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Gun Ranges vs Gun Clubs
- Thread starter SPO38
- Start date
I'm not, depending on how its run. I've been going to MFL for years and never had a problem. Of course they tend to put a lot of personnel on the unwashed side of the range, too.
There are other places, like Bobs.. that I nope the f*** out of... lol. Not sure what it's like now though, haven't been there in... 10? years now... christ.
-Mike
btnh6668
NES Member
I agree 100%. I can hardly find enough time to go to the range with all the other stuff i have to do let alone have to dedicate x amount of hours to clean up a club i hardly use. Mind you i have no issues paying more because of that. I have no problem paying my share but i definitely agree with you. I just want a safe place to shoot. I am not there to make friends for no other reason than i just want to shoot. I don't want to go to the range and have billy chatting me up everytime i go there with my 1 free hour i have to shoot. I had that issue at my first range. I am a very friendly person and because of that spent more time responding to people's conversations rather than shooting. Thankfully the range i belong to is understanding of these things and i am happy where i am. Every year i always pay more than my annual dues to make up for the fact i am not there to help. Not because its mandatory but because i want to contribute.
btnh6668
NES Member
Is it not easy to believe some people just want to go to the range and shoot rather than talk? I am not saying be an asshat and don't say Hello to people but conversations are not necessary. I am the same way when watching sports as well. If its a playoff game i rather watch it alone as others will just annoy me. I like to be focused. I am not antisocial just selective social.
After reading alot of these posts I'm under the impression that some of these guys have been members of the worst gun clubs on the planet. I know that some clubs are riddled with fudds and have work hour and meeting mandates. Damn they are not all like that though. Even the comments about wanting to be left alone to shoot.......I've had those days....on the outdoor range mainly.......when I was there to "get some work done"......is it that hard to say "friend, I have 1 hour to get this sighted in and I have to go pick up the kids"....or whatever reason you have to want to be left alone? I'm pretty sure any gun club socialite would respect that. Some of the posts make me laugh.
paracarry
NES Member
If it wasn't for all the Old Fudds you make reference too you wouldn't have any clubs to shoot at. What scares me is most of theses ranges and the shooting sports we enjoy are probably going to fall by the wayside as there seem to be more unsociable self centered idiots getting into the sport.
The fudds I'm referring to are the ones that make the range worthless for anything other than zeroing a deer rifle. Not all older gentlemen at the clubs are fudds. If they keep that shit up there won't be any clubs because nobody will want to join.
Now....I understand that alot of old timers put in a shit ton of time to keep the clubs running.....but they are retired. I'm not retired......and I make the time to put in about 6-8 hours a month running two events and attending the BOD meeting. That's all I can swing for now.....until I retire.
I see where your coming from......old timers are the reason most of the work gets done......but if they don't "lighten up" a bit at some clubs (mine is pretty good about how the ranges are run) then theyll have falling membership due to their own lack of ability to change with the times.
greencobra
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hey, i'm retired. my time is precious, just as much as the next guy. i'll have plenty of time to chat and sleep when i'm dead.
believe it or not, I've had guys come to me at the range and give me a "come look what I got." brother, there's the guy you gotta look out for. I reluctantly go to their bench just cause I don't want to butt hurt a fellow club member and shooter. only once did I ever see something that made me glad I went over.
back tracking here, joining a club is pretty much a matter of convenience if you live in a metropolitan area. just having a place to go whenever I want is worth the price of membership.
believe it or not, I've had guys come to me at the range and give me a "come look what I got." brother, there's the guy you gotta look out for. I reluctantly go to their bench just cause I don't want to butt hurt a fellow club member and shooter. only once did I ever see something that made me glad I went over.
back tracking here, joining a club is pretty much a matter of convenience if you live in a metropolitan area. just having a place to go whenever I want is worth the price of membership.
greencobra
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I was just thinking about years ago, in the days you could drink beer at the club when you were finished, the old timers we called the porch crowd. they basically just sat...on the porch...and drank beer and shot the shit with each other, never bothering anyone with idle conversation. unless you approached their porch. I use to go to them to pick their brains when I started to reload pre internet days. I follow their example now, don't speak and volunteer information unless spoken to.
Asaltweapon
NES Member
The OP sounded like he wanted nothing to do with anybody for any reason. He clarified much later in the thread it was more pointed at club functions such as bbq's, plates, IDPA, ect. Depending on the make up of your friends at the club you can have a great time on teams. I know I spent hundreds of hours with both my former pistol and traps team members. Damn did we have fun breaking balls with each other and seeing who could put on the best meal during trap season. Yes we all drank after shooting. We wanted to win but if we lost as expected with some teams we never let it get in the way of having fun. Other teams would even say to us "you guys all seem to have fun together". We were having fun because our hobby should be fun. Admittedly some members were on both the pistol and trap teams.
Now, if you feel the need to approach me and start flapping your gums endlessly without knowing me then I have an issue. A pleasant hello, smile and waiting to go down range to set up your stuff is fine with me. Chances are very real that's all you will get from me. I'm not into talking about my guns and how great I shot last week.
Personally I've found most all shooters polite and respectful. Even other members who suck in the club house or off the line typically change their tunes when on an active line. Boy some of them still make my skin crawl just thinking about how bad they sucked.
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Intertia is a powerful force. Some clubs had rules like "max 5 round loaded" because the rules were written back in the day when the most exciting shooting sport was NRA gallery style bullseye. Action shooting sports were unheard of at the time, so the perception was that speed shooting or full mags was just horsing around.
I saw the Hopkinton club transition from a fudd club where they looked funny at you if you holstered a gun, and loading more than 5 rounds was right out, just like counting to 5 after pulling the pin on the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. Now, we have action pistol bays, no mag load limit, and any speed shooting is fine as long as you hit your target with each round. Funny thing - the two oldest guys on the board were the most supportive of the change to modernize. Turns out one of our backers was a hit man and behind enemy lines spy for the US govt in WWII; something I learned when I read the book after he died.
There are definitely clubs that don't require a lot of socializing/attending meetings, etc. My club has no requirement that you attend meetings. They do have annual work parties, but if you don't want to show (and most guys don't) you're just assessed an additional $75.
As far as socializing - I'm pretty friendly and know most of the "regulars" because I shoot 1-2 per week. So there are definitely times I'm at the range for 2 hours and am lucky if I put 50-100 rounds downrange. My wife occasionally gives me a hard time when I come back from the range 90 minutes after sunset, and wants to know how I was shooting when it's pitch black out.
The truth is I've been bullshitting with some guy for the last hour. But I've also learned a ton along the way. When I first started shooting 15+ years ago, I literally knew nothing. While an awful lot of those range-side bull sessions were just bull, I've also learned a lot about guns, ammo, shooting, etc. from more experienced members - although some of those conversations have definitely cost me money along the way.
As far as socializing - I'm pretty friendly and know most of the "regulars" because I shoot 1-2 per week. So there are definitely times I'm at the range for 2 hours and am lucky if I put 50-100 rounds downrange. My wife occasionally gives me a hard time when I come back from the range 90 minutes after sunset, and wants to know how I was shooting when it's pitch black out.
The truth is I've been bullshitting with some guy for the last hour. But I've also learned a ton along the way. When I first started shooting 15+ years ago, I literally knew nothing. While an awful lot of those range-side bull sessions were just bull, I've also learned a lot about guns, ammo, shooting, etc. from more experienced members - although some of those conversations have definitely cost me money along the way.
AHM
NES Member
Meeting mandates, LOL.
I just did the math on what would happen
if our club had an annual meeting attendance mandate:
If you subtract officers+chaircritters
from the building capacity and divide by twelve months per year,
our club would have to put a 23-seat addition onto the clubhouse
in order to fit all the members.
If more people became enamored of meetings,
we'd have to put chairs and a CCTV monitor in the pheasant pen
for the overflow crowd. And everybody would have to hold a pheasant in their lap.
I just did the math on what would happen
if our club had an annual meeting attendance mandate:
If you subtract officers+chaircritters
from the building capacity and divide by twelve months per year,
our club would have to put a 23-seat addition onto the clubhouse
in order to fit all the members.
If more people became enamored of meetings,
we'd have to put chairs and a CCTV monitor in the pheasant pen
for the overflow crowd. And everybody would have to hold a pheasant in their lap.
Editor
NES Member
Seems to me you would soon run out of regulars to shoot.
My Arcteryx jacket,$3k LaRue rifle,tan cargo pants,Oakley military operator sunglasses,Costa Coast Guard cubicle warrior attitude and tactical beard disagree.
I prefer when no one's there that's why I try to go during the weekdays on my lunch. Most of the time my close club is empty at that time. Otherwise there's one or two (usually older) gentlemen and occasionally we'll talk because usually I'm bringing a milsurp. In this manner I've met some nice folks, including some green members here, and got to try some nice rifles. Most of the time if someone's there interactions are limited to asking for a the range to go cold to place/collect a target, or less often, about brass.
At the second club I just joined, they've got lots of facilities. In the action pits you can shoot from the draw, fire at non-paper/steel targets if you clean up, move and shoot, etc. There's also the standard bench/prone type ranges.
While I usually prefer to be alone (or with a friend or two that I know), I'm not going to get upset of the presence of others, as long as they are being safe.
Each club required one somewhat brief meeting and neither required a sponsor. Neither has work requirements, although one charges a little more if you don't volunteer. I usually visit a club every 10 days or so, so a for-profit range, even if they could match the facilities would run me more than both clubs combined in dues (assuming $15 a trip to rent).
At the second club I just joined, they've got lots of facilities. In the action pits you can shoot from the draw, fire at non-paper/steel targets if you clean up, move and shoot, etc. There's also the standard bench/prone type ranges.
While I usually prefer to be alone (or with a friend or two that I know), I'm not going to get upset of the presence of others, as long as they are being safe.
Each club required one somewhat brief meeting and neither required a sponsor. Neither has work requirements, although one charges a little more if you don't volunteer. I usually visit a club every 10 days or so, so a for-profit range, even if they could match the facilities would run me more than both clubs combined in dues (assuming $15 a trip to rent).
I used to think that membership dues were pricey................but when you look at what a quality gun, ammo, and everything you need to shoot , then multiply that by all the different guns you own and calibers. I t is really the least expensive thing you have to pay for.
minininjer
NES Door Greeter
I miss my old clubs in MA. I now have a membership at a public range and it's really not the same at all. I'm not sure the people that work there even recognize me. There just isn't that warm welcome that I had when I got to my ole clubs in MA. I also enjoyed being almost the only one when I went. My early work schedule back when I lived in MA allowed me to go shooting in the afternoon. It would be me and maybe two or three old guys who hung around the club most days anyway. I went to the monthly meetings.
Now at my public range, if I go on a weekend, it's at least an hour wait sometimes. It's ridiculous. It's not so bad if I go during the weekday in the middle of the day but still.... I miss the comrade of being part of a club, which is pretty funny since "I hate people". Nah, I'm just selective in who I like and there aren't that many lol
I'm not even sure if there are any gun "clubs" that are near me. I envy you guys who are all part of clubs. Truly. Something I miss very much.
My Arcteryx jacket,$3k LaRue rifle,tan cargo pants,Oakley military operator sunglasses,Costa Coast Guard cubicle warrior attitude and tactical beard disagree.
You are wearing regular cargo pants? Dude, you can’t operate unless you are wearing $200 Arcteryx pants.
I have some of those,but I don't ever wear them to the range,just to the mall so people can see me operating tactically in a dynamic zone.
Mesatchornug
NES Member
Too matchy-matchy. Gotta drop four bills on the Cryes.
Those are suitably tactical, provided you wear the exposed knee pads.
Maxrobot
NES Member
I've long lamented the lack of outdoor pay-as-you-go rifle ranges in N.H. From 1975 to about 1990 I was a competitive High Power Rifle shooter (National Match Course) and a club executive officer in N.Y. and would like to go out and shoot for an afternoon or two but now, financially, I just could not afford to join a club.
Old Colony has an indoor range. Skeet, Trap, 100, 200 yard, outdoor pistol, Archery and a black powder section.
They also have a nice youth shooting program and some really nice guys in the rifle and handgun teams.
I was offered a job in Florida last year and that's when I realized in some other states the selection of clubs is horrible.
Florida gun rangers just s@ck. Most are pistol only or something shitty like 50 yards rifle. Everything is pay as you go.
It was pretty hard to find anything with more than 100 yards, and the few are not near Tampa or Miami. There is one 1K yard range, but reading about it on their site sounded shitty.
Gun clubs are one huge PLUS in MA, and we have a lot of options to choose from.
