Club Membership

[jcwit]

I am a member of 3 clubs and soon to be 4 clubs. One of the clubs I belong to I'm on the Board of Directors and have been for 10 years or more, this club I represent at our bi yearly meeting of our association. The association has a large range, covered 100 place, with control tower for the match leader, for both handgun and rifle out to 100 yds./100 meters, shotgun range, etc., etc.

But the membership of the assoc. range is only approx. 70 members with a few of those as non paying members being Honorary members. To me this seems to be way out of the ordinary as it seems to me our membership should be in the 100's.

For those of you who belong to a club range what is your membership numbers?

My meeting is tonight.

[dragonrider]

$100.00 yearly

I think our membership is right around 300

[mac60]

I'm a member of a club located in Pascagoula, Ms. - I seem to remember reading somewhere that membership was limited to 1,000. I would bet that number is exceeded by quite a few. Very often the range is jam packed. Yearly membership is $100.00 - if you participate in a "work day" you can save $30.00 making your membership dues $70.00 - not bad. All you shooters with a private range are fortunate.

[jcwit]

Membership as in number of members, not dollar amount to be a member.

[Walla2]

Just less than 1000 in a population area of 35,000

[rockrat]

We have about 300 members. Dues are $85/nra and $95/non-nra, with a $100 initiation fee. We came up with the initiation fee as we had alot of members that would wait until July to re-join, at a discounted rate, instead of paying in September. Finally put a stop to that. You don't pay by the first of October, your membership lapsed and you had to pay the initiation fee when you came in July to get a discounted rate. Cost them more to wait than they would have if paid on time. LOT of complaining, and we lost about 75 members at first, but for some reason, we didn't have as much trash shot up at the range and left in place. Have had many join, that we are past our earlier numbers and have voted in a limit of members. We feel we have the best range in the state.


We are in an area of about 20,000 ,but in a kind of depressed economy area too.

[therealhitman]

Our club is capped at 5,000 members. $170 a year. I bet less than 500 actually use the facility more than once a year.

[Freightman]

425 this is all that will be accepted $125 a year NRA required.100% NRA all matches are sanctioned we always have a waiting list.

[garym1a2]

I think mine is about 1200 members with $175/year. plus an extra 175 to join. NRA membership required.

[dragon813gt]

To many for almost all of them. It's starting to be a problem.

The one w/ the 300 yard range is is around 1,200. There really aren't any issues and it's rarely crowded. But a month before rifle season you will be waiting hours to get a seat at a bench. In comparison it takes less time at the public range.

The main range I belong to just went over 900 members. It was 350 when I joined in 2006. I used to be on the board but resigned three years ago due to the current president. Ranges are always crowded. Lots of trash left all over the place. Law enforcement has been called multiple times. Street signs shot up outside the gate. And the president won't do anything because it's all about revenue. No one wants to clean up the mess and bylaws were changed to make it hard for anyone to run against him. How that happened is a whole can of worms.

There is a population of around 500,000 that these ranges serve.

[Hamish]

The club was opened about 1960, so, much of our membership are the sons of the founders, and they would very much like it if it had been maintained at fifty members, but the total has been flawed and scratched up to 110 over the last twenty years. Seeing another member is a rarity. I've always been of the opinion we could up it to 300. NRA required.

[skeettx]

Amarillo Rifle and Pistol club limited to 375, NRA required, $100 per year, never crowded, good internet schedule of activities.
http://amarillorpc.com/

Texas Panhandle Pistol club limited to 1000, NRA required, $110 per year, indoor range 50', never crowded, good internet schedule of activities.
http://www.texaspanhandlepistolclub.com/

Amarillo Gun Club (shotgun) unlimited, $125 per year 17 trap fields, 5 skeet fields, never crowded, good internet schedule of activities.
http://amarillogunclub.org/index.htm

NOW the big question, JC, why are you trying to increase range membership? Need more money to run and repair the club?

[bdicki]

Around 400 I mostly shoot skeet, trap and 5 stand. The public skeet and trap days are Friday night, Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday. I have a key to the shotgun stuff so can shoot trap or skeet at anytime with voice activated. There is a rifle range with up to 200 yards and an indoor pistol range but I seldom use them. Yearly dues are $75.
The city I live in has a public range much closer to my house that isn't crowded until a couple of weeks before deer season cost is $5 a year but will increase to $10 next year.

[RayinNH]

We are in the 400 range paying members but when you add in family members (spouses and kids) it jumps to around a 1000 or so.

[quack1]

Membership is capped at 500, there is a waiting list to join. $30 a year with a first year initiation of $20. Area population is roughly 30,000-40,000. There is another public range in the area that is bigger. I'm retired and only shoot on weekdays, and am the only one shooting most of the time. Although, I'd guess the weekends and a few weeks prior to hunting season are busier.

[foesgth]

We have just over 85 acres and a 1500 member limit. It is busy on the weekends. We usually have several events every weekend. I sometimes get the place to myself during the week.

[jcwit]

NOW the big question, JC, why are you trying to increase range membership? Need more money to run and repair the club?

In answer to your question, it's my belief a range consisting of over 100 covered shooting positions for small bore and handgun and a 20/30 position covered highpower range should better serve the community with more active members which at present it is not.

This is the range in Northern Indiana that the NRA has held the National Small Bore Matches the last few years, both Std. and Metric.

Our biggest problem is with the requirements we put to the prospective member, one of the biggest is that we expect all members to be competitors, not just folks who wish to shoot. we also support a youth league, less than 10 kids, this is pitiful. The indoor range I'm a member of supports the youth also, we have somewhere around 800 kids involved every year.

If it wasn't for the monies received from the NRA I doubt we would be selfsupporting with just the fixed expenses.

So yes we need more members, and this issue is brought up every meeting, and then with nothing resolved or accomplished.

With all of the above said what we do need are members that do not trash or destroy the range or the equipment. The range at present is CLEAN, NO TRASH or papers blowing around. I guess we need responsible folks. We shall see how the meeting goes this evening. Gotta go!!!

[dragon813gt]

Competitors only is extremely limiting. Especially w/ that many shooting positions. If anything make it where a prospective member needs a sponsor. And make the initiation fee high. This weeds out the riff raff.

[sundog]

"And make the initiation fee high. This weeds out the riff raff."

It also weeds out the kind of members who will come out for a work day. The value of a membership would in some way reflect that member's 'share' of the total value of the business. Yes, a gun club, private, public, or otherwise is a business and needs to be operated as such.

[dragon813gt]

"And make the initiation fee high. This weeds out the riff raff."

It also weeds out the kind of members who will come out for a work day. The value of a membership would in some way reflect that member's 'share' of the total value of the business. Yes, a gun club, private, public, or otherwise is a business and needs to be operated as such.

No it doesn't. There are still plenty of volunteers at the higher end clubs I belong to. A lot of the members are the business owners. So they don't mind bringing their equipment to help w/ the work.

[captain-03]

Secretary of our Club ... 1,385 members ... Dues $150 for your initial membership and then $100 per year provided you do not let your membership lapse. We do not prorate dues and our membership year runs from Apr 1 through Mar 31 of each year. Will cost you $150 to join regardless of when in the year you join.

Like someone posted above, I would bet that no more than 500 of our members actually use the range more than several times a year. We have a good many members that just show up in Oct/Nov to sight in their hunting rifles.

Additionally, at one time we allowed the purchase of a Life Time Membership ..... cut that out several years back. Also, any honorary member must be voted on by the entire membership. This has cut down on the number of honorary members considerably.

[montana_charlie]

Our biggest problem is with the requirements we put to the prospective member, one of the biggest is that we expect all members to be competitors, not just folks who wish to shoot.
Ah! It's a club for 'special' people.
Apparently, there are only 70 of those in the area ...

[alg3205]

The shooting club I am in has a limit of 300 dues paying members, dues are $150 per year with $100 maintenance fee which can be covered by a work day. The membership requires a share of stock in the land holding corporation at $700.00 (150 acres of land). 5 pistol or rifles ranges, skeet and trap.

[Maven]

"For those of you who belong to a club range what is your membership numbers?"

We're limited to 115 members. However, many, i.e., 60 -65 of the 115 , are 65 yrs. of age or older and are absolved of work or dues requirements.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I'm a member of the Albany Rifle & Pistol Club in mid- Willamette Valley Oregon. They started way back around 1946, and you can get a pretty good idea of what it's like by visiting www.arpc.info (http://www.arpc.info) I joined in 2006 and the annual membership fee at that time was $70 and there were about 1,200 members. Now the annual fee is around $140 and the membership is about 1,600. There is an initiation fee, but I joined before they had it and I don't know what it is. That's probably on the website. As far as I know there is no membership limit, and the club has just gotten better and better in the 9 years I've been a member, with an increase in the length of the rifle range and the addition of more pistol bays. They have a pro shop that would be the envy of many gun shops, with lots of reloading components, factory ammo, and accessories for sale at competitive prices.
All in all, a great club.

[daniel lawecki]

Are annual membership dues are $60.00 per year we have 1,000 members. The same 30 - 40 members use the club somedays I'm the only member to use the club. We have log in sheets so I know its the least used club in southern Michigan.

[edler7]

The club I belonged to had a cap at 1000 members, with a waiting list of several hundred. It took 3-5 years to move through the waiting list.

[TXGunNut]

750 members. Two skeet fields, two trap fields, five stand, one rifle range 100/200 yards, two short pistol ranges, one a bit longer and a 50 yd rifle range. Matches every weekend, very well run and maintained. Probably less than 100 active members. Waiting list several years long, I bought mine from a friend's widow after he died.

[GSM]

Membership at the Club I belong to is a little over 800. Not nearly the number of firing points you have.

Something ain't right, jcwit. The 2 Obummer terms have swelled our membership numbers to the point that it's overloading our facilities - even after we upped the initiation fee to the point we thought it might cut down on the number of people wanting to join. It hasn't and we keep getting 4 to 12 new people wanting to join each month.

The required competitor status may be the issue. We have seen a participation decline in the organized competitions (most everything NRA) over the last 4+ years - everyone seems to want a black gun and to "do their own thing", right here, right now kind of attitude.


I wish you well. Even if you are getting a stipend for being on a Board of Directors, it's still yeoman's work. A surplus of critics and a deficit of contributors to the cause. That's how we lose a lot of our good BOD members.

[jcwit]

Membership at the Club I belong to is a little over 800. Not nearly the number of firing points you have.

Something ain't right, jcwit. The 2 Obummer terms have swelled our membership numbers to the point that it's overloading our facilities - even after we upped the initiation fee to the point we thought it might cut down on the number of people wanting to join. It hasn't and we keep getting 4 to 12 new people wanting to join each month.

The required competitor status may be the issue. We have seen a participation decline in the organized competitions (most everything NRA) over the last 4+ years - everyone seems to want a black gun and to "do their own thing", right here, right now kind of attitude.


I wish you well. Even if you are getting a stipend for being on a Board of Directors, it's still yeoman's work. A surplus of critics and a deficit of contributors to the cause. That's how we lose a lot of our good BOD members.

No stipends here, but I do spend a lot on gas going to and from meetings.

We have one member, "BOD member" who seems to believe that instruction will stop any and all accidents. I did bring up the fact about walking in the pasture to calm him down, and also informed him that we do not live in a perfect world. With that said safety should always be at the forefront.

I do believe folks are beginning to see the light tho.

Otherwise the meeting went very well. In fact super.

[2wheelDuke]

hrpclub.info

We're a 100% NRA club. I believe membership is capped at 350 members per the bylaws.

[Frank46]

My club has about 850 members with a waiting list. We decided to limit membership due to better control on what happens here. Used to cost $200 to join and $100 for each year after that. Now we will have a live on the property rangemaster due to some of the members shooting things they should not. Dues went up on the membership $250 to join and $150 after that. We will be paying off the load either this year or next. They have made this a real family oriented range and that is what the board wanted. Some member with their shoot everything attitude are no longer with us. New members have to get a background check to protect the range and people who shoot here. AKA felons cannot own or shoot firearms. Frank

[GSM]

jcwit:

Good to hear that you had a good meeting. Sometimes those are few and far between.

The stipend at our Club is that BOD members have their annual dues comp'ed. Even so, some years it is hard to get enough folks to fill the open slots on the Board. Years ago, some smarta*s figured out that the BOD members got about 5 cents an hour for the amount of time we put into keeping the Club going and open for the members (not including fuel or aggravation from some precious members). If you can find folks that understand that it's more important to have a place to shoot and teach the next generation, everyone will be better off.

Not sure what to tell you about the one board member. Might tell him that he cannot legislate or generate enough rules to make a perfect Club or world (Washington DC is the prime example of trying to legislate common sense / good manners).


Keep doing what you are doing as long as you believe in the group and what they stand for. It's not a burden as long as you believe YOU are doing something to keep the Constitution relevant for the next generation. Having a good place to shoot and being among good friends helps a lot.



Local Club "Chief Firearms Instructor" 1994 - 1996
Local Club "Money Changer" 1996 - Current

Not doing it for the glamour - just like to have a good place to shoot and enjoy myself and the company of good people around me.


Keep swimming upstream.

[triggerhappy243]

club I belong stands at 1400 members(approx). Has ranges for every shooting discipline. Inc. 1000yd. Rifle. $150.00 initiation/orientation and $100.00 annual dues.

[Ola]

Currently app. 1070 members. Initial payment 250 euros and 60 euros annually. No limit in membership (I have never heard that there was a limit on any shooting club in Finland).
We have f.e. black powder, IPSC, siluette (200 meter and 500 meter), moving target (moose, wild boar..), skeet and trap, compak sporting and sporting.

[Plate plinker]

I used to drive past the range every day,but never stopped by as it did not appear to offer what appeals to me. Unless you have made changes to the range. That range looks great if one likes static stand and shoot paper. I prefer to practice on steel and paper from the holster. Just saying what do you have to offer these days and are you advertising (flyer at local gun shops)?

Regards and best of luck.

[jcwit]

Work in progress at this point. We do offer cowboy shoots, supervised of course. Trying to get it more user friendly, which is a job in itself. Not sure I'll live long enough to soo the results of that happening! I'm serious in that statement.

[Hogtamer]

Wow, talk about a cultural divide....to most folks in this part of the world a range is a friend's field or your own, shooting into dead dirt bank or a live hog. :kidding::kidding::kidding: sorta

[RED333]

I was a member of a gun club at one time, lasted for 1 year.
Member was caped at 500 IIRC.
I only had the weekends to shoot, club has a very active IDPA group.
They hold matches every weekend, Sat and Sunday sometimes. Being a small range,
the matches were held in the berms of the rifle range, so no use for what I wanted to do.
So I had to take off work to use the range, dues were 70 dollars a year.
Missing a day of work once a month or so was not working out with the money involved.
I have built a range on my place, I can shoot out to 125 yards.
Saving money is a good thing.

[jcwit]

I was a member of a gun club at one time, lasted for 1 year.
Member was caped at 500 IIRC.
I only had the weekends to shoot, club has a very active IDPA group.
They hold matches every weekend, Sat and Sunday sometimes. Being a small range,
the matches were held in the berms of the rifle range, so no use for what I wanted to do.
So I had to take off work to use the range, dues were 70 dollars a year.
Missing a day of work once a month or so was not working out with the money involved.
I have built a range on my place, I can shoot out to 125 yards.
Saving money is a good thing.

But a total lack of comradery. Which in my case I enjoy. As far as just shooting, I likely to have the range to myself any day of the week except for weekends.

[bedbugbilly]

I don't belong to a gun club. We have a local club - about 350 or so members if I remember correctly. They are heavy in to IDPA but have shotgun, etc. I thought about joining. Looked in to it. The President is my neighbor. They have an ignition fee - not a problem for me. yearly membership fee - I think it's about $85 or so - not a problem. What is a problem is that for their events, they of course want members to help work it or do work at the range, etc. I don't have an issue with that as well but due to some health problems, I can't be on my feet for long periods of time. Due to that, I won't join as I don't feel that I can be a "contributing member" nor can I be there many weekends due to other commitments.

As far as a "competitors only" club . . . that alone is going to limit membership. Not everyone who shoots wants to be a "competitor". When I was younger . . yes. I shot BP and would shoot at Friendship and was also a N-SSA member. Personally, my eyesight is not the best and my "competition days" are over. But that doesn't mean I don't still like to shoot. And there are a lot of older folks (and younger) who just want to shoot and compete with themselves - not shoot in a competitive match. And . . . that will limit membership if it is a "competitors only" situation. I'm not saying it's right or wrong . just saying.

As far as the "riff faff" remarks . . . yes . . initiation fees, higher membership fees, etc. will keep the "riff faff" out. But it will also keep a lot of younger shooters away as they just don't have the money. They are raising families, have enough expenses just getting by, let alone paying for their "hobby" and keeping peace with the better half.

I've been on the boards of a number of organizations . . . and one of the things that makes an organization grow sis 'new blood" and "new ideas". Look at a number of organizations who are loosing members . . . I'll use the Masons as an example . . . my Lodge is small - we have about 50 members - the average age is 70 and many are now "Life Memberships" so they pay no dues but the Lodge still pays a yearly "per capita" fee for each member to the Grand Lodge. We do our best to bring in new members and new blood . . and when we do . . . they bring good ideas with them and are willing to work and help.

Far too often . . it falls on the same "workers" to run an organization as most of the members want to "enjoy" the organization, but they don't want to work. As a result . . things get stuck in a rut . . . and oftentimes, you have members who are too bull headed to accept change. There are other ways to look at things as well . . . your membership is "capped" because of your facilities . . . or . . . if your membership grew . . . you could expand your facilities to meet the need. That's something each club has to decide for themselves as every one is different.

While I would love to join our local club and support them . . .if I can't give 100% then there's no reason to join. If "money" is the problem . . . I'd be more than happy to pay the initiation fee and yearly fee (which would help them pay their bills) but have a "senior's membership" (not discounted) that would allow me to come use their range on off match times and contribute what I could, when I could time wise. "Competitors Only" . . no thanks. Elite Membership = Special People = Limited Membership so don't scratch your head when you can't pay the bills. IMHO

[MaryB]

Maybe 200 members at most and $32 a year dues. But we also let the local schools use the trap range for their teams and we have our own trap teams. Also some members are into cowboy shooting and they have special events a few times a summer. Far as I know we do not have any limits on number of members and weekday access I often have the range to myself. Weekends it is busy with people waiting to use the rifle lanes and the 50 and 100 yard ranges are filled with the shot gunners sighting in for deer season.

[TXGunNut]

My range seems to have a good mix of matches and open days. Action matches have a dedicated range and the rifle range is only tied up a couple of days a month with a benchrest match and lately a poker chip match. Two pistol bays and a 50 yd rifle range are almost always available when rifle range is tied up. Skeet, trap and five stand only have one shoot a month and that's generally over by noon so lots of opportunity for non comp shooters. Most of the work parties are done by retired or self-employed members during the week and I don't get invited. I try to help out when I can but you've got to be quick with this bunch, several others load traps and help score without being asked.

[375supermag]

Hi...

I have belonged to a local gun club for at least 30-35 years, maybe longer.
Initiation fee is $100 with $20 yearly dues. My son joined in his early teens as a junior member($5) and transitioned to a senior member a few years ago when he turned 18(the initiation fee is waived for transitioning members).

Membership for senior members is capped at 1200. Senior members transition to lifetime status at 65, IIRC.

Total membership, including senior, lifetime and junior members is now in excess of 1500. There are somewhere around a hundred prospective applicants on a waiting list, one of whom I am sponsoring. In all my years as a member, he is only the second person I have sponsored


Most weekends when I go to the range the shotgun range is wide open. Handgun range is limited to 25yds and is generally busy (we do allow the use of "hunting" handguns on the rifle range). Rifle range (200yds)is hit-or-miss...some weekends very busy, others no one around.

Public sight-in day is generally a nightmare. The club breaks out the running deer target...some amazing examples of "marksmanship" on display by once a year rifle shooters (all of whom are "experts" in their own minds, of course).

The club has several work days each year...my work schedule (6-7 days a week)doesn't allow me to help out. When I retire, in a year or so(I hope) I expect to spend a good bit of time mowing the grounds and doing light maintenance work at the gun club. I hate painting, so I will mostly be repairing target frames and cutting firewood for the wood stove.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I belong to 2 clubs

the first is outdoor only and has about 35 members and membership is capped at 50.

the second started as an indoor only 24 hour a day pistols and pistol caliber carbines only but this club just purchased an outdoor range and is currently working on a rifle range and has about 475 members.


we don't have to put in work hours but it reduces the membership cost last week I got in half my hours working the kitchen at the club gun show , spent a lot more time talking with people than it took to serve food talk 10 minutes serve food for 1 , sold more coffee and doughnuts than anything

speaking of membership I was just talking with the pastor and he was saying the new measure of how large is your congregation is not how many bottoms are in a pew from 9-10 am Sunday morning but how many volunteer to cook for meals , bring things to potlucks , help with work projects or participate in outreach ministries like the clothing closet or mobile homeless shelter.

I think gun clubs and work days or volunteer hours are similar , you know who is willing to do more than just show up just for them.
it is important to give credit , a co-worker showed up for a posted club work day as 2 are required at his club , they finished the project in just a couple of hours and the guy leading the work said it was to short to count he feels like it should have counted for something as it was posted that people were needed and they filled the need completing the project.
I am thankful that my club does it by the hour so it can be more easily counted , the person in-charge of the project marks the back of your card and signs it you turn in you membership card to get your discount.

[triggerhappy243]

Cheap membership has it's price. $30.00 per year does not buy alot of improvements.

[TXGunNut]

These "work day" posts make me appreciate my club. We have a couple of employees and I felt fortunate to be allowed to load the trap machines and pick up hulls this weekend. I always pick up any trash I see but haven't gotten invited to any work parties yet.

[fast ronnie]

Our range has a limit of voting members of around 1800. Our membership now stands at approximately 2500. The limit was put in place by vote 3 or 4 years ago. Now you can join as associate member and wait for an opening. (Don't let your membership lapse!!) Full members get a pretty healthy discount on range fees and associate members get approximately half that discount. Anything sold in the clubhouse is 15% off for voting members. I think the discount is 7.5% for associate members. (This includes powder, primers, bullets, etc) Non members are not allowed to shoot on some of the ranges without being a guest. Members are allowed to shoot any day of the week, but range is closed to non members two days a week. (I think it is Tues and Wed, not sure which). We have a 1000 yard, 600 yd steel sil, 200 yd bench rest, cowboy, idpa, 100 yd paper, 300 yd paper, 5 stand, and trap. Several of the ranges are rented by various groups, including law enforcement and appleseed programs on certain days. Voting memberships are $150 per year, seniors over 60 are $75. Credit is given for a certain number of hours volunteered per year to discount dues by $25 the following year. There are many different matches every month by different clubs. I feel we have one of the best ranges in California. It is a real pleasure to participate there!