Frustrated with Gun Club Experience

[RojamB21]

I will drop one name here and any one in SOUTHERN ONTARIO belongs to firearm community will JUMP because everyone knows that guy but Quiting is not an option.

[Bronco Boy]

I too am always blown away at how rude and unwelcoming the staff and some members can be at gun clubs. I’m a member at a couple of lower mainland clubs and NONE of them understand how to welcome new people or appeal to people considering getting into shooting. They could not be more unwelcoming or intimidating if they tried…The Mission club is brutal in my opinion; crazy rule Nazis…the regulars can be downright rude to new people. ARE you a member here? Did you pay your drop in fee? ..always the first words out of their mouths, never: Hi, welcome to the club my name is….

The sense of entitlement and elitist attitudes exhibited by the “old boys” is amazing sometimes. I simply love to shoot and refuse to take their $hit. When asked to produce my membership card I now always demand to see there’s first and then act like I have every bit as much right to be there as they do…because I do. I call them on their rude behavior and tell them they are hurting our sport and futures by making new members and shooters feel unwelcome…they grumble and mutter about the “old days”.

My advice; join the club you want and ignore the “grumpy old men”…they seem to haunt most gun clubs.

[Bronco Boy]

. My expectations of the club that I'm planning on joining are not very high. I just need a place to test out my shotgun dangit. I could care less if the people there like me or not.

Sadly, this is the best attitude to have and one I have adopted after feeling very unwelcome as a new member most places. Of the 3 clubs I have joined I never ONCE got a tour or a welcome...lots of talk about rules and what I was allowed and not allowed to do though.

[john777]

1 step away from being Commies. Well, maybe not, but you get the picture.

[punkrockboy]

My former club, The Pembroke Outdoor Sportsmans Club, was not very welcoming to new shooters(the indoor pistol range).
I decided to try the indoor pistol range back in April, everybody was cold, some were even quite rude. They were obviously happy with their own little clique, and didnt feel the need to welcome a new shooter. Needless to say, that was my first and last time using the indoor range. I actually said to one of the guys that was rude, while on my way out, that though they would never be able to discourage me from shooting(I've been shooting for years)I cant help but wonder how many new shooters(the future of our hobby) they have turned away from shooting!

[deckerhead]

I wouldnt judge the entire club on one a$$hole caretakers attitude. I live in Bantario and have belonged to several clubs in the last 25yrs, and yes there is a lot of mouthpiece know it all's out there, but you will find that most members are helpfull and kind to new members. I currently belong to the Orillia Gun Club and can honestly boast that it is the best of the four clubs that I have belonged to in central Ontario.

[deckerhead]

I will drop one name here and any one in SOUTHERN ONTARIO belongs to firearm community will JUMP because everyone knows that guy but Quiting is not an option.

Does he frequent the Barrie Gun Club.......LOL

[Tomochan]

I'm a member at three clubs:

Mission - mostly quiet, has range out to 100m, 200m and 295 yards ( yes, it would be nice to be 300m but c'est la vie ). Has a seperate pistol range where one shot rule doesn't apply and has a nice cowboy action area. The rifle range is occassionally policed by real p.i.t.a Fudds ( recently I was chastised for loading my rimfire Savage 22 magazine and made to follow the one round at a time rule even though the rules allow for discretion by RSO's ) but most of the time it is just a bunch of people who like shooting doing their own stuff safely and quietly. Ideal place for working on accuracy, load development etc.

PoCo - can be a real busy place on range 7 and the RSO's have to be on the safety stuff all the time but people are friendly and usually you get to see a whole bunch of different firearms. If you are able to put up with the crowded facility you can have a nice time there and get to know the staff etc but if you are the kind of person that needs solitude it won't be your kind of place. It has good facilities and is well maintained. I usually shoot the stuff there that would raise eyebrows at Mission ( Ar's etc ) and my milsurps as it isn't really ideal for precision rifle ( but people do ). If you become Range User Certified you can use the much quieter ranges for pistol but until qualification you are restricted to the busy public range. Obviously weekends are the busiest.

Gabriola - A totally quiet, somewhat shotgun-centric, rural place that is perfect for just doing your own thing. Super friendly people and exceptionally nice facilities.

[Wendell]

My former club, The Pembroke Outdoor Sportsmans Club, was not very welcoming to new shooters(the indoor pistol range).
I decided to try the indoor pistol range back in April, everybody was cold, some were even quite rude. They were obviously happy with their own little clique, and didnt feel the need to welcome a new shooter. Needless to say, that was my first and last time using the indoor range. I actually said to one of the guys that was rude, while on my way out, that though they would never be able to discourage me from shooting(I've been shooting for years)I cant help but wonder how many new shooters(the future of our hobby) they have turned away from shooting!

People can be selfish. And when they're cold, people sometimes do strange things. But gun owners, as a group, must have a greater awareness of our own personal space.

A person's personal space should always be respected.

[petermoo999]

PoCo is a good club, a bit crowded on the weekends, but friendly people, over head heater during winter season. Overall Great Club IMO.