Douglas Ridge Rifle Club

[Jayborg]

Just a note for any of you gents and ladies considering Douglas Ridge...I was a member for about 18 months and from the day I joined until the day several weeks ago when I demanded my dues and fees refunded I was met at every turn by surly and hopelessly unhelpful club officials. All the members I came in contact with were great. The management staff and range officers (I refrain from mentioning their names) seem to have Napoleon complexes and when asked perfectly reasonable questions they responded with continuous condescension and deflection, never answering the question. Sitting around drinking bad coffee and trash talking paying members seems to be their favorite past time. I have been a member of several clubs over the years and have been shooting for decades and have never experienced the kind of abuse as I have at Douglas Ridge. These guys are true asses. I can't explain their behavior but it was offensive. I don't recommend the club regardless of their 1000 yard range.

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[308]

That is odd. I have been a member there since 1999 and the only bad experiences I have had are n00bs who forget basic range safety measures (I can make a list of these) and those who allow their friends (guests) to use their shotguns on our target stands and say things like, oops...I didn't know

 

[Jayborg]

There are always those types at every club and every range. My surprise was the intentional antagonism from the staff. And when I say staff I mean the staff members designated by name on their website to direct questions to as well as the Club president. I think if you are obsequious and suplicate yourself to their esteemed authority as "Range Officers" and pay homage to their badges then they might be cooperative. In my case I didn't do that and treated them as equals. My mistake.

 

[Medic!]

Just a note for any of you gents and ladies considering Douglas Ridge...I was a member for about 18 months and from the day I joined until the day several weeks ago when I demanded my dues and fees refunded I was met at every turn by surly and hopelessly unhelpful club officials. All the members I came in contact with were great. The management staff and range officers (I refrain from mentioning their names) seem to have Napoleon complexes and when asked perfectly reasonable questions they responded with continuous condescension and deflection, never answering the question. Sitting around drinking bad coffee and trash talking paying members seems to be their favorite past time. I have been a member of several clubs over the years and have been shooting for decades and have never experienced the kind of abuse as I have at Douglas Ridge. These guys are true asses. I can't explain their behavior but it was offensive. I don't recommend the club regardless of their 1000 yard range.

So let me get this straight.
You joined NWFA to cry about a range?

That's rude.
I don't want to hear about your grievances.

 

[Jonnyuma]

I don't have any difficulty in believing your story. "Gun Guys" can be among the worst offenders when offered the opportunity to be an A-hole. Car guys, golfers, tennis players, bowlers, skiers, sheeeit... just about every endeavor has a hierarchy. I've walked into gun stores before where the staff and "regulars" sit around on their fat arses drinking coffee, assuming superiority just because they've never seen me before... my credit card stayed in my wallet and the bird came out.

Uppity range personnel feel secure in their superiority without reason... they're staff employed in a service industry. I wouldn't accept attitude from range staff any more than I would a fast food worker or hotel housekeeper.

The real problem with the self-important asshats in the shooting industry versus say, attitude from a caddy or tennis pro, is that nobody is trying to BAN tennis or golf. We need new enthusiasts because this is not just a recreational endeavor, it's a political fight for the preservation of a basic civil right. Alienation won't turn shooters off of shooting, we'll just take our business somewhere else. It WILL make new shooters feel unwelcome, turn them off, and that's exactly the opposite of what we need.

 

[Jonnyuma]

So let me get this straight.
You joined NWFA to cry about a range?

That's rude.
I don't want to hear about your grievances.

Doesn't sound like crying to me. Sounds like bad service at a facility that people pay money to join.
If he's full of it, then maybe he's a troll. But there has been corroboration, so probably not.

I have some issues w the range I belong to currently and won't be renewing my membership in '18, but it's not because the personnel weren't friendly (except for the one time I went in there before joining. I gave em a shot anyway). I gave some thought to joining DRRC but decided to hold off... maybe I'm glad I did.

 

[Medic!]

Doesn't sound like crying to me. Sounds like bad service at a facility that people pay money to join.
If he's full of it, then maybe he's a troll. But there has been corroboration, so probably not.

I have some issues w the range I belong to currently and won't be renewing my membership in '18, but it's not because the personnel weren't friendly (except for the one time I went in there before joining. I gave em a shot anyway). I gave some thought to joining DRRC but decided to hold off... maybe I'm glad I did.

We talk about everything here.
Great place. Great guys.

Just thought the first post was a bit selfish.
Hey............. What do I know. I'm just reacting.

 

[308]

Just a note for any of you gents and ladies considering Douglas Ridge...I was a member for about 18 months and from the day I joined until the day several weeks ago when I demanded my dues and fees refunded I was met at every turn by surly and hopelessly unhelpful club officials. All the members I came in contact with were great. The management staff and range officers (I refrain from mentioning their names) seem to have Napoleon complexes and when asked perfectly reasonable questions they responded with continuous condescension and deflection, never answering the question. Sitting around drinking bad coffee and trash talking paying members seems to be their favorite past time. I have been a member of several clubs over the years and have been shooting for decades and have never experienced the kind of abuse as I have at Douglas Ridge. These guys are true asses. I can't explain their behavior but it was offensive. I don't recommend the club regardless of their 1000 yard range.

Can you give a specific example of what happened other than "I can't explain their behavior but it was offensive"?

• Like, I was bumpfiring at a 25 yard target stand and the RO told me to knock it off and I didn't like that....
• Or I was minding my own business obeying the rules and some dick came over and started in on me for no reason...

Throw us a bone here Jayborg, because I can start in on all the dick move retarded things I have seen n00bs do at DRRC, but it's not my thread.

 

[Jonnyuma]

We talk about everything here.
Great place. Great guys.

Just thought the first post was a bit selfish.
Hey............. What do I know. I'm just reacting.

True enuff... a little bit contentious for a first (or second) post. I totally get that.

I generally wait 10-15 posts before stirring the pot. I'm patient like that.

ssshhh... ninja training

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

Is there really a problem, or is reality conflicting with our expectations...?

 

[Jayborg]

Medic! - I'm just a dude sharing his experiences for the benefit of whoever cares to listen. If I insulted you by offering up this information I extend my sincere heartfelt apologies. Maybe you can suggest a better way for gun owners to share valuable information to fellow gun owners. I am sure a bright fella like you can come up with good options. Or should we all just remain silent? Or maybe you ARE Carl, Mike, or Bill from Douglas Ridge????

 

[Jonnyuma]

Uh oh.

 

[Jayborg]

Jesus guys....is their a pecking order on this? How many positive threads am I supposed to post before I can offer some negative info. What a drift from the main message. Don't worry I won't post any more informative posts. Too funny.

 

[308]

Medic! - I'm just a dude sharing his experiences for the benefit of whoever cares to listen. If I insulted you by offering up this information I extend my sincere heartfelt apologies. Maybe you can suggest a better way for gun owners to share valuable information to fellow gun owners. I am sure a bright fella like you can come up with good options. Or should we all just remain silent? Or maybe you ARE Carl, Mike, or Bill from Douglas Ridge????

You still haven't explained what melted your feelings.
I've been a member for a long time and never once sat around with the geezers drinking bad coffee and talking crap.
Usually I'm more about shooting guns at my gun shooting range....but that's just me.

 

[etrain16]

I've been a member there for 4 years, my father a member for years before that. I'm not sure what you ran into, but I've had numerous interactions with staff and haven't witnessed what you're reporting. I've heard very few folks ever complain about DRRC. I suppose folks can have bad experiences, just not something I have seen. I like the club and the folks that run it.

 

[Medic!]

Medic! - I'm just a dude sharing his experiences for the benefit of whoever cares to listen. If I insulted you by offering up this information I extend my sincere heartfelt apologies. Maybe you can suggest a better way for gun owners to share valuable information to fellow gun owners. I am sure a bright fella like you can come up with good options. Or should we all just remain silent? Or maybe you ARE Carl, Mike, or Bill from Douglas Ridge????

Let me say I'm sorry.
I hope some day you will share a happy gun story. Or maybe offer some help to someone with a gun related issue.

Jesus guys....is their a pecking order on this? How many positive threads am I supposed to post before I can offer some negative info. What a drift from the main message. Don't worry I won't post any more informative posts. Too funny.

I doubt I will ever hear from you again? I think you were here to vent.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Jesus guys....is their a pecking order on this? How many positive threads am I supposed to post before I can offer some negative info. What a drift from the main message. Don't worry I won't post any more informative posts. Too funny.

Relax, brother. I don't think you're necessarily in the minority here, although I could be wrong.

I thought your post was legit judging by what I've seen in the shooting community over the past 30+ years...

I can't comment on its accuracy, I've never been to DRRC. But I can comment on the general attitude of human beings when it comes to elevating them beyond their station. Whether real or only just percieved, the authority granted to people is often percieved as exceptionalism. Even just being "inner circle" such as I referenced before with the good ol boys hanging around the LGS often imparts a sense of unearned superiority.

For the most part I love the shooting community. We're generally the most helpful and eager-to-please MoFos out there. But A-holes is gonna be A-holes and there's not much getting around that.

If you had bad customer service at a facility that you spent (a not inconsiderable amount of) money at, then I think you're 100% legit in doing it here.

As suggested above, give some specifics. I'm pretty sure I know what you're talking about, but others apparently have never experienced the toxic and flat-assed rude behavior that infests the "life".

 

[Jayborg]

Well gun clubs and shooting ranges ARE pretty integral to GUNS so I think my original post (which has since been taken on a huge tangent) was relevant. I also prefer to shoot and don't hang out in the clubhouse but the several times I have been there I have seen what I have seen. Bottom line guys is I thought this forum was just that....a forum...to inform others about issues...technical gun stuff as well as potentially helpful information. About some personal experiences. I didn't ask anyone to take my comments as gospel. Just my attempt to help. Again...my mistake for assuming my comments would be taken at face value and not jumped on by a contrarian. This has gone for beyond what I intended and I am thoroughly bored now. Cheers.

 

[etrain16]

Like any forum (and I mean any forum), anything you post is going to get varied responses. Some positive, some negative, some neutral. And going on tangents is almost guaranteed.

No doubt some here are big DRRC fans, it doesn't surprise me for a moment that some wouldn't share your view. Gun owners tend to be very opinionated folks - just ask them their favorite caliber for self-defense and you'll get 1,000 posts on what's good, bad or indifferent.

In short, it's right in line with the stuff I've seen on any forum I've been on - no surprise at all.

 

[Jayborg]

Ok sounds nice some of you asked for details here was the final straw that made me leave....I emailed one of the guys as instructed in the website asking (1) how many guests could I bring to long range day and (2) was there any special training a guest had to complete before shooting on LRD. After no answer I emailed again, and again. Finally received a terse email suggesting I consult the member manual. I responded that I did and found no answer. Received a response that maybe I should go through a LR refresher course. I responded that I just needed a quick answer to a simple question. No response. I tried another guy and got similar responses instead of just answering the question. Eventually got an email with a link to the website as if I didn't already have the website. The link was actually to douglas ridge homeowners association. Round and round and round. Finally emailed the president and he responded with some accusations of "a sense of entitlement" on my part which I found hilarious. Ultimately after 3 weeks of trying to get an answer to a simple question I told Bill (president) the reason for my initial question....my mother passed away on 11/19 and I wanted to take my dad shooting on LRD to get his mind of the tragedy but that 3 weeks of passive aggressive evasion from all 3 of those clowns I interacted with made that an impossibility. No apology. I demanded my fees back and I got my check in three days. So they were Jonny on the spot when they realized what duche bags they are. That's it fellas. I know...selfish of me.