Gun Ranges vs Gun Clubs

if i had to be a member of a gun club, i would probably not own guns.
LOL. Idk, it isnt that bad. If I had my own land to shoot on and for whatever reason I couldnt do it any more and had to join a club, I probably wouldnt be happy about it. I dont think Id give up shooting over it though. If the club closed and I had to go to a public range, I wouldnt be happy about it and Id probably shoot less, but Id still shoot.

Im pretty non-social, been told by a couple of people I probably have a touch of the autism. Tbh I kind of like it when Im the only one there, its like a little bonus, lol. Most people dont really go out of their way to force me into a conversation at the club. Maybe my body language says "dont talk to me", I dont know, but I never saw the club as being some sort of social event that I had to endure in order to shoot. Im not forced to attend pig roasts or anything. Usually its just a group of guys who are shooting their guns with minimal conversation going on.
 
Listen up sunshine. Nicotine withdrawal aside, you're missing the big picture. Massachusetts is a difficult place at best to enjoy the shooting sports. Most small local clubs that exist are volunteer organizations. If you only plan on using the facilities and have no interest in attending meetings, or engaging in a work incentive program, your costs will be higher and your options will be limited. I have been a member of my local club for the past 12 years. For the first six years I did very little, the last six I've been very involved. The monthly meetings are not required, but you can learn a great deal by attending them. As a matter of record, we spent no time at all discussing Eddie Benchrest at our last meeting. We welcomed new members, greeted old friends and generally took care of the business of running a gun club in enemy territory. Find a club close to you. Become a member and over time you may find that you actually want to help out and support the people who want to support your right to enjoy the shooting sports. Good luck.
 
Im pretty non-social, been told by a couple of people I probably have a touch of the autism. Tbh I kind of like it when Im the only one there, its like a little bonus, lol. Most people dont really go out of their way to force me into a conversation at the club. Maybe my body language says "dont talk to me", I dont know, but I never saw the club as being some sort of social event that I had to endure in order to shoot. Im not forced to attend pig roasts or anything. Usually its just a group of guys who are shooting their guns with minimal conversation going on.
my brotha!! i could have written this. i try to stay away from people also so i go super early when no one is there. i never approach anyone but i won't completely shut down if someone comes over to me. if i warm up to you, i'll chat for a bit. if i really like you i won't lick your ear but i may talk all day about guns. every one of my men friends are gun people and some women too. (oddly, any girlfriend i've been with was not.) belonging to a club is what you want it to be. you're all in, all out or somewhere in between. in my experience, someone not wanting to belong to a club is economics. they're too f'n cheap to pony up the dues. there, i said it.
 
i never approach anyone but i won't completely shut down if someone comes over to me. if i warm up to you, i'll chat for a bit.
Yeah, this is pretty much me. Theres a guy at the club that for whatever reason we seemed to be there at the same time a lot. Either that or hes just there all the time (now that I think of it). We'll typically chat for a while but other than that I usually dont go out of my way to start a conversation, but I wont ignore people if they want to talk a bit either. I pretty much just say hello when I show up and keep to myself.
 
my brotha!! i could have written this. i try to stay away from people also so i go super early when no one is there. i never approach anyone but i won't completely shut down if someone comes over to me. if i warm up to you, i'll chat for a bit. if i really like you i won't lick your ear but i may talk all day about guns. every one of my men friends are gun people and some women too. (oddly, any girlfriend i've been with was not.) belonging to a club is what you want it to be. you're all in, all out or somewhere in between. in my experience, someone not wanting to belong to a club is economics. they're too f'n cheap to pony up the dues. there, i said it.
Agreed but makes no sense on the dues comment.

I spend the equal to my annual dues in ammo in less than a month. I shoot 2-4 times a week on average. The dues are the cheapest part.
 
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The dues are the cheapest part.
of course they are! my point really. but when you use the facilities 3-4 times a year, that money has a hard time finding it's way out of the pocket. unless you live in a rural community you need a club.

my sad tale, when I joined Harvard, I had to get up..i forget how much, initiation, 1st years dues and join nra, so about 375. then I worked 2nd shift so I had to take off work that thursday. we didn't have sick days so that was a $400 whack and 3 days later I had to take another day off to do the safety walk thru so another $400. (worked days on weekends). that's a $1100 hit to join a club but I took my lumps. how many on nes would take that hit? I guessing not many.
 
Personally I don't choose to shoot at public ranges as I've observed some serious range safety issues at these places.

People that belong to clubs typically are a little more savvy about keeping the guns pointed downrange.

Plenty of clubs don't require any more than attending one or two meetings to join and you can disappear forever if that suits you. Only one club I belonged to required new members (only) to do 4 hrs of work. I installed some new fluorescent lights with only one other person present . . . very little talking and done.

Personally I have found that the only way to know what is going on or planned at a club is to attend meetings, but it certainly is no requirement.

In general when I'm on the range, I'm shooting and not talking. I've met some really good folks and become friends with a few. Discussions if any best take place off the range either before or after shooting.

Cost: It is certainly cheaper to join a club than to pay hourly fees at a commercial range and as others stated you won't find any outdoor commercial ranges in the area.
 
its got nothing to do with dues.

most clubs wont let you do anything but a) shoot off a bench, b) shoot standing with a pistol, no holster/no movement, c) shoot clays, or d) drink at the clubhouse and listen to a bunch of crusty old fudds bitch about EVERYTHING.

i want nothing to do with "ive been a member here xx number of years and i pretty much own it..." types.

i want nothing to do with dumb rules

and i want nothing to do with nosey old men

thats why i spent alot of money to build my own facility on my own property.
 
What you're looking for doesn't exist in MA or NH as far as I'm aware. The only for-profit not-club ranges in this area are all indoor (e.g. Manchester Firing Line)
What he is looking for definitely exists in MA. I'm a member of Old Colony and I dont have to show up to any meetings.

I go on a weekend, shoot, talk to all the old guys that come over when they see I'm shooting a sharps or old gun, and then leave.
 
Im a member of a club and have pretty much used it as youve described in the bolded section of your post. I pay, go there and shoot whenever I want and leave.

Same here. I have been a member at a club for two years and I pay, I go there, I shoot and I leave. I don’t know any other members nor would I recognize any if I met them on the street. It’s like $150 per year. It might have been an extra $50 or $100 to join. I dropped my application off one Saturday afternoon and have never attended a a meeting. I think they changed it so you have to bring your application to a monthly meeting now. Big deal.
 
How about the xxxxxx Has a free, outdoor public range.
Dude....dont post that here. It is already full of idiots that leave trash in the place, we dont need more idiots going there. (Not calling the OP an idiot, but who knows who will see that post).
 
its got nothing to do with dues.

most clubs wont let you do anything but a) shoot off a bench, b) shoot standing with a pistol, no holster/no movement, c) shoot clays, or d) drink at the clubhouse and listen to a bunch of crusty old fudds bitch about EVERYTHING.

i want nothing to do with "ive been a member here xx number of years and i pretty much own it..." types.

i want nothing to do with dumb rules

and i want nothing to do with nosey old men

thats why i spent alot of money to build my own facility on my own property.
That’s not Harvard Sportsmen’s Club. I drive in, grab an empty bay, and practice for USPSA - drawing from a holster, shooting in the move, etc. I rarely end up chatting with people while I’m practicing.

There is no bar and no alcohol allowed at either of the clubs I belong to. No fudds or nosey old men around.
 
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What he is looking for definitely exists in MA. I'm a member of Old Colony and I dont have to show up to any meetings.

I go on a weekend, shoot, talk to all the old guys that come over when they see I'm shooting a sharps or old gun, and then leave.

I mean, that's what most people at most clubs do. The vast, VAST majority of members at Harvard, for instance, just pay their dues and aren't involved at all in club business or events.

However, the OP specifically said "I don't want to be a part of a club, group, or collective." As far as I'm aware there's no outdoor range facilities around that are accessible under those terms (except the Martin Burns one mentioned earlier which seems pretty limited).
 
if i had to be a member of a gun club, i would probably not own guns.

I dunno if I would go that far, but I understand the issue you're talking about. A lot of clubs in MA, particularly the "loop clubs" are almost unusable. I don't even train that hard I'm content given some limitations, but even for purely recreational shooting a lot of the loop clubs basically suck the fun out of shooting. Some of them have rules that are so shitty it's not even worth spending the ammunition. They
stay open because people are lazy and don't want to drive anywhere. (and because its the only place they ever shot at, they think that crap
is normal). If it came down to "well I can join a loop club or drive 3 hours to shoot at a place that doesn't suck" I'd just suck it up and drive the 3 hours a few times a year. That's how annoying those places are. I guess they fit a purpose for some people but its like being
steeped in communism.

I remember years ago some discussions "oh well this club is nice blah blah blah (but 9000 shitty rules). And then the guy I was talking to would just about shit their pants when I would tell them "Well, at the club I shoot at, there are no range officers... you ARE the RO... and yeah, no bathrooms... well, you just piss behind the clubhouse.... but the flip side of that is, I can take a laser printer, throw it out on the range, and blow the shit out of it and nobody will yell at me for it as long as I clean it up afterwards. " When I had more time for such things, appliance hunting was a favorite pastime of mine. At a couple of the clubs I used to use I'd have no problem putting up steel or a barrier (eg, like a vtac) or something if I wanted. Hell I think one day I even fired a couple of mags out of the window of my car while parked on the range, just to see what it was like to try to fire a pistol from inside a car. About the only thing you would have to do is yield to other members once in awhile but they would typically show up, shoot for like 15 minutes and leave, then you'd have the whole place to yourself again.

-Mike
 
Damn...lots of folks with antisocial tendencies.

I too love to be only the only person at the range every now and then *but* I also welcome meeting people and talking sh@t about guns...I don't go out of my way to avoid it. My club involvement is usually based on the amount of time/effort I'm spending at work. When I had more time in the past I volunteered as an RO at one club, now much less time but still try to help when I can.

I think we are all more fortunate than we realize that there are lots of options for clubs in our neck of the woods. I've done the pay-as-you-shoot ranges (here and other states) and it's just not the same for me. I may not be the most active/engaged member of my club, but I will take that option every time over a public range.
 
most clubs wont let you do anything but a) shoot off a bench, b) shoot standing with a pistol, no holster/no movement, c) shoot clays, or d) drink at the clubhouse and listen to a bunch of crusty old fudds bitch about EVERYTHING.
You would like Hopkinton or Harvard.

- Each has multiple outdoor pistol bays and allows holster work and movement.
- Hopkinton rifle ranges max at 200 yards; Harvard at 300.
- OK to shoot at clays (at least at Hopkinton). If you are using them on the pistol/rifle range, you should place them on plastic sheeting so you can clean up the broken pieces.
- No active bar

i want nothing to do with "ive been a member here xx number of years and i pretty much own it..." types.
When you spot the president at Hopkinton, you will generally see him doing stuff like empty the range garbage cans or sweeping the steps, not trying to intimidate members.
 
its got nothing to do with dues.

most clubs wont let you do anything but a) shoot off a bench, b) shoot standing with a pistol, no holster/no movement, c) shoot clays, or d) drink at the clubhouse and listen to a bunch of crusty old fudds bitch about EVERYTHING.

i want nothing to do with "ive been a member here xx number of years and i pretty much own it..." types.

i want nothing to do with dumb rules

and i want nothing to do with nosey old men

thats why i spent alot of money to build my own facility on my own property.

THIS. A THOUSAND TIMES THIS.
 
Why are you so unsociable and reclusive?
I'm not at all. I just don't care about Chicken BBQs/Bowling Pin Shoots/Horseshoes/IDPA. I'm more than happy to have a conversation on the range, but I'm not going to pretend I give a shit about club functions.
Also, I work 4PM-12AM. I'm not calling out of work to go to the meetings which some clubs have mandatory minimum attendance rules.

Hopkinton does not require any letters to the board.

You're absolutely correct. I erroneously named Hopkinton Sportsmen's Club, when I meant Harvard Sportsmen's Club.

i'm smelling a skinflint here...sniff, sniff...smells like old money.
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I'm not at all. I just don't care about Chicken BBQs/Bowling Pin Shoots/Horseshoes/IDPA. I'm more than happy to have a conversation on the range, but I'm not going to pretend I give a shit about club functions.
Also, I work 4PM-12AM. I'm not calling out of work to go to the meetings which some clubs have mandatory minimum attendance rules.



You're absolutely correct. I erroneously named Hopkinton Sportsmen's Club, when I meant Harvard Sportsmen's Club.


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OK on the meeting requirements......my club's only requirement is to attend the one meeting to present yourself with your sponsor to the membership to be elected a member.

One thing to keep in mind is that most gun and sportsmen clubs are non profit organizations. To be a non profit there are regulatory rules that need to be adhered to with regard to maintaining that status. These include organizational elected leadership, a board of directors, and meetings held with regard to spending of funds etc...

If the club does not have a board of directors, and meetings with a quarum of members then business cannot be conducted. My club has an active participation at monthly meetings and does not need to "mandate" meeting membership. Some clubs are in the position that they need to "mandate" attendance in order to obtain the quarum necessary to conduct business as a non profit. Just food for thought.
 
It's funny down here in NC I looked for a club to join but all I found was a couple retail ranges. $20/visit and you can shoot all you want. If you only go a half-dozen or so times a year it's way cheaper than joining a club. Oh, and definitely no meetings or work details required.
 
It's funny down here in NC I looked for a club to join but all I found was a couple retail ranges. $20/visit and you can shoot all you want. If you only go a half-dozen or so times a year it's way cheaper than joining a club. Oh, and definitely no meetings or work details required.

Yeah but most of these places don't have outdoor facilities, which is what the OP is after.

-Mike
 
Not the one near me:

Sure Shot Gun Sports Shooting Range 28532 28570 28557 28516| Concealed Carry Class | Carteret County | North Carolina

covered shoot houses aiming at outdoor targets. handgun range out to 50 yards. Rifle range out to 500.

That's why I used the term "most". As in I can't think of any outdoor pay ranges in New England that are just pay per use etc. That's pretty cool that it actually exists though if its well run and the ROs are vigilant but not pricks.

-Mike
 
It's a nice range for sure. $15 for all day shooting is a good price, but after 10 visits you'd have paid as much as you would pay at most clubs in MA for a year's dues and unlimited shooting.

Opp. cost of flaming hoops though, and there is no way in hell the OP is even shooting 10 times a year if he can't make a club meeting. Hell I don't even make 10 times a year at this point, maybe 6 if I'm lucky, not including an occasional uspsa or steel match somewhere.

-Mike
 
It's a nice range for sure. $15 for all day shooting is a good price, but after 10 visits you'd have paid as much as you would pay at most clubs in MA for a year's dues and unlimited shooting.

I think it's been a while since they updated their site. It's now $20.

tbh, I've lived here since the fall and have only gone to the range four or five times, so it's worked out well. And if there WAS a club to join, I would. But there isn't, so I can't.
 
That's why I used the term "most". As in I can't think of any outdoor pay ranges in New England that are just pay per use etc. That's pretty cool that it actually exists though if its well run and the ROs are vigilant but not pricks.

-Mike

I'm wary of any gun range that has rentals. Many I've been to will hand a gun to anyone with a credit card. The one near me would rent class III to anyone with no safety course or close supervision. After being muzzle swept by a loaded MP-5, I stuck to DNR ranges on slow days.
 
I doubt it is possible in eastern MA to buy or lease enough land for a 100 yard range and recoup the cost, taxes and maintenance through user fees.

It has been said that the best way to make a small fortune in the commerical range business is to start with a large one.

I know two highly accomplished individuals who tried - on in CA and one in VA. Both failed, though I am not sure if they wound down without making much money or actually went full scale belly up. I admire those at American Firearms, MA Fireams, Weston Gun Club and Cape Gun Works who seem to have figured out how to pull it off with indoor facilities.
 
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