Gun Clubs and Dues

[mpthole]

Gun Clubs and Dues

I'm interested in hearing about how your local gun club determines their yearly dues and membership requirements.

With my club this seems to be an annual topic of discussion. Some folks want to raise the dues and others want to keep them the same. Some members would like to push for mandatory "work days" for every club member so that the same 20 or 30 people don't always end up doing the majority of the work.

How does your club balance dues and membership requirements?

 

[Mikul]

We base it on need. Our dues didn't move for seven years when our expenses outpaced our income even with the same number of members, so we increased it by 30%. It's likely to sit there for another seven years.

The work party requirements were determined because maintaining the club became too much of a chore for the same 10 people. They needed more help, asked for it repeatedly, and it never came, so members are asked to perform some work at the club each year or pay an additional $25 when their renewal comes due.

Our main costs are INSURANCE and utilities.

 

[JonnyB]

Our local club:

Dues - $40

Requirements - $40 (the same forty dollars)

JB

 

[Mad Man]

The whole "work bond" requirement prevented me from joining any private club for several years.

It's hard enough to make time to drive out to any range (1 hour +) to actually shoot.

I'm not motivated enough to drive out that far to do labor with people I may not know (or even not like), when I have so many home improvement/repair projects tha need to be done.

Fortunately, I found a place that does not require a work bond, but does reduce membership dues for any volunteer work done.

The net result is the same, but the psychology of it is completely different. If I can help out, I can. But I don't worry about being obligated to.

I think the "work bond" requirement is something that may turn-off potential members (and therefore, potential new shooters) whose lives are busy enough with work/family/home etc.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

Forget the exact amount but the dues are a little over $100. I too barely have time to use the range but try whenever I can. I don't use the indoor range ever so it's a seasonal thing only.

If I don't have time to shoot, I've no time to work for free either.

 

[Smoke]

Local range (the only one) First time $50.00 annual
Renewal $35.00

No guns to rent. Nobody on duty. No work requirement. Rarely anyone there.

If the grass is too tall. Mow it yourself or don't complain. Something broke? Fix it.

Seems to work.

Smoke

 

[JohnBT]

One range I belong to charges $50 a year. This year for the first time they've instituted a reward program to encourage the volunteers to show up. For every hour of work you get a 'ticket' for the prize drawing at the end of the year. I don't remember the list of prizes, but they're pretty nice(but not as nice as the GlockTalk raffle prizes.)

The range I use the most charges $75 and they do all of the work.

John

 

[confinedbythecurtain]

Any gun clubs in the Los Angeles/Orange County area? It might save me some money.

 

[rick_reno]

Our range is city owned and fees are $20 a year and includes a year membership ($10) in the local sportsmans association. Non-member fees are $5 per shooter per visit. Shooters are supplied with a target, target stand, hearing and eye protection (if needed), a spotting scope and a bench and chair. The range area is covered. Here is a link to pictures and a description of our range.

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

The best range I've ever had the pleasure of using was the Stukenhoff public range in Casper Wyoming. As it was a city facility, all you paid was dues, city worker's maintained it. Dues covered costs as I understand it. At the time I left, gate privilege dues were $35.00 a year I think. That allowed you through the gate at any time. If you didn't want that, daily dues were under $5.00, pretty cheap.

The situation where I am now, Great Falls Montana, quite frankly drove me off. I quit paying dues, dues, & more dues. Dues to the facility, dues to the rifle club range, dues to the trap range, dues to the pistol range, other ranges = more dues. I'm building my own much further out of town on our own property.

900F

 

[gigmike]

My range, Tacoma Rifle and Revolver, charges $60 for annual dues and requires 8 hours of volunteered time per year. You can pay $80 additional and opt out of the 8 hours of work. This is a new policy and while there's been some griping the place looks great and everything functions. I'm not complaining.

 

[Highpower1]

Riverbend Gun Club in GA.

500 for new members (one time only)

200 a year after that.

Must have 2 members sign for you so that you can be voted on and join.

Bunch of grumpy men that are a pain in the rear that you have to deal with. I'm looking for a new club. They only cater to Sheet/Trap shooters, not real training there.

 

[George S.]

My range, Tacoma Rifle and Revolver, charges $60 for annual dues and requires 8 hours of volunteered time per year. You can pay $80 additional and opt out of the 8 hours of work. This is a new policy and while there's been some griping the place looks great and everything functions. I'm not complaining.

I'm also a member of TRRC and I don't mind the extra charge. Being retired, I can take some time to do some work around the ranges and what's neat about this new system is that it's a honor system. You really don't have to show up any any of the scheduled work parties.

There are sheets available with lists of things to do. Just do some work, fill out the new form for the work you did and how long it took you and submit it with your dues renewal.

 

[MikeK]

Range badge - $150 a year. Used to be $50 3 years ago and for many years before. They never made gradual increases and had to buy some real estate next door. They learned when someone put houses on the hill above the range and the complaints started coming in. $45 club membership (several clubs and you must join one.)

It is all outdoors - pistol, rifle (100 and 200 yard) and limited trap. Nice clubhouse(s) and grounds that have been fixed up recently. I need to get out there more often. I don't want to compute the average hourly cost.

 

[cerberus]

The cheapest

At our local indoor range the cheapest you can get off is $75 a year and $13 each time you shoot. If you pay $150 a year then there is no fee each time you shoot. I read where some ranges charge on a 30 Min. use rate so I guess I don't have such a bad deal.

 

[monsternav]

$125 a year, 2 members to sign, vote in etc... We do IDPA, 3-gun, BR50 (informal), skeet and High Power. No work requirement, when things need to be done the Club Officers ask for volunteers.

 

[BobCat]

$140 per year, up from $80 - two years ago. Of this, $35 goes into an escrow fund for eventual lead "remediation" at the facility we lease, and $25 goes for periodic lead cleanup.

We have two facilities, one leased from Corps of Engineers, one club owned, in different parts of town. Pistol (informal, Bullseye, and Silhouette) and smallbore rifle (informal and Silhouette) at the first facility - but no centerfire rifle. At the second, informal shotgun, pistol (3/7/15 yard, 25/50 yard, but no formal matches); rifle (100 yard, 200/300 yard, 600/1,000 yard) Highpower Matches but no Rifle Silhouette yet.

The club South of us has much more resonable dues, a full Highpower range (out to 600 yards), pistol and I think shotgun.

I'm afraid range fees / club dues in general are on their way up, owing to growing concerns about the eventual cleanup of lead in the berms. I hope I'm wrong.

Purrrs,
BobCat
http://www.bayourifles.org

 

[BobCat]

$140 per year, up from $80 - two years ago. Of this, $35 goes into an escrow fund for eventual lead "remediation" at the facility we lease, and $25 goes for periodic lead cleanup.

We have two facilities, one leased from Corps of Engineers, one club owned, in different parts of town. Pistol (informal, Bullseye, and Silhouette) and smallbore rifle (informal and Silhouette) at the first facility - but no centerfire rifle. At the second, informal shotgun, pistol (3/7/15 yard, 25/50 yard, but no formal matches); rifle (100 yard, 200/300 yard, 600/1,000 yard) Highpower Matches but no Rifle Silhouette yet.

We do ask new members to come to a work party day during their first year, and sort of expect old members to pitch in as well - but many do not.

The club South of us has much more resonable dues, a full Highpower range (out to 600 yards), pistol and I think shotgun.

I'm afraid range fees / club dues in general are on their way up, owing to growing concerns about the eventual cleanup of lead in the berms. I hope I'm wrong.

Purrrs,
BobCat
http://www.bayourifles.org

 

[md2lgyk]

My club's annual dues are $40, and haven't changed in a number of years. We also have an annual 4-hour work requirement, and requirements to compete in at least one scheduled match per year and attend at least one monthly meeting.

 

[md2lgyk]

My club's annual dues are $40, and haven't changed in a number of years. We also have an annual 4-hour work requirement, and requirements to compete in at least one scheduled match per year and attend at least one monthly meeting.

 

[Pappy John]

Harrisburg Hunters and Anglers.....$45/year. ~2000 members. Lots of facilities....Indoor to 25 yards, two rifle ranges for 50 and 100 yards, seperate black powder range, PPC range and bullseye range for pistols, archery, trap, and skeet.

Boone Run Sportsmen.....$125/year. 8 members. More of a hunting camp, but we have a 50 and 100 yard range with two covered benches.

 

[Eskimo Jim]

I looked at a number of clubs.

The clubs that turned me off typically had the following in common:
1) cost prohibitive dues $200 or more per year

2) Initiation fee -does it really cost so much to print up an application and "process" it?

3) excessive safety class -I required by the state to take a 8 hour or more safety course, why do I need another one? I'm bright enough to read the safety rules and sign an agreement to follow the safety rules

4) mandatory work days -I'm busy enough as it is without being REQUIRED to do more stuff

5) Probabtion period -What differenced would it make if someone had a gross lapse of judgement 4 months after joining a club or 4 years. Perhaps the best is to make them take a safety class (again) or then take disciplinary action

6) charged some outrageous fee for the rest of my family to shoot too. $100 for an indivudual and another $100 if my wife wants to come out with me occaisionally? Geesh

7) No guests -how else am I going to convince a non-gun owner to spend $$$ on a firearm, supplies and club membership if they don't get a chance to see if they like it? Shoot, at least let me bring a guest if a range officer is present or something.

8) Lack of facilities -I want to do pistol, rifle and archery at the same place. Maybe even do a little fishing or a nice walk in the woods.

The club that I ended up joining only lacks in the no guest policy. Other than that, I pay $50 a year for outdoor pistol and rifle ranges, indoor pistol, outdoor archery, trap, skeet, fishing pond, air rifle range. the only cost on top of the $50 is trap and skeet rounds and competition fees which are usually pretty cheap. If I want to get involved in the club, I'm welcome to do so but it isn't held against me if I choose not to.

Good luck.

-Jim

 

[BlkHawk73]

The range/club I used to belong to was, I believe, $50/yr for dues and a minimum amount of "volunteer time" was required. failure to give the time would bring your membership up for vote the following year rather than just renewing. That I didn't mind since it was only 20 minutes away andmost always quiet there. New rules and limitations put strangleholds on the range uses so most - ok, nearly all of my guns were useless there if shot with thier intended purpose. That and a few personal differences pushed me to join a different club.
No for $125/yr I drive 15 minutes and can shoot any legal firearm from 25 yrds out to 200yrds using 3 ranges as well as skeet/trap on another seperate range. More organzied and finacially stable. Much better facilities and fairly aggressive growth. Each committee of the club ahs members that do most of the work but they do ask for volunteers and somewhat expect everyone to help out at least for one event/work day each year.

So...

$125, 25yd handgun/.22, 50 yd handgun/.22, 100yd, 200yd, trap all just 15 minutes away.

 

[TallPine]

I dropped my range membership last year when we moved out of town and onto 40 acres - can now shoot right out behind the garage.

The last year (2002) the yearly dues at the range 1 mile our of town were still $25. No supervision, and a combination lock on the gate so you could go out there whenever you want.

The biggest trouble was finding someone to pay your dues to when the new year came. They griped that no one came to meetings, but often it would be moved or cancelled at the last minute.

One of the old guys was always bitching about having to replace target boards. He lived about 2 blocks from me, so I told him to come by when he wanted to do some work out there, and I would help him unless I was too busy with work. He never bothered to come by, and frankly I am glad not to hear his bitching anymore.

 

[RAY WOODROW 3RD]

New Jersey

Buckeye Gun Club...........

First and formost a shotgun/bow/black powder hunting club with a 100 yard range.

Requirements to join:

Current NJ hunting license
Current FID card
Represented by a member in good standing
Be present to be voted into membership
Work an 8 hour a year work party for fixing stuff

Dues: $250.00 a year (taxes suck)

Benefits:

Reservation of club for private use during certain times of the year
Large rancher style cabin w/too many conveniences to list
Shooting range open to members w/no nazi supervision
Bring who you like to shoot with at no extra charge

A great place to just get away from everything!

RW3



PS: Guys that don't want to do work weekends and such:

Somebody's got to do it and those 5 or 6 somebody's get tired of being the work force for the rest of the club. Especially since the "complainers" are usually the ones that don't show up and lend a hand. We have lives too.

(Sorry for the rant. The guys complaining about work requirements hit a REAL raw nerve with that one)