Local event NRA dinners---What should I expect??

[gordon21]

I have never been to one. It turns out they are having one less than 10 miles from my home on a night I can attend.

What should I expect? And what are the "total" costs of attending one? Dinner, cash bar, entertainment??? Guest speakers including LEO's?

Are these attended by all walks of life or mainly just the upper level income types buying $100 raffle tickets for a slew of items?

I will freely admit I will NOT fit in if it is a bunch of guys making $300,00+ yearly and looks like the clientele of the Dallas Safari Club.

I assume net profits from the event benefit the NRA national coffers. And I fully expect a normal raffle to take in twice the cost of the prize being given out.

I have no problem buying some raffle tickets and buying a high priced dinner to help the NRA. But my wife and I will definitely feel uncomfortable if everyone in the room is buying handfuls of $50-100 raffle tickets and we are just sitting there watching.

 

[H Richard]

If this is a "Friends of NRA" dinner, which most are, you should fit in just fine. Everyone from every walk of life attends. There will be games to play, silent auctions, and live auctions. Most have a cash bar (Friends of NRA is a separate 501c3 not for profit organization) and they can't afford the liability of furnishing any drinks on them. Keep in mind that the purpose of the dinner is to raise money for YOUR State youth shooting sports. 95+% of the money raised goes to support school, and organizational shooting sports in your state. The money doesn't leave your state. Your gun club may have received a grant to build parts of your range. It's one of the greatest dinners you can attend, and you may just win some great firearms or other items. Once you attend you will want to bring all your friends to the next one. The average person in our area brings about a $100 to the event to play the various raffles/games with. Often you have a choice of dinner tickets where they can include a variety of additional raffle tickets for a larger ticket price. We have a basic meal ticket at $35, a Big Shooter ticket at $100 which includes the dinner and $200 worth of raffle tickets, and a Players Club ticket which includes 2 dinner tickets, and $400 in raffle tickets plus a special raffle ticket for the Gun of the Year raffle. Every dinner makes up their own combinations and games with the help of the local NRA Rep. Go and have fun.

 

[Calaveras Slim]

Generally, the cost of the ticket covers admission and the meal. Then comes the raffles. Pricey, but a lot of fun. My wife and I go but have never won anything. MY friends have hit the raffle several times. But the steak supper, good company made it worth while.

Be prepared to have a good time.

 

[max]

The one I went to was very nice. In addition, the meeting started with the Pledge of Allegiance and active duty and veterans got to go through the chow line first. I bought some tickets, but no winner.

 

[diamonback68]

I go with the intent of buying the price of the dinner plus $100 for raffle tickets. Last one I went to, I won 6" Model 686 engraved with the NRA logo. Not bad huh?

 

[armenius]

I have attended these in the Low Country for at least 10-15 years.They are attended by folk from every walk of life and go and have a good meal and socialize for the cost of a ticket,or you can spend as much as you can tote if you try to win it all.I have a number of firearms which are limited editions.One a 40 mm S&W Baretta with gold inlay scrolls for $10.
Go,you will have fun and do good at the same time.

 

[gordon21]

I can live with $100-150 for the whole evening. I didn't want to be surrounded by people all dropping $1000+ on the evening. This sounds like it will be fun. I had gotten some NRA emails in the past about these dinners, but the events were always at least an hours drive away, sometimes two hours. It just wasn't possible for both of us to get home from work and then drive those distances.

I assume spouses are eligible to go also.

 

[diamonback68]

I assume spouses are eligible to go also.

I always take mine, but she's a cheap date 'cause she doesn't do the raffles and auctions.
Your right, just take your bride, buy two tickets and take a $100 with you and you are as good to go as the rest of the crowd, unless you want to spend more.

 

[Squarebutt]

H. Richard summed it up very well. You'll see folks in blue jeans and some in three-piece suits. No one will complain if you don't buy a bunch of raffle tickets, but there are some nice prizes and the odds are way better than the state lottery. If you enjoy it, consider volunteering for the committee. I've been on our local committee for years, and it's rewarding to know you can do something to support the shooting sports without having to write a big check.
My wife goes and helps out with ticket sales even though she's not officially on the committee. The banquet is the same week as our wedding anniversary, so we celebrate there.

 

[zzzippper]

Well, if you believe the liberals, expect a drunken mob doing quick-draw contests and shooting the caps off beer bottles.

 

[targetchief]

Well, if you believe the liberals, expect a drunken mob doing quick-draw contests and shooting the caps off beer bottles.

That would be fun to watch.

 

[H Richard]

You don't need to be an NRA member to attend, and I'd guess maybe half the attendee's are not, they just come to support the shooting sports and have a good time. You will most likely get to see the charts where all the money goes. Every committee in the state has a representative attend the annual "selection" meeting where all the grant requests are presented and every committee has a vote to approve or not. In IL we are dived in two sections, Northern and Southern. The money raised in each section of the state stays in that section of the state. Our local high school rifle team has received over $25,000 over the years to outfit the team with rifles, and shooting gear.

 

[Salty RI]

Well, if you believe the liberals, expect a drunken mob doing quick-draw contests and shooting the caps off beer bottles.

I take it, you've been to one before.

I have never been to one for the NRA, but I have been to the one DU put's on, I won a black powder gun once, take someone you know with you, it will be full of people you don't know.

 

[the ringo kid]

One thing I would expect to see--are Pasteries purposely made into the shape of a gun of a well-eaten breakfast (Pop Tart) Pastery.

 

[max]

I attended last night and only invested $20 in one raffle for the entire table and we did not win. I looked at the other guns and didn't see anything I wanted or needed. There was quite a crowd at the table where they were raffling cases of 22lr.

The meal was excellent.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

Do they post "No Firearms Allowed" signs at the door.........

 

[max]

I saw no such sign. I did not carry as I planned on having a beer or 2.