Me and a group of friends have formed a shooting club and recently received our NRA charter. We have found a place that we can lease for five years at a time, with a payment every year but we need to raise $1000 dollars to start it. This includes the $500 dollars we have to have for insurance. We can't really have much luck selling memberships until we have the range to shoot at. Any ideas on how to raise the money?

you could try North Hollywood style and try to rob a bank for the money[heavy]

Car wash, bake sales, pan handle, beg, They all worked when I was in school.

Raffle off an AR10, it works for keepandbeararms.com.

I'd go with the raffle as well. See if you can get a local gun store or a manufacturer to give you a gun (in exchange for free advertising via the raffle) or get a gun at or below cost.

Just make sure you contact your state gubmint to follow all laws pertaining to raffles.

I think you could make selling pre-memberships successful if you quote a price that is much less than the price after the range is open.  That way, you'll get the guys who want to jump in on a good deal.  Also, they'll be more understanding when it takes a short while after they pay, before they can shoot.

If that doesn't work, maybe you could get a local gun shop or smith to help.  I don't know how many times I've heard in a gun shop from prospective buyers that they're unsure about a purchase, because they don't have any where to shoot.  At the very least, the gun shop could hand-out an information sheet for you.