Mass Rifle or Woburn Sportsmen’s

Thatguy66

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Well I just purchased my first rifle so Mass Firearm isn’t going to cut it anymore. Time to join up with a club. Based on my location I’ve narrowed it down to Mass Rifle Association and Woburn Sportsman’s Club. Mass rifle has a great deal of info on their website about their facilties but Woburn Sportsmens Club has much less. Any detail on what facilities Woburn has? Also, any input on which you favor as far as the facilities, community, rules? Any guidance is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
I'm a member of Mass Rifle and I'm pretty damn happy. They promote a culture of safety, and we all patrol each other. Several ranges so you can do literally everything. Open 24/7. Cheap admission price compared to other clubs. Fun events listed on the website calendar. Very convenient location (95/93 intersection).
 
I'm a member of Mass Rifle and I'm pretty damn happy. They promote a culture of safety, and we all patrol each other. Several ranges so you can do literally everything. Open 24/7. Cheap admission price compared to other clubs. Fun events listed on the website calendar. Very convenient location (95/93 intersection).
I'd love to join, just a short trip down 128.

What's with the restrictions on the numbers of rounds in the mags? if I have a 15 round mag, do I have to only load to 10? Can I load a 30 round mag when shooting a rifle?

Serious questions. I belong to another club that is handgun only. Would love to shoot everything i have...
 
I'm a member at Woburn Sportsmen's Association (in Bedford) and I enjoy it.
Indoor pistol/.22 rifle 50'
Outdoor pistol/.22 rifle (this is the weakest part of the club unfortunately)
Outdoor rifle 50, 100 and 200 yards- 10rnd max
Two trap fields (houses open certain hours- hand throw anytime)
Black Powder range
Archery Indoor (nice building)
Archer Outdoors

Could WSA be better, sure! I wish PCC was an option at Indoor/Outdoor Pistol!
But it meets my needs with IDPA matches and practices (good guys!)
 
I'm a member at Woburn Sportsmen's Association (in Bedford) and I enjoy it.
Indoor pistol/.22 rifle 50'
Outdoor pistol/.22 rifle (this is the weakest part of the club unfortunately)
Outdoor rifle 50, 100 and 200 yards- 10rnd max
Two trap fields (houses open certain hours- hand throw anytime)
Black Powder range
Archery Indoor (nice building)
Archer Outdoors

Could WSA be better, sure! I wish PCC was an option at Indoor/Outdoor Pistol!
But it meets my needs with IDPA matches and practices (good guys!)

Since there is just the one rifle range, how many bays are there? Does it get backed up often?
 
Also is there any input on how crowded either of these ranges typically gets on weekends/weekday evenings?
 
The rifle range is set up with 10 benches that can shot at each distance 50, 100 and 200. There are about 4 more that just have targets at 200 yards.

I always check the club calendar, there is a lot of activity, but not so much you can get in there on the weekend. CMP match might end around 2pm, and you can be the only one there after that.

This video is from 2012 but the basics are the same:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1GKmN10hyM


Since there is just the one rifle range, how many bays are there? Does it get backed up often?
Also is there any input on how crowded either of these ranges typically gets on weekends/weekday evenings?
 
The rifle range is set up with 10 benches that can shot at each distance 50, 100 and 200. There are about 4 more that just have targets at 200 yards.

I always check the club calendar, there is a lot of activity, but not so much you can get in there on the weekend. CMP match might end around 2pm, and you can be the only one there after that.

This video is from 2012 but the basics are the same:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1GKmN10hyM


Awesome! That video is exactly what I was looking for, thank you!

One last question, do you have any idea of their guest policy? I saw online that Mass rifle limits to bringing a guest 3 times a year which seems a little on the stricter side.
 
FYI, Mass Rifle has temporarily suspended taking in new applications. I am not sure if this is just due to Covid or not.
 
Well I just purchased my first rifle so Mass Firearm isn’t going to cut it anymore. Time to join up with a club. Based on my location I’ve narrowed it down to Mass Rifle Association and Woburn Sportsman’s Club. Mass rifle has a great deal of info on their website about their facilties but Woburn Sportsmens Club has much less. Any detail on what facilities Woburn has? Also, any input on which you favor as far as the facilities, community, rules? Any guidance is greatly appreciated. Thanks!


I am a member of both MRA & WSA, and I like both for different reasons.

MRA has an indoor range that’s open 24x7 and you can shoot almost anything.

WSA has a 50/100/200 yard rife range that is less restrictive in that you can load multiple rounds, and you can shoot prone, standing, or off a bench no matter what other shooters are doing. MRA’s 200 yard range has tubes to shoot through so to get the correct height and maintain safety everyone has to shoot from the same position.

MRA Has a 50Y outdoor rifle/pistol range

WSA has fantastic archery facilities.

MRA has 5stand every weekend (fun!) But you can’t shoot on your own, only when there’s organized shooting.

WSA has a great double trap field with organized shooting four times a week, and you can use your own hand of foot thrower any other time.

For rifle shooting I’d go with Woburn Sportsmen’s. The HighPower range is much more hospitable.
 
I am a member of both MRA & WSA, and I like both for different reasons.

MRA has an indoor range that’s open 24x7 and you can shoot almost anything.

WSA has a 50/100/200 yard rife range that is less restrictive in that you can load multiple rounds, and you can shoot prone, standing, or off a bench no matter what other shooters are doing. MRA’s 200 yard range has tubes to shoot through so to get the correct height and maintain safety everyone has to shoot from the same position.

MRA Has a 50Y outdoor rifle/pistol range

WSA has fantastic archery facilities.

MRA has 5stand every weekend (fun!) But you can’t shoot on your own, only when there’s organized shooting.

WSA has a great double trap field with organized shooting four times a week, and you can use your own hand of foot thrower any other time.

For rifle shooting I’d go with Woburn Sportsmen’s. The HighPower range is much more hospitable.

Thanks for the great info! I liked the idea of the indoor range which allowed rifle shooting, but goodness I just found a picture of those “tubes“ you shoot through on the 200yd range. That combined with the 1 round at a time loading on the 200 yard range now have me leaning toward WSA. Would also potentially be interested in getting into trap somewhere down the line.
 
Milktree just saved me a lot of typing and I echo his opinions. I am also a member of both.

Archery at WSA is excellent, both the range and the walking courses. I also like the indoor pistol at WSA as I can shoot shorter distances for IDPA practice drills. MRA's indoor range is great for pistol and rifle and I do tend to use the 200 yard range more at MRA than WSA. I go at off times and 99% of the time I am there alone.
 
Milktree just saved me a lot of typing and I echo his opinions. I am also a member of both.

Archery at WSA is excellent, both the range and the walking courses. I also like the indoor pistol at WSA as I can shoot shorter distances for IDPA practice drills. MRA's indoor range is great for pistol and rifle and I do tend to use the 200 yard range more at MRA than WSA. I go at off times and 99% of the time I am there alone.

Is there any specific reason you find yourself using the 200yd range more at MRA than WSA? From what I’ve been hearing, including Milktree’s comment above, it seems the 200yd range at MRA is significantly more restrictive.
 
I'm a member of WSA and really enjoy it. The PCC controversy was a downer, though. Every reason given for not allowing them could be logically refuted, but at the end of the day the BoD still said no.
 
Seems like it’s going to come down to deciding which is more important to me. A 24/7 indoor rifle range or being able to qualify to shoot 200yds immediately and not having to wait 6 months.

Wish I could just combine them into a super club.
 
The MRA has served me well for 10 years. I will probably look for an additional club to sign up for to quench my recent fix for steel plate and multiple target shooting, since the MRA doesnt have either.
 
The MRA has served me well for 10 years. I will probably look for an additional club to sign up for to quench my recent fix for steel plate and multiple target shooting, since the MRA doesnt have either.

Is it true they really make you wait 6 months before you can qualify for the 200 yard range? What’s their reasoning?
 
Is it true they really make you wait 6 months before you can qualify for the 200 yard range? What’s their reasoning?

I believe they make you wait 6 months for the 50, 100 and 200. And the 100 & 200 qual is separate from the 50. I think you need to qualify for the 50 first before being able to quality for 100&200.

Not sure of the reasoning. Maybe close proximity to others and the high member rate?
 
I believe they make you wait 6 months for the 50, 100 and 200. And the 100 & 200 qual is separate from the 50. I think you need to qualify for the 50 first before being able to quality for 100&200.

Not sure of the reasoning. Maybe close proximity to others and the high member rate?
The reasoning is that before they will turn you loose on the outside ranges, they want to make sure you are a safe, reasonable and responsible person. If someone gets a round out of either range, the consequences would be terrible. The three outdoor ranges would probably be shut down and quite possibly permanently. I don’t think that and the one round rule on the 100/200 are unreasonable. My $.002.
 
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