To join a rod and gun club or not?

[Muthers]

Hey all,

I was thinking about joining a local rod and gun club...just wondering if it is really worth it though. They've got a rifle range, a bow range, and a 3d bow range. Other than being able to shoot more often, are there a lot of other benefits? Sounds like a good place to meet some like-minded people.

Muthers

[sweet old bill]

depends on the num,ber of members, activities, is the bow range have targets out all the time and or only when they are having a shoot, location of club, how much you think you will use. I have belongs to several in the area and some were great and others not so good. Also being now on a fixed income for me it is the cost, how far to travel to use the club, with gas nopw at almost a $4.oo gal...

what the name of the club ? In the central area I would recommend:

Gibertville rod and gun club

Whitney point sportmen club

Oxford rod and gun club

all have great archery course, good members and also have trap etc...

Bill

[Lawdwaz]

What could be the down side?

Shoot more, shoot more often. (an old tv quote)

It'll keep you from betting on the ponies AND keep you sober. Win, win............

Hell yes, join a club!

[growalot]

We've belonged to one for years...but rarely use it....the meetings we don't go to because everyone smokes and it is beyond disgusting...we always sell all the raffle tickets and such...never won anything our selves...just our luck....but they host tournaments so the range is tied up a lot with those...unless you can use it during the day...did use their walk in one year for our daughters first archery kill a 6pt we hung there for a few days...so it was worth it for that alone...

[mike rossi]

For the price of a membership you get parking; trash pick up, premeasured target ranges with a safe backstop, ussually a dry place to shoot from, shooting benches. Shotgunners instead of using a hand trap or hand thrower, can shoot an ever growing variety of clay sports like trap, international bunker trap, skeet, sporting clays, FISTCA, wobble trap, 5-stand, ect.... A lot of the clubs require a membership for the rifle/pistol,archery ranges, but allow "free lancing" pay as you go for the shotgun sports. Whether you join or freelance, you will benefit from shooting at a range.

[Lawdwaz]

We've belonged to one for years...but rarely use it....the meetings we don't go to because everyone smokes and it is beyond disgusting...we always sell all the raffle tickets and such...never won anything our selves...just our luck....but they host tournaments so the range is tied up a lot with those...unless you can use it during the day...did use their walk in one year for our daughters first archery kill a 6pt we hung there for a few days...so it was worth it for that alone...

Is the glass ever half full?

[SteveMcD]

Well.. as a past president/director of a couple of clubs, and current secretary for our County Federation of Fish & Game Clubs. Here's a question for you.... If you join a club, what are YOU willing to contribute?

Pay it forward... these clubs kept hunting, fishing and shooting sports alive. This is about making a contribution to the next generation coming up.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Well.. as a past president/director of a couple of clubs, and current secretary for our County Federation of Fish & Game Clubs. Here's a question for you.... If you join a club, what are YOU willing to contribute?

Pay it forward... these clubs kept hunting, fishing and shooting sports alive. This is about making a contribution to the next generation coming up.

Did I just hear JFK mumbling from the grave...lol

[Doc]

One thing I have noticed is that some of the rod and gun clubs can get very pricey (and I mean in a real big way). I have belonged to archery clubs that were real reasonable, and most operated on a shoestring, but facilties were adequate to host some great tournaments and maintain full participation in affiliated leagues. However, most of the overall rod and gun type of clubs seem to get a bit involved with heavy membership fees (I'm not sure why). At least that has been the experience locally.

Do you get your money's worth out of them? Depends on what money is worth to you .... lol. In my case I tend to watch the pennys a bit closer than most. That's a nice way of saying I'm cheap.

On the other hand, if you have no access to shooting facilities of your own, what choice do you have?

[growalot]

I would say yes ...considering I said it is worth it for the cooler alone....remember I have 73 acres and we built a shooting range ...back stop and all... on our place years ago...plus camp......point would be for little amount dues are...I think 20.00 each for us....even if you don't use it a lot or even rarely it's good to have in case

[mike rossi]

Is the glass ever half full?

Yeah really. Though I agree about the smoking, I just stay outside.

[sbuff]

Looks like your in the Albany area, pretty sure Clifton Park and the WVLTE rod and gun are now maxed out with 1600 plus member...Not sure about the other local clubs...

No downside for me to say.

Steve

[mike rossi]

Well.. as a past president/director of a couple of clubs, and current secretary for our County Federation of Fish & Game Clubs. Here's a question for you.... If you join a club, what are YOU willing to contribute?

Pay it forward... these clubs kept hunting, fishing and shooting sports alive. This is about making a contribution to the next generation coming up.

If someone wants to volunteer their time, in addition to paying dues or a daily fee, thats great, there might be more of that (and more recruitment) if some of the clubs where less stand-offish. Anyone who has enough conservation ethic to heed ethics rather than law; and use a range instead of poorer options, should be praised & encouraged.

[Doc]

Fees vary all over the place. We have one club that charges $35 for general membership plus $25 for range use total=$60

Another club has a one time "membership initiation fee" of $149. Plus a one time $12 certification fee. Subsequent years they charge $126 annually for general membership and $41 range fees. $167 total annual outlay. That's a pretty amazing amount to be paying just to blow up some ammo. I attended an NFAA archery competition there and had a good look around. It is a very deluxe operation!

So the point is that you will get different answers on whether these clubs are worth it or not depending on the club and what they charge and what your tolerance level for spending is.

[Fantail]

Alot of people looking at clubs initialy want a place to shoot - sight in. Others might not hunt but own 1500$ trap-skeet guns and enjoy clays. Same goes for Archery & pistol. It can get elaborate especialy if your club hosts sanctioned shoots and local law enforcement uses the facilities. One of our young shooters is getting club sponsored trip to the olympics, she is quite good.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I have seen clubs form 15 a year to much higher. I think Rochester Brooks is around $200 a year. usually the more facilities the higher the costs. look around and see what fits your needs. if you just want a rifle bench and that is it it may be cheaper....If you want full shotgun facilities, club house, pistol and gun bays it will usually run you more. throw in sporting clays fields and hunting property and it goes up higher. Look around.

I think it is worth it and I am enjoying getting to know some new folks.

[fasteddie]

Wuthers -- You have "Upstate" listed as your location ..... Are you in the Bronx ?

I belong to a club and get the Senior rate of $30 per year .

I work a part time job Installing / Removing real Estate signs and have access to discarded panels . So I repair or make target holders with the panels . I pick up discarded 2" X whatever lumber and rip it for the target uprights . The guys with the semi-rifles tear the heck out of the targets and lumber .

I use the rifle range to sight in and have used the 50 yard range for pistol and BP .

There is a Certification Class that must be attended and paid for . It covers Range Safety , etc .. The club in in the process of building another shooting house , making the range Key accessable , raising the height of the berms , having Tactical Shoots and a few other things .

The club has competative Trap shoots .

I volunteered to help with the 3-D archery set-up but that is up in the air . The club has had a 30 target 3-D shoot in the woods in the past but not enough help to keep it up .

The Ontario Rod & Gun Club is only a mile from my house . I walk over and put up new sign in sheets periodically .

Williamson has a much nicer range but costs more and would be a farther drive .

Clubs are safe places to shoot and certainly much safer that going out to a woods to sight in a rifle , etc .

[Muthers]

I was thinking about Green Island Rod and Gun Club...it is closest to my home I think it's $50 application fee and then $65/year. Doesn't seem sky high, although I should call them and find out when the ranges are open/closed. This club also has 155 acres of land which members can hunt, though I'm sure there's plenty of competition. Finally getting out for a tom tomorrow...bow or shotty hmmm.

Muthers

[jr.deerslayer]

Yup I've shot there I know a bunch of people that are members , pretty nice, a lot of members can get crowded. They have a bunch of league shoots , and a nice 3D course. Also have a nice pond. check out North Stag too.

[sits in trees]

its good to belong to a club...

[HectorBuckBuster]

I have seen a few clubs that pretty much are just a closed to the public bar, and with a private club the smoke in some of them if terrible.

[mike rossi]

I have seen a few clubs that pretty much are just a closed to the public bar, and with a private club the smoke in some of them if terrible.

Not terribly hard for a few like-minded people to start their own club and make their own policies. There may even be grants available. Just saying, Im not interested.

[Suilleabhain]

Really depends on what you want to put in and what you hope to get out. A lot of what was said here sounds more like shooting clubs than hunting/fishing clubs. Ours has a small house that is exclusively for members from the start of October thru the end of muzzleloader. Then it opens for members to use with their families outside of spring turkey. We shoot in the back of the house, own 160 acres and have access to another 100 of private land. We do two work weekends a year and everyone has to work two days of the four. Its a small, tight group that have for the most part been together since we were boys. There is the usual BS that you get anytime people share something but overall we get on good and have a lot of fun. Besides hunting, some of the guys fish together and we go to each others weddings and stuff. I'm glad to be in this one.

[fasteddie]

Funny you should mention that Sulleabhain . Our rod and gun club no longer stocks the pond and I doubt if there is anything other than turtles in the water .

[PWGUNNY]

I would join that club in a heartbeat if it were. Near me. On long island they are rare and expensive. I joined an archery club that was a real good deal but gun clubs aren't possible. It's great to meet other outdoorsman