No Help from Gun Clubs

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ncpatriot

New member
I am active in my local GOP party. We wanted to have a turkey shoot this year and I was asked to locate a facility. Every place I asked refused us. Some were athletic clubs, civic groups, etc. But the worst part is, I made requests to 3 gun clubs in our area and was refused by them as well. One would think a gun club would jump at the chance to promote and help with a shooting event, especially as the GOP generally supports gun rights.

Add this to the fact that I could not get some gunowners to vote in the 2008 elections. If and when we lose the 2A, I will not blame liberals as much as apathetic gunowners and the "gun establishments" that seem more interested in staying hidden than in helping when they could help influence public opinion for the good.

Any similar experiences out there?
 
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ncpatriot

New member
Tried that too

I tried that too, an in law in the country with several acres, does his own shooting there; he refused also. I hope to possibly connect with a helpful farmer in time to do an event next year.
 
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Big Caliber

New member
Just a thought...My 1st turkey shoot was when I was 9 yars old and in the Cub Scouts, in [California] no less:eek::p . The shoot was held at a local Nat'l Guard armory. Maybe try there? Oh, and I'm with you as to how the 2a will be lost.
 
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Wuchak

New member
Most gun clubs do not want their club overrun with non-members and their insurance probably does not cover this type of event. In some cases their insurance does not cover non-members so only members are allowed to shoot. In other cases they must be guests of a member and that member must be present at all times while the guest is shooting and if they bring more than one guest only one of them may shoot at a time. Events of this kind end up being a big hassle for the club and are more trouble than they are worth.
 
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Uncle Buck

New member
What kind of reasons did they give you? Maybe they were having a turkey shoot or another event during the same period you tried to plan yours?

I talked with the president of the closet gun club and he said their insurance would be crazy. (The gun club would have had to get insurance for the event.)

I do agree with the apathy some of the folks showed during the last election (I am not going to vote, because I do not like...), but I really do wonder if politics were to blame for the clubs reluctance to hold these events.

Join the gun club, or clubs, and next year see if you can get them to participate.
 
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ClayInTx

New member
Not in my backyard

I have an ideal place for a turkey shoot. Out in the country eight miles from a small city. Neighbors who shoot guns almost 24/7. A gun-loving area. I can probably park 50 vehicles. Field artillery could not get through my woods for a back stop.

Would I let someone use my place for a turkey shoot and pay me big bucks for the use? No! No way.

In today’s litigious society there is just too much liability. In every group of five persons there is probably one just hoping for a chance to sue.

The only way you could pay me to use this place is to buy it and also sign a notarized form to be filed in the courthouse that I never said it was a good place for a turkey shoot.

It’s sad that this is how it is now-a-days.
 
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JAZ

New member
I think that the gun clubs are afraid of losing their non profit, tax exempt status if they take party in political fund raising.
 
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pendennis

Moderator
There are several reasons why, but I wouldn't give much credence to a club losing its non-profit status for holding a GOP turkey shoot. There are lots of non-profit pro-political organizations out there.

The club may not be insured for that type of event. This is not to say that an event could not be insured. It's just that additional coverage might be required, and a club doesn't want to go to the trouble of getting a one-day rider for a one-off event. Generally, the organization wanting the event foots the additional insurance, and that cost is built into the fee.

The event just may not be profitable for the club. Club memberships in gun clubs of all types are down from 1960-1990 levels. There is less interest in many cases, and club dollars just don't go as far.

The clubs have to manage the shoot, and volunteers to do the work may be scarce at the time you wanted to have your shoot.

Gun owners are no different than a lot of the population in some respects. Unless the election hits very close to home, they may not take a great deal of interest. Republicans are also not just one issue voters.

There were a lot of conservative Republicans who sat out the 2008 election. Faced with a so-so Senator John McCain as the leader, the conservatives let the train wreck, and Obama was elected. Face it. McCain turned his back on a middle-of-the-road President Bush when it came to ending judicial filibusters by Dems. President Bush attempted to nominate conservative judges, and McCain sided with seven Dems to thwart a rules change to eliminate the filibuster. That didn't sit well with conservatives, and McCain just didn't inspire them. Instead, he tried to cater to the left and RINO's.
 
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amd6547

New member
I belong to a private club in the Cleveland, Ohio area. If I found that they were sponsoring an event to support the local RINO's like Senator George Voinovich, I would seriously consider canceling my membership (and I like my club a lot.).
As for McCain, I respect his service to our country in Vietnam...Nothing else.
 
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oneounceload

Moderator
Smaller clubs tend to be understaffed to provide the services required,and most could not afford the insurance for such an event, political or otherwise.

Find out exactly WHY they turned you down - the reasons may be legit
 
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Doc Intrepid

New member
A gun club I was a member of held a very large event once, along the same lines.

Gun clubs usually don't have much "staff". They will have the club officers, and then the Range Safety Officers, etc., but any 'event staff" positions must be filled by volunteers. The event coordinator is a volunteer, and must set up all the planning meetings.

There are lots of working parts - making targets, cleaning up the range, clearing up after the event, golf cart rental, an ambulance on standby in case someone gets hurt, radio communications, folks in the parking lot to check weapons being brought in, event coordinators (also all volunteer), handing out T-shirts, water, and so forth.

Its a huge job for an organization that doesn't run these sorts of events regularly, and its difficult to get enough volunteers and organization to pull them off smoothly.

Not saying anything about your GOP turkey shoot, but I can think of a number of reasons why gun clubs would not necessarily leap at the opportunity.

Just sayin'
 
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