IWLA - WAC vs BCC vs Rockville? where are you a member?

[thedutchtouch]

first and foremost, my apologies for a seemingly redundant thread, i DID search and read as many threads about these leagues as i could find, but the most recent thread was a year or two old so I wanted to see if anything's changed since then. (most of the older threads were dealing with more topical/timely things like temporary range closures due to maintenance/upgrades, or things related to covid procedures etc so wondering if there's any changes since, not trying to be the typical dumb newbie that posts without searching)

it seems like these 3 leagues are all roughly the same distance from me, roughly 30-45 minutes away, and wondering if you might share your opinions if you're a member of any of the 3. BCC is almost twice the cost of the other two, but i understand that comes with access to a pretty significant acreage of land, which may be nice as i do bow hunt, but the primary reason for investigating (and asking here) is for shooting of course, so wondering more about the ranges mostly. I'm also trying to confirm the trend in older threads seemed like a preference for the WAC chapter compared to the other two that i'm considering here (and wondering why?). unfortunately i dont think any of the other chapters would be in the running for me just due to driving distance.

my secondary reason for posting is because membership to some requires sponsorship. again not trying to be that entitled newbie that assumes everyone will hand him the world, but if there's members that are willing to meet/talk and consider sponsoring me (particuaalrly at WAC at the moment, that one seems to be the front runner), i'd appreciate it, and would owe you a favor in return. I'd be happy to meet/talk virtually or in person if you'd want to evaluate me first. thanks in advance for any advice/opinions you all can lend.

 

[ken792]

I was a member at BCC for nearly a decade before I let it lapse after having barely gone my last two years.

The land is a nice piece of property, but as far as my experience, I literally never used it because I live kind of far from there, prefer mountainous terrain, have nearby access to lots of public land, and don’t hunt in MD. I know others who enjoyed great hunting and participated in many activities there, which is easier to do when living a reasonable distance from there. The archery program is supposed to be great.

The rifle and pistol range faces nearly straight south and the sun is in your eyes for a good chunk of the day, most of the year.

The range does have rules stating no more than ten rounds may be loaded in a magazine and no more than one round fired per second, though it was verbally stated at one point that it would be enforced as no more than two per two seconds.

Both the rifle and pistol sides are now paved. The field used to get quite muddy, but they have apparently improved the drainage. That seemed to be the case the two times I went since that was done.

The rifle and pistol range is only staffed with range officers from April through November. Members must be members for a whole year before they can become range officers to open the range on their own. During the off season, it isn’t generally difficult for regular members to tag along when ROs choose to open the range though.

(Last I heard, Damascus has everyone get range qualified so they can open the range on their own.)

 

[outrider58]

Firstly, they are not considered leagues. They are chapters of a "league"
It all depends on what you want out of a chapter. I have been a member of two of the three mentioned. Rockville and WAC. I was a member of the Rockville chapter for about five years. I've been a member at WAC for over 25 years. I have no working knowledge of BCC, other than i know it is a very good chapter, with private hunting opportunities. I am not sure of their other benefits and projects. That said, I really like the WAC chapter and have found a home there, obviously.

 

[MeatGrinder]

I'm BCCIWLA
Where specifically are you located?

 

[Cochise]

BCC Member here, mostly a shotgun guy but 620 acres deer turkey and dove hunting on the property along with fishing.
For shooting there is 100 yard rifle and pistol, skeet, trap, 5 stand and wobble trap for shotgun and 3D archery whatever that is, I don't do archery.
Also nice people.
You do need a sponsor but show up to a dinner meeting and anyone will sign the sheet... you do need to attend 3 dinner meetings (3rd Wednesday of the month) and then there is some slave labor requirements that after some amount of time can be exchanged for money if you don't want to do your volunteer hours.

 

[SummitCnty]

Mount Airy and Damascus are two separate chapters.

All members in Mount Airy have to be range qualified so you can shoot there on your own.

 

[Afrikeber]

Firstly, they are not considered leagues. They are chapters of a "league"
It all depends on what you want out of a chapter. I have been a member of two of the three mentioned. Rockville and WAC. I was a member of the Rockville chapter for about five years. I've been a member at WAC for over 25 years. I have no working knowledge of BCC, other than i know it is a very good chapter, with private hunting opportunities. I am not sure of their other benefits and projects. That said, I really like the WAC chapter and have found a home there, obviously.

They have two fish ponds and one of them had the biggest bass I ever caught. Always got my deer first day of gun season and they have a shotgun range as well. Never had a problem with anyone there and overall a great set of folks. I actually broke bread with members often during the evening dinners they have which were very good by the way.

 

[outrider58]

They have two fish ponds and one of them had the biggest bass I ever caught. Always got my deer first day of gun season and the have a shotgun range as well. Never had a problem with anyone there and overall a great set of folks. I actually broke bread with members often during the evening dinners they have which were very good by the way.

Where? Which one?

 

[Afrikeber]

Where? Which one?

Oh sorry the Poolsville BCC site.

 

[temccoy]

I belong to Damascus and Mt Airy. Both are good clubs. Mt Airy is more shotgun oriented, but it has pistol and rifle ranges. You need to take the NRA eight hour range office course to use the rifle and pistol ranges. Damascus has rifle, pistol, and shotgun ranges, and is easier to qualify to use the ranges.

 

[lazarus]

I might be misremembering, but WAC is the largest chapter in MD (maybe one of the largest chapters nationally)? I can't speak to actual membership numbers of the others, but WAC I think fluctuates between about 3000 and 4000 members. Of course many are in it for conservation or comradeship and not shooting. COVID the ranges quieted down a lot. Its picked back up a lot. I avoid weekends when I can, but I haven't experienced the ranges being overfull, as in needing to wait, ever, in my 4 1/2 years of membership and about 3 years of tagging along with a neighbor/member perhaps slightly more often than you are supposed to have guests. Granted it was like 3 or 4 times a year those few years, not monthly.

I tend to still try to go first thing on a week day as I am usually the only person there for a bit and its nice being able to do things like setup chronos, or shoot suppressed without ear pro. Or just take my time with eyes and ears off before I am ready to shoot, walk down to the targets like I am the only human on earth and not need to call the range cold, etc. COVID that seemed to be a guarantee. These days unless the weather is bad, if I get there right when the range opens I am almost always alone for a few. only 50/50 I am alone by the time the range goes hot at 10am though. But there is rarely more than 2-4 people between the two pistol and one rifle range until noonish on a weekday. Weekends there are usually 2-4 people there before it goes hot and by noon usually at least a dozen people between the ranges, often more.

IIRC, 6 lanes on the 25yd uncovered pistol range, 9 lanes on the covered 50yd pistol range, 10 lanes on the rifle range and one shotgun bench with 30yds target for the shotgunners. Rifle range has 8x50yd targets, 10x100yd targets and 2x75yd targets. So everyone has a 100yd, and two people get stuck with 75yd stands and not 50.

You have to be RSO certified to shoot on the ranges unless a guest of some who is RSO certified. Most people are nice and competent. But I run in to idiots every once in awhile. Not remotely as bad as public ranges, but the CRSOs are only rarely on the range, usually just for classes or they happen to want to be shooting that day. I am all for personal responsibility, and I'd hate to have the annoyance of it, but I do sort of wish they'd institute a policy where everyone had to get recertified to use the range periodically. Like every 3 to 5 years. Something in that range.

Not to be ageist about it, but more of the problem people I've run in to are the very older timers who have been members for "years and year and years" who also happen to have not actually been to the range in a few years and just coming back out. This is based on direct conversations I've had with a couple of guys displaying some problematic behavior, or who complained to me about getting "yelled at" for problematic behavior. "well when did they change that rule!?!"

Can't say, as it's been a rule for the nearly 5 years I've been a member...and the rules are on the back of the range*...

I've certainly heard of younger guys displaying problem behavior, I just haven't seen much of it myself.

For joining, just show up for a dinner and chat with people. Someone will almost certainly sponsor you, at least someone on the board will. Now if you show up and just hide along a wall and don't talk to a person, well of course no one is going to sponsor you. But there is no real need to "know a guy". It helps a little, but you still have to show up to one member dinner to drop off your application and be formally sponsored. Your sponsor doesn't have to be there, just sign the form. Actually IIRC, it is two member dinners. First to be sponsored, and then the second to be inducted. The first two years as a probationary member you have to do two service activities a year, one must be an environmental activity. Which could be road clean-up, garden maintenance, tree planting, stream clean-up, etc. The other can be something like range cleanup, cowboy action setup, etc. After your probation you don't have to do any service activities if you don't want to, though it is still encouraged. I forget the fees, it is on the website. Cheaper than most of the chapters. The club house is nice. No hunting on the property, despite the fooking ground hog that lives on the range and likes to walk right in front of the targets sometimes. Also an airgun range back in the woods, 30yds? 50yds? I forget the distance. Nice. I've walked back there once, but I don't shoot airgun. There is also an archer range with movable targets that is very nice. Lastly there is an airgun league, adult and child, that meets indoors for I think 10yd shooting in traps. Shotgun setup is nice. Trap, skeet and 5 stand. Open Wednesdays and weekends?

I've personally eyed up My Airy as my son does Civil Air Patrol that meets there once a week. It would give me something to do while I twiddle my thumbs for two hours. But the service requires more than cost kind of turn me off. Not that I don't mind putting in some effort, but I doubt I'd use Mt Airy more than half a dozen times a year, tops. Not like I'd go shooting every single week in the warm season during CAP.

*For example the guy, I would guess he was in his early 80s, complaining to me that a young feller had told him earlier he wasn't allowed to do holster draws on the range. "Well when did that change!?!" Pretty sure that's been a rule for a decade plus. He did mention it had been a few years since he had been out. He also was having problems shooting more than 2 or 3 shots before he had to lay his handgun down and sit for a minute or two. He was certainly putting them all in the target at about 5yds. But he didn't seem very steady. So, I can see how someone might be a bit alarmed that he was practicing holster draws and shooting (and holster draws are against range rules).

 

[JohnnyE]

I'm a member of the Rockville and Mt. Airy chapters, but instead of commenting now, I'm off to the bourbon thread. More later.

 

[dontpanic]

Might be farther than you're willing to drive but York IWLA is a great club. Super laid back. Never more than a couple people on the range lots of organized events if you want.

 

[LuckyShot]

I'm glad this was asked. I did my hunter safety back in the mid 2000's at rockville chapter aka germantown. From the pics I see they haven't updated the range which is crazy. It looked 30 yrs old 20 yrs ago.

Fairfax IWLA has the best range IMO

Any members have experience with the IWLA shooting leagues?

 

[outrider58]

Oh sorry the Poolsville BCC site.

That's probably the best one in the DC area. I like Damascus because it's only 12 minutes from my house, so any time I get the urge to go, it's not a big bother.

 

[JohnnyE]

Having left the bourbon behind...

Rockville IWLA is effectively just handguns and archery. Handgun target placements are at 7 yards, 50 feet, 25 yards and 50 yards.

Rifle is shot from the tiny, confining rifle house, which allows firing only from a seated position through small openings in the front wall of the rifle house. Targets are at 50, 100 and 138 years.

Mt. Airy handgun range lets you set targets at any distance from 7 to 25 yards. Rifle is shot from an open pavilion, and you may shoot prone, seated, or standing. Target berms are located at 25, 50, 100, 200 and 300 yards.

There is an archery range as well, but I have never seen in.

 

[thedutchtouch]

Thank you all for the replies, and my apologies for the mistakes I made asking the question/conflating WAC and mt airy, the parenthesis above was based on physical street address in an attempt to keep the chapters straight. And I didn't realize there was two chapters with a Mt airy address.

I'm in PG, College Park area, no option to move any time soon so looking to drive out of the area as there is a trap and skeet course and an archery range relatively close by but nothing for rifle/handgun practice as far as I know. I also like the conservation aspect of the league/chapters which attracts me to them as well.

Seems like bcc and wac are still the "leaders of the pack" in terms of available resources, but I need to look into mt airy a bit more as well, the rifle range seems like the best of all of them, and if Rockville is from inside a house/seated only that crosses it off the list for me for now. Current budget is for only one local chapter at the moment. I suppose attending a meeting at each will give me a better feel for the chapters.

Thanks again, super helpful responses from everyone.

 

[RFBfromDE]

Who is Gary Birtch and WTH is he talking about;

"They offer training for all firearms related sports, with the exception of military type weaponry. They specifically do not allow weaponry used by the military whether a relic (such as a collectible) or (especially) current firearms and such of those nature. "

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[outrider58]

Who is Gary Birtch and WTH is he talking about;

"They offer training for all firearms related sports, with the exception of military type weaponry. They specifically do not allow weaponry used by the military whether a relic (such as a collectible) or (especially) current firearms and such of those nature. "

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

I have no idea. I've only been a member there since 1998, so I'm kinda a noob...

 

[outrider58]

Thank you all for the replies, and my apologies for the mistakes I made asking the question/conflating WAC and mt airy, the parenthesis above was based on physical street address in an attempt to keep the chapters straight. And I didn't realize there was two chapters with a Mt airy address.

I'm in PG, College Park area, no option to move any time soon so looking to drive out of the area as there is a trap and skeet course and an archery range relatively close by but nothing for rifle/handgun practice as far as I know. I also like the conservation aspect of the league/chapters which attracts me to them as well.

Seems like bcc and wac are still the "leaders of the pack" in terms of available resources, but I need to look into mt airy a bit more as well, the rifle range seems like the best of all of them, and if Rockville is from inside a house/seated only that crosses it off the list for me for now. Current budget is for only one local chapter at the moment. I suppose attending a meeting at each will give me a better feel for the chapters.

Thanks again, super helpful responses from everyone.

Yeah the WAC having a Mt Airy address can be confusing, especially since is not really close to Mt Airy. It's closer to Damascus and is unofficially referred to as the 'Damascus IWLA'.

It was a sahme about the Rockville Chapter and its ridiculous rifle range situation. I was a member there when that all went down. I finally got tired of waiting for the rifle range to reopen and left. It wasn't a bad place, other than its size. I had some good friends there, including the care taker. You can actually bow hunt there as a member.