Lessons from other clubs

[dave_303]

My current shooting club is a very good club with great faculties (4 lane 25m indoor range (pistol cal), 6 lane outdoor 100m range (.22) and it is in the process of building an outdoor 10 lane 50m pistol cal range).

But it would be interesting to see what other clubs have done to better themselves, what has worked and what hasn't.
so to avoid making this too convoluted.
1). Does anyone's club have a link with a local scout group/cadets?
2). Which disciplines has been the fastest to grow/have the most substantial numbers within the club.
3). It would be interesting to see if the 100m range could be upped to a fullbore range, but there are houses nearby, the range is in an old quarry, any suggestions so as not to irritate the neighbours too much? I know Blairdam Range uses sound proofing barrels, have these prove effective?
4). Is there anything you feel your club has done specifically that has improved it significantly/attracted new people to the sport?

Sorry for being long winded on this but answers to any of the above would be of interest, even just to see how other clubs operate.

[FredB]

Our range is also in an old quarry and is leased from the local council. When the time came to renew the lease, we held an open day and made a point of inviting the nearest residents---about 1/3 mile away and also conducted sound tests in conjunction with the local authority. We were under the impression that none of the residents could hear us, but this is not so. We have been there for more than 50 years and the only suggestion from the locals was that we could refrain from shooting before 9.30 in the morning so as not to disturb the weekend long lie in. We feel that, by inviting people in to see what we do, we reinforced the good will which has always existed between us and the district council.
Fred

[Chapuis]

Our club has links with many local organisations including scouts, university of the third age, rotary, TA and the local cadet units. These links have been established mainly in the last five years or so and have paid off handsomely. The club was established over a hundred years ago but has previously hidden itself away making a point of keeping a low profile. Since the change of direction membership has risen from barely 40 members to over 170 though it should be said that previously the peak membership had been around 60 at one time when we shot pistols.

By far the most popular disciplines the club shoots is sporting rifle and gallery rifle. Small bore prone and black powder are all but dead in the club with only a very small number of participants in these disciplines. Air gun is only really shot by the scouts when they visit the range but there have been nearly 200 of them at a time when local jamborees were held.

100 yard full bore is definitely the way to go in my experience.

[mullen7]

"Do the blairadam barrels work?" They do. But they're absolutely ridiculous, and can be a pain in the arse, because of the nature of the 200m, you sometimes need to adjust the barrel so you can actually get the rifle muzzle inside it, but at the same time be able to stand comfortably and keep a correct posture/have a good FOV. As you can imagine, having to try and move the barrel while live firing on is a little bit of an butt clencher.

Out of interest, what club do you shoot at? Sounds like a good set up!

[Racalman]

1. The local Cubs shoot air rifle every month at our 25m indoor range
2. Fullbore (we have access to three local MoD ranges)
3. Sorry, no experience there
4. Most of our new members come via our web site. We opened up our range as a public shooting gallery during the local summer fete

http://www.owrpc.co.uk/

[nunhead]

What AMAZES and ANNOYS me are the many blinkered Clubs ........ examples.
F & G Club got a grant, rebuilt range ...... prone .22 only!
County Smallbore Association New range ----- .22 only, ignoring the potential income from GR, with only a small increase in project cost.
SO many SB clubs with no facilities for sitting (for those who can't get up and down any more, let alone Bench Rest) or standing (even if only "supported "). .....

THEN there are all of the invented Rules. ......

If the Home Office / Police want to get rid of target shooting, just give the issuing of FACs to Club Committees!

[TattooedGun]

THEN there are all of the invented Rules.......

If the Home Office / Police want to get rid of target shooting, just give the issuing of FACs to Club Committees!

Being on the committee of a .22lr smallbore club, You may find that most of these "invented" rules are stipulations of insurance from the issuing insurer, and could be rules in place because the range is governed by the NSRA rule set. As is the case at the club where I am on the committee. I do get that some members may see us as inventing the rules, but the reality is that we are finding existing rules as we get more and more documents that had been omitted during the handover of roles. Needless to say it often makes us look like we're being harsh for enforcing the rules that should have always been in place.

It's a different story to being a member than being named on a committee or for instance on the club FAC. If things go wrong as a member, you're only accountable for yourself. If anything goes wrong on the range as a member in charge, the buck stops with you and you are answerable. Why weren't those members following the rules, your insurance is now void, now liable for millions in damages... etc...

[dromia]

The best thing a club can do is ditch anything whatsoever to do with the NSRA, they are so incompetent that they have tied clubs in knots with their abysmal range certificates and their complex, confusing and poorly defined and explained insurance. They and their "service" for clubs is not fit for purpose and is also a liability because of the lack of clarity and conflicting messages they send out.

We moved to the NRA for the insurance, simple, cheaper and not restrictive like the NSRA rubbish.

I would not be confident about the extent of my liability and cover as a club chairman if we ere still insured through the NSRA.

[nunhead]

I am not speaking as one of the majority of those who leave it to others to do the work --- or the REALLY frustrating tiny minority witho just criticise ---- but as one with 40+ years as Club captain, Hon Sec, Chairman, President, NRA Regional Pistol Coach etc., etc.

I suppose that while waiting for the Press & Media diatribes due for the Dunblane anniversary I allowed myself to focus on those WITHIN our sport who do little to promote it ...... like the Clubs with ranges empty much of the week who don't attempt to link with schools, youth organizations or even the U3A; "prone only" clubs who turn away potential members; clubs where retired people with time to shoot almost ANY time won't give way to new sessions for new people ..... "We ALWAYS shoot our cards at 8 on a Wednesday " .....

No wonder our average age is high......

Perhaps I should just shut up, but seeing our traditions wither is very hard to take.

[dromia]

All I can say is that our club is thriving at the moment, we have a waiting list for membership and we are busy when open.

I think this is an older man/womans game from my observations, we get young uns and families joining pretty consistently and taking to shooting. However as they get older and adolesence strikes along with females/males, drink, drugs, education, jobs, university, career, family, debt etc and all the stuff on setting out in life they drift away. However many do come back to it in later middle age once the family have left and they have a bit more disposable income and time. That combined with the fact that we are an ageing population anyway doesn't dismay me.

Currently from my small view shooting as regards participants is thriving at a local level.

Hell we even had eight of us turn out on Thursday morning for an impromptu Bell Target competition session complete with a pan of broth and buns, not quiet a mutton dinner but it was mid morning.