Riverside in Hudson or Worcester Pistol?

[Cherokee_Outlaw]

Looking to join a club soon. I'm located about 1 mile from Worcester Pistol.. but my gf doesn't like the way it looks from the outside.. (Yes I know.. try living with her )

Anyway.. I've heard of a club in Hudson called Riverside... I've search a little but only came up with a thread about some fight..

Indoor range that is open fairly late is a big PLUS..

Has anyone been to both? Any clubs that I'm missing that is around the Worcester area?

Feelings on both would be great!

Thanks

 

[IPSC_DRL]

Good club.

I also live close to Worcester but I belong to Hopkinton Sportsmen's association. www.hsasports.com
The big plus is a six lane 50 foot indoor range with 24x7 card-key access. Also a large 100 yard rifle/pistol range. Stocked fishing pond and an active skeet/trap/sporting clays group. There is also a small but dedicated group of practical pistol shooters who practice there every Wednesday evening. (I'll be there right after work tonight)

We'll be running a membership drive at this weekend's gun show in Marlboro.

Stop on by.

Michael.

 

[jar]

In my limited experience with it WPRC is a great club. Good set of ranges (including 24/7 indoor) and great people. Jay and Turin and a few others run a great IDPA chapter there. I've been to one practice and one match so far, and they're on my calendar for the rest of the year.

I don't know much about shotgun sports at WPRC, but if you're a pistol/rifle shooter, I don't think you can beat it at 1 mile away. I'd be a member there if it wasn't 30 miles away.

 

[zenprop]

Hey, ipscdrl, I was looking into to joining Hopkinton Sportsmen, but when I saw that at the indoor and outdoor ranges you could only load 5 rounds at a time into your semi-auto handgun I decided not to pursue membership. Is that rule for real? It is the only reason I didn't join.

Oh, and do members need to make/strore/bring their own target holders?

 

[Cherokee_Outlaw]

Hey, ipscdrl, I was looking into to joining Hopkinton Sportsmen, but when I saw that at the indoor and outdoor ranges you could only load 5 rounds at a time into your semi-auto handgun I decided not to pursue membership. Is that rule for real? It is the only reason I didn't join.

I read that also and thought it was kind of strange...

 

[dwarven1]

Cherokee, I hope that you and your GF smoke. Because to get to the indoor range at Riverside, you must go through the bar (and stop to sign in, too). It's very smokey, and most of the time the bar manager doesn't bother to turn on the SmokEeters (filters). So figure about 3-4 minutes total going through the bar and signing in, and you will STINK like cigarette smoke.

If that's not a problem, then have fun. Indoor range is limited to 1000 FPS ammo or slower (so no magnum ammo), but jacketed is fine. 8 lanes or so, 50'. Also a 20 yard indoor archery range, and if no one else is in there, you can back up the wall and shoot at 30 yards.

Outdoor ranges are 25 yard, 50 yard, 100 yard. No combat range available, and you must put your targets at the backstop, not partway up (and that goes for the indoor range, too!). IF no one else is there, or the other shooters are willing to join you, you can go partway down range and shoot at shorter ranges on the 25 yard range.

 

[IPSC_DRL]

HSA range rules.

I read that also and thought it was kind of strange...

Well I guess I have to take some responsibility on that one.
Yes, it is the current rule, however we are in the process of updating the range rules and I have been asked to help.

I'll try and get them revised (to be more realistic) soon.

We need to be super careful because beyond our rifle range berm lies downtown Hopkinton, so a stray round could be disasterous.

 

[pdm]

Well I guess I have to take some responsibility on that one.
Yes, it is the current rule, however we are in the process of updating the range rules and I have been asked to help.

I'll try and get them revised (to be more realistic) soon.

We need to be super careful because beyond our rifle range berm lies downtown Hopkinton, so a stray round could be disasterous.

As evidenced by the other club in Hopkinton.

 

[Cherokee_Outlaw]

Cherokee, I hope that you and your GF smoke. Because to get to the indoor range at Riverside, you must go through the bar (and stop to sign in, too). It's very smokey, and most of the time the bar manager doesn't bother to turn on the SmokEeters (filters). So figure about 3-4 minutes total going through the bar and signing in, and you will STINK like cigarette smoke.

No we don't... Thanks for the heads up! I loved the public smoking policy that the state put into law a few years ago... the only thing about this state I like..

What is worse then smelling like a smoke stack is having your eyes burn for hours...

Thanks for the Info!

 

[dwarven1]

You may have a higher tolerance for smoke than I do, but if you just ring the buzzer for the clubhouse, you walk right into the bar... and you'll be able to decide for yourself.

 

[reks]

My understanding is that Riverside is more of less a shotgunners club.
WPR is a good club and given your location, I'd shoot there.
If WPR doesn't work, I'd try Harvard Sportsmans Club.

 

[Cherokee_Outlaw]

Went to the Worcester Pistol & Rifle orientation meeting tonight.. Packed house.. at least to me..

I have to say... Brian and John sold the club to me... Both seem like down to earth great guys that care a lot about the club and the sport..

Thanks everyone for the help!..

 

[Joe G]

Dunno why Riverside is getting such a bad rap here. Yes, the bar is a little smoky. They do have very nice shotgun fields, but there's a lot more to the club than that. They have a gallery pistol team in the Maspenock league that I shoot on. They're also involved in USRA postal matches. True, IDPA shooting has moved on to Harvard and Worcester, but you can still practice there by yourself. Most of the time when I go there I have a range to myself, so if I want to shoot IDPA style it's no problem to walk downrange and shoot against the berm.

Riverside has 3-D archery, a stocked fishing pond, and some very nice outdoor rifle/pistol ranges. I know they have a high-power rifle team that I always keep meaning to join, but I never seem to find the time for weekend matches.

All that said, if I lived 1 mi away from Worcester, I'd join there in a flash.

 

[Vintovka]

Dunno why Riverside is getting such a bad rap here

I agree... almost every reference to Riverside I've seen on these forums brings up some quibble about the sometimes-smoky bar. No mention of the friendly folks you're likely to run into in that bar, or the helpful members who are usually to be found at the ranges (even during these cold winter months). That means a lot more to me than a little second-hand smoke (especially considering how much gunsmoke I tend to inhale behind my rifle). I've come across plenty of loudmouthed jerks at some really nice ranges (even ones I really like, such as Harvard), but so far, not a one at Riverside. If that means something to you, then I highly recommend giving Riverside a try.

None of that is meant to dissuade anyone from Worcester, though. I've shot there once, and enjoyed their facilities. As I recall, their indoor range is about on par with Riverside's... both are quite nice.

Chris

 

[Cherokee_Outlaw]

I agree... almost every reference to Riverside I've seen on these forums brings up some quibble about the sometimes-smoky bar. No mention of the friendly folks you're likely to run into in that bar, or the helpful members who are usually to be found at the ranges (even during these cold winter months). That means a lot more to me than a little second-hand smoke (especially considering how much gunsmoke I tend to inhale behind my rifle). I've come across plenty of loudmouthed jerks at some really nice ranges (even ones I really like, such as Harvard), but so far, not a one at Riverside. If that means something to you, then I highly recommend giving Riverside a try.

None of that is meant to dissuade anyone from Worcester, though. I've shot there once, and enjoyed their facilities. As I recall, their indoor range is about on par with Riverside's... both are quite nice.

Chris

I'm very anti-smoke.. I just hate smoke field rooms.. if you smoke.. more power to you.. I'm not going to yell at you.. lol but if you and I are stuck in a car for an hour.. PUT THE CIG DOWN!

The club and the members that are on NES seem to be great people.. If Riverside had another way to hit the indoor range besides going inside.. I would have looked at it closer..