Would it be feasible to open a HR member's only range?

QUOTE;
It would get rid of the irresponsibile people shooting everything up and leaving the range like a junkyard.

Would It ?????????/

I don't know about High Road members, per se. (I mean, after all we do have almost 160,000 members, and less than 1/10th of those are active participants who you might consider "in good standing.")

But that is the idea behind the members-only club, of course. Everyone is known, everyone is accountable. Everyone wants to do more than the next guy to make and keep the place nice.

But, as a current or former member of several clubs, it doesn't usually work perfectly. Probably because of some social-sciencey group dynamic phenomenon anthropologists can explain -- after the group reaches a certain size the character of the whole starts to change. When there's 10 or even 20 of you, you get a very good idea of who's not keeping up their end of the deal, and you feel personally accountable to (and agreeable about) picking up whatever slack you see.

The private, members-only club I'm very active in has something like 1,000 families as members, for a membership of over 1,500 (BullfrogKen might be able to check my numbers there). I know most of what I consider the "core" membership, and that's under 50 people. We see range property shot to pieces. New signs get holes shot through them. "Long time" members show up who have no idea what the rules for a specific range are (even though they're posted on a sign next to the firing line). Trash barrels don't get emptied, unless we do it. And on and on.

The only way to change that is to figure out how to make individual shooters DIRECTLY accountable for their actions, and for putting in the work you want to see members volunteer to do. And, so far, the only thing anyone's come up with to try and do that is "big brother" stuff like cameras, key cards, and "report damage/abuses/violations" systems of tattling on each other.

I know lots of really awesome people here at THR, but I don't think using THR membership as a benchmark is going to ensure the kind of behavior any of us want to see at a range.

Sam1911 said:

I know lots of really awesome people here at THR, but I don't think using THR membership as a benchmark is going to ensure the kind of behavior any of us want to see at a range.

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I have to agree with Sam. I've seen too many posts here of folks suggesting illegal, unethical and/or inconsiderate actions to think that just because one is a member here, that I would want to hunt/shoot beside them. Much less socialize with them. That said, I also agree there are lots of awesome folks here that I would be proud to hunt/shoot bedside.

There are THR members from all over the world, which poses issues for making HR only ranges, as well as the fact that only a very small group of the gunning population belongs to this forum. Now if you guys could open a range in MD/NoVA which allows rentals by under 21's, I'd be grateful.

What are the chances that a non-HR member would find out there is a "HR shooting range" and just join up and make a couple posts so that they can go and shoot there?

I suppose you could hope that somebody would enlighten them and teach them safe habits, but as stated, not everyone on here is responsible.

You might as well just make a range and have super strict safety rules and enforce them. Mess up once(with no injuries or NDs involved), get a warning, second time, lose privileges for 3 months or something... mess up again and you're gone for life. If a ND or injury is involved, you're gone... no questions asked.

Cameras and checking in your driver's license or something similar would at least help to direct accountability and might be worth looking into.

I agree with the above posts. Way too many variables. And I have seen plenty of members on here who I don't think I'd want to be next to on the range. There are ways to weed out the people who you wouldn't want to become range members though. A 3 part test could be devised. Part 1, a series of multiple choice common sense safety questions. Part 2, a series of multiple choice situational questions (what would you do if....). Part 3, A short essay on what you like about shooting. You'd be surprised at what you can learn about someone by reading their thoughts in a short essay. After the moderators give them a passing grade on the test, they get to go to the range. At which point they get to shoot following the range rules. And they get watched their first time closely by range officials. After that they're in, and get their membership. I know, seems like a lot to go through, but seems like it would weed out the people who don't like rules, right?

How would this be paid for.....?

I belong to a 1000 member non-profit shooting club......do you have any idea how much work, time, money, and effort is involved? It's a $100,000 a year budget just to keep it going, property and buildings were paid for years ago.

shoot im on here almost every day. As previously mentioned you do see people come and go. So even if we have 160k in members the active amount is less. Same time it would be hard to pick a spot a range to shoot at where people could go. as we are all over the country and in some instances the world as we have a lot of people from other countries on here. I think online competitions is what we really need to get involved in.

THR monthly shoot out.

1. print out a target on standard 8 1/2 by 11. then go to your local range set it up at 2 given ranges for handguns iron sites and scopes. then 2 different ranges for iron sites rifle and 2 given for iron sites scope.

Next shoot 10 rounds only On your Honor

post pics of your results.

Moderators are the judges

I belong to a couple member-only clubs - it's wonderful to be a member, and I'm gracious to those who run the place, but there is no way I'd ever want to be part of the leadership or ownership of such an operation. The liability alone is enough to give me nightmares.

And as Sam1911 mentioned, just because it's a private club doesn't mean you don't have idiots trashing the place - we're constantly dealing with shot-up hangers and messes people leave behind.

If I had the land, I'd love to have my own range and I might consider sharing the expense of maintaining it with a small group of trusted friends... But I'd never open it up to general membership, certainly not based on participation of an internet forum.

No. Really? Are you kidding?

I don't care to belong to any club that would have me as a member.

I'm a club member at a local club with a nice range, clunhouse and all that goes with it. there are only 200 members. I'm surprised at how often the target frames have to be replaced because they get shot to pieces. These people can shoot better than that. The area for hanging a target is 4x8 feet...and they still shoot the frames. Really makes you wonder. Do they just not care? Do they think "as long as I don't have to repair it" ? Act like they have no sense. Its gotten so bad I've made my own just so I'll be able to hang a target and shoot.

Mark

Feasible to open the doors ? Sure.
Feasible to keep them open ? Harder.
Reason : Most of them already mentioned.

My reality : Not driving to PA for a range spot. Thats a toughy. I doubt you would drive to OR for the same reason.

Not going to drop this one, are you?

Okay then, assuming it was possible to get a HR only members range open, "somewhere in the middle of the lower 48."

WHY in the world would ANYONE who doesn't live within a couple hours of the place already go there? Besides your week or two long summer event (which is another logistical nightmare that could just as well be held at an established club, if you wanted to do one), what's the draw? Everyone already has local clubs they shoot at, and be they good, bad or otherwise, no one is going to pack up their gear and drive hundreds (if not thousands) of miles to shoot at a different range just because it's associated with an internet forum.

Sam1911 said:

I don't know about High Road members, per se. (I mean, after all we do have almost 160,000 members, and less than 1/10th of those are active participants who you might consider "in good standing.")

<snippage>

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I can't help but ask whether I might be in the 1/10 percentile. =o[

My gun club of 1500-2000 members does fairly well in considerate shooters and it offers nice prizes based upon hours of volunteer work, such as club shooting jackets.

One thing I would like though is a club with special interest groups, like in my case collectibles. For some reason the members don't seem to get excited about this. They are more into using the range, camp grounds and boat launch. I guess that's why they joined the club. I suppose it largely depends upon the quality of local shooters.

Respectfully, I think you're wasting your time. THR has (or had) regional get togethers from time to time. The moderators should be able to tell you how well they are attended which might give you an idea of how successful your concept might be. Are you willing to travel 500 miles for a get together? Most aren't.

THR Members only range?

You mean I would have to forfeit my anonymity? Ill pass.

Besides, I have THR. I dont need any real ranges.