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I haven't been to the range since I last paid dues (last summer). Dues are going to be coming up again soon and I am thinking about letting my membership lapse. I have been justifying it based on cost of gas to travel to coast range to shoot but in reality I do most of my shooting at my cabin anyways.

For those who haven't been shooting much lately how do you justify the membership fee?
 
I haven't been to the range since I last paid dues (last summer). Dues are going to be coming up again soon and I am thinking about letting my membership lapse. I have been justifying it based on cost of gas to travel to coast range to shoot but in reality I do most of my shooting at my cabin anyways.

For those who haven't been shooting much lately how do you justify the membership fee?

I was very peeved when my range raised the yearly fee from $50 to $75, a 50% increase, and also instituted a mandatory Orientation Training for all members no matter if they have been a member for 40yrs. But my kids and grandkids were coming from Arkansas to visit and wanted to shoot. Can't say no to that!!!
 
I can not speak for your club / range....

However , something to consider here is :

One reason that I go to my club shoots is for the chance to see and talk to other folks who like guns and shooting.
For me a club membership is more than just shooting.
Andy
 
I haven't been to the range since I last paid dues (last summer). Dues are going to be coming up again soon and I am thinking about letting my membership lapse. I have been justifying it based on cost of gas to travel to coast range to shoot but in reality I do most of my shooting at my cabin anyways.

For those who haven't been shooting much lately how do you justify the membership fee?

This past year has been dumb...Ive been to the club exactly 4 times...havent shot a match since March 2020... :(
But...things will get better and for what amounts to about $20 a month, its worth keeping to me. I spend more than that on coffee a month.
I do hear you though, if I had my own property to shoot on, I might have a different take.
 
I've never been a member of any gun club, in fact I'm not much of a "club" guy. In the past I'd considered joining Douglas Ridge, where I'd shot Appleseed events, but in all honesty, 20 more minutes onthe road puts me at our family property where I'm all by myself, or only have people I've invited to shot with. I've even started setting up a range and have a great place for shooting clays.
However, my grandson has started shooting trap with the Canby High School team and just last night I went and we each shot 75 rounds. The club sells shells and a round of birds at a very reasonable (especially these days) cost. It's easy, I only have to pick up my shells instead of doing everything...

For me, rifles and pistols I can shoot on my own place, at my own pace with ZERO distractions. Probably would never join for those disciplines. But busting birds? Well, at the club it's easier and more challenging. That's likely the tipping point...
 
For those who haven't been shooting much lately how do you justify the membership fee?
Convenience. Range I belong to is a 20 minute drive. Load development check, sight in a gun,
get in a little live fire practice for USPSA or Steel Challenge are what I use the range for most of
the time.
 
If you are not using it and have a place of your own to shoot then for sure drop it so someone else who may use it can, but good and available shooting spots on public land are almost impossible to find now. I like Tri-County as a safe place to shoot and take my daughters and it is only about 15 minutes away. Also, getting back in will take you 18-24 months so make sure it is what you want.
 
I'm not sure if my story even counts, but here goes. We were with Johnson creek GC for around nine years. When the rona hit they closed. Eventually they opened again with 5 of the 10 lanes closed. Okay. Then they closed again for a time. When they reopened time was shortened, 10:00-6:00/Mon thru Sat, you had to have an appointment, and you were limited to 30 minutes, with a threat of "Violation of Protocol" for going overtime. We debated paying again, even if we didn't use it during the open time because we NEED a range like this in the city. But damn! $175.00? By the time you check in, load some mags, get targets down the track. You can't even get in until 10:00. I didn't shoot there a lot, but most the times it was a "Hey, it's 1:00! I got time to pop down to the range and run 50 rounds through the CZ and get back before rush hour" . So I let it go. They DID offer, I think it was, $35.00 discount. The end of Nov was the expiration. They came back to me and gave me another chance (sans late fee) to re-up in Feb.

I really hope they make it. I'm afraid the Marxist/socialists are going to keep potland in limbo for as long as they can. Break the spirit of the people and they'll be easier to control
 
The idiotic signing up process, draconian rules, high initial membership fees as well as high annual fees, forced organizational membership along with the general resentment towards anyone "new" has kept me far away from any of the "clubs" out here.

If you aren't using it, drop it. I kinda do an annual-ish review of any subscription I pay for and if it doesn't get used, it gets cancelled.
 
I'm waiting for the likely hundreds on the waiting list to chime in and tell you to drop your membership. :rolleyes:

As @Gbirk noted, just make sure you won't have seller's remorse by summer. Sounds like you have a good alternative though so great for you on this.
 
Too far from outdoor alternatives, the club (TCGC) being a great site and the waiting list make my reupping every year an easy decision. Even when I wasn't Shooting much.
 
Last Edited:
I have been to an actual range exactly once. I would not rule it out again if it made a new shooter feel more at ease or simply for convenience sake (the convenience of my guest).

I am fortunate enough to not live in the Willamette Valley, and to have friends with acreage in my area. I would no more go to a range to shoot willingly than I would allow someone else to sight in my gun!

But it is a matter of perspective and circumstance. I have found a way to shoot that works for me, but obviously does not scale for the masses. I am not an elitist. I am not better than anyone. I do miss having a mentor, though.

And to be fair, this is my frame of reference: https://www.northwestfirearms.com/t...ry-being-this-free-today.369952/#post-2927653
 
I'm not sure if my story even counts, but here goes. We were with Johnson creek GC for around nine years. When the rona hit they closed. Eventually they opened again with 5 of the 10 lanes closed. Okay. Then they closed again for a time. When they reopened time was shortened, 10:00-6:00/Mon thru Sat, you had to have an appointment, and you were limited to 30 minutes, with a threat of "Violation of Protocol" for going overtime. We debated paying again, even if we didn't use it during the open time because we NEED a range like this in the city. But damn! $175.00? By the time you check in, load some mags, get targets down the track. You can't even get in until 10:00. I didn't shoot there a lot, but most the times it was a "Hey, it's 1:00! I got time to pop down to the range and run 50 rounds through the CZ and get back before rush hour" . So I let it go. They DID offer, I think it was, $35.00 discount. The end of Nov was the expiration. They came back to me and gave me another chance (sans late fee) to re-up in Feb.

I really hope they make it. I'm afraid the Marxist/socialists are going to keep potland in limbo for as long as they can. Break the spirit of the people and they'll be easier to control
I agree, things have gone a bit nuts with JCGC. I'm still a member there although I haven't gone since the covid nonsense started. Things will get back to normal, eventually. They're just doing what it takes to survive.
 
TCGC offers work credit (I think it's $4 per hour and tops out at $120.00 a year) for helping out with the Monday morning crew, club matches, (how much depends on the match director) and you can even get a part time gig (if there are current openings and you are hired) as an RSO (it pays min wage). Back when my bro and I were RSO'ing, we put the money earned from that towards our annual dues.

Now the above options are not for everyone and will require time and effort (labor) on your part, but they are options none the less.....
 
but in reality I do most of my shooting at my cabin anyways.
If you have a 'practical' alternative to a range then why have a membership at one?

I had a membership to COSSA for one year and hardly used it (maybe twice) due to the distance to it (approx one hour) as opposed my 10 minutes to woods shooting.

IF I lived closer to COSSA I would probably maintain my membership and use it more but distance has always been the factor.
 
I will admit there would be times when a range would be nice with a good, solid (and covered) bench for sighting in, load development etc. but that gets over and done with quickly then its on to woods shooting with random targets, maybe some hiking along with it that can't be done at a range.

Ranges for me get boring pretty fast.
 
15 min drive from my house, 600 yard range, action ranges that allow rapid fire and holster draw, and archery ranges. And you can have 3 guests with you (only one shooting at a time). I'll be renewing my TCGC membership.
 

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