Tell me about gun clubs

COLTIMPALA

COLTIMPALA

Yo homie... is that my briefcase?
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While watching King Of The Hill I found myself asking, were/are gun clubs a thing? Or was this before my time (earlier 30's)? Assuming these were a real thing, what did/do people do at a gun club? This may be a dumb question, but I was just curious.
 
Shooting guns is pretty popular at gun clubs. 🤣

Seriously, most gun clubs are places to go shooting outdoors. Outdoors facilities provide opportunities for types of shooting activities (competitions requiring movement, shotgunning, shooting steel, etc.) that require more space than typical indoor shooting ranges. Regardless of hearing protection, shooting outdoors is not as loud as shooting indoors. The club I belong to is much more reasonable (for me) than a commercial indoor range. The photo below is of the RCWA Club property.

RCWA.jpg
 
They are still a thing. The social/meeting part has taken a big hit with covid. But we never closed the ranges to members.


cvwc.org

CATAWBA VALLEY WILDLIFE CLUB

Web page for the Catawba Valley Wildlife Club of Hickory, NC - one of the oldest, largest, and most active wildlife clubs in North Carolina.
cvwc.org cvwc.org
 
My club never closed during the damnpanic. It was a great outlet and feeling of normalcy when everything else wasn’t.
 
In Michigan there is a great history of 'sportsman clubs' where clubhouse, bar, meeting room, and social events are [or were] as or more important then the range facilities. Lots of league / competition/ organized shoots, comraderie and good times. Friday fish fries, car cruises, holiday kids parties, we even had an indoor slingshot league [drinking encouraged] that was very popular.

Skeet and trap / clays are great group social pastimes that club is the perfect venue for.

If all you want is to plink and rip mag dumps [which I also enjoy] then a berm in the woods is all you need.
 
Gun Clubs are big in the north east. Land is limited, so gun clubs are created to share the land to shoot/hunt. Some have clubhouses with bars attached, which helps with costs of operation.
The one I belonged to was decent. $100 a year. It sat on a 130 acres. Had a decent sized pond for fishing. Trap field, 100 yard rifle, 50 yard pistol. They did a good job at always hosting events that were family oriented (kids fishing derby, xmas and Halloween parties).
 
Jmoser said:
In Michigan there is a great history of 'sportsman clubs' where clubhouse, bar, meeting room, and social events are [or were] as or more important then the range facilities. Lots of league / competition/ organized shoots, comraderie and good times. Friday fish fries, car cruises, holiday kids parties, we even had an indoor slingshot league [drinking encouraged] that was very popular.

Skeet and trap / clays are great group social pastimes that club is the perfect venue for.

If all you want is to plink and rip mag dumps [which I also enjoy] then a berm in the woods is all you need.
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I learned archery at the Holland Fish and Game Club as a pre-teen. I'm not even sure you can shoot there anymore. It looks like a wedding/prom hall now.
 
Durham County Wildlife Club below. 3-4 operating trap fields, 5 skeet fields, pistol range at the bottom left, five-stand sporting at the right (about where the y is on County), Archery Range with a bunch of stands, small lake for fishing - who could want for more? The pistol range, which is also a rimfire range for rifles, is restrictive but beyond the berm are buildings housing some major corporate operations. After the initiation, it's $175 a year, or $100 for old farts like me. If you volunteer and get certified in the various disciplines you can shoot from 7 am to 10 pm. The pistol range is $2.50 for the day. Rounds of clays run $0.10 per bird. Archery and fishing are free.

On top of that, there are about 1,000 members to interact with, make friends with, and share knowledge and "witty repartee."

5 Stand Location.JPG
 
I'll tell you about the club I used to run, started as a small range in 1933:

Up until recently, I was the president of a 2000+ member gun club on L.I. , N.Y. (as a side gig) You see, in NY, each county police dept. makes its own rules on if you can carry a handgun or not. In the counties closer to NYC, you can only carry to/from a range, stopping for gas or food is OK (not far upstate NY they issue full-carry). So, many people join 24-hour ranges, so if they're 'caught' with a handgun on them, they can say they were 'just going to the range'. So out of 2K+ members, only about 200 were actually active.

Usually when you come to my range, the ratio of talking to shooting is about 70% BSing, 30% actual shooting. Many people just use it to get away for a few hours. Inside, there's a big TV in the lounge, bathrooms, pool table, full kitchen and vending machines, small locker room and indoor range, etc. Outside there's picnic tables and a new semi enclosed bar/sitting area with giant TV.

We have a competition arm that's called the "Little Club" that has about 120 members who compete weekly against other ranges and across the country. We also have a "Juniors" club that has approx. 95 youths under 21. They can shoot whenever they want, but we close the range for 4 hours for them on Sundays to shoot, and we supply the RO's and .22 ammo, although they can shoot anything they want, and usually allow any other members to shoot at the same time. At 14 yrs old, they can take a handgun safety class and then shoot handguns with their parent or other authorized person. Two of our Juniors members have competed in the Olympics for shooting.

We do IPSC and IDPA on certain weekends where non-members are allowed to shoot/compete. We have chapters of Women On Target and Well Armed Women. We give reloading classes for free every few months, and offer NRA classes from time to time. We also rent out our range to 19 different local and fed LE agencies, but not during peak shooting season.

So the place is truly a club, and not just a range. And having what we have, behind enemy lines in NY, is a miracle. The local police union owns and operates the club and has its own clubhouse/offices on premise - so this promotes a good relationship between gun owners and cops in our little piece of the area....

Sorry if this sounds more like an ad for the range, lol.
 
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dmarbell said:
Durham County Wildlife Club below. 3-4 operating trap fields, 5 skeet fields, pistol range at the bottom left, five-stand sporting at the right (about where the y is on County), Archery Range with a bunch of stands, small lake for fishing - who could want for more? The pistol range, which is also a rimfire range for rifles, is restrictive but beyond the berm are buildings housing some major corporate operations. After the initiation, it's $175 a year, or $100 for old farts like me. If you volunteer and get certified in the various disciplines you can shoot from 7 am to 10 pm. The pistol range is $2.50 for the day. Rounds of clays run $0.10 per bird. Archery and fishing are free.

On top of that, there are about 1,000 members to interact with, make friends with, and share knowledge and "witty repartee."
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Maybe i'll look for something like that when i'm an old fart like you.
Even at 175, it's more reasonable than a lot of ranges I DIDN'T join up with up in MI considering how much seems to be offered there.
That's something that always killed me - spend a few hundred bucks to be a member, drive way out to nowhere, use a basic dirt berm and use a stanking port-a-potty without any water to wash, and then have to drive somewhere else to get a snack. AND STILL pay a $20 per day fee
That's why i always stuck with one local indoor range where they let me shoot for free half the time because they knew i'd be out there helping monitor things anyway. They had snacks and drinks and real bathrooms and were 2 minutes away from every fast food chain you could think of.
 
The portions of my life spent living in suburbia necessitated belonging to a gun club if you want to to do anything like shoot beyond the 25 yard depth of the local brick and mortar ranges and restricted the use of most rifles (that wouldn't be any fun to shoot at 25 yards anyway). The club brought in trainers so I had access to people like Mas Ayoob and John Farnham without having to travel.
 
Slacker said:
From what I've seen it's mostly three 80 year old guys bitching when someone shoots an AR too fast, then trying not to have a heart attack racing to be the first one to the brass.

For this reason alone, I would buy TULA.

(Let's go Brandon, Bastard banned it probably because of me)
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Sounds like the Asheville Rifle and Pistol Club.
 
Jmoser said:
In Michigan there is a great history of 'sportsman clubs' where clubhouse, bar, meeting room, and social events are [or were] as or more important then the range facilities. Lots of league / competition/ organized shoots, comraderie and good times. Friday fish fries, car cruises, holiday kids parties, we even had an indoor slingshot league [drinking encouraged] that was very popular.

Skeet and trap / clays are great group social pastimes that club is the perfect venue for.

If all you want is to plink and rip mag dumps [which I also enjoy] then a berm in the woods is all you need.
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This was my experience in southern Indiana too.
 
Learn something new every day. I'm fortunate enough to live at my own range out here in BFE, and had never considered the aspects mentioned above. Thanks for explaining this more in depth. I guess my wonder was, were in person clubs still a thing or had everything gone to an online platform.
 
Ima member with @dmarbell at DCWC mainly for the skeet shooting. Hard to do that in the woods. Pre covid they had monthly dinners that were always very good and reasonably priced with no speeches or sales pitching. Just a BOG bsing and laughing . Best thing for me is they sell reloading supplies lower than anywhere I've seen. In December '20, I loaded up on primers and powder . The money saved easily covers my yearly dues.
Also a member at DPRC. Do my rifle and pistol shooting there. Mostly shoot at steel or reactive targets ( hate shooting paper). I go during the week and usually shoot by myself or with 1 or two trustworthy friends . Don't enjoy indoor ranges. The concussion ,air quality and paper targets as well as the unknown skills of the person 3 ft away make it difficult for me to relax.
 
Well I mean. I go shoot at mine. :eek: There's a clubhouse to hang out in before/after shooting, but it's nothing especially fancy. I shoot at DPRC. It's worth joining if you care to wait the time out to get in.
 
gc70 said:
Shooting guns is pretty popular at gun clubs. 🤣

The photo below is of the RCWA Club property.
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Slacker said:
From what I've seen it's mostly three 80 year old guys bitching when someone shoots an AR too fast, then trying not to have a heart attack racing to be the first one to the brass.

For this reason alone, I would buy TULA.
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These two posts caused a flashback. I happened to shoot at RWCA a few times over the past couple years and they gave the 80 year old guys golf carts and they roam about bitching over the precise angle of your steel and how many people can shoot at one time. Even after you humor them they hover about way too much.
 
COLTIMPALA said:
While watching King Of The Hill I found myself asking, were/are gun clubs a thing? Or was this before my time (earlier 30's)? Assuming these were a real thing, what did/do people do at a gun club? This may be a dumb question, but I was just curious.
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You're in your early 30's. I think I speak your lingo. Lemme give it a shot.

I got you fam.

There are two major types of gun clubs round these parts. Full disclosure: I belong to both types.

1. The big gun range with nice facilities. This one is often run by a bunch of relocated yankees who are at or near retirement age. They make everything 19 times harder than it has to be. They are constantly trying to figure out how to add more rules under the auspices of safety (such as no steel targets). If you want to get a new match approved just understand that you're going to be looking at a process that's at least 2 years long. Everyone complains about the leadership but the complainers are also either really busy or just lazy and never run for office. Therefore, nothing is ever going to change. However, they actually have matches you can attend and the facilities are nice enough for you to take new shooters. Some of the small ranges can be...rustic. It helps to have a club house with air conditioning and running water.

2. Then we have the second type of gun club, which is perhaps my favorite. It's the small club way out in the country. Might have 150-200 members, tops. You don't have anywhere near the amenities. But if you want to setup a wacky stage like Pat McNamara or something, go for it. Want to splatter a pumpkin all over the place with a shotgun? This is the place. So long as you clean up the large chunks. It won't have the amenities like the big club. It might only have some porta potties. But what it lacks in infrastructure it makes up for by you being able to more or less shoot without having to deal with other peope.

Downside: if you want to be part of this club you might have to actually do something. For example, I got voluntold to be the club secretary. You don't want that job. Trust me. You have to do the vast majority of the work. Especially when it is time to do renewals.

At the small club, we sit around and complain about gun control advocates, arthritis, and ammo prices. That sums up most of the meeting minutes right there. I've met some great folks at both clubs. In fact, the big club matches are where I've met some of the best people in my life. It's a mixed bag, but a large club will undoubtedly have some of "your people" in it. It'll also have some folks that are NOT your people. It just so happens that they also own firearms. That's about the extent of the commonality.

Belonging to multiple clubs is not a bad thing.
 
I'm mid thirty's and belong to a small club, 150 members, mostly older. Skeet range with 2 auto throwers, 200 yard rifle range and a pistol range with 2 plate racks, 2 swinging racks and 2 poppers. Nice club house with all gas appliances, outdoor grill and pig cooker. Big stocked fishing pond, very nice place. Other than the montly meetings (3 required per year) I usually have the place to myself. I've visited larger clubs with better ranges but prefer where I'm at.
 
I've been a member of the Durham Pistol and Rifle Club in Mebane since 2007. A "gun club" is just a private, members-only range. It cuts down on a lot of the rif-raff and jerks you might see at the public pay-by-the-hour ranges. In the case of my club, every member owns a small portion of stock in the club, and anyone caught damaging the club, its equipment, or breaking rules can be removed.

There are monthly meetings where members can speak up to insure the club is run the way the members want it to be, instead of being a for-profit venture that just lines one dude's pockets. Leadership is voted in, and voted out.

The club has meet and greets, BBQ lunches, and small informal trade meets now and then. The facility has a total of 10 ranges, that cover everything from archery, clays, to traditional pistol and rifle shooting, along with several tactical pits set up with steel targets. Targets are provided, but do clean up after yourself. No rules about shooting too fast. Just don't shoot the pistol targets with a rifle, no full-auto fire, or fire after dark. Other than that, clean up after yourself, and follow the Four Rules.

DPRC is a great club, and I don't think I'd be happy anywhere else. Last I checked, the waiting list to get in is about 5 years long.
 
"No rules about shooting too fast". Just don't shoot the pistol targets with a rifle, "no full-auto fire" Mmmm.. most IPSC matches have full auto pistols to hear them. Never liked the Fudd no automatic weapon rule there. Seen way more unsafe weapon handling at pistol matches than with class 3 weapons including matches. Gun envy.
 
john galt said:
"No rules about shooting too fast". Just don't shoot the pistol targets with a rifle, "no full-auto fire" Mmmm.. most IPSC matches have full auto pistols to hear them. Never liked the Fudd no automatic weapon rule there. Seen way more unsafe weapon handling at pistol matches than with class 3 weapons including matches. Gun envy.
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We only have certain ranges in which automatic weapons can be used, and the shooters must be a certain distance or less from the berm. The main problem with full auto is muzzle rise causing bullets to go over the berm. Being fairly close to a high berm reduces the chance of bullets escaping the property. We also do not like tracers at the club because they can start woods fires. Been there, done that on my own property.
 
Michigan, when the snow came, used to be a great place for Bullseye shooters. Four of us neighbors traveled once a week to various indoor clubs, some police operated, and had a great time trying to prove a High Standard could make you a better shot than a S&W 41, only to get skunked by some old coot with a Colt Officers Model Match.
Today, I shoot steel at Coleman’s Creek out to 1 mile. Truly a nice range, instruction if you want it, and very modern layout. Unfortunately, quality and convenience cost quite a bit. Of course, being able to shoot steel rifle and pistol, that is kept up and painted is a nice plus. Paper range to zero with is available.
Local, Carolina Guns puts on decent steel challenge matches, and the pistol ranges are great if you like to practice drawing from the holster, or use a chrono. Price is right, but it is a range, not a club. Unfortunately, the only time you get to shoot steel with a pistol is during a match. The rifle range is only 400 yards, and if you arrive after noon, gotta love the sun in your eyes.
 
Jmoser said:
In Michigan there is a great history of 'sportsman clubs' where clubhouse, bar, meeting room, and social events are [or were] as or more important then the range facilities. Lots of league / competition/ organized shoots, comraderie and good times. Friday fish fries, car cruises, holiday kids parties, we even had an indoor slingshot league [drinking encouraged] that was very popular.

Skeet and trap / clays are great group social pastimes that club is the perfect venue for.

If all you want is to plink and rip mag dumps [which I also enjoy] then a berm in the woods is all you need.
Click to expand...
Sounds like the clubs in Western PA when I lived there. Woodys is where I shoot now.
 
Murtaugh said:
These two posts caused a flashback. I happened to shoot at RWCA a few times over the past couple years and they gave the 80 year old guys golf carts and they roam about bitching over the precise angle of your steel and how many people can shoot at one time. Even after you humor them they hover about way too much.
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You must look suspicious! 🤣 I have never been approached by anyone in over a decade as a member.

Watch out of you're at RCWA if my granddaughter spies you; nobody's safe from her safety critiques. When she was 7 or 8 she called out the guy who ran the shotgun fields for looking down the barrel of a shotgun.
 
gc70 said:
You must look suspicious! 🤣 I have never been approached by anyone in over a decade as a member.

Watch out of you're at RCWA if my granddaughter spies you; nobody's safe from her safety critiques. When she was 7 or 8 she called out the guy who ran the shotgun fields for looking down the barrel of a shotgun.
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I can't argue with looking suspicious. I have been going there off and on for I think 30 years or so with some members and I'd say the safety brigade has gotten real active in the last 5. Definitely a newer thing.
 
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