Mo money needed

[RJ]

Maybe someone could describe how joining USPSA supports the local club. I've never been sure about that one either.

Good question, yeah I'd be interested in hearing what national does for the clubs at the local level.

Doesn't seem like it comes in the form of any financial benefit, the other way around from what I understand. I guess Clubs can offer "USPSA" sanctioned matches? As in, someone registering for a match could presume it was run to USPSA standards...hopefully? IDK if a match has to be "under" USPSA for a classification score to be submitted "fo real" or not, also.

Otherwise I got nothin'.

[RJ]

I have a one time limited offer of an annual membership for the low low price of $40. But don't wait or the price will go up to $65. Seriously, it will....

Thanks for the info. How long have I got? Can I do this in September? I think someone mentioned the price hike happens in "October" but I can't recall; I'll go check the web site when I get a chance today.

[bofe954]

Good question, yeah I'd be interested in hearing what national does for the clubs at the local level.

Doesn't seem like it comes in the form of any financial benefit, the other way around from what I understand. I guess Clubs can offer "USPSA" sanctioned matches? As in, someone registering for a match could presume it was run to USPSA standards...hopefully? IDK if a match has to be "under" USPSA for a classification score to be submitted "fo real" or not, also.

Otherwise I got nothin'.

That is a club benefit of affiliating with USPSA. The club doesn't need you to join USPSA for that.

[WobblyPossum]

If you’re only going to join one, I’d recommend going the actual club you shoot with as opposed to joining USPSA. Your club dues go directly towards equipment and maintenance of that equipment, the things needed to actually host a match. Big USPSA isn’t buying cardboard targets, tape, staples, fault lines, target stands, walls, steel targets, etc for your club. The club does that itself using your annual dues and some of the money from your match fees.

[RJ]

If you’re only going to join one, I’d recommend going the actual club you shoot with as opposed to joining USPSA. Your club dues go directly towards equipment and maintenance of that equipment, the things needed to actually host a match. Big USPSA isn’t buying cardboard targets, tape, staples, fault lines, target stands, walls, steel targets, etc for your club. The club does that itself using your annual dues and some of the money from your match fees.

Thanks, that’s a good idea. I’ll give them a call (Hogtown Practical Shooters Gainesville FL).

[bofe954]

Thanks, that’s a good idea. I’ll give them a call (Hogtown Practical Shooters Gainesville FL).

If you want to support your club-

Help set up. If you can't do it every time, try and do it here and there. I am assuming everyone tears down.

The club probably has "work days" or whoever runs it has them themselves. Doing stuff like painting 2x2's and drilling holes in them to use as fault lines, fixing walls, whatever.

Being a member of the club is sometimes helpful. At my past club we had issues with members complaining that the matches took up too many bays, and they should stop. We countered this by arguing that if 20+ members were shooting the match, it was a better use of 4 bays than 4 members sucking up 4 bays. If no one shooting the match was a member...

Occasionally you need big stuff done (like new bays), if you have enough voting members, and potentially action shooting peeps on the club board, you can get stuff done.

[RJ]

If you want to support your club-

Help set up. If you can't do it every time, try and do it here and there. I am assuming everyone tears down.

The club probably has "work days" or whoever runs it has them themselves. Doing stuff like painting 2x2's and drilling holes in them to use as fault lines, fixing walls, whatever.

Being a member of the club is sometimes helpful. At my past club we had issues with members complaining that the matches took up too many bays, and they should stop. We countered this by arguing that if 20+ members were shooting the match, it was a better use of 4 bays than 4 members sucking up 4 bays. If no one shooting the match was a member...

Occasionally you need big stuff done (like new bays), if you have enough voting members, and potentially action shooting peeps on the club board, you can get stuff done.

I’m hip. I was a member of Wyoming Antelope Club in Pinellas County when I started shooting around 2013. My challenge is Gainesville is an hour+ one way up I75 from our new place in Ocala. Not exactly local. But I’ll find out, certainly.

[ECK]

I opted for a life membership about 8 years ago so I don’t really have a dog in the fee hike issue, but I’ll weigh in on the benefits of being a member.

First and foremost, it allows you to shoot level 2 and higher matches (aka majors). Is that a plus? Depends on the individual, but I enjoy going to bigger matches for the shooting experience and going up against a more diverse group of talent that my local homies. Lvl 2 and higher matches also require that the stages be approved by NROI, so you’re less likely to see goofy sh!t and shouldn’t see any illegal stages at a major unless the RM was asleep at the switch during setup. MDs/stage designers also put more effort into coming up with more elaborate and creative matches at majors, so the stages are more interesting/fun at a multi-day match than a local where we setup and tear down in the same day.

There is a direct correlation of having a bunch of club members who like to travel to major matches (and must be members to shoot majors) is they are the ones who will bring that flavor back to their local club matches and make the local match stages resemble more of what we see at majors. Who benefits from that? Ultimately the other shooters do, so does the local club because it enhances the reputation of their matches, which draws more people, which then contributes to more people chipping in, builds revenue for the club which means they can purchase more props/targets, etc. and keep making the matches better. Does everyone need to be a USPSA member for the club to be successful, nope. The org will make money off your activity fee that the club pays for each shooter (member and non-member alike).

Speaking of club reputation, being part of the franchise and advertising your match as USPSA does draw people. There’s a local club not far from me that is offering their own brand of outlaw “action steel match”, but the appeal to me (and just about all the other USPSA shooters in my town) is minimal bc you don’t know what to expect, it resembles 3-gun stages except with just a pistol, and I have no idea what they are using for a ruleset. With a USPSA match, I can expect to go to any match in the country and know what I am getting into.

And that’s the other benefit of supporting the organization: we have a established ruleset, we have an established range officer corps which is trained to the same standard, and you know what you’re getting into. Granted, if you don’t become a member NROI and the rulebook are not going to go away, but your membership does support it.

[RJ]

Thanks, that’s a good idea. I’ll give them a call (Hogtown Practical Shooters Gainesville FL).

Well well well.



R&D Tactical is about 8 miles from our new place. Will definitely look into these guys after we get moved (Sep-Oct ish).

[willie]

In 1970 I joined a gun club whose membership fee was $10 per year. The inflation calculator puts this amount at $80. That same year I bought a box of Federal 357 Mag JSP for $7.45 plus tax. I found the box in the 2 tons of hoarded materials that continues to grow.