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safe public range recommendations in MA?

Sparkey said:

Hamilton Rod and Gun Club - Membership

hamiltonrg.org
I believe you have to work 10 hours your first year or you can opt out and pay $100
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OP- Hamilton should be the one your looking at.

Ten hours is a joke. I do ten hours at my club the first month. Its not all physical labor either.......there's always lots of clerical work.

This month teaching Youth Pheasant shooting will get at least 20 hours.
 
G4Y4HK said:
Where are the public ranges you would recommend in MA? The sportsmen clubs around me are all "full" so wait-list only. Is Mass Firearms in Holliston still a decent place to go shoot for someone who's not affiliated with any club? Went there around ten years ago or right around the time they were building those extra lanes in the back and got sick of getting muzzle swept by n00b girls with loaded pistols with their bfs thinking range time was a fun date idea.
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47A4CF29-C2F8-4A85-8387-AFAA46F6FB4E.jpeg
 
fencer said:
I would think Mansfield would be a very good choice. If LenS likes it, it has to be good!
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Thanks.

Mansfield is great because the leadership is extremely focused on members having a good time while remaining safe! No excessive rules. Very focused on training, youth activities, friendly membership (lots of women, juniors, etc.) and adult shooting activities (pistol league, action shooting, cowboy action shooting, appleseed, etc.). What it lacks is shotgun sports . . . no skeet/trap/etc.
 
whacko said:
Just join a club. Leave the rental ranges for the mall ninjas and their little hooker girlfriends. 😂
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Buck F said:
An annual membership at AFS is $225, unlimited range time, discount in the pro shop, etc. A corporate membership is $275 and you can have all of your employees shoot on that membership. At one point there were three of us in the office who shot there, two of us regularly. I brought a few of my company reps there to shoot. Tuesday is Ladies Night so ladies shoot free after 5pm (you’d be surprised how many take advantage of it). The only people who pay the $20 range fee are noobs or casual shooters who only go a couple times per year. It can get packed on weekend mornings w/ the RI ghetto riffraff & bachelor parties but they do teach a good licensing class and also have a reasonable intro to shoot for like $50.
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RI ghetto riff raff….nailed it!
 
Buck F said:
An annual membership at AFS is $225, unlimited range time, discount in the pro shop, etc. A corporate membership is $275 and you can have all of your employees shoot on that membership. At one point there were three of us in the office who shot there, two of us regularly. I brought a few of my company reps there to shoot. Tuesday is Ladies Night so ladies shoot free after 5pm (you’d be surprised how many take advantage of it). The only people who pay the $20 range fee are noobs or casual shooters who only go a couple times per year. It can get packed on weekend mornings w/ the RI ghetto riffraff & bachelor parties but they do teach a good licensing class and also have a reasonable intro to shoot for like $50.
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AFS also has a really nice lounge and probably the nicest indoor range in the area. I used to go there a lot about 10 years ago.

But you are right about the RI crowd. My habit was to pull in the parking lot and look for RI plates. If it was packed with Rhodies, I would have lunch first.
I was muzzle swept twice there and both times it was by someone from RI. One idiot walked up behind me in my lane to ask for help with his FTE, finger on the trigger, muzzle pointed directly at me.
Better to wait for Tony and Vinny to go back to East Providence.
 
Mansfield F&G is $125.00/yr (plus $125.00 new member assessment). No work party requirements. Only must attend 1 meeting (with sponsor) or 2 meetings (no sponsor - BOD sponsors you) and one range rules orientation. You never have to show up for anything ever again.

ETA: Mansfield Fish and Game - Mansfield Fish and Game
 
drgrant said:
And yes, rural folks don't bother with clubs. ... They find out where to shoot from locals or friendly bob at the shoebox LGS, or just go into the middle of nowhere and start shooting into the side of a hill. Or their backyard.
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[thumbsup]

First time The Bride and I shot firearms
was when my father took us for a modest target shooting session
with the wheelguns he'd recently gotten.

Did we go to the county's gun club with trout pond and rustic clubhouse,
who raise money with canoe raffles at the county fair?
Hell no, not a joiner.

We went to the shale pit down the hill from his late ~4th cousin's dairy farm.
And by "~4th cousin", I mean someone no more closely related than
a common great great great grandfather.

Both his cars had 1940's county-specific license plate prefixes issued as pseudo-vanity plates,
to locality-signal to farmers and other important people.

If anyone wondered at the gunfire,
they only had to see the rear of the Bronco,
and they knew it was all good.
 
If you're truly GAY4HK you should hook up with The Pink Pistols.

They have a brunch on Saturdays (in Somerville or Cambridge, I think) and then come out to Harvard to shoot for free once a month.
 
Warm_Garand said:
If you're truly GAY4HK you should hook up with The Pink Pistols.

They have a brunch on Saturdays (in Somerville or Cambridge, I think) and then come out to Harvard to shoot for free once a month.
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Do they have any MP5s I can squeeze like the vegas range has
 
You could always just aim towards the North star…. But since you’re on NES I think the moon would be a better target…
 
Anyone been to Fat Cats in B-water???? When it was the other place, it was pretty nice. Memberships so you could go any time. Then the couple broke up (he was banging the hot B-water student that worked nights) and Fat Cat bought it. Not sure if it's worth it at all.

I was there right after he moved. "Yeah, I'm getting everything settled before I open the range." You don't want revenue?? I'll remember that when I teach a business class some day. "No memberships, though. I don't need people camping here every day all day." What planet was he on??? I tried to explain that I was a frequent attender back in the day and I never saw anyone who hung around for "hours." (WTF sits in a range for hours with eyes and ears on???)

I checked. $18/hr for range time. Seems a bit steep. Maybe not. MFS is $20/mo. So if you go more than once. . . .

I made the fatal mistake of joining MFS 20 yrs, 2 months ago. I used it a few times that summer. Then 9/11 hit. And the place got UBER crowded UBER fast.

Worst was the (pre-9/11) where this tattooed nightmare and his equally nightmarish GF decide to let off a Ruger 44mag in there. Full power loads. C'mon, dude. I had my wife in there trying to shoot. Don't be an ass.

I tend to go to ranges at what should be quiet hours. And usually outdoors anyhow.
 
EJFudd said:
While I greatly prefer shooting outdoors, I still consider MFS a decent indoor place to shoot. AFS is similar and (I believe) a little cheaper if you are paying by the hour. It's the "luck of the draw" who you're going to be shooting next to. [thinking]

It's the 12-gauge shotguns right next to me that drive me crazy at MFS. I seem to draw them like flies to shit, often on both sides of me. I swear that the MFS staff gets a kick out of doing that to me. [banghead]

But such are the limitations of an indoor commercial range. It is what it is. Clubs have their downsides too... like the wait lists you mentioned, big initiation fees, untimely range closures for this or that and work requirements that are a 'no-go' for a dilapidated old fool like me.
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so, i`ve had it with MFS finally.
went to zero the ruger there today, and 2 lanes to my right a guy is smacking his target, shoots fine, but he had found a sweet spot through the holes in the backstop rubber and i just hear how with every new shot the metal gong gets louder and louder, until it got full volume just like when you smack at steel plates. it is even visible - a hole in rubber where shots go through, and i think i saw some ricochet coming out. tried talking to him - a jerk would not even listen, pretends not to hear and then shouts 'go away'. damn.

and continued to smack it right into the bare metal there. i just left. whatever. :(
 
jek said:
We've picked up quite a few former members of MFS at the Hopedale Pistol and Rifle Club in the last year or so because they weren't happy with MFS.
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Yep. I am one of them.

I went last week after work with one of the guys that works for me. He is 21 and just got his LTC and had not had a chance to shoot his new carry gun yet. I really enjoyed giving him a few pointers and teaching him about range safety, and etiquette. Total newbie. By the time we left, he was doing really well and totally mastered reloading while keeping the muzzle pointed down range, trigger discipline, how not to muzzle sweep, grip, stance, trigger press, sight picture etc.
I truly enjoyed getting him on the path and provided the ammo and let him shoot my Shadow 2

And the best part was that we had the whole range to ourselves the entire time. Pretty cool.
 
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The last time I was on MFS range some punk idiot “jokingly” pointed a rifle at a girl with him. I told him to stop and informed the MFS staff. The fact that he wasn’t immediately and permanently booted was enough for me to never set foot in there again.
 
92G said:
The last time I was on MFS range some punk idiot “jokingly” pointed a rifle at a girl with him. I told him to stop and informed the MFS staff. The fact that he wasn’t immediately and permanently booted was enough for me to never set foot in there again.
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I always hate myself for poking my nose into other’s people business, but a ricochet coming out, well, getting shot on a freaking Friday lunch- why do I need that?
Anyway.
 
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paul73 said:
so, i`ve had it with MFS finally.
went to zero the ruger there today, and 2 lanes to my right a guy is smacking his target, shoots fine, but he had found a sweet spot through the holes in the backstop rubber and i just hear how with every new shot the metal gong gets louder and louder, until it got full volume just like when you smack at steel plates. it is even visible - a hole in rubber where shots go through, and i think i saw some ricochet coming out. tried talking to him - a jerk would not even listen, pretends not to hear and then shouts 'go away'. damn.

and continued to smack it right into the bare metal there. i just left. whatever. :(
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My son took his ltc class there. I dropped him off went back later to pick him up. Went in early figured I'd check out the shop while I waited as id never been there. The 3 obese tacticool operators standing guard in the lobby made me literally laugh out loud and shake my head as I walked past them. Jesus christ what a f***ing joke.
 
MFS has some decent classes but the range and store are not very good. Ranges are not heated/heated well in winter time, small, cramped, etc. The establishment attracts a disproportionate amount of noobs. For the prices they charge for classes, firearms, ammo, etc you'd think they'd be able to mantain their range facilities better.

Shooting rifles indoors at handgun distances gets boring really fast.

Overpriced/slightly fuddy store. Staff is kind of rude.
Would not go there anymore.
 
AKMa3di said:
MFS has some decent classes but the range and store are not very good. Ranges are not heated/heated well in winter time, small, cramped, etc. The establishment attracts a disproportionate amount of noobs. For the prices they charge for classes, firearms, ammo, etc you'd think they'd be able to mantain their range facilities better.

Shooting rifles indoors at handgun distances gets boring really fast.

Overpriced/slightly fuddy store. Staff is kind of rude.
Would not go there anymore.
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You reminded me of the rudeness with your post. They were busy as hell as it was a saturday......the phone kept ringing and I could hear the staff talking on the phone. It was people asking questions about the range and the guy was rude as f***.....rolling his eyes.....snarky answers.......acted like every time he answered a question he was getting more and more annoyed. Every time he hung up the phone he'd shake his head and mutter under his breath "Jesus christ" or "f*** my life". The whole atmosphere there was just annoyance......I couldn't wait to get out of there.
 
AKMa3di said:
What the heck... that's just terrible customer service... plus a really bad look for MFS with someone making such remarks/behavior on the sales floor about customers over the phone.

I think retail is too much for him if he can't refrain from acting disturbed for answering questions about guns, seeing as how that's his job.
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But.....the place was packed. 2 hour wait for a lane.
 
Have you looked at Nenameseck Sportsmens Club – Gun Ranges – Activities – Social Club in Palmer? Its about 30 minutes from Sturbridge. I looked at it when I was trying to find a club that was conveniently located between my son-in-law and me. Ended up going with Hardwick Rod and Gun since it was almost exactly between the two of us time wise. But Nenamesek looked like a nice club if you aren’t interest in shotgun sports.

  • Covered 25, 50, 100, 200 and 300 yard Outdoor Rifle Range
  • Covered 15, 30 and 50 foot Outdoor Pistol Range
  • Outdoor Pistol Range: Half All Metal Targets
  • Heated & Ventilated Indoor 25 yard Pistol Range
  • Heated Indoor 25 yard Archery Range
  • Multiple Outdoor Archery Ranges
  • Heated Member Club House with Secure Key Card Access
  • Dedicated 27 yard Turkey/Ham Shoot Range
  • 24/7 access to the club house, and all indoor ranges (Year Round)
  • Outdoor Ranges: Monday thru Saturday Sunrise to Sunset (Year Round)
  • Outdoor Ranges: Sunday 9am to Sunset (Year Round)
  • Wheel Chair Friendly Club House and Ranges
Looks like they are accepting new members (single $140/yr family $175/yr) and they don’t require a sponsor.
memberships

If you want to drive a bit further, I can vouch for Hardwick. Nice club, all out door rifle/pistol/carbine ranges. Anyone who shows up when I’m there with the Barrett can shoot some .50 cal for free.
 
fencer said:
Yep. I am one of them.

I went last week after work with one of the guys that works for me. He is 21 and just got his LTC and had not had a chance to shoot his new carry gun yet. I really enjoyed giving him a few pointers and teaching him about range safety, and etiquette. Total newbie. By the time we left, he was doing really well and totally mastered reloading while keeping the muzzle pointed down range, trigger discipline, how not to muzzle sweep, grip, stance, trigger press, sight picture etc.
I truly enjoyed getting him on the path and provided the ammo and let him shout my Shadow 2

And the best part was that we had the whole range to ourselves the entire time. Pretty cool.
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Good on you for doing the Mentor thing.

I grew up with guns, and learned by osmosis, as did my kids (though they had formal stuff, too).

A basic course that gets you an LTC is just that - basic.
 
whacko said:
You reminded me of the rudeness with your post. They were busy as hell as it was a saturday......the phone kept ringing and I could hear the staff talking on the phone. It was people asking questions about the range and the guy was rude as f***.....rolling his eyes.....snarky answers.......acted like every time he answered a question he was getting more and more annoyed. Every time he hung up the phone he'd shake his head and mutter under his breath "Jesus christ" or "f*** my life". The whole atmosphere there was just annoyance......I couldn't wait to get out of there.
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sig shooter said:
I call AFS “Muzzle City” for a reason.
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In the few times ( about four?) I have been to MFS, I have yet to have a bad experience. AFS on the other hand, one time was enough for me. Add in the other unfortunate instances that have occurred in + /- ten years, and I'm surprised it hasn't been shut down!
In about a year or two, there will be a brand new state of the art range in Norfolk, on Rte 1A! The demographics will definitely be able to support it but the noobs and foolish won't. The price point for membership in a country club range atmosphere is only going to be above $500 per year, according to the owner.
 
LTCRN said:
The price point for membership in a country club range atmosphere is only going to be above $500 per year, according to the owner.
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Sounds a bit absurd to me.
Is it going to be a restaurant with a michelin star cook on site there, in between of 100 and 300 ranges? :)
 
paul73 said:
Sounds a bit absurd to me.
Is it going to be a restaurant with a michelin star cook on site there, in between of 100 and 300 ranges? :)
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If the rules aren't shit they will sell out. Weston sold all its cheap slots ages ago. While MA has a lot of clubs theres a huge lack of decent indoor ranges at like all but 4 of them.
 

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