Looking for a RI club

[JRoberts]

Hi Guys,

I'm in the process of looking for a good club to join. I live in Smithfield, but also frequent northern RI a lot (family in Woonsocket). I submitted paperwork to be able to use the RI DEM range but I think a club atmosphere is the way to go, I've visited the DEM range in the past with a friend and we ended up leaving after some people showed up and began to exhibit some less than safe behavior. I've searched online and checked out many of the sites of local clubs - looking for some member feedback. Right now, primarily as far as shooting I'm interested in pistol, but I plan on purchasing a rifle soon enough (also have an old inherited mossberg 20 gauge). Also would like the club to be fairly active as I'd like to try out some of the various events etc as well.

Thanks,
Jon

 

[IPSC_DRL]

I'm in MA but have shot many times at the Manville RI club. Good outdoor ranges for pistol, rifle, and shotgun.

Good luck.

 

[TY43215]

I'm in MA but have shot many times at the Manville RI club. Good outdoor ranges for pistol, rifle, and shotgun.

Good luck.

Manville is a closed membership club. Last I knew, there was a wait list but I guess that shows what a good place it is.

Take a look at Wallum Lake. Home of Walls of Steel

 

[Cooter Brown]

Manville and Wallum Lake are both good. 30 hr work requirement for new members.

 

[sportycliff]

Try Stonybrook Rod & Gun Club in Lincoln
Key club
50' indoor pistol
Lead, or plated only, no magnum or jacketed rounds
.22 rifle OK
Active bullseye team (Our own Yelena, is a top shooter at Stonybrook)
Active Junior Rifle
I believe it's still $100 per yr with no work requirement, but always looking for active members.

For more info call Treasurer John Francis @ Competition Shooting Supplies - 401-727-1716

 

[Len-2A Training]

You might send a PM to BJ (TYPEO1313) a Mod here. He was telling me about a club he belongs to in RI that is very active, with a good group of folks. I don't know the name of the club, so ask him for info.

 

[wahsben]

I belong to Wallum Lake Rod & Gun club in Harrisville, RI. It is expensive but they offer alot.
If I remember correctly new members must put in a certain # of hours or pay extra if they don't want to.
www.wallumlakerodgun.com is their website.

 

[Knob Creek]

Pine Tree is the place to go. Too much politics at Manville. Although I hear lately it's gotten better.

 

[sportycliff]

Pine Tree is the place to go. Too much politics at Manville

You mean there's a club somewhere where politics don't apply?

 

[JRoberts]

Wow. Lot's of good options. Wallum Lake and Pine Tree both sound like great clubs. I'll check em out.

Thanks,
Jon

 

[JRoberts]

Just tried e-mailing Pine Tree to get some info and it looks like the site e-mail addresses are dead, kicks it back to me everytime. Anyone have a contact e-mail address for Pine Tree?

- Jon

 

[Cooter Brown]

Lol; yeah, most of the RI clubs don't seem to want to be found!

 

[BearArms]

You might send a PM to BJ (TYPEO1313) a Mod here. He was telling me about a club he belongs to in RI that is very active, with a good group of folks. I don't know the name of the club, so ask him for info.

The Beagle Club

http://www.cumberlandbeagleclub.com/

 

[sportycliff]

Pretty long waiting list I believe.

 

[dhuze]

I belong to Manville. We have two trap ranges, a 200 yard rifle range, 3 pistol ranges, an outdoor archery range, and indoor archery range, and an indoor pistol range.
Currently there is a 1 year wait to get it. You also need a sponsor. We require 30 hours of work service the first year along with your dues. Work service can be lots of things from helping during events to grounds maintainence. To repairs. The nice thing is the limited membership. It keeps the crowds down. You will typically see the same handful of us whenever you go.

Check us out at http://www.manvillesportsmensrodandgunclub.org/

 

[JOHN1964]

Love the profile pic I met Indian Larry got to take a pic together just before he died he was a great guy

 

[sportycliff]

He lived the life.
An absolutely incredible talent.
He is sorely missed...

I built this bike a a tribute, wish I'd have never sold it, 74 FLH, Kick only, .030 over, light, fast, quick handling...

 

[JOHN1964]

Try Stonybrook Rod & Gun Club in Lincoln
Key club
50' indoor pistol
Lead, or plated only, no magnum or jacketed rounds
.22 rifle OK
Active bullseye team (Our own Yelena, is a top shooter at Stonybrook)
Active Junior Rifle
I believe it's still $100 per yr with no work requirement, but always looking for active members.

For more info call Treasurer John Francis @ Competition Shooting Supplies - 401-727-1716

Awesome profile pic I met Indian Larry just before he died. Got to take a pic with him he was a great guy

 

[RIfal]

Jon,
You said you live in Smithfield R.I. There's a great club right in your backyard " Smithfield Sportsmans Club" Nice facilities. They meet the first wednesday of the month at 7:30 pm.

 

[JOHN1964]

He lived the life.
An absolutely incredible talent.
He is sorely missed...

I built this bike a a tribute, wish I'd have never sold it, 74 FLH, Kick only, .030 over, light, fast, quick handling...

.

Wow what a sweet ride that is. Yeah he is missed he was a great guy

 

[MKIIBVT]

I second that Manville is a great club with lots to offer including an indoor 20 yd archery range which is awesome for practice despite time of day or weather.

However I am looking for a RI (or nearby CT or MA) club that additionally offers enough private land for (deer) hunting if possible as the WMA's can get very crowded with inexperienced/unsafe hunters on weekends. Any thoughts?

 

[newportri]

http://tivertonrodandgunclub.com/

 

[BOBKATT]

Two friends of mine were, and I stress the word were, members of the Tiverton Rod and Gun Club. From what I hear, avoid the club like the plague.

Apparantly after taking everyones dues in the beginning of the year, they decided to knock down the pistol range, and restrict shooting hours altogether on the rifle range, so now they can only shoot on the rifle range during certain hours that are designated for rifle. You can only shoot rifle certain times or pistol certain times. And those were apparently cut way back from when they signed up.

They also told me that this club has been telling everyone that they will be building this brand new range and everyone will be able to shoot again, but apparently they were told this would happing over the summer, and then over the winter, and now they're hearing that it will start next spring. And, its likely that you'll pay your dues and it will get backed up again and again.

You can do better with your money.

 

[newportri]

I am a member of the club, and although I don't agree with everything that has been done there the last few months (knocking down the pistol berm, restricting hours, RSO, etc.) it has been done because some members were not showing proper gun safety. Bullets were found behind the pistol berm near the trap field and outside the pistol house where people walk around. These areas should normally be safe, but when people put the targets on the ground, bullets will skip over the berm. I found a bullet myself and could clearly see by the markings that it was a skip. Blame the idiots that shot the bullets, and not the rest of the club.
With regards to the new state of the art range; the club has been very open about this and it's discussed at every meeting, but I am guessing that your friends don't always go to the meetings. The reason that the new range has not been built yet is that the club has not received the money for 70+ acres they are selling to the State. The voting members did not want to take a loan, but rather wait until the money is in the bank since the new range is a very large investment.

 

[BOBKATT]

I am a member of the club, and although I don't agree with everything that has been done there the last few months (knocking down the pistol berm, restricting hours, RSO, etc.) it has been done because some members were not showing proper gun safety. Bullets were found behind the pistol berm near the trap field and outside the pistol house where people walk around. These areas should normally be safe, but when people put the targets on the ground, bullets will skip over the berm. I found a bullet myself and could clearly see by the markings that it was a skip. Blame the idiots that shot the bullets, and not the rest of the club.
With regards to the new state of the art range; the club has been very open about this and it's discussed at every meeting, but I am guessing that your friends don't always go to the meetings. The reason that the new range has not been built yet is that the club has not received the money for 70+ acres they are selling to the State. The voting members did not want to take a loan, but rather wait until the money is in the bank since the new range is a very large investment.

You may be surprised when I tell you that pretty much everything you just said is exactly what I hear. Obviously, I don't know the exact details off the top of my head, but certainly the things that you say are things that have been told to me. And, I think I pretty much summarized them without having the detail about the reasons for or why this club ended up in this circumstance.

The point is, however, that as just as the reasons may be for knocking down a range or restricting hours, etc. This is not an inexpensive club to join by any stretch of the imagination. And, whatever the reason is for not building the new range or for knocking down the old one, the fact is that if a shooter wants to find a new club to join, Tiverton is not a good place to do it. Certainly not right now, anyway.

It may be very unfortunate, the circumstances. But, it would be wrong to advise someone who is looking for a club to join to do some shooting at, to join the Tiverton club where the plans for a new range are continually being pushed back and the existing ranges have either been knocked down or the hours have been restricted. And, idiots not shooting safely is not really a selling point either. Although, it is likely that you have these idiots to some extent at most clubs.

I think a fellow shooter ought to know these things. I apologize if I offended you, and if you continue to be a member there, I hope that the club eventually builds the new range, and everything works out. But I think that the OP should know these things before they spend their money there. And then he or she can decide.

 

[newportri]

Don't worry I was not offended, and I have seriously been considering joining another club myself since my interests are different than what the club's interests are. However, the reasons I am a member is that I don't know of any other clubs in my area that has the wide range of facilities that TRGC has:
200 yard outdoor range
Indoor pistol 25 yard range (this is old, but is also scheduled for an upgrade in 2013)
50 yard archery range
3D archery course
Members can hunt on club property
Primitive areas with a woodswalk
Camping
2 trap fields with another one in the works that will be ATA approved.
The most a member will pay is $156, with discounts depending on hours put into running the events. I don't think any other clubs in the area have all these member services for this price.
I think a member should ask themselves what they want to shoot. If you like to do a little bit of everything, then TRGC is a good place. If you are into Action Pistol/Rifle/Shotgun, definitely look somewhere else. There is no culture of anything action in the club (mostly trap, black powder, and archery), but there aren't any other clubs in my area that does it anyway. If I could get a MA LTC, I would probably join Rod and Gun Club of New Bedford. However, with the strict gunlaws in MA I cannot even go to MA to practice.

The club has a lot of large projects in the works, and this might not be the best time to join. However, in a couple of years I think TRGC will be one of the best clubs in the area with state of the art equipment and ranges, and most importantly a safe(er) club.

 

[BOBKATT]

One of the guys got a membership at Wincheck rod and gun club, if thats how you spell it. I shot there twice when I was in the area last fall. There is a great trap field, there is a .22 range with silhouette targets, there is a pistol range where you can shoot anything from paper, to steel plates to golf balls. And, there is a rifle range up to 200 yards with a steel plate way down the end to try your hand at if you like. There are 3d archery targets, the firing lines are enclosed and have wood stoves to keep them warm. There are more great things about that club than I can name.

This is frankly the best club Ive ever been to in New England. I would highly recommend joining this club if possible. And, I believe the dues are only about 100 dollars. I'm not a member there only because I travel a lot for work and I'm hardly ever in that area. If I lived up there, I would do anything I can to get into that club ASAP.

For a shooter, thats the best club that I can think of in RI. Albeit, I've only been to 3 clubs in RI. I've also been to the Rod and Gun club of New Bedford for an action match about a year ago, and it is true that is also a great club. But, Wincheck has it beat.

Its tough to find a club that can offer that much in a state like RI with all of the town laws and the lack of land that there is for gun clubs to be able to offer what wincheck does. They're way out in the woods, thats probably why they have so much freedom to do what they do and to have the facilities that they do.

Its out near Coventry or in Coventry. I'm not sure exactly which town. But, its worth checking out.