I am curious as to the pluses and minuses of belonging to a private shooting club/range. I am not a social butterfly. In fact I would go as far as to say that talking to people, while good at it, I lose my patience with most people. I can see belonging to a private club if that was the only range available, but I have several 100 yard ranges with in a 30 minute drive of me. I have longer available at one location which is also with in 30 minutes from my home. I have out of curiosity taken a look at on google images of some of the private ranges, but just look the same as public ranges to me. Anyways just wondering what private I may be missing out on since I only have used public rifle ranges.
Private vs public
- Thread starter webphut
- Start date
mrspradlin
Graham Wind Flags
Been a member at both public and private ranges.
Public ranges can be ran great and private ranges can be ran like crap as well. Both ate going to have political BS to deal with and both with have fellow shooters who you just do not care to be around so you will leave for the day due to them. Both will have fellow shooters whom will be struggling and may ask for help or like most of us here you will offer help and they are very greatful.
I suggest you look at the ranges you are interested in and go look at them and see which one fits your needs.
Public ranges can be ran great and private ranges can be ran like crap as well. Both ate going to have political BS to deal with and both with have fellow shooters who you just do not care to be around so you will leave for the day due to them. Both will have fellow shooters whom will be struggling and may ask for help or like most of us here you will offer help and they are very greatful.
I suggest you look at the ranges you are interested in and go look at them and see which one fits your needs.
Since I am a competitive shooter, public ranges are way too expensive for me to use for the amount of practice I require. The Austin Rifle Club private range I belong to provides a shooting competition every Sunday; from service and high-power rifle, bench rest, and silhouette shooting both rifle and pistol. These type of competitions are not available at public ranges (as far as I know.)
jackie schmidt
New member
I have been a member of The Tomball Gun Club for years.
That membership is worth it's weight in great bullets.
We are limited to 300 members. The waiting list is quite long.
As a Competitive Shooter, it's perfect. Often I will have the place to myself with a few other Benchrest Shooters. Usually, we are there at sun up, and don't leave untill sun down. I don't have some minimum wage kid telling me I can't set flags and use my own targets.
To the OP, Croucho Marx had a saying. "I don't think I want to be in any club that would accept me as a member".
That membership is worth it's weight in great bullets.
We are limited to 300 members. The waiting list is quite long.
As a Competitive Shooter, it's perfect. Often I will have the place to myself with a few other Benchrest Shooters. Usually, we are there at sun up, and don't leave untill sun down. I don't have some minimum wage kid telling me I can't set flags and use my own targets.
To the OP, Croucho Marx had a saying. "I don't think I want to be in any club that would accept me as a member".
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GeneT
Active member
It doesn't matter. What matters are the facilities, prevailing politics, and range rules. These vary by club, regardless of public vs. private. You can find great clubs of both stripes. Look for a great club for the shooting you like to do (if you're fortunate enough to have choices) and don't worry about its public/private status.
GsT
Private vs Public
The difference? Based on what I've observed, There is an initiation fee at Private Clubs and you pay an additional annual Fee. A Club orientation on range safety and a tour of the facilities is mandatory. You get to vote your choice of who runs the organization. Private clubs are always asking for volunteers to help with chores around the facility.
At Public Ranges,you pay a fee to shoot. First time visitors are asked to familiarize themselves with range safety policies.
A Range Officer is always present to enforce Range safety policies. Not always the case at private ranges.
Try to choose a range closest to your house, just in case you forget and leave something at home. and trust me, you will.
Glenn
The difference? Based on what I've observed, There is an initiation fee at Private Clubs and you pay an additional annual Fee. A Club orientation on range safety and a tour of the facilities is mandatory. You get to vote your choice of who runs the organization. Private clubs are always asking for volunteers to help with chores around the facility.
At Public Ranges,you pay a fee to shoot. First time visitors are asked to familiarize themselves with range safety policies.
A Range Officer is always present to enforce Range safety policies. Not always the case at private ranges.
Try to choose a range closest to your house, just in case you forget and leave something at home. and trust me, you will.
Glenn
Every private club I have joined or looked at required some 'work time' on the facility before you could join and have range privileges.
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I belong to three Private Clubs,non required work time at the facility prior to granting range priveleges.
Glenn
bob finger
New member
No one has mentioned perhaps the best benefit of private clubs; the friendships you will make with other members who have similar interests.
I belong to and pay dues to 4 clubs right now, have an application pending at another and am on a waiting list for one more. One can not have too many venues of opportunity. I do not go to public ranges, mainly for safety reasons. Guess I'm fortunate. bob
I belong to and pay dues to 4 clubs right now, have an application pending at another and am on a waiting list for one more. One can not have too many venues of opportunity. I do not go to public ranges, mainly for safety reasons. Guess I'm fortunate. bob
The most convenient one to me, and from the google images I have seen, is Tomball, but I get the feeling I may not be competitive enough or be able to dedicate the time required to be at home there. I shoot once a week, on Fridays from 9:45 to 2:00. I was really curious about private, because it seams that they tend to offer the longer yardage ranges than the majority in the Cypress area. ASC has a nice range, but it is that 30 minute drive from home I’m not fond of. There one called bayou, but to shoot the longer ranges , there’s a longer travel time. I also notice the waiting lists and everyone seams to want you to be sponsored.by a member. I. Am not sure if I have the eye site to be competitive, but it also seams to me I see more benchrest matches going on at the private clubs. Maybe because I shoot on Fridays, this is why I have not seen any matches. I’m going to just sit on the idea for bit and see where I go. LOL
Thank you all for the information.
Thank you all for the information.
I must be nice to have a choice, I would love to just have one private or public range to shoot at. Here we shoot at the sheriffs range once a month, the Florida Game and Fish Comm has been 2 or 3 years after the projected finish date on the new range, it still isn't opened cause the building inspector for the county doesn't want us using a porta-potty and we are waiting for construction of bathrooms.
I must be nice to have a choice, I would love to just have one private or public range to shoot at. Here we shoot at the sheriffs range once a month, the Florida Game and Fish Comm has been 2 or 3 years after the projected finish date on the new range, it still isn't opened cause the building inspector for the county doesn't want us using a porta-potty and we are waiting for construction of bathrooms.
rkittine
Member
I shoot at both Public and Private Ranges and belong to three private clubs with another application pending (long waiting list) and am looking at one more. That being said, when it comes to the public ranges, I only shoot at ones that I am comfortable at. A few in my area have virtually no rules and when the safety is lax, you will not find me there again.
Bob
Bob