Anyone here a member?  Looks like they have one close to where I live, think it might be a good place to go to do some shooting etc.  Anyone have any thoughts about it?  Were a member are a member.   Thinking this might give me something to do on the weekends and get out side and enjoy nature a little and do some volunteer stuff around like minded people.

I would appreciate anyone experiences or thoughts.  

Thanks

Not sure which location you are looking at. I’ve been a member of the Loudoun chapter for a few years. One of the only outdoor ranges in NoVa. I find value in having a membership.

Be careful thinking everyone is likeminded there tho...lots of old fudds and lefty environmentalists are also members.

I appreciate the info.  That is the one I am looking at.

I was a member of the Arlington-Fairfax chapter (in Centreville) back in the 90s.  To get in back then, you had to get on a waiting list and when your name came up, do 6 hours of volunteer work on the property.  And you had to keep your membership current or you were back in line again.

They have/had a decent property, with shotgun, rifle/pistol, archery, and air rifle ranges...but the suburbs were encroaching and the Karens were complaining about the noise, resulting in more restrictive rules.  Of course.

I hung out almost exclusively on the shotgun ranges, which is why my buddy and I joined.  Bull Run is fine, but at IWLA, you and a friend could get a range to yourself if it wasn't crowded and pull targets for each other, focusing on where you had issues, and then pay for what you used.  That part was great.  100%.

The issue we had back then is that we would often show up on the weekend, after driving 30+ minutes to get there, only to see that the guy who ran that part of the club would have it partially or fully shutdown to members so he could hold a competition, open to folks from outside...and then we ended up going to Bull Run anyway.  Perhaps our timing just sucked, but it really started to bug us.  Of course, in the internet age, it would probably be much easier to check out the schedule before you make the drive.  And the guy who ran that range put in a ton of time to make it decent, so I don't want to slam him.

I can't comment on the pistol/rifle range because I didn't use it much.  It was 100 yards and only open for a brief period on Sunday, which made Saturday more crowded.  Probably worked better for people who didn't have traditional M-F day jobs.


ETA:  I see you are looking at Loudoun instead.  I took a tour of it once and my general impression was that it was not nearly as nice as the Arlington-Fairfax chapter, but that was 20+ years ago.

Thank you, I appreciate all the info. I haven't been out there suppose I should take a drive and check it out.

I recently joined the Arlington/Fairfax chapter off 28 and 29.

I have been a member of Arlington-Fairfax for over a decade. I am a pretty big fan, and really love the emphasis on youth shooting sports because I have two kids who enjoy shooting. Can’t help much with Loudoun but I understand the shot fall area is small so they are pretty tight on shell requirements.

-shooter

I was a member for several years at the Izzak Walton gun range in Middleway, WV. Good people and a nice place to shoot or catch n release fishing. They are big into shotgun sports.

I’d still be a member if I hadn’t moved to NC.

How long is the waiting list now?

I'm a member of IWLA of Arlington/Fairfax.  In general it really is a great place.  Archery indoor and outdoor 3D and olympic style targets.  Shotgun, fish pond, camp sites, indoor air rifle.  Great support of local teams.  There is an online calendar so you can check range availability for all ranges including R/P and/or Shotgun.

My one peeve is the Rifle Pistol range or should I say the lack of a dedicated pistol range.  The shortest range you can shoot pistol is 25yds and no drawing from the holster.  The only exception is on the couple months each year with 5 Sundays.  On those days you can to down close to the berm and do defensive pistol.  Wow.  Let me schedule my life around a couple hours 4 times a year for one of the most important parts of gun ownership.  Defending oneself and your loved ones.   The single biggest growth sector of the shooting community is defensive pistol ie drawing from the holster.  My club has spent a SHIT ton of money on parking for the air rifle range, indoor archery, etc and no dedicated pistol range????  At my first meeting one of the old codgers who is in a position of power...when asked about a pistol range scoffed at the idea.  "We don't do that here.  We don't need it.  Insureance...blah...blah...blah..."  I've seen it a thousand times.  He and his buddies are happy playing with their WW1 bolt action rifles shooting off sandbags on weekdays and it's great for them.  You cant tell me that with all the money they've spent over the past 5 years ive been there they couldn't afford a dedicated handgun range.  

I've become so dissatisfied with that and the lack of a rifle range over 100yds that I'm looking elsewhere...which is essentially what the guy mentioned above was saying...and this was during the new member orientation.  Great message.  "If you don't like it then leave.  We're in charge and we'll decide."   Funny, I thought that would be something that the membership should decide.

Don't get me wrong.  I like shooting there but I need more than 100yards and I do a lot of handgun shooting...defensive pistol.  For that I need a separate membership to a separate range.  Combine those two memberships and your talking real $.

Something like a dedicated handgun range is at least viable, but will be hard. The idea of a larger rifle range at the Arlington/Fairfax location is a non-starter between the property size and the county...

-shooter

You're right on both points.  I wish they could do more than 100 but just looking at an overhead map you can see it's just not possible.  If they were starting from scratch on the same plot, sure but not now.  Along that NE boundary they could but the access road would have to pass along the south edge of the shotgun range and that would not be safe.

I have no idea.  They had quite a few openings when I joined in December.

Appreciate everyone's insight and replies, trying too decide what I am going to do, see about joining or go a different route. Thanks again all the insight has been very helpful.