Any current members of Holmesburg have feedback?

**ZombieTom** · January 26th, 2011, 10:11 PM

I'm think its time to join a range or gun club in my area. Holmesburg Fish & Game are in the lead right now because they are the closest and are CMP affiliated.

A lot of the feedback I can find seems to be from a few former members, or people that may of only shot there once.

So can any current members give me some pros and cons?

**tourture** · March 26th, 2011, 04:00 PM

anybody? I was thinking of joining since I want to start shooting rifle in the near future. Pro/Cons/Indifferences?

**phillian** · March 26th, 2012, 08:21 PM

I'm a member here now. This is an old thread but if Philly area folks (or potential new members stumbling on my old thread) have more specific questions, feel free to ask. If I don't know the answer I'll find someone that does.

For further reference, I reviewed the place on Yelp about a month ago. Shoot primarily outdoor pistol (Glock 26) and rifle (Savage .308) but plan to become involved in skeet / trap when I pick up a shotgun in a few weeks.

I know this place has had a contentious past (some members had a falling out over no longer being allowed to CCW on site, internal club politics, I don't know) but I can't speak knowledgably about that. It was before my time.

What I can say is that it's a max fifteen minute drive if you live on the eastern side of the city and, with the new member initiation fee waived now, it's a flat $100 to shoot dawn to 10 p.m. quite nearly 24/7 for a year. That's a sweet deal no matter what way you slice it. Especially within Philadelphia city limits.

**ruggerio** · March 26th, 2012, 11:13 PM

i'll preface this by admitting im not a member

that being said i will add that when it comes to clay shooting( skeet/trap or the other chinese clay game we shoot) i dont feel as if IM NOT A MEMBER.

i think its open clay shooting either trap or skeet for 5 days of the week including saturday.

im an experienced shooter of the middle 40's age and found the regular shooters suspect at first ( i can completely understand why and what for considering strange folk are handling loaded guns in close proximity to ones self ) but quickly comfortable with me after a round or two.

jerry is the clay master of ceremonies and is a very nice guy and in my experience very accommodating and welcoming.

i am also a member of LRGC and i find the rifle range there better then holmesburg.

im in fishtown and its 20 minutes to HFGA for me and even with the new 5 buck guest fee its still a bargain at 5 bucks a round for clays from proper stations.

for $100 per year i dont see how you could go wrong

**kimura** · March 27th, 2012, 09:35 PM

i've been meaning to check this place out, as i could certainly use a closer (than harrisburg area) rifle range to use.

however...

until this thread, i have heard exactly zero positive things about it. in contrast to a whole slew of negative.

i perused their rules & regulations, and i found them to be absolutely insane and impractical. single shot? what's the purpose of limiting rifle range use to single shot? one can't even properly check for magazine issues and etc...

how lenient are they with their (absolutely stupid) rules? i'm not going to pay $100 to a range that would likely just rescind my membership for *gasp* carrying a firearm or wanting to actually use a magazine in a rifle.

**phillian** · March 28th, 2012, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by kimura

i've been meaning to check this place out, as i could certainly use a closer (than harrisburg area) rifle range to use.

however...

until this thread, i have heard exactly zero positive things about it. in contrast to a whole slew of negative.

i perused their rules & regulations, and i found them to be absolutely insane and impractical. single shot? what's the purpose of limiting rifle range use to single shot? one can't even properly check for magazine issues and etc...

how lenient are they with their (absolutely stupid) rules? i'm not going to pay $100 to a range that would likely just rescind my membership for *gasp* carrying a firearm or wanting to actually use a magazine in a rifle.

I haven't broken the rules yet so I can't comment on how strictly they are enforced. Yes, they ask for single shot at the rifle range and 5 round max on the outdoor pistol range. They also ask you use 1 paper target at a time, only. And no CCW (we were told that rule was included after some pretty flagrant abuse by a member who liked to hang out at the club house with a loaded revolver in his front shirt pocket and was asked several times to stop).

But the instructor also asked us not to use automatic weapons on the range if kids or someone was being instructed because its disruptive, impossible to concentrate, and maybe a bit scary for the younger guys. In the same breath he said as long as you get the permission of the RSO you should have no problems using your Class 3 or .50 cal or other gucci HSLD weapon. But be warned "You'll probably get lots of onlookers." So... I think that means there is wiggle room. Next time I swing by and see him, I'll ask for clarification.

I'm down in the near northeast (Port Richmond) so maybe I'm missing something; but to my mind this is close, cheap, and open almost all the time. My alternatives are to drive to, as you pointed out, nearly Harrisburg, or an hour plus through the city and beyond in some other direction only to pay through the nose upon arrival. I guess it's a matter of what your priorities are. I like to shoot and practice a lot- a 15 min drive, no additional cost and an annoying 5 rounds/ mag rule is a good trade to my mind if it means I am practicing on a weekly or biweekly basis. YMMV.

This range is also used by the Department of Corrections and the Navy from time to time; it's wedged between the Fire Academy and some special units of the Police Department. I'm amazed it exists at all and hasn't been usurped through some crap eminent domain legislation by the municipal government years ago.

**kimura** · March 29th, 2012, 01:29 AM

yeah, if you could find out how lenient their rules are, i'd appreciate it.

single shot rifle is a definite dealbreaker.

**Pukindog** · March 29th, 2012, 11:26 AM

I have not shot at their ranges therefore I can not say how lenient the rules are. I will speak for the club I belong to; the rules are in place to prevent accidents. Safety is paramount. A member wanting to try and see what he/she can get away with runs the risk of losing their membership. Same as driving; do 95 in a 35 MPH zone and don't get caught; get caught and pay the piper.
I tell all of our new prospective members at qualifications if the rules are too strict find a club more to your liking. So far no one has taken me up on the offer.

Jeff

**kimura** · March 29th, 2012, 03:31 PM

in this case, it's moot. i won't even join to begin with, if that's the way it is.

why would i dump $100 on a range i wouldn't use?

further, if the issues of limiting rifles to single shot/anti-carrying are because of safety... then i don't want to shoot there, at all. if people are too incompetent/unsafe to carry a firearm or use a rifle's magazine... i don't want to be around them.

i think your logic paints a lose-lose situation for the range.