Hey guys, after being on the waiting list for about a year, I've finally been allowed to become a member at tri county gun club. I just wasted to see if you guys have any opinions on the place, and feel it's worth it before I join up. I'm hoping the range rules aren't too draconian, but I've only shot my guns once since moving out here in July, so hopefully this would let me get out a little more regularly. Thanks for the input!

It's worth it.

Surely you would have read the rules and got info about the club before joining the wait list? Regardless, if you intend to shoot a fair amount, I'd say go for it. I would have considered joing them, but they don't open their range up to the public, so I went elsewhere. Good shooting.

Yeah, I read the rules, I guess what I was more looking for is the attitude and atmosphere of the club. I could have worded my first post a little better. I've read some horror stories of random clubs online and figured I'd ask before I drop the cash. Looks like I'll go forward with it. Will be nice to finally have a place to go to shoot regularly.

Totally see where you're coming from. I just got membership with Clark Rifles, after shooting there as a member of the public, which they allow on Sunday's. This allowed me to get a feel for the membersip and the range safety officers. So when I put my name on the waiting list, I had no qualms about the place. I'm happy I did it, as they just raised their rates to members of the public to shoot there, and stopped them from using handguns there.

Some of your questions may be answered here - http://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/tri-county-gun-club.6/

You can go anytime as a guest of a member. The rules aren't too restrictive and I think it's well run. It has the most variety of ranges, competition etc. of any club around. If you want to join a range you really can't do better anywhere around.

Thanks for the replys guys. Also, that link was very informative Lange.  I'm excited to become a member there. Now for the meeting on the 16th!

If I knew someone who was a member, I would have taken them up on it, but no luck. Glad OP has got membership.

Why would you pay money to go shooting when you can drive up into the hills and shoot for free, in the beautiful forest? The forest doesn't care if you rapid fire, practice drawing and shooting, shoot reactive (IE tannerite) targets. You can walk downrange whenever you want to check your targets.


Basically, I don't see why people pay to go shooting when they can drive out into the middle of nowhere and get a better experience.

Please be ready to pass the new member evaluation so you don't need to stay for the class. All you need to do is remember the hot/cold range procedures, keep the gun pointed in a safe direction and hit a 12 x 16 target 5 for 5 with a pistol and then a rifle at 50 feet. Not hard to do but it seems that about half of the new members can't do it with out additional training.

People have lots of reasons.

Save on gas money, depending on where you live
Don't have to worry about some drunk/stoned moron shooting when you are down range
Good benches with lighting in the winter so you can shoot until 9 pm
30 or so self serve auto throwers on the shotgun ranges
Access to the cheapest AR500 steel targets available
Don't have to be associated with ass hats who drag trash out into the forest
Access to good affordable training classes
Indoor .22 range
Archery range with good targets
Access to more brass than you know what to do with if you are willing to pick it up
Don't have to drag target stands around
Easy access to more competitions than you can shoot in any given month
Don't have to worry about shrapnel from someone lighting off pipe bombs or tannerite  too close.
Known range steel targets out to 250 for cast bullets and .22's
Access to a big network of other shooters
A 14 bay action range where you can draw, move and shoot as fast as you want as long as you are hitting the target or really close to it.
A junior small bore program which sends kids to the junior Olympics every year for about $35 a season.

The woods have their good points but I got tired of having to pack up and leave when other people showed up and were unsafe. It's not worth getting shot to spend a day shooting.

I'm a happy TCGC member here. Though lately I have been using the archery range more than anything else. I have used just about every range except the 600 yd line, skeet and sporting clays. That time will come.

I appreciate the safe and accessible opportunities to participate in a variety of shooting sports close to home.

I just can't see the draw to pay to do something you can go do for free... But if you want to pay for it, go ahead.

Could not have put it better myself. To each his own.

As Lange pointed out there is a lot of reasons. I easily save in gas and time what I pay for membership at TCGC for a year. It's a good place (not perfect) and continues to get better. Good thing your not in to it though, no memberships available anyway

what is TCGC? 12 bucks a month?

going shooting is going to a rifle range.  going blasting is going to the hills.  both are fun.  best thing about the range is sighting in my rifles, indoor 24 hour 22 range and talking with guys there whom in general pretty good-guys.  I've met waaaayyyy more ass-hats up blasting in the hills than I have at the range... not that there aren't a few there too.


and yes, TCGC is worth the 12 bucks a month (or whatever few bucks it is)

Me and my wife will be there on the 16th as well.

Forgot we even signed up for the waiting list, it had been so long

Awesome! I'll have to shoot you a pm when I get a little more time so I can say hi while we're there. As for the waiting list, I was on it three months before I moved out from Montana, so I'd given up hope!

Been a member over 10 years and it's a 10 minute drive from home......wouldn't have it any other way.

He read the rules and don't call him Shirley. TCGC is a great place!

Great range and as with all places, the fellow shooters can be either way depending on how well they slept ....Wife and I tend to use pistol pits the most since with the exception of the great clay / skeet area they have.  Recently just started using the rifle side and guess what I found out.......enjoyed that side too .......I was hesitant for years but when we became member like 3-4 years ago I haven't looked back and wont dare let my membership laps