, though, unless taking a training class.

RSOs on duty, strict safety rules enforced, which I appreciate.

There's also an indoor rimfire range which is open 24 hours a day. Outdoor ranges open up at 0800 and close at sunset.

I wish it were closer, and am envious of those of you who can step off your back porches and shoot.

I used to shoot trap at Hale Mountain and Montpelier in VT. Depending on where you live, Royalston, MA is a beautiful club

 

[Kinman]

My club is within fifteen minutes or three miles from my house. Been going there three days a week for over ten years after I retired. It's my home away from home, lately I haven't unpacked my rifle, just sit and drink coffee. I Walked down to the South end Monday, hardly any snow, took this picture of the basalt outcroppings on the lower portion of the river. This area has a point of interest called "The Bowl and Pitcher", the river narrows down between large basalt outcroppings which resemble a bowl and pitcher. Every year some guy gets his DNA removed from the gene pool by attempting to shoot the narrows in a kayak or canoe, our river is a killer, its cold and fast with run off and if you're not aware of where the currents flow around and under these big rock outcropping shelves you go under and you don't come up.
Hard to believe I took this picture Feb. 2



This is a shot of our 200 open area.



For good measure here is the covered 50 and 100 yd range

 

[Hair Trigger]

Then I found a family orientated rod and gun club 29 miles away with very limited membership that pretty much has it all including Thursday night dinners. I was fortunate enough to submit a resume so to speak and was given consideration. My orientation is this Sunday.

It's great you found a club that sounds like a good one. Family-friendly and they are particular about membership. That in itself is a good sign. I hope your resume' is good enough for them; having such a long membership in your other club should say a lot.

I feel very fortunate to have membership where I am. The club was founded in 1939 and has a very active membership, requiring new members to contribute their time for weekend workdays their first year as a condition of continued membership. For others under 65, workdays reduce their yearly dues. Old fogeys like me aren't required to do workdays, but we still do as and when we can, and we still get a reduced membership fee after retirement.

It's nice to shoot with people who have "skin in the game" so to speak, and that you get to know, in an environment very dedicated to safety on the ranges. On a public range you never know what you're going to get shooting next to you.

 

[Golddollar]

I

I feel very fortunate to have membership where I am. The club was founded in 1939 and has a very active membership, requiring new members to contribute their time for weekend workdays their first year as a condition of continued membership. For others under 65, workdays reduce their yearly dues. Old fogeys like me aren't required to do workdays, but we still do as and when we can, and we still get a reduced membership fee after retirement.

It's nice to shoot with people who have "skin in the game" so to speak, and that you get to know, in an environment very dedicated to safety on the ranges. On a public range you never know what you're going to get shooting next to you.

I belong to a dedicated handgun club in Maryland that I joined when I lived down there and still belong to even though I now live in PA. The requirements for membership are somewhat similar . My club put in an annual service requirement of 4 hours per year. It takes a lot of work to keep a club going, so it doesn't have to be grunt and groan work. I do the the club's taxes each year, even though technically I am exempt because of my age. I feel better knowing I can take care of something important for the club. The club put in the service requirement because the same 10 or 15 guys seemed to be doing all the work. The service requirement spreads the effort around.

 

[cherrypointmarine]

I consider myself really lucky . One of my buddies , a co-worker and fellow Cape Canaveral retiree . He's on the board and also an RO . We go on Tuesdays at which time they are closed , but RO's are allowed out there and can take guests . I did it for 3-4 years until I felt bad and joined . We have several pistol ranges , 2 100 & 1 200 rifle range , skeet & trap and I'm probably leaving something out . 99% of the time we're totally alone and we can take our 44 mag's and shoot them at the 100yd rifle range .

 

[31FordA]

My club is a five minute drive from my house. When I joined back in 1992 there was no waiting list, just pay $35 and come on in. Now we have a two year long waiting list and membership is $200. It’s a great club, with pistol, rifle, archery and sporting clays ranges. Some of our members drive over two hours to get to the club.

What I really like is that it is very low key, and we keep the bs to a minimum. I can go there to shoot and spend more time talking with other members than I do shooting. I’m really lucky to have such a nice club so close.

 

[Narragansett]

My club is a five minute drive from my house. When I joined back in 1992 there was no waiting list, just pay $35 and come on in. Now we have a two year long waiting list and membership is $200. It’s a great club, with pistol, rifle, archery and sporting clays ranges. Some of our members drive over two hours to get to the club.

What I really like is that it is very low key, and we keep the bs to a minimum. I can go there to shoot and spend more time talking with other members than I do shooting. I’m really lucky to have such a nice club so close.

When I lived in PA, I belonged to 2 clubs. They were both 30/year, and under 10 minutes from my house.

My club in RI was 200/year in 1982 when I joined and 200 members. There are now 376 members and the dues are still 200.00. 500 acres

 

[tops]

How can you spend more time talking and still keep the bs to a minimum? Larry

 

[zeke]

Our range is only 5 minutes away, and one of the main reasons i moved up here almost 30 years ago.

Partially covered pistol range from as close as ya want, to 75 yds depending on agreement from those present. Back boards and steel. You can practice up close including drawing from the holster.

Covered 100 rifle range with back boards and steel. 600 yd rifle range with a bench every 100 yds back boards and steel. Partially covered dedicated 22 lr range out to 75 yds back boards and steel.

LE range that gets used by City, County, State and Federal agencies

Trap, skeet and individual clay throwers. 2 archery ranges, one of which is a walk around. Club house with running water (not during winter) and septic.

We get a lot of people from Minnesota who actually vacation here because of the range is only $40/year.

Yea it be cold in the winter, but ain't ready for shuffle board yet. Very nice motorcicle roads are just a bonus. Plentiful National and State forest land very close by.