Gun Clubs, worth it?

[Blacksmith101]

When I lived 10 minutes from AGC I was a member of Monumental, glad to see it is still going strong. I now live in Cecil and since I am not comfortable at the DNR Public range I am a member of SLCFSA great active club. Pinecone you forgot to mention Trap Shooting, Cowboy Action Shooting, Cowboy Fast Draw, 3-D Archery, Junior 3 Position Air rifle, two gun shows, fishing activities, Antique Rifle (over 100 yrs. old) Matches, Modern Sniper Matches, discounted training classes, and Buffet Breakfasts.

Not bad for $50 a year. All the shoots and most other activities are open to the public.

Competition Dates:
Vintage/Modern Sniper- June 21, Aug.16

CMP - June 8=D-Day for WW II rifles

Cowboy Action - June 14, July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 13, Oct. 11

Junior Indoor Air Rifle - Monday nights except meeting nights

Trap Shooting - Every Tuesday weather permitting

Cowboy Fast Draw - June 21, July 26, Aug 16

Check the web site www.slcfsa.com

 

[Melnic]

Pistol range at AGC will not be what you are accustomed to like at OT. Still worth the membership. Go as much a me and my dad shoot both OT and AGC are a bargain. Some people will be grumpy about both places but I'm fine with how much both places cost. I'd pay even more to shoot at AGC if the $$$ went to improvements(yes curse am for saying it)

If you are close to MSAR you should try that too. Don't know if your retired but I you are you get to shoot at the best times.

 

[jabberwalkie]

Holy moly, yes.

But honestly, not really.

AGC has a lot to offer and is the undisputed largest associated clubs 'Club' in Maryland.

You get out of it what you put into it. I've tried their 'new' 3-gun competition, and look forward to the changes they will make. Till a friend or two tell me it's good, I'm just waiting.

What kind of shooting do you prefer?

I was addicted to trap for a long time, living in CC with a lot of friends owning a good chunk of land it was easy to go out and destroy some clay. Im still new to rifles, just recently purchasing a 22 and a pistol caliber carbine. I really am interested in starting a WW2 rifle collection. I have shot your run of the mill Mosin 91/30 and a k98. Fell in love with just holding it in my hands a just trying to fathom what the rifle has seen and done. Plus after feeling how heavy they were and the recoil of them really makes you respect those that had to carry them all day and night.

 

[jabberwalkie]

Pistol range at AGC will not be what you are accustomed to like at OT. Still worth the membership. Go as much a me and my dad shoot both OT and AGC are a bargain. Some people will be grumpy about both places but I'm fine with how much both places cost. I'd pay even more to shoot at AGC if the $$$ went to improvements(yes curse am for saying it)

If you are close to MSAR you should try that too. Don't know if your retired but I you are you get to shoot at the best times.

I've visited their website when I first started looking at ranges close to me (laurel). Its a little farther then on target is and since I bring everything I need to shoot on target is cheaper, Im not police so I was a little put off at first as well. After reading negative post after negative post I don't think I'll be going.

 

[bkuether]

So huge on AGC.

Get your membership AFTER July 1st, and it is HALF OFF for this year! That is how I did it.

Join a club NOW. Get your walk through. You go to the range for this. If someone offers you a video, WALK AWAY join another club!

ONLY DOWNSIDE is that in the winter, it gets cold, and muddy. Boots, gloves, hats, hand warmers, body warmers, are required.

Read the rules, ask about the rules, follow the rules. They are there for your safety and the safety of others.

Everyone goofs up now and again, (on small stuff), you need to refresh yourself every 6 months to remember procedure and rules. The RSOs can be picky, but then again, no one DIES.

If you have kids, it is very kid friendly as long as they are FOLLOWING THE RULES. I have taken both of my kids, and they love it. Be sure to go over the rules with them several times before, during and after. Ask me why I know

 

[Trekker]

I got an annual membership at Freestate. $250 sounded a bit much to me too at first, but if I go once a week, that breaks out to less than $5 a visit and I don't feel like I need to check my watch to see when an hour is up.

I also looked at SLCFSA and AGC, but the deciding factor was travel time. Freestate is 15 minutes for me, but SLCFSA and AGC would each take me an hour to reach. For the travel time I practice at Freestate on a regular basis, but at an hour's distance I would not visit another range nearly so often. SLCFSA and AGC would let me practice with my rifles more, but at Freestate I can comfortably shoot my pistols during more extreme temperatures of winter and summer, or after dark during evenings.

 

[PapiBarcelona]

Exactly, it all depends on your location and how inclined you are to travel amongst some other options.

For me, my preference has always been private property, mostly for handguns, plus since the freedom of any type of practice without having to worry about people.

It's good training and fun, run a few laps in the dead of winter, then immediately do some drills, maybe add a tacitcool barrel roll.

 

[Gundahar]

AGC is awesome for mid-range rifle shooting, but I have to give the pistol range a bit of a C. No drawing, huge hill in the middle forcing high aiming points to get over, can't have multiple targets, no metal targets.

I'm not saying that its bad--I use it a fair bit. But it has limitations that I keep hoping that they correct.

Although it also has problems, I maintain a membership at OT as well. The main reason I do both ranges is that sometimes the indoor range, with the variable target distance and complimentary low lighting conditions are better than the outdoor, target finicky AGC.

Plus even as a member it is quite possible that my one day to shoot that month gets blanketed by some club or other who take control of the range I want when I can get there. Being a member at OT is the opposite of this, as I can reserve a spot over a crowd if needed.

If you live nearer to Freestate or NRA range, might want to look into those as well.


Gundahar

 

[Keystone70]

Holy moly, yes.

But honestly, not really.

AGC has a lot to offer and is the undisputed largest associated clubs 'Club' in Maryland.

You get out of it what you put into it. I've tried their 'new' 3-gun competition, and look forward to the changes they will make. Till a friend or two tell me it's good, I'm just waiting.

What kind of shooting do you prefer?

Another vote for the AGC. Never have to wait for a lane and open 7 days a week dawn till dusk. Doesn't get any better than that. I belong to Arlington. We are one of the clubs that jointly run 3 guns sometimes.

You can join a club and just do your own thing, or join a club with activities and have a lot of fun.

You wont be sorry.

 

[Rapture]

AGC +1. Great facility and RO's. THE only place to shoot, IMO.

 

[photoracer]

I shot at places like On Target for years until my late wife got me to join the Monocacy Pistol Club. Going to an indoor range is just that, you go, you shoot, then you come home. But a gun club is that and much more. If it wasn't for the people at MPC I never would have become a competition shooter. I never would have joined and shot USPSA and IDPA. I would never have shot multiple PSA Shootouts. I would never have shot 3 Ruger Rimfire World Championships. I would never have become a 3-gunner and shot 2 York 3man/3gun events either. All since I turned 60 years old. I just wish someone had got me into a club much sooner.

 

[mcbruzdzinski]

AGC +1. Great facility and RO's. THE only place to shoot, IMO.

 

[moojersey]

When I lived 10 minutes from AGC I was a member of Monumental, glad to see it is still going strong. I now live in Cecil and since I am not comfortable at the DNR Public range I am a member of SLCFSA great active club. Pinecone you forgot to mention Trap Shooting, Cowboy Action Shooting, Cowboy Fast Draw, 3-D Archery, Junior 3 Position Air rifle, two gun shows, fishing activities, Antique Rifle (over 100 yrs. old) Matches, Modern Sniper Matches, discounted training classes, and Buffet Breakfasts.

Not bad for $50 a year. All the shoots and most other activities are open to the public.

Competition Dates:
Vintage/Modern Sniper- June 21, Aug.16

CMP - June 8=D-Day for WW II rifles

Cowboy Action - June 14, July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 13, Oct. 11

Junior Indoor Air Rifle - Monday nights except meeting nights

Trap Shooting - Every Tuesday weather permitting

Cowboy Fast Draw - June 21, July 26, Aug 16

Check the web site www.slcfsa.com

I want to join SLCFSA. I missed the membership meetings this year, and membership is now closed
Weather was just too crazy with all the snow to make the trip to Quarryville.
Do you need a sponsor to join this one? Thx.

 

[Pinecone]

I want to join SLCFSA. I missed the membership meetings this year, and membership is now closed
Weather was just too crazy with all the snow to make the trip to Quarryville.
Do you need a sponsor to join this one? Thx.

No sponsor for SLCFSA. You just have to show up for the range briefing and test, and the meeting.

And do so before about April, as membership DOES fill up.

Or you can take a Hunter Safety Course, as they give away one membership per class.

 

[Pinecone]

When I lived 10 minutes from AGC I was a member of Monumental, glad to see it is still going strong. I now live in Cecil and since I am not comfortable at the DNR Public range I am a member of SLCFSA great active club. Pinecone you forgot to mention Trap Shooting, Cowboy Action Shooting, Cowboy Fast Draw, 3-D Archery, Junior 3 Position Air rifle, two gun shows, fishing activities, Antique Rifle (over 100 yrs. old) Matches, Modern Sniper Matches, discounted training classes, and Buffet Breakfasts.

Not bad for $50 a year. All the shoots and most other activities are open to the public.

Competition Dates:
Vintage/Modern Sniper- June 21, Aug.16

CMP - June 8=D-Day for WW II rifles

Cowboy Action - June 14, July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 13, Oct. 11

Junior Indoor Air Rifle - Monday nights except meeting nights

Trap Shooting - Every Tuesday weather permitting

Cowboy Fast Draw - June 21, July 26, Aug 16

Check the web site www.slcfsa.com

Was not meant to be fully comprehensive.

Once I get well, I will be up shooting more there.

Now have two rifles for vintage sniper, also suitable for CMP type matches. Did not know of the modern sniper matches.

 

[rseymorejr]

Another vote for the AGC. Never have to wait for a lane and open 7 days a week dawn till dusk.

8:00am Mon-Fri
9:00am Sat-Sun
Other than that I agree with you 100%

 

[ScottR]

Another vote for the AGC. Never have to wait for a lane and open 7 days a week dawn till dusk. Doesn't get any better than that. I belong to Arlington. We are one of the clubs that jointly run 3 guns sometimes.

You can join a club and just do your own thing, or join a club with activities and have a lot of fun.

You wont be sorry.

+1, I'm very happy with the AGC and how it's run. Some folks seem to find plenty to complain about, but the only thing I've seen personally is folks shooting the grass (Big No No) on the pistol range. I think if you look hard enough you can find something to complain about just about anywhere.

AGC Costs less than $200 year, there's plenty to do, you can bring guests for free, no ammo restrictions (Except for no Tracers, and there are shotshell regulations on the Trap Range)

 

[svana]

Another vote for the AGC. Never have to wait for a lane and open 7 days a week dawn till dusk. Doesn't get any better than that. I belong to Arlington. We are one of the clubs that jointly run 3 guns sometimes.

You can join a club and just do your own thing, or join a club with activities and have a lot of fun.

You wont be sorry.

I was just looking into AGC, primarily the Arlington club. I was a little confused though, does the Arlington club have it's own ranges? Or do you have to go up to Baltimore for range time?

 

[rseymorejr]

I was just looking into AGC, primarily the Arlington club. I was a little confused though, does the Arlington club have it's own ranges? Or do you have to go up to Baltimore for range time?

Arlington uses the AGC Range @ Marriottsville. I think they are named for a neighborhood/area in Baltimore (not Arlington, VA!)

 

[svana]

Arlington uses the AGC Range @ Marriottsville. I think they are named for a neighborhood/area in Baltimore (not Arlington, VA!)

well...thanks for clearing that up! lol