Renewed Gun Club

Dan Morris · #1 01-12-2017, 05:58 PM

Renewed gun club membership for another year. In this part of the country, at least available to us peones!
Dan

Adam Helmer · #2 01-13-2017, 01:35 PM

Dan,

I joined my nearby gun club in 1988, the day before I bought my farm. The club has six covered benches and berms at 25, 50, 100 and 200 yards. It cost $8 in 1988 and now $15 for a senior in 2017 for annual membership.

I do have 5 ranges here on my farm a mile from the club, but no roof over a bench. On mild rainy days, I shoot at the club testing loads or setting scopes.

Adam

FromBearCreek · #3 01-14-2017, 08:21 PM

Same here - although with my travel schedule, I don't get out there nearly as often as I would like.

Adam Helmer · #4 01-16-2017, 01:33 PM

Gun clubs have their place in the scheme of things regarding gun owners. I support my local club because they have a junior trap team, a women-on-target annual event introducing women to guns, hunter safety classes annually and annual deer rifle sight-in days.

Without our club, many folks could not have a shooting experience. I grew up in the 1950s when we roamed over farm fields with a .22 rifle and shot at pine cones, woodchucks, etc. Those farm fields are now suburban housing developments and "a man with a gun" roaming about will attract the SWAT Team.

Adam

Mad_Jack · #5 02-08-2018, 01:34 AM

This past August my son purchased an 81.5 Ac place in WV. I talked him into joining the local Sportsman's Assoc. $75 initiation fee and only $25 a year dues. He said he'd join 'cause I wanted to, but he thought we didn't need to because we can shoot and hunt on his place. Then I had to explain the sense of it. You don't need clubs just for a place to shoot. You don't. You need them to network. Meet the local folks. Have another place for your children to meet other kids, fish, shoot with different folks, fish and huntin' derby's etc, and just plane learn to socialize. You find out the info on game and fish. What they like to eat and hit on; where they're plentiful; best places for particular species etc. Local, community events happen and you can meet other locals who aren't club members. Lots more reason y'all can figure out.

Adam Helmer · #6 02-08-2018, 12:37 PM

Mad Jack,

I totally agree with you that the ideal gun club is a fine place to network. I have been a member of a dozen, or more, gun clubs and have seen the whole range of clubs from great to contentious.

My best club had 5 trap/skeet fields and many helpful members to coach and encourage new trap and skeet shooters. I broke several 25 STRAIGHTS at trap at that club.

At other clubs, the annual election of officers and board members was like Washington, D. C. today. It was the trap shooters against the rifle or handgun shooters, etc. At my current gun club, the trap shooters "Run" the club and have enacted many "Rules" for the rifle and pistol ranges that border on the absurd, but they "have the votes" at monthly club meetings.

Therefore, I have my own way to shoot and run my handgun classes on my 60 acres without "oversight" by club members who despise IDPA, Tactical Handgun courses, or "more than 3 shots in 15 seconds", or humanoid targets unless the "head" is torn off before shooting it. If you are in a good, or very good club, count your blessings. Politics always seems to drift into club business, IMHO.

Adam