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A lot of clubs make an exception for lapsed memberships. You can pay later on + a late/penalty fee and they reactivate the card.I was unaware of the membership change being membership closed.
This is a certainaly a reason not to let my membership laps
Try Hopedale Pistol and Rifle. Not too far from you. @jek a NES member has a thread or two regarding. Good luckAny suggestions for clubs in the Franklin area? I would like to join one with my son.
My point there was that those places don't have member private ranges because people don't want to pay things like membership dues for
clubs and that kind of thing. And the dues for a decent club having to be built in FL would likely not be small. So you have to herd all the cats to get one range built. Then they're like "f*** the skinflints, lets profit from them" etc. Think of what an HSC would cost to build in FL.
ETA: people like us that shoot 2-4 times or more a month are the "exception" most people flint hard (or don't have time) and will be lucky to get out a few times a year. I bet if i did a survey/poll here the results would be crazy.
FL is also has a climate that basically resembles a sweaty ballsack 6 months of the year. That probably drives pay range use.
Independent in Foxboro (Plainville line) is serviceable, mostly a shotgun club but they have two 25 yard pistol ranges which are ok and they have steel silhouettes they leave up. It's also on my way to work and only a ten min drive from the house. They also have a 100 Yd rifle range but it bench rest only.Any suggestions for clubs in the Franklin area? I would like to join one with my son.
Hopedale Pistol and Rifle Club is an indoor range with 8 alleys x 50 ft. Most all pistol calibers are allowed. PCC's are allowed as well, except for .17 HMR. The club is accessible 24x7 all year by card access. Any questions. let me know, the website is not up to date (e.g., the application letter still mentions assessments which are no longer applicable).Any suggestions for clubs in the Franklin area? I would like to join one with my son.
$20 every time you shoot? ... it would cost me at least $1040 per year. More than I pay for Westwood + Reading + Granby combined.
Why do gun clubs s*ck so much outside of New England? - When I was planning moving to FL it was similar, everything was a monthly payment or pay to shoot every time you go.
At least compared to most of the East Coast, we are spoiled in the North East.
An annual membership at AFS is $225, unlimited range time, discount in the pro shop, etc. A corporate membership is $275 and you can have all of your employees shoot on that membership. At one point there were three of us in the office who shot there, two of us regularly. I brought a few of my company reps there to shoot. Tuesday is Ladies Night so ladies shoot free after 5pm (you’d be surprised how many take advantage of it). The only people who pay the $20 range fee are noobs or casual shooters who only go a couple times per year. It can get packed on weekend mornings w/ the RI ghetto riffraff & bachelor parties but they do teach a good licensing class and also have a reasonable intro to shoot for like $50.Has nothing to do with being a skinflint. I have weeks I go 2 or 3 times to the range.
Before the primer shortage I was shooting Monday, Wednesday, Saturday.
It would be ridiculous to spend $3K just to be able to shoot. At that point I would just buy 5 acres next to a reserve and shoot in that direction. It would pay off in a year or two.
Your point of having to build the range makes sense.
That is cheap, compared to Reading, Pembroke and Westwood (all around $300 - $350/year).An annual membership at AFS is $225, unlimited range time, discount in the pro shop, etc. A corporate membership is $275 and you can have all of your employees shoot on that membership. At one point there were three of us in the office who shot there, two of us regularly. I brought a few of my company reps there to shoot. Tuesday is Ladies Night so ladies shoot free after 5pm (you’d be surprised how many take advantage of it). The only people who pay the $20 range fee are noobs or casual shooters who only go a couple times per year. It can get packed on weekend mornings w/ the RI ghetto riffraff & bachelor parties but they do teach a good licensing class and also have a reasonable intro to shoot for like $50.
I grew up in Florida. Never cared for the climate too much, but every place has its problems. The end for me, however, was one day when I was home from college over the Christmas break, out for a run at 11pm or some such, and swimming through 90 degree air at 80% humidity that I decided never to move back there. 11pm. Mid-December. Had it been July, I might not have thought so much of it. The climate is great when you're taking in a breeze off the water, wearing a swim suit and T-shirt, not caring whether you sweat. It's a different thing when you're in business casual, your parking space is 50 yards from the door, and you're wondering if you can make it without your shirt starting to stick to your back.Every time we come back from a cruise
where we've spent 2-3 days in Florida before setting sail,
The Bride sez, "we need to spend enough time there to get sick of it".
You may have just helped.
I was a member for a couple of years and the range was rented out a lot during the day. I enjoyed it and was there with my son last month but the people next to us had no idea of what they were doing and weren't open to suggestions so we packed up and left before one of got hit.An annual membership at AFS is $225, unlimited range time, discount in the pro shop, etc. A corporate membership is $275 and you can have all of your employees shoot on that membership. At one point there were three of us in the office who shot there, two of us regularly. I brought a few of my company reps there to shoot. Tuesday is Ladies Night so ladies shoot free after 5pm (you’d be surprised how many take advantage of it). The only people who pay the $20 range fee are noobs or casual shooters who only go a couple times per year. It can get packed on weekend mornings w/ the RI ghetto riffraff & bachelor parties but they do teach a good licensing class and also have a reasonable intro to shoot for like $50.
they just truck in some sand for the backstopsBecause people are skinflints. Geography doesn't help either.... States like FL are f***ing flat as hell (the highest point in florida is like 350 feet ASL) which basically means that ranges that aren't shit have to be built by trucking in dirt and making berms. They don't have lots of mountains and hills and glacial till piles to shoot into like we do (everywhere). In mass when land was cheap a bunch of guys could say "hey we can put a 100 yard range here and have hunting next to this pond etc etc". And all they
had to do was clear the land and maybe drain it, build target stands, done. In FL that would involve a huge excavation project.
I grew up in Florida. Never cared for the climate too much, but every place has its problems. The end for me, however, was one day when I was home from college over the Christmas break, out for a run at 11pm or some such, and swimming through 90 degree air at 80% humidity that I decided never to move back there. 11pm. Mid-December. Had it been July, I might not have thought so much of it. The climate is great when you're taking in a breeze off the water, wearing a swim suit and T-shirt, not caring whether you sweat. It's a different thing when you're in business casual, your parking space is 50 yards from the door, and you're wondering if you can make it without your shirt starting to stick to your back.
Hamilton is accepting new membersFrom Sturbridge. Took my class at the rod and gun club there, really awesome place. Just wish I could be a part of it
Mansfield Fish and GameAny suggestions for clubs in the Franklin area? I would like to join one with my son.
Interesting. Any idea if they have a work requirement buydown provision for hideously old disabled seniors?Hamilton is accepting new members
Interesting. Any idea if they have a work requirement buydown provision for hideously old disabled seniors?
Nice. That's would be a small price for me to pay to avoid a heart attack!I believe you have to work 10 hours your first year or you can opt out and pay $100Hamilton Rod and Gun Club - Membership
hamiltonrg.org
They have lots of volunteer opportunities not all of it is harsh physical labor or a lot of people don’t have time or whatever just pay the $100Nice. That's would be a small price for me to pay to avoid a heart attack!
Because people are skinflints. Geography doesn't help either.... States like FL are f***ing flat as hell (the highest point in florida is like 350 feet ASL) which basically means that ranges that aren't shit have to be built by trucking in dirt and making berms. They don't have lots of mountains and hills and glacial till piles to shoot into like we do (everywhere). In mass when land was cheap a bunch of guys could say "hey we can put a 100 yard range here and have hunting next to this pond etc etc". And all they
had to do was clear the land and maybe drain it, build target stands, done. In FL that would involve a huge excavation project.
Has nothing to do with being a skinflint. I have weeks I go 2 or 3 times to the range.
Before the primer shortage I was shooting Monday, Wednesday, Saturday.
It would be ridiculous to spend $3K just to be able to shoot. At that point I would just buy 5 acres next to a reserve and shoot in that direction. It would pay off in a year or two.
Your point of having to build the range makes sense.
My point there was that those places don't have member private ranges because people don't want to pay things like membership dues for
clubs and that kind of thing. And the dues for a decent club having to be built in FL would likely not be small. So you have to herd all the cats to get one range built. Then they're like "f*** the skinflints, lets profit from them" etc. Think of what an HSC would cost to build in FL.
ETA: people like us that shoot 2-4 times or more a month are the "exception" most people flint hard (or don't have time) and will be lucky to get out a few times a year. I bet if i did a survey/poll here the results would be crazy.
FL is also has a climate that basically resembles a sweaty ballsack 6 months of the year. That probably drives pay range use.
With respect to point 4......market hunting was made essentially illegal between 1900 and 1918 with the lacey act, migratory bird act, and multiple other laws. By 1940 selling any wild shot game for profit had LONG been illegal. That did support the formation of many sportsman's clubs.(1) Most people in rural areas don't shoot a lot and when they do, they shoot on land like sand pits, a farm, a clearing, or right off their porch or out their window. For these people, a club isn't necessary.
(2) There isn't the population density to justify clubs with strong competition calendars.
(3) New England clubs were built usually around 1870-1950, well before suburban sprawl became a major problem. The clubs came before the houses when old farmland was cheap. This was also a time when new shooting sports were beginning like skeet, DCM, etc.
(4) The hunting landscape in New England changed around 1910-40. Farmers and market hunters disappeared in favor of "sportsmen" who were hobbyists rather than trying to get a few extra dollars selling grouse, etc. Check out the book "New England Grouse Shooting."
(5) Suburban sprawl is different in other parts of the country. Much more planned, usually. The areas are simply laid out differently.
Hopkinton Sportsman's Club! Nice easy drive up 495!Any suggestions for clubs in the Franklin area? I would like to join one with my son.
They have lots of volunteer opportunities not all of it is harsh physical labor or a lot of people don’t have time or whatever just pay the $100
No excuses, now get out there and work!
(1) Most people in rural areas don't shoot a lot and when they do, they shoot on land like sand pits, a farm, a clearing, or right off their porch or out their window. For these people, a club isn't necessary.
(2) There isn't the population density to justify clubs with strong competition calendars.
(3) New England clubs were built usually around 1870-1950, well before suburban sprawl became a major problem. The clubs came before the houses when old farmland was cheap. This was also a time when new shooting sports were beginning like skeet, DCM, etc.
(4) The hunting landscape in New England changed around 1910-40.
I don't disagree with most of this except for the fact that there are tons of clubs in mass and other places that are not competition centric. Most of these evolved out of hunting clubs etc.
In a strange sense of irony gun culture in New England is better in some ways compared to places that weren't developed as rapidly.
FL ends up being a sewer between geography and marginal gun culture. And likely weird zoning and planning. And skinflints. The average johnny 1 box pud doesn't want to put up a few hundo for a club.
And yes, rural folks don't bother with clubs. We don't see rural MA (like true rural 30 minutes from interstate hwy) or northern nh, or rural mainers asking for clubs. They find out where to shoot from locals or friendly bob at the shoebox LGS, or just go into the middle of nowhere and start shooting into the side of a hill. Or their backyard.
With respect to point 4......market hunting was made essentially illegal between 1900 and 1918 with the lacey act, migratory bird act, and multiple other laws. By 1940 selling any wild shot game for profit had LONG been illegal. That did support the formation of many sportsman's clubs.