TexasCHLforum.com

After my visit this weekend, I went ahead and updated the first post in the thread.

Thanks guys,

I had already read through the website and I've emailed them to learn more about the club. When I learn more I'll post the info.

It is a private club with restricted access, however I saw on their site that the third Saturday of each month they are open to the public after 1pm. I'm not super concerned about the $750 price to buy a share in the club, as long as they will help me sell the share to a new / prospective member if I ever need to leave the club. The way I see it, it's a refundable deposit that helps keep the club size in control and prevents people from joining up who aren't serious. That cash also keeps the club in good shape (I believe it's a co-op).

Reading through their monthly Bullet-Tins (*chuckles*) it looks like an active group of mixed ages with a number of families. For anyone that's interested, here is the August newsletter.

I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts / experience with the Grand Prairie Gun Club. From their website they seem nice and established, and have fair sized rifle, pistol, and shotgun areas. But I imagine in a club like that the people are the most important thing and that's hard to tell from the website ;^)

I'm hoping to stop by on one of their "open to the public" Saturdays. Not sure if that's free (I'd be surprised), but they don't mention their range fee anywhere.

Thanks!

Update: Guess I'm answering my own thread, but I thought I'd post my findings for everyone else's benefit as well.

The club seems to be a winner. Everyone I've had the pleasure of talking with has been helpful and friendly. The facilities are in good to great condition, especially considering it's a volunteer-run club, and they appear to be on track with their plan for improvements. There are somewhere around 450 active memberships, a number of which appear to be couples / families, and they're at approximately 90% of their membership cap right now. Apparently they occasionally hit the limit and potential members go on a waiting list for a month or two.

Interesting note, they have a large clubhouse with a big "front porch" and, from the sounds of it, use it as a social club with people who hang out even when they aren't shooting. It is definitely a sportsman club, and I think they'd be a little uncomfortable with mall ninjas, but everyone I've met sounds a lot like the people on this board and I doubt there is any trouble for me to worry about.

For others that are interesting in seeing their facilities, I'd encourage people to visit during their public day (after 1pm on the 3rd Saturday of each month; cost is $4 per shooter) and maybe at their monthly board meeting (730pm on the 1st Thursday of the month).