Shooting Clubs
Every shooting organization encourages new participants. It is the only way they can survive.
I “saw the light” of the effectiveness of organized shooting over ten years ago and have been actively involved in at least a half dozen disciplines, in over three dozen clubs located in ten different states around the United States. I’ve personally met hundreds of participant-shooters involved in these events and conversed with double that.
I have yet to come across anyone that is less than helpful and enthusiastic, especially about getting a new person started. I’ve heard rumors but never experienced it myself. In fact, based on my experience, I’ve found that most people who claim to have had a bad experience with participants at an organized shooting event likely did something to bring it on.
If you come across as a know-it-all, think organized shooting is beneath you, that “mere target shooters” don’t have “real” skills and clubs don’t deserve any support for their efforts, and then show up at a match displaying unsafe handling practices and very poor ability some of the particicipants may be less than cordial. They might even comment negatively.
However, if you show up with a positive attitude, want to learn something from more experienced shooters and are willing to help out a little, you will probably be welcomed.
But maybe you actually did run into some bad apples, an exception to the general rule of thumb. There is NOTHING stopping you from starting your own club!
Don’t like what your local shooting club is doing? Not tactical enough or don’t like the people? Start your own club and do it your way. Maybe your way is better. But nobody will ever know until it gets done.
The problem with gun owners isn’t what clubs are or aren’t doing, or how participants act. It is with the 95 percent of gun owners who complain, don’t participate in anything, refuse to support those who do, and won’t get off their couch to start something on their own. And then they wonder why ranges are hard to find, anti-gun attitudes abound, and golf courses keep being built in prime locations for shooting clubs.
