Gun club costs and usage

I've got 3 memberships in west central Indiana:
-- Gun club at $100 per year, no meeting and no work hour requirements, 9 a.m. to published sundown, 7 days a week but closed for very large matches (they rent it). Outdoor good sized rifle and pistol facilities. Fishing pond.
-- Second gun club at $65 per year, no meeting and no work hour requirements, 9 a.m. to published sundown, 7 days a week on modest outdoor pistol/rifle range and Wednesdays and weekends on a skeet/trap combo field. Fishing pond.
-- Indoor private range (quite modern and in nice shape), $250 per year, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, one hour lane time per visit (but not enforced if there's no one waiting). Three indoor ranges of about 8 lanes each, 2 at 25 yards and one at 50 yards.
Company's decent at all of 'em, although the experience level & safety can be a little sketchy at the pistol/rifle range at the middle one. (I vamoose if it's looking too weird for my tastes). Two are within 15 minutes of my home and the other's about a 35 minute drive. There's also a fourth reasonable option no farther, but with these three, I can generally find a place to shoot what I like on most given days.

Must be the proximity to Chicago that drives up the price. I'm down in LaSalle County. I've seen us referred to as a far southwest suburb on ABC 7, but we're well outside of what I would consider suburbs. Anyway, about a 40 minute drive southwest from here is the Midwest Gun Collector's Association range. $100 membership last I looked, and they have rifle, pistol, shotgun, and archery ranges. If I didn't have my in-laws place to shoot at, I'd pick up a membership in a heartbeat at that price. They're actually looking at putting in a 500 yard range in the future, just bought some farmland and are leasing it out to raise money for the work to make the range.

entropy said:

There are a couple nice ones in/near Bloomington; C.I. Shooting sports is $20 a day, as long as you want, all the guns you want. They rent guns, too. Darnall's is just west of Bloomington, has indoor/outdoor shooting, membership is $325 a year.

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As far as indoor ranges go, CI Shooting Sports is one of my favorites. I have friends from college that live in Lincoln and Pana (he actually works in e-commerce for Locked & Loaded) that I meet up with a couple times of year to shoot at CI. Its a good middle ground for all of us drive wise, and a really nice range.

My favorite part is that you pay for the day, not by the hour, and you can leave and come back the same day and not have to pay again. We usually shoot in the morning, take a long lunch, then come back for another hour or two to finish out the day.

The only thing I don't like is when shooting rifles you have to use their ammo. I understand why, but their ammo prices aren't cheap so I exclusively shoot handguns there.

I am a Land-Share owner in one shooting association and a Life member in another. I rarely utilize either of the previously mention two venues. I shoot on my own property, basically handguns and or .22-rimfire rifles. I only belong to the previously shooting associations, basically to show financial support. Its the same way with Life-Membership in the NRA.

The gun club I belong to is a very nice facility. We have steel hung out to approximately 650 yards, a shotgun shooting area with throwers, an indoor shooting range for the 4H and other junior shooters, an indoor 100 yard shooting tunnel for sighting in purposes and some action pistol shooting pits/berms. It cost $140 annually.

I love the club!

Maybe the higher the price, the more people are committed to safety at the club?

Plenty of people suspect that there is a correlation, in a general sense.

Here on the shores of Lake Michigan I am at $90/year , gate code , unlimited use , guests @ n/c. Pistol 10 , 25 , 50 yards. Rifle 50 , 100 , 190 yards.
Very high safety standards , lots of fun & challenging informal competition events , no crowd problems , 15 minute drive from home.
The forecast for tomorrow is dreary ; I'll probably have the place to myself.

Local club, where I was a member for about 20 yrs, is about 150 yearly.
Didn't care for the change in attitude. Was a conservation club, turned into more of a private clays place.

So use state range about an hr away.

Found a small town club, 25,50,75 and 100 yard. Decent, 45 mins the other direction.
60 bucks a year.
No range officer.
Seen some unsafe stuff.

Monday mornings I'm usually the only one there. Works for me!

I used to belong to a local club. $150.00 a year. The last 2 years the only time I went out was on the range cleanup day. I decided that 150.00 a year to go work and clean up someone else’s mess was not worth it. The 2 photos are the public range 12 miles from my home. Free to use, cleanup your own mess only and open 7 days a week during daylight hours. Target stands at 100, 200 and 235 yards to the berm.

Yikes! $600 a year!!!

I belong to 3 clubs, one is $15 annually, the second is $20 and the third is $30. The last one used to be $20 but they raised the dues $10 a year recently as members, including I, who turned out for a special meeting, voted to raise dues $10 annually to subsidize the purchase of a tract of land. Just that $10 increase caused many not to renew the following year. If the dues at any of my clubs were $600 annually, you could count the members on one hand.

My club, the Smithfield Sportsman Club, private membership limited to 300 members. Stocked Trout Pond, Archery, 25 to 100 yard ranges, covered shooting points, warming room attached, target shed, indoor 50’ 6 position gallery range, hand gun any caliber, rifles 22 caliber only. Indoor available 24/7 out door dawn to dusk, 10AM Sundays.
Large rustic lodge ample grounds available by membership approval to any member for functions.
Dues $225 a year. They were $40 when I joined 38 years ago.
Club is under utilized I shoot twice a week and most times my buddy and I are the only ones there.
Two year average waiting list.

That’s Rhode Island. For winter months it’s the Knights Trail range operated by Sarasota County Florida. 12 to 100 yard covered shooting ports. Tuesday thru Sunday. 9 to 5. $ 11.95 per visit or $197 for a 25 visit pass. Three RSO’s on duty. Nice facility. Same park has the Sarasota County Trap club and sporting clays. I don’t utilize so don’t have prices or times.

$80 a year.
Rifles to 500 yards.
You are given a key to the gate. Can shoot from daylight to dark, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Guest and family are free.

My club just finished a two year old, outdoor NRA and insurance co. designed 100 yard
rifle- pistol range,6 rifle lanes, 6 pistol lanes. Membership is 25 bucks a year, plus 5 dollars for each two hour session or unlimited if no one is waiting in line. Range officers must be on duty. hdbiker

mlankton said:

ouch. My private club is a beautiful outdoor range with traps, covered rifle stations from 200 to 800 yds with steels in place at each, a covered 100 yd sighting range, and a huge covered 50 yd pistol range, nestled between a dairy farm and a lake. Best place I've ever shot. $45/year. $600 sounds insane.

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You just described Heaven.....just saying

I am frequently reminded by posts like these how lucky I am to belong to a great outdoor range for $60 per year. We have a key card to get thru the gate and have numerous pistol ranges and two major rifle ranges that allow shooting 50, 100,200,300,500 and 600 yds. We have a shotgun range that allows members to bring their own throwing device. Have plans to build more rifle ranges and better access to the 500-600yd ranges. Most important is how well and safely managed it is. I've made lots of friends and the range has been a life saver thru the China plague.

I posted a bit about this earlier and I am not trying to rationalize this or justify it but here is some perspective about the $600/yr I pay since me and the OP seem to be major outliers.

There is a shotgun range 10 mins from me that is more like a country club than a gun club. Lots of guys are members there and never shoot. Just enjoy the status I guess. It is shotgun only and holds national skeet and SC tournaments every year. I really don’t know what dues are but have heard $1000 a year and several thousand initiation fee. Invite only. One of “those” places.

There is a crap hole that none the less gets the job done north an hour that is $300/yr.

State Game Area public range that is free but has weird hours, overzealous ROs (for good reason), and many yahoos.

Then there is mine for $600. Last year they raised the dues from $500 to $600 and nobody batted an eye. IOW, the dues went up by more than what most here are paying for their range and nearly everyone paid up. There are just not that many good options around here.

I don’t live in a high cost area like Chicago but we are very gun club poor. No competition and I think there are ordinances preventing shooting ranges from operating unless certain requirements are met. (Money of some sort).

Like also said though, I am going to be buying some land so I will no longer need a club. I guess that tells you the state of my finances to be able to afford this stuff. Well, I’m not rich but things like hunting and shooting rank high on my list of priorities so I plan my finances accordingly.

$25 A year for anyone in my house hold.

Outdoor range with covered heated benches.
Several different types of ranges for different events.

Nice discount for us older folks.

I would do it.

Geography plays a very large part in cost. Growing up in Pennsylvania my 200 yard rifle and 30 yard pistol outdoor was 45 a year. Moving to Charlotte nc i had to get over the initial shock.

During normal times the wife and I pay 50 per month. It's an indoor, very clean, great ventilation, 25 yard max. Lots of lanes and a member get priority over noon member. Normal rates 20 per hour per person or slightly discounted if you share a lane. We don't as she has her guns and I have mine, each own lane.

Took this year off due to some high risk health issues and the pandemic. Will be back in the summer.

Tough to ask what others would pay when they have other considerably cheaper options.

Ignition Override said:

Maybe the higher the price, the more people are committed to safety at the club?

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There is some merit here. I have seen many unsafe practices at public indoor/outdoor ranges. Folks shooting at ceiling beams with shotguns and such. At private ranges, I usually see less.

Robert said:

$600!!!! Holy cow. My private range is $100 for the year. I haven't been to the range this year due to work and family obligations. Not to say I haven't been shoot, just not at my range. That being said, I'll pay, even if I don't use it, because going back on the wait list is not a good option. It's a 3-5 year wait at this point. But at $600, no, I'd pass. That's a good chunk of money. At least for me.

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Consider yourself lucky. In the past 3 years, I've watched my private club go from $120/yr per family, to 200/yr per individual member + an additional daily fee, to now $360/yr per family. They've capped the membership number at 3k, and there are still a few hundred spots left. (Which tells me the price may be a tad too high, but morons like me pay it.) The only thing it has over the local public range ($90/yr or $11/day) is the 300 yrd range and the USPSA league.

I pay $250 per year as a membership to a fine shooting club about 12 minutes drive from my home - that price is extremely fair to me to exercise my hobby, relax, jawbone occasionally, have peace of mind and retain my sanity. I love to shoot, it is very relaxing for me; so a club that nice and that close is a gift - I am very fortunate.
If I lived in a higher COL area such as Chicago, $600 per year would be worth it to me. I do not equate money to peace of mind, peace of mind is priceless on this otherwise difficult planet.

Thanks for reminding me.
My $200 dues is due this month.
Though I wonder when the next time I will be going. Supporting the club is mandatory for me.

I belong to 7 private clubs and the prices are all over the place. I was on the waiting list to get into my home range, which is 5.7 miles from my house. The initial cost was $300 which included an assessment for some construction required by local code, but has remained at $150.00 a year ever since. We have indoor and outdoor pistol ranges including longer Free Pistol, rifle ranges with and without benches, trap, skeet, bunker trap, wobble trap, 5 stand, sporting clays and archery. Over the years we have expanded the number of members allowed, but have not increased the use level. For this area, at that price, we have many members who have moved out of the area continue to pay their dues even if they never use the club, just so they can if and when they are back in the area.

The next closest club only has indoor pistol and 100 yard outdoor rifle and is 16 miles away, but has an active Bullseye league. It is $250.00 initiation and $100 a year. 30 miles out is a really great club. $2,500 to join, $1,400 a year, but you can work off about half of that if you choose to. Has everything my home club have expect more fields and fancier sporting clays, but no bunker trap. There is a lake for fishing, a restaurant and bar for members as well as rooms for members and guests. It was built the Woolworth Family Hunting Compound. On average there is a 9 year wait to get in.

As a senior, the club I belong to in New Jersey is $144.00 per year and includes pistol, centerfire rifle and rim fire ranges, with 25 benches on the 100 yard rifle range and 10 on the 200/300 yard. There is a place to pattern your shotgun, but no shotgun sports.

I belong to a limited access (Open some days to the public and others to members only) club in downstate New York with 100 yard indoor high power rifle. its only $100 a year and a great way to work up bench rest loads in a no wind environment.

Two clubs in PA. Both 1,000 yard and one is 250 miles from home and one 300. $60 for annual membership at each.

I am on the waiting list for one more in Orange County New York.

When I add these all up, maybe I should buy land and build my own! Nope. still overall a bargain.

Bob

Steve S. said:

If I lived in a higher COL area such as Chicago, $600 per year would be worth it to me. I do not equate money to peace of mind, peace of mind is priceless on this otherwise difficult planet.

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My thoughts exactly. I am fortunate that my club is only $200 lifetime but if I had to pay $600 per year to shoot, I would.

Thirty five dollars first year, thirty dollars every year after. Ninety dollars all around for myself, the missus and the stepson.

Thirty yard pistol, one fifty yard, two one hundred. One trap area. Various bow ranges. Nice creek and a pond that gets stocked for the children's fishing contests. Nice bar in the clubhouse.