Range Dues

[rtracy2001]

After moving into our new house, I bought a membership to the local shooting club/range. It cost $165 to become a member ($50 annual dues + $115 initiation fee) with an NRA discount. The club offers two 25 yard pistol range, a 75 yard multi-purpose range, 100 yard rimfire range (with reactive targets), 200 yard rifle range, and a 500/1000 yard range. For shotgun it has a combined trap/skeet range and they are trying to finish a 5 stand and a sporting clays course. Sounds awesome. . .

Some of the shotgun guys are working hard to turn it into a premier shotgun club. Prety much 100% of the dues have gone to expanding the shotgun venues at the expense of the rifle and pistol areas. The board (all shotgunners) have solicited donations (read sold advertising space) to help offset the costs of the expansion, but the club has still gone from having a surplus of funds to (usually) staying out of the red. At the last club meeting, The shotgun folks proposed doubling or trippling annual dues, scheduling more events, capping membership at 600, and closing the pistol ranges when the shotgun areas are in use.

If not for me speaking up, the board would have put it to a vote at the next board meeting. I said NO! Changes like this need to go before the larger membership. (We had 20 of 560 members). I want a place to shoot, not just a shotgun club/competition arena.

How much do you folks pay for range dues?

Am I out of line?

[xs11jack]

It sounds like to me they are using the same tactics that the liberals are using on the election. Their take over of the board and the sneaky vote play is just what the clintons would do. You should get hold of as many other members as you can and Take Your Club Back!!!
Ole Jack

[KYCaster]

Sounds to me like you need to get elected to the BOD. The only way to change the situation is to get pistol shooters on the board so the shotgunners don't have all the power.

Jerry

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I'm over in Oregon and belong to the Albany Rifle and Pistol Club. You can find out all about it at: www.arpc.info That having been said, for a new member there is an initiation fee of $100, plus annual dues of $145. They have a work program where any member that wants to participate can work off $75 of the annual dues for 12 hours of work. The work consists of range maintenance or working at the club's twice-a-year gun show put on at the local fairgrounds, one of the largest in the state. I've belonged to it for 10 years and it has been a work in progress the entire time, continuous improvements in the facilities and programs. There is an indoor small bore range, main rifle range, 12 pistol bays, trap range. The pistol and rifle ranges are enclosed on three sides. There is a nice classroom, and a Pro-Shop that is well stocked with reloading supplies, targets, etc. Membership is somewhere around or above 1,500 last time I checked.

Your post is interesting as concerns the shotgunners. I have seen that before in other clubs where they tend to have a disproportionate influence. I think that they are a more closely knit group than pistol and rifle shooters, because they often form leagues and are down at the range banging away every Tuesday and Thursday evening after work, whereas the rifle shooters just show up on the weekends once a month--a generalization, of course. Some of these fights become very protracted and result in life long bad feelings. I do not think that you're "out of line" by wanting an equal share of the facilities, but don't really have any advice to give you except to find others who feel like you do and band together to resist a takeover. Many clubs have split over such issues and new clubs formed as a result. I saw one split over archery once, where the shooters allowed the archers to come in, then the archers began to complain about the noise and how they needed more range time. Eventually the range became exclusively archery and the shooters moved on. Best wishes in solving your problem.

[lefty o]

my club is $50 , we have 2 trap ranges and one trap/5-stand combo, a 100yd rifle range and 25yd pistol range, and a walk thru 3-d archery course. the bow guys pretty much cover their own expenses, and are almost a seperate gorup. the bulk of the income at our club comes from the shotgunners, probably 95%, however many of us use the rifle and pistol ranges too. if one was to eliminate the rifle/pistol ranges, they would definatley hurt membership, even though some of the shotgun only guys never stfu about the rifle/pistol range.

[Hamish]

rtracy,

My dues are close to yours. I would very strongly suggest that the club bylaws need to be revised to prevent exactly the situation you described!

[Paper Puncher]

No your are definitely NOT out of line.


Our range dues are $100 a year. Last year we had an additional $25 special building fund/range improvement assessment. So $125. I have seen several clubs have "issues" when a board is dominated by one group. The funds and emphasis can shift to the point that some parts of the club may cease to exist.

I hear some guys at our club talking about the cost to shoot at commercial ranges and saying we should raise our dues to match. In my opinion this type of thinking is counter productive. Those usually in favor have above average incomes and can afford it. Some would be happy to turn the ranges into an exclusive club. I heard a couple guys at another club comparing their Golf club membership (with a locker room, shower and towels etc) to the shooting range saying they would be willing to pay $1000 to $1500 a year and not have to deal with work hours or any of the "petty BS".

As the cost of shooting increases it gets harder to bring young shooters into our sport. These younger people are our future. "Women on Target" that introduces women to the shooting sports and exposes them to various firearms help to garner pro gun votes.

Our club has a board member (chairman) for each area. Rifle, Pistol, Trap, Skeet, and Building and Grounds. This helps to ensures that each discipline has representation. It is not a guarantee that it won't happen but at least there is some representation.

Clubs are a group of people and as such are subject to all the "politics" of any group.

[Half Dog]

I have to pay $13.xx each trip to the range. They also have metal targets that you can pay $20 for 20 minutes to shoot at. I'm not sure about the shotgun areas.

[DerekP Houston]

I wish I could find a range for that price. The ranges I visit are 700 to join for the year, though they are indoor. I wouldn't feel bad sticking up for your practice, someone has to represent the pistol range!

[jmorris]

Shotgun only folks are on a different page it seems. I know of another range that went the same direction. They wanted your money not your suggestions, rifle and pistol folks could shoot when they were ready to go home.

[runfiverun]

it's 20.00 here and that is umm voluntary.
the members pitch in and take care of the range and target backers.
I have my own target stand on the pistol range and supply the wood backer for it.
but we also have a 300 yd rifle range, a 100yd 22 range, and a 200 meter silhouette range [that doesn't see much use] plus the pistol bay's.

the shotgun club is down in Pocatello and costs 30.00 a year.
if the Blackfoot range allows non members to come shoot trap or skeet [for a fee per round, ours is .50 per round higher] or holds ATA/clay's type shoots and draws shooters in it should actually make the club money.
a weekend shot gun shoot would draw in shooters from elsewhere and many of them will want to rent a trailer spot.

just going down to shoot trap on Sunday's usually burns up 8-16 $4.00 tickets [plus about $20.00 in gas] depending on who goes [it can be more]
many shooters just show up and buy shells and pay for a round or two of trap and call it a day.

[too many things]

I joined a club in KY was nice place had shotgun aabout 3 100yd and one 1000yd . was 35 the first yr 45 the next and 50 the next.
I went down the last time and was shooting pistol . got done and was going to change target . the range dude was there and I put pistol in holster and walked out to change the target. got back and he said he was going to wright a report that I carried the gun down range . he showed me a copy that I had never seen.
I said don't waste your time I will never be back. got my target with my gun and have never been back
made my own range and yes I do carry to target

[Murphy]

A gun range should be just that, a gun range with no specific one category being more valued than any of the others. Regardless of how much money any one specific category generates for the club.

I can see where there may be a slight issue if the range is limited in size, but it should be up to the club membership (not a board) to decide that all shooting disciplines be given equal time. I was a founding member of our local club 30+ years ago and watched it fall apart after 20 years.

Trust me, the last thing you want is no place to enjoy your firearms. I live in what many would call a rural area, but I live in town (the county seat). Once upon a time someone shooting out in the country away from town wasn't all the odd. Now, if it isn't your land you can bet on a visit from the sheriff's office. Not that folks just randomly went about and shot where they wished, but due to how society has changed (as in not getting permission from the land owner first).

I have reached the point that if I can purchase a few acres of land within 4-5 miles of town, I'm ready to invest in my own range. Long gone are the days I once grabbed as much ammunition as I wished and shot all day, any day of the week. Gone, are the days I can play with my long guns out to 275 yards. Gone are the days I can sit at a bench and work up loads, and test for accuracy or chronograph my hand loads.

If you are a member of a range, get involved and stay involved! Even if you only use it 2-3 times a year.

Murphy

[kmw1954]

Here in the quadrangle, Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Rockford, open land is becoming scarce as are outdoor ranges. The Shotgun clubs out number the rifle/pistol clubs 4 to 1. In this area I have only found 4 clubs/ranges that have outdoor rifle/pistol ranges. They all allow non-members access but it's not cheap in most cases either. One charges by the hr., same as an indoor range. One has 10yd and 25yd lanes but is pretty primitive and cramped. Another is more of a private club with limited memberships and from the email correspondence I've had with them they don't seem very friendly.

As the area becomes more urbanized I fear it's only going to get worse for outdoor ranges. I'm surprised that with the number of open pit gravel mines in the area that have played out someone hasn't taken advantage and turned one into an outdoor range.

[rtracy2001]

it's 20.00 here and that is umm voluntary.
the members pitch in and take care of the range and target backers.
I have my own target stand on the pistol range and supply the wood backer for it.
but we also have a 300 yd rifle range, a 100yd 22 range, and a 200 meter silhouette range [that doesn't see much use] plus the pistol bay's.

the shotgun club is down in Pocatello and costs 30.00 a year.
if the Blackfoot range allows non members to come shoot trap or skeet [for a fee per round, ours is .50 per round higher] or holds ATA/clay's type shoots and draws shooters in it should actually make the club money.
a weekend shot gun shoot would draw in shooters from elsewhere and many of them will want to rent a trailer spot.

just going down to shoot trap on Sunday's usually burns up 8-16 $4.00 tickets [plus about $20.00 in gas] depending on who goes [it can be more]
many shooters just show up and buy shells and pay for a round or two of trap and call it a day.

It is the Cedar Hills club in Blackfoot. We also volunteer time and materials to maintain the range.

From the meeting last night, the treasurer is incompetent and stubborn. He spent 15 minutes explaining the difference between "gross" and "net" and wasn't even close. When asked to see previous years bank statements his default reply is "We don't have those." After much prompting he finally got copies back to about 1985. He still can't seem to produce a decent balance sheet, doesn't know how to account for utilities in an expense report, and won't even consider using any type of computer program to assist in balancing the books. His idea of solvent is a positive balance in the club checking account.

The Shotgunners use the argument that they are the only ones who bring in any money other than dues because they sell targets in the form of rounds of trap or skeet. Unfortunately they also have disproportionately higher expenses. Those trap machines are very expensive to purchase and maintain. A round of 25 targets is $2 (8 cents/target), but I did the math last night from the expense report and the club pays 7.8 cents per target when we buy a full pallet, not counting taxes ($42.06) or shipping (not disclosed). Even if shipping is free we are operating at a loss!!!!! ($701/pallet + 42.06 =$743.06/3910 targets per pallet (assuming zero breakage) = 8.3 cents target) That is for the standard birds, rabbit targets cost more, but a round doesn't.

I am not eligible to serve on the board for another 11 months. I have a friend who is eligible and could probably get elected, but he also serves on the Blackfoot city council, so he has little free time. We plan on reaching out to some other folks to make a louder noise.

My friend and I are going to crash the board meeting in a couple of weeks. We will show up early with a load of firewood and get a nice fire going in the wood stove. We can't vote, but they can't throw us out either as board meetings must be open to all members. We will make ourselves heard.

[rtracy2001]

A gun range should be just that, a gun range with no specific one category being more valued than any of the others. Regardless of how much money any one specific category generates for the club.

I can see where there may be a slight issue if the range is limited in size, but it should be up to the club membership (not a board) to decide that all shooting disciplines be given equal time.

The board is made up of members nominated by the membership and elections are held once a year. One board member is elected club president. The president is the one point of contact for the admin stuff, but the board itself has the "power". Just like a city council and mayor. It should work if we get the right mix of people on the board. lots of folks don't show up for club meetings. The last meeting has about 15-20 people out or a membership over 500.

We are running out of usable space. The shotgunners did get dealt a piece of humble pie this fall when the neighboring landowner pointed out that the shotfall from their sporting clays course was over his property, not club property. He doesn't intend to press charges, but the sporting clays course is now a few stations short until some modifications are made.

[shoot-n-lead]

My dues are the same as yours and my club has spent more on shotgun lately. However, there are plenty of places for me to shoot what I want to shoot...so, they can spend the money on what they want to as long as they don't TAKE AWAY any of the already established pistol and rifle stations.

[Mk42gunner]

Sounds like someone that knows some basic math needs to be on the board to at the very least break even on clay pigeons. I haven't shot trap for a long time, but when I came home on leave I'd go with my buddy and it seems like the average cost was about nine cents a rock, more than twenty years ago.

One other little addition, I have never seen a whole box of clay pigeons launched with zero breaks.

Robert

[rtracy2001]

My dues are the same as yours and my club has spent more on shotgun lately. However, there are plenty of places for me to shoot what I want to shoot...so, they can spend the money on what they want to as long as they don't TAKE AWAY any of the already established pistol and rifle stations.

Before I joined, but there used to be four 25 yard pistol ranges. Two were taken over for the skeet tower.

[MaryB]

$35 a year, all outdoor with a nice pistol range, trap range that is all new, 50, 100,200, and 300 yard rifle ranges, and am archery range that is brand new.