• If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership  The benefits pay for the membership many times over.

What are must haves for a good club?? Considering starting a club.

What are you're top priorities in a club

  • Rifle range

    Votes: 109 81.3%

  • Pistol range

    Votes: 107 79.9%

  • Action pit

    Votes: 65 48.5%

  • Archery

    Votes: 12 9.0%

  • Steel Range

    Votes: 73 54.5%

  • Clubhouse access

    Votes: 23 17.2%

  • Amenities (bbq,firepit,seating,hangout)

    Votes: 9 6.7%

  • Shotgun Range

    Votes: 27 20.1%

  • Scheduled events

    Votes: 13 9.7%
  • Total voters
    134
additionalmc said:
I wouldn't have any issue paying a little extra to avoid the yearly work requirements. I hardly ever go shooting, so working for free at at a club doesn't suit my situation. Most of the clubs around me require something like 40 - 50 hours a year of volunteer time, and it doesn't make sense since I would only actually go shooting maybe 3 - 4 hours a year.
Click to expand...
40-50 hours???! What club is this? My club has a spring and fall cleanup and if you attend both they take off $50 from your membership dues. Each cleanup is like 4ish hours. It’s not mandatory and $50 to me is meaningless for 8 hours of work lmao
 
Cars&Guns said:
I considered this. People will pay 10s of thousands of dollars to be members at golf clubs but guys with 10s of thousands of dollars in guns bitch about more then a couple hundred dollars to join a club.
Click to expand...
Yup. Between threads on NES and some of the guns of mass Facebook groups, so many piss and moan about the cost of joining a club. I’m like you really can’t afford to spend $150-$200 per year!??
 
andrew1220 said:
Yup. Between threads on NES and some of the guns of mass Facebook groups, so many piss and moan about the cost of joining a club. I’m like you really can’t afford to spend $150-$200 per year!??
Click to expand...
It's a question of Priorities...

Shooting skills are highly perishable. If you carry a gun, you owe it to yourself to stay current with your carry piece.
Anything less is lazy...
 
daveyburt said:
Being able to use non-paper targets set up various distances (determined by the shooter).
If I want to shoot soda cans, I want to be able to shoot soda cans. If I want to shoot Twinkies or ChocoTacos, I want to be able to set up Twinkies and ChocoTacos.

That and accommodation for PCCs at pistol ranges.
Click to expand...
That is one thing I wish my club had. Can only shoot at paper targets on their stands.

Would really REALLY love to be able to "plink" some cans with the kids or friends.
 
About the bar thing.
Back then we had a .22 bulseye league and would travel to different clubs. At one club with a bar, a shooter quit during slow fire because he was unsteady on his feet and couldn't hold his gun steady.
No bueno
 
If I was going to vote for anything, it would be a LONG range rifle lane. There is a huge difference between shooting at 100 and even 300, first real bullet drop calculations take effect. Wind really starts to kick into your thinking past 300. Coriolis effect starts to kick in at 1k I believe (I'm sure someone here shoots that far and can elaborate). Either way, shooting at 1k is kinda the standard for 'good' rifle marksmanship. Don't Marines qual out to 800 with a M16? Wasn't one, but I hear stories and whatnot.
 
Coyote33 said:
That is one thing I wish my club had. Can only shoot at paper targets on their stands.

Would really REALLY love to be able to "plink" some cans with the kids or friends.
Click to expand...

The problem is like I mentioned earlier… people don’t clean up their trash. What about clays? They decompose so those may be allowed.

If your club doesn’t allow them now, then write them a letter/email and bring it up at the next meeting.
 
enbloc said:
This. I know a lot of folks poopoo on bars and guns, but the Watering Hole is where the Social Aspect of Gun Ownership takes root.
Waving and saying "Hi." to the guy 3 benches down don't cut it. We need to develop Social Skills and networking to beat our opponents, not just marksmanship.

The key to having a bar at a gun club is a very wise and very experienced gun-owning bartender who knows how to meter the drinking.
A little libation is a good thing. Our ancestors were given rum or whiskey as a ration while armed and remained quite capable.

Drunks have no place here. Just hard-working Americans who can handle a pop or two and not go off half-cocked.
If you want to get shitfaced, go to O'Mally's. Or better yet just stay home...
~Enbloc
Click to expand...
as with everything else, the issue is with lawyers who will be unleashed on a club when a shitfaced one discharges his gun and hits somebody else.
people like to sue in this country. all the rest are just consequences of that - and in the end all you`ve got is nothing good for nobody.
 
DecOFlaherty said:
I like to train for real life situations.
I want access to a range, half in the bag, at 3am to shoot at shadows in my underwear.
Click to expand...
Sheeet, man. If the shadows are in your underwear, and you're wearing said underwear when you shoot at 'em....that's some impressive shooting. I mean, if, you're still.....all there....after the training.

[rofl]
 
weekendracer said:
If people picked up after themselves, sure. I used to shoot in gravel pits, the crap people left behind I'd never want on my land or have to deal with.
Click to expand...
Idiots were shooting all sorts of shit including glass in the pits across the street a few years ago. Weekenders and vacationers mostly is my guess from Lily Bay SP. What a freaking mess these a**h***s made.
We started picking up the crap one day along with 3 gallons of brass and planned to go back with a trash barrel the next when the dump was open. Got back and a neighbor did some major cleaning and left a sign on a single pallet to clean up after yourself.
Shortly thereafter boulders appeared and easy access was gone. Went from taking longer to pack the truck to go shooting across the street to a 30 minute ride to a gun club.
People suck.
 
enbloc said:
This. I know a lot of folks poopoo on bars and guns, but the Watering Hole is where the Social Aspect of Gun Ownership takes root.
Waving and saying "Hi." to the guy 3 benches down don't cut it. We need to develop Social Skills and networking to beat our opponents, not just marksmanship.

The key to having a bar at a gun club is a very wise and very experienced gun-owning bartender who knows how to meter the drinking.
A little libation is a good thing. Our ancestors were given rum or whiskey as a ration while armed and remained quite capable.

Drunks have no place here. Just hard-working Americans who can handle a pop or two and not go off half-cocked.
If you want to get shitfaced, go to O'Mally's. Or better yet just stay home...
~Enbloc
Click to expand...
We had a blast with the bar at a club. Beers were not allowed at the monthly meetings. Pistol, trap and archery guys all blended together. The club was making money with the bar. Get your shooting done and having a few beers was awesome.
On the other hand Harvard had a blanket policy of ZERO tolerance. Former president told be it started not because of the members but a private rental ruined it. I never did ask what happened.
 
I'm going to go against the crowd and advocate for a sole proprietor owned club. For profit.
It's kind of interesting to me that this group, who is typically anti government, thinks the most important thing is to make sure YOUR club has a good government. There is no such thing. They may start off great, but eventually, they all go to shit.
You are a gun guy. You have been involved with gun clubs. Set rules and policies that you know most shooters will want and implement them.

Sure, sell memberships, but allow people to come and pay to play as well. Maybe keep members areas separate from non members, so that you don't have to worry about getting shot or muzzle swept by noobs.
And yes, sell stuff. Sell ammo, targets, eyes and ears, and maybe eventually firearms etc. Shooters will spend money. How many times have you driven to the range only to realize, "oh shit, I left my box of 357 ammo at home!" or just needed something that you didn't bring with you?
Lets say a club has 200 members as you have suggested. At $150 per membership, that is $30k per year. After taxes and insurance, there is literally nothing left, if that is even enough.
Nope, I would suggest you need to generate enough revenue to maintain a decent facility or people will quickly loose interest.
Small membership + reasonable membership costs = you are spending YOUR money to maintain a gun range. That will get old quick.
You mentioned a long dirt road leading up to the club. It has to be maintained, snow has to be plowed. It can't be accessible for 4 months a year to only people with 4wd vehicles

My perfect club would be a mix of Harvard meets American Firearms School. I like the idea of a pro shop. I would like a clean and well maintained facility. It would be great to be able to get a hot cup of coffee or an ice cold gatorade, a place to meet friends.
We are all shooters here, so everyone is going to say " It needs to have a 600yard rifle range!" Maintaining that range is a bitch. First time I shot at 300 yards at Ames, I walked down and set my targets, and walked back, then spent 10 minutes pulling the ticks off my legs, and the grass wasn't even that tall.
You have to cater to pistol shooters first, because that is what most people shoot, especially new gun owners. Newbie buys a gun for personal protection, he wants to take it out and shoot it. Joining a club takes time and is not easy. But he will gladly pay $25 to shoot it. Then he will tell a buddy, and they will go together, and he will probably shoot it one more time, declare himself an expert shooter, and hardly ever shoot again.

My perfect range looks like Hickok45's. Tons of steel, and can shoot rifle or pistol, but can also set up paper targets.
 
fencer said:
I'm going to go against the crowd and advocate for a sole proprietor owned club. For profit.
It's kind of interesting to me that this group, who is typically anti government, thinks the most important thing is to make sure YOUR club has a good government. There is no such thing. They may start off great, but eventually, they all go to shit.
You are a gun guy. You have been involved with gun clubs. Set rules and policies that you know most shooters will want and implement them.

Sure, sell memberships, but allow people to come and pay to play as well. Maybe keep members areas separate from non members, so that you don't have to worry about getting shot or muzzle swept by noobs.
And yes, sell stuff. Sell ammo, targets, eyes and ears, and maybe eventually firearms etc. Shooters will spend money. How many times have you driven to the range only to realize, "oh shit, I left my box of 357 ammo at home!" or just needed something that you didn't bring with you?
Lets say a club has 200 members as you have suggested. At $150 per membership, that is $30k per year. After taxes and insurance, there is literally nothing left, if that is even enough.
Nope, I would suggest you need to generate enough revenue to maintain a decent facility or people will quickly loose interest.
Small membership + reasonable membership costs = you are spending YOUR money to maintain a gun range. That will get old quick.
You mentioned a long dirt road leading up to the club. It has to be maintained, snow has to be plowed. It can't be accessible for 4 months a year to only people with 4wd vehicles

My perfect club would be a mix of Harvard meets American Firearms School. I like the idea of a pro shop. I would like a clean and well maintained facility. It would be great to be able to get a hot cup of coffee or an ice cold gatorade, a place to meet friends.
We are all shooters here, so everyone is going to say " It needs to have a 600yard rifle range!" Maintaining that range is a bitch. First time I shot at 300 yards at Ames, I walked down and set my targets, and walked back, then spent 10 minutes pulling the ticks off my legs, and the grass wasn't even that tall.
You have to cater to pistol shooters first, because that is what most people shoot, especially new gun owners. Newbie buys a gun for personal protection, he wants to take it out and shoot it. Joining a club takes time and is not easy. But he will gladly pay $25 to shoot it. Then he will tell a buddy, and they will go together, and he will probably shoot it one more time, declare himself an expert shooter, and hardly ever shoot again.

My perfect range looks like Hickok45's. Tons of steel, and can shoot rifle or pistol, but can also set up paper targets.
Click to expand...
The range I shoot at is run like this. I can do almost anything I want, draw from holster, shoot and move, full auto, I have not been told 'no' to anything yet (don't have a full auto, mind you, but I've heard them there).

He sells ammo, guns, and has an office where people hang out, membership and day range passes. Just needs a longer range lane for rifles and it'd be the perfect shooting venue.
 
fencer said:
I'm going to go against the crowd and advocate for a sole proprietor owned club. For profit.
It's kind of interesting to me that this group, who is typically anti government, thinks the most important thing is to make sure YOUR club has a good government. There is no such thing. They may start off great, but eventually, they all go to shit.
You are a gun guy. You have been involved with gun clubs. Set rules and policies that you know most shooters will want and implement them.

Sure, sell memberships, but allow people to come and pay to play as well. Maybe keep members areas separate from non members, so that you don't have to worry about getting shot or muzzle swept by noobs.
And yes, sell stuff. Sell ammo, targets, eyes and ears, and maybe eventually firearms etc. Shooters will spend money. How many times have you driven to the range only to realize, "oh shit, I left my box of 357 ammo at home!" or just needed something that you didn't bring with you?
Lets say a club has 200 members as you have suggested. At $150 per membership, that is $30k per year. After taxes and insurance, there is literally nothing left, if that is even enough.
Nope, I would suggest you need to generate enough revenue to maintain a decent facility or people will quickly loose interest.
Small membership + reasonable membership costs = you are spending YOUR money to maintain a gun range. That will get old quick.
You mentioned a long dirt road leading up to the club. It has to be maintained, snow has to be plowed. It can't be accessible for 4 months a year to only people with 4wd vehicles

My perfect club would be a mix of Harvard meets American Firearms School. I like the idea of a pro shop. I would like a clean and well maintained facility. It would be great to be able to get a hot cup of coffee or an ice cold gatorade, a place to meet friends.
We are all shooters here, so everyone is going to say " It needs to have a 600yard rifle range!" Maintaining that range is a bitch. First time I shot at 300 yards at Ames, I walked down and set my targets, and walked back, then spent 10 minutes pulling the ticks off my legs, and the grass wasn't even that tall.
You have to cater to pistol shooters first, because that is what most people shoot, especially new gun owners. Newbie buys a gun for personal protection, he wants to take it out and shoot it. Joining a club takes time and is not easy. But he will gladly pay $25 to shoot it. Then he will tell a buddy, and they will go together, and he will probably shoot it one more time, declare himself an expert shooter, and hardly ever shoot again.

My perfect range looks like Hickok45's. Tons of steel, and can shoot rifle or pistol, but can also set up paper targets.
Click to expand...

Capitalism... It works. [thumbsup]
 
alcestwo said:
Having seen your post first, this article happened to stick out: An Official Journal Of The NRA | 5 Signs Of A Bad Gun Range

I'm sure you know all of this already but sometimes a refresher is helpful.
Click to expand...
From the article:

You laugh, but I used to visit a state game lands range that was shut down for terrorist training activity, to include the detonation of an IED.​

The Hopkinton pistol pits are occasionally shut down for police training, but I seriously doubt any shutdown for terrorist training would be approved.
 
An air conditioned bar with an open side towards the range so I can drink and shoot at the same time!!
 
You probably don't have the distance for a 300+ yard rifle setup. 100 yard rifle ranges are everywhere, so just forget about a dedicated rifle range. You should focus on doing a couple nice pistol range setups with pistol caliber rifles allowed, steel targets and an action pit. I would join and frequent that club.
 
I do find it interesting that folks will complain about a couple of hundred dollars a month year to belong to a club, yet will easily burn up that much in ammo in a couple of range trips. It might make sense if you only go a couple of times a year, but anyone serious about shooting should be going once a week at least. In that case your ammo costs (particularly if you don't reload) are going to far out way your membership fee.

As for the OP, it all depends on the shape of the "25-30" acres (and 5 acres makes a big difference at this size), the terrain, what abuts it, and what you mean by a "remote" setting. If it's a reasonably long and thin rectangle, you can easily put a 300+ yard rifle range in. If it's really remote, that will tend to limit membership so I would keep it simple. A rifle range (as long as possible) and a pistol/PCC range would be enough for me. For a remote range, I would expect minimum rules. I'd want to be able to bring my own steel and shoot things other than paper targets (as long as I clean up after myself). Without power you're not going to be able to monitor it 7x24 so you can't really have anything of value there, so no range steel (remote with no video monitoring means someone will just walk off with it or some idiot like me with a .50 BMG will destroy it). To make it into an "attraction" you'll have to invest a ton of money: improve the road, bring in power, paved parking, some nice shooting stands maybe even a clubhouse with a beer/wine or full liquor license.

I have 33 acres in a decent rectangle (around 300 by 500 yards) and due to terrain and abutters, the best I'd be able to do is a 200 yard 2 stand rifle range and a 50 yard pistol/PCC range. And even that would require a lot of clearing and earth moving. Right now I've just a small 100 yard range to test new builds and do some basic scope zeroing. I do most of my real shooting at my club, which is rifle(300 yards)/pistol/PCC(1 pistol/PCC pit) only with a clubhouse and a liquor license.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Need a good 2A attorney for a friend
2 3 4
Replies
96
Views
3K
Len-2A Training
Len-2A Training
MUST WATCH IF YOU ARE SELLING OR PLANNING TO SELL A FIREARM AND ARE NOT AN FFL
Replies
19
Views
570
Bigfudge16
Bigfudge16
Considering a "snubby"
4 5 6
Replies
166
Views
5K
kalash
kalash
What are your silliest, most useless firearms.
4 5 6
Replies
177
Views
4K
Marty McFly
Marty McFly
MA Residents- EFA10’s are a registry.
2
Replies
35
Views
2K
CrackPot
CrackPot
Back
Top Bottom