Aurora Sportsmen's Club?

[Constable85]

I am thinking about joining this place when I get some extra cash. I would mainly want to use it as a place to practice shooting my pistols from holsters. I'd also like to be able to film myself shooting. Can anyone chime in and give me a review of your experiences there? It's about one hour from me so I would want to be sure it is worth it.

[Lou]

I am thinking about joining this place when I get some extra cash. I would mainly want to use it as a place to practice shooting my pistols from holsters. I'd also like to be able to film myself shooting. Can anyone chime in and give me a review of your experiences there? It's about one hour from me so I would want to be sure it is worth it.

 

I've been a member for 5 years and also almost an hour away. I'm a big fan. After a short class showing your can safely draw from a holster you get a certification and can practice drawing. They have orientations often and I woukd you suggest you attend one You'll get a overview and tour of the facilities. It's a great place.

 

We're currently in the process of building several addition pistol/rifle ranges to use for action shooting events. The best part of this is it will open up all the ranges on weekends for members.

[TRJ]

I can drag you out as a guest for $10. You wouldn't be allowed to shoot and move or draw from a holster until you become a member and get certified, but you're still able to see the facility. Maybe a few of us members can go. Marie and/or DD123 met up with me on a few occasions.

 

Generally speaking, ASC is only getting more awesome as time progresses. They're about to start opening training only ranges around the back side of the berms which will solve one of the concerns some people have about not being able to get a bay on a busy weekend day because half of them are booked with activities.

 

There's a 600 yard range, 200, 100 (half is covered), 50 yard, 25 yard, a few 25 foot ranges for individual move and shoot handgun guys, and a covered 25 yard pistol range. You can shoot steel, bring target stands, set up barrels for cover, and rapid fire...and nobody will say squat.

 

Another way to check out the facility us to attend a practical rifle event or one of the open to the public clinics.

[Mr. Fife]

I was out there for the first time this past weekend and it's a pretty awesome place.

[Constable85]

Yea, I'd want to be sure to be able to go shoot from a holster on the weekends with no problem. If it's too crowded or booked to do that it wouldn't be worth my time. And filming yourself is okay? I'll probably go to an orientation once I have the cash.

[InterestedBystander]

in case it helps, previous discussions on joining ASC and info about the range and membership

 

http://illinoiscarry.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=59719

 

http://illinoiscarry.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=61798

[gangrel]

I can drag you out as a guest for $10. You wouldn't be allowed to shoot and move or draw from a holster until you become a member and get certified, but you're still able to see the facility. Maybe a few of us members can go. Marie and/or DD123 met up with me on a few occasions.

 

Generally speaking, ASC is only getting more awesome as time progresses. They're about to start opening training only ranges around the back side of the berms which will solve one of the concerns some people have about not being able to get a bay on a busy weekend day because half of them are booked with activities.

 

There's a 600 yard range, 200, 100 (half is covered), 50 yard, 25 yard, a few 25 foot ranges for individual move and shoot handgun guys, and a covered 25 yard pistol range. You can shoot steel, bring target stands, set up barrels for cover, and rapid fire...and nobody will say squat.

 

Another way to check out the facility us to attend a practical rifle event or one of the open to the public clinics.

Minor corrections on the ranges...

600 yard, 200 yard, 100 yard (half covered), 50 yard, three 25 yard and four 50 foot (one covered) bays.

 

And if you guys are meeting up out there, let me know. I don't need too much of an excuse to go out there, if I am not already there doing .308 load development.

[zzhawk]

ASC has just about anything you want from a club, many will chime in here.

 

If you are interested in joining, consider shooting a practical rifle match. They are the 3rd Saturday of the month;if you shoot the match, we can get you a $100 off membership coupon. If you are interested, feel free to PM me and I can help facilitate your first match.

 

As mentioned above, we are in the process of adding 4 new bays to the club that will be used only for shooting events and training. It is an exciting time for ASC.

[solareclipse2]

I've shot a few 3 gun matches and the zombie shoot there this year. ASC really is a nice range with a great group of people. I've been considering joining, and I'm 90 minutes away. It's really worth getting up early and spending the day out there.

[lockman]

 

I am thinking about joining this place when I get some extra cash. I would mainly want to use it as a place to practice shooting my pistols from holsters. I'd also like to be able to film myself shooting. Can anyone chime in and give me a review of your experiences there? It's about one hour from me so I would want to be sure it is worth it.

I've been a member for 5 years and also almost an hour away. I'm a big fan. After a short class showing your can safely draw from a holster you get a certification and can practice drawing. They have orientations often and I woukd you suggest you attend one You'll get a overview and tour of the facilities. It's a great place.

 

We're currently in the process of building several addition pistol/rifle ranges to use for action shooting events. The best part of this is it will open up all the ranges on weekends for members.

 

 

OK, Ill bite.

 

Why aren't all the ranges open to members during weekdays?

[gangrel]

 

 

I am thinking about joining this place when I get some extra cash. I would mainly want to use it as a place to practice shooting my pistols from holsters. I'd also like to be able to film myself shooting. Can anyone chime in and give me a review of your experiences there? It's about one hour from me so I would want to be sure it is worth it.

I've been a member for 5 years and also almost an hour away. I'm a big fan. After a short class showing your can safely draw from a holster you get a certification and can practice drawing. They have orientations often and I woukd you suggest you attend one You'll get a overview and tour of the facilities. It's a great place.

 

We're currently in the process of building several addition pistol/rifle ranges to use for action shooting events. The best part of this is it will open up all the ranges on weekends for members.

 

 

OK, Ill bite.

 

Why aren't all the ranges open to members during weekdays?

 

Often on weekdays one or two of the ranges are in use by law enforcement agencies for training. Most of the ranges are open.

 

On weekends, depending on the calendar, ranges can be closed due to matches (Action Pistol, IDPA, Two-Gun, Three-Gun, Practical Rifle, Practical Precision Rifle, Bullseye, Muzzleloading, Cowboy Action, etc), private classes, orientation shoots, etc. By moving much of that activity to the new ranges, the main ranges will be much more likely to be open and available for members to shoot.

[Just some guy]

 

 

I am thinking about joining this place when I get some extra cash. I would mainly want to use it as a place to practice shooting my pistols from holsters. I'd also like to be able to film myself shooting. Can anyone chime in and give me a review of your experiences there? It's about one hour from me so I would want to be sure it is worth it.

I've been a member for 5 years and also almost an hour away. I'm a big fan. After a short class showing your can safely draw from a holster you get a certification and can practice drawing. They have orientations often and I woukd you suggest you attend one You'll get a overview and tour of the facilities. It's a great place.

 

We're currently in the process of building several addition pistol/rifle ranges to use for action shooting events. The best part of this is it will open up all the ranges on weekends for members.

 

 

OK, Ill bite.

 

Why aren't all the ranges open to members during weekdays?

 

I'm a member of ASC. The club generates revenue thru Range/Bay rental to LE and training companies. Also special events such as Practical Rifle, Appleseed, Cowboy Action Shoots, CMP, 3 Gun comps and the like. The only time the ENTIRE rifle/pistol area is closed is during Zombie Shoot. If this is a problem, just go to the shogun areas. This has never been a problem for me as the place is HUGE. LE Organizations train on a range/bay or 2 on weekdays. Adding additional Ranges/Bays to the back side of the existing berm was brilliant!

[TRJ]

"Just go to the shotgun areas"???

I hope you mean, just go shoot your shotguns in the shotgun area, not what I read as use the shotgun area for rifle/pistol. You don't do that.

[Just some guy]

"Just go to the shotgun areas"???

I hope you mean, just go shoot your shotguns in the shotgun area, not what I read as use the shotgun area for rifle/pistol. You don't do that.

That's what I meant. Maybe could have said it better.

[Constable85]

No one has really answered my question. Can you film yourself shooting there? And, is it a problem (aka too crowded) to go shoot pistols from holsters on the weekends? That's really my main interest, I don't care much at all about competitive shooting or rifle stuff. Thanks.

[TRJ]

If you get there either early...8:00 a.m. or later afternoon on weekends you normally can find a bay to yourself

Weekdays it's a piece of cake.

So far as I know video of yourself is okay...obviously no camera man on the berms or forward of the firing line.

[gangrel]

No one has really answered my question. Can you film yourself shooting there? And, is it a problem (aka too crowded) to go shoot pistols from holsters on the weekends? That's really my main interest, I don't care much at all about competitive shooting or rifle stuff. Thanks.

I know of no problem with doing video of yourself. Doing video of others at the range and posting it online without their permission is a whole different story.

 

As long as you can find a bay to shoot in, drawing from holster is not a problem (with the holster endorsement, of course). It is not a matter of how crowded the range is. If all bays are in use, but you find someone who is willing to share a bay (happens a lot), then shooting from holster is fine. The rules are that the line can be advanced forward in any bay, but all shooters in the same bay must fire from the same line. If you find someone willing to share a 25 yard bay and you want to practice from holster at 10 feet from the target, all shooters in that bay have to agree to move the line forward to 10 feet from the target. One thing you can't do in such circumstances is set up your targets 10 feet forward of the firing line. All shots must be aimed at a target, and all targets must be placed no more than 20 feet from the back berm.

 

So the short answer is, yes, so long as you can find a place to shoot your pistol (which is not usually an issue), you can practice from holster.

[Constable85]

Thanks guys. I would not be interested in filming anyone other than myself. I just see YouTube videos people make of themselves shooting and drawing from holsters and they can critique themselves etc. and i always wanted to be able to do that. As it is, all I can ever do is shoot at a regular range where I can't draw from my holster and can't even take a still picture.

[DD123]

I've been a member for 3 years now, and will be renewing for next year.

 

Benefits of the club:

 

1. Numerous options for what you are interested in practicing. If you're into cannons, you can shoot cannons there provided you get approval and cert from the club. If you're into long range shooting, you have a 600 yard range to play with. Archery? That's there too.

2. There's no waiting list. I don't know if membership will always remain open like it is right now, but other clubs have a wait. Oak Park is almost impossible to get into, but if you can get in, there's almost no one there on the weekends. I was shocked one Sunday after a USPSA match to see zero members there shooting after the match ended.

3. You can shoot on the move.

4. You can rapid fire provided you're doing it in a controlled manner and your rounds are hitting the target.

5. You can shoot rifles in any bay. Oak Park has only one short bay where you can shoot a rifle, and it's slow fire, and you can't move. At ASC, you can shoot on the move, prone, and as fast as your wallet can afford.

6. Pretty much all of the shotgun sports are available, however you do have to pay for what you shoot.

7. Guests fee is pretty inexpensive. It's $10 per guest for a maximum of 3 guests per member. You all have to shoot at the same bay, but that's a reasonable rule. You are responsible for your guests, so choose them wisely. I have friends that I've known since I was a kid who I won't bring with me.

8. One of the biggest complaints I've seen since I joined was that the ranges on the weekends were tied up with classes and events. They just started building bays on the backside of the berms that will be exclusively used for action shooting and classes on the weekends. That will open up the entire other side for members use. The range is large, and even if there aren't any bays available, you can share a bay with someone else. Whenever I've had to do that, the people usually left shortly thereafter because they were done shooting. I'm usually there for a few hours.

 

The only things that are lame, but that I understand why those rules are there are that guests cannot shoot on the move, and cannot draw from a holster. You have to make rules based on the lowest common denominator. Some people are window lickers and will wind up shooting themselves on accident, or do something dumb. This doesn't exclude members, but if the club hasn't seen the guests and approved of them drawing from the holster, they need to make sure that they're not liable for potential Darwin award recipients, which is why that rule is in place. Personally the one thing I don't like about this rule is that I have friends who I'd like to train with, who are way better than I am at shooting and drawing from an OWB holster who can't while at the club. But the rules are the rules. The same goes for the 600 yard range. No guests. If you want to shoot at 600 yards then join the club. I'm guessing that's what the reasoning is behind that, because if I set the dope on my scope, there's no way that anyone I bring with is going to put one over the berm. You'd have to be a complete moron to do something like that, and the friends that I mentioned earlier that I would never bring to the club I don't bring for that reason, among others. And quite frankly, 600 yards isn't that difficult a distance. You can make some pretty bad mistakes with your fundamentals and still hit a B/C at that distance.

 

The questions in your OP were drawing from your holster if you have to share a range with someone, and can you video yourself. The answer to both questions is yes.

 

The only thing I would suggest is that if you're drawing from your right side, try to shoot on the right hand side of the bay. It's more of a "just in case" thing that I do, and to make the people I'm shooting with more comfortable.

 

As far as recording, as others have mentioned, it's fine, just don't record other people.

 

ETA: there's also a stocked pond on the property which you have to buy a permit/license from the club to use. The same goes for hunting on the property. The club must issue you a license.

 

All in all I've been very happy that I joined. I haven't been able to use the club as much the last two years as I did the first year I joined, mainly because I had way more free time the first year. Even if I were to only use it once a year, I would still pay to be a member. It beats shooting at indoor public ranges.

[RandyP]

The sole downside to joining for me is the rather substantial cost, factoring in the sizeable initiation fee, matching amount of annual dues and the monthly "assessment" the first year of joining gets mighty close to $750.. But it's their amusement park, their entry fee, no complaints from me.

 

Like most things I encounter in retirement, it isn't too expensive, I just can't afford it - lol

[DD123]

The sole downside to joining for me is the rather substantial cost, factoring in the sizeable initiation fee, matching amount of annual dues and the monthly "assessment" the first year of joining gets mighty close to $750.. But it's their amusement park, their entry fee, no complaints from me.

 

Like most things I encounter in retirement, it isn't too expensive, I just can't afford it - lol

Nope.

 

First year you don't pay the assessment. It's still a bit more than after the first year, but you're talking $540 roughly first year, and $460-480 every year thereafter.

 

I used to get expensive coffee almost every day. That was $5 out of my pocket each day. I calculated what I spent on coffee one year and I was close to a grand. I now brew my own at home for a fraction of the price.

 

It's also a matter of how much you shoot. If you're going to go once a month, even at the cost of the first year, you're talking $45 per trip. Go more than once a month and that cost per visit drops.

 

It is a lot to come out of pocket at one time, but if you're able to set aside funds here and there, you'll quickly save the amount that you need.

[gangrel]

 

The sole downside to joining for me is the rather substantial cost, factoring in the sizeable initiation fee, matching amount of annual dues and the monthly "assessment" the first year of joining gets mighty close to $750.. But it's their amusement park, their entry fee, no complaints from me.

 

Like most things I encounter in retirement, it isn't too expensive, I just can't afford it - lol

Nope.

 

First year you don't pay the assessment. It's still a bit more than after the first year, but you're talking $540 roughly first year, and $460-480 every year thereafter.

 

I used to get expensive coffee almost every day. That was $5 out of my pocket each day. I calculated what I spent on coffee one year and I was close to a grand. I now brew my own at home for a fraction of the price.

 

It's also a matter of how much you shoot. If you're going to go once a month, even at the cost of the first year, you're talking $45 per trip. Go more than once a month and that cost per visit drops.

 

It is a lot to come out of pocket at one time, but if you're able to set aside funds here and there, you'll quickly save the amount that you need.

 

Factor in as well that membership dues come with three guest passes, and if you pay the assessment in full at the beginning of the year, an additional two guest passes. So if you bring five guests to the range with you throughout the course of the year, the cost per person per visit drops even more.

 

Also, if you have a family, every membership is a family membership. So you're not paying a daily range fee when you go there to shoot, not only for yourself, but also for the wife and kids.

[RandyP]

I have always lamented that I wasn't born wealthy instead of just so good lookin'.

 

Cost is relative - as I've said. I live alone and don't shoot often enough to get value from a club tithing. I need to spread my limited discretionary resources over a couple of hobbies and interests I wish to continue to pursue.

 

I guess I also follow the Groucho Marx notion of refusing to join any organization that would have the likes of me as a member - lol

[Tvandermyde]

As one of the people working on opening the “backside” of the range, its well worth the money. I started shooting the PR events, IDPA with an AR, and have gotten more involved with it since.

 

The idea is to put more bays on the back and move events and matches there as much as possible, opening up the front side to members’ use. We can move training and LE rentals to the back, minus the 200 & 600 yard ranges. But if Les need 200, lots of times they spend the day at the 50 yard line then only use 200 for about an hour. This way we can move them to the back and if they need the actual distance of the 200, they can use it for an hour or so and not book it for the whole day.

 

The real advantages are that you can draw from a holster, and shoot and move. Lots of ranges won’t let you do that on your own. I see people cringe and drop their jaws when I tell them the things we do at our range/club. ASC is becoming the place to go in Northern Illinois for action shooting sports.

 

We hope to put 10 bays on the back and we’ll run full blown 3 gun, IDPA and PR events back there without disrupting the normal use of the range for members. Our goal is to start hosting national regional matches out there.

 

Membership is gonna be capped at 2500. We are over 1900 this year. We think, that with all that is going on, we could reach the cap in 2017. Once that happens, we will have a waiting list. And at some point, the Board will trim the cap from 2500 down to maybe 2000. So you’ll need to know someone to get in with a referral and it will go back to like it was back when they were at Sugar Grove.

 

Get in while you can.

[Davey]

Does the ASC still prohibit taking of videos and photos ?

[Tvandermyde]

some try to claim that, but people post stuff all the time

 

they are worried about people doing unsafe acts or really dumb stuff getting posted and people thinking the club is unsafe

[Lou]

some try to claim that, but people post stuff all the timethey are worried about people doing unsafe acts or really dumb stuff getting posted and people thinking the club is unsafe

 

I'm just a member.not a club official but my take is if the photos are of you or someone who gives permission nobody will mind.

 

Just don't take photos of others without their permission.

[Xwing]

ACS is a fantastic facility. But unfortunately I only have time to get to a shooting event 4 or 5 times in a year. (Working two jobs + having family tends to == very little free time.) So the cost of > $100 per trip is just too high. Too bad they don't have a "part time" membership option, but I realize that would be far too difficult to enforce.

[TRJ]

ACS is a fantastic facility. But unfortunately I only have time to get to a shooting event 4 or 5 times in a year. (Working two jobs + having family tends to == very little free time.) So the cost of > $100 per trip is just too high. Too bad they don't have a "part time" membership option, but I realize that would be far too difficult to enforce.

Maybe not. We have scanners for IDs and an electronic gate key is coming soon. I could see it becoming possible to control access via that system, the problem would then become one of full time members dropping to part time and reducing the dues income.

[TRJ]

Video allowed? Official answer from ASC follows...

 

ASC is private property.

 

Video and photo of yourself for personal use is allowed. If you plan to publish in any form or post on social media:

 

1) Do not post anything that might give a negative impression of safety, gun owners, the club, etc. Sometimes an activity that is safe can appear to be unsafe or may look like a rule violation just because of the angle taken or the way the images were captured.

 

2) Make sure that whatever you're doing in the photo/video is not a club or safety rule violation.

 

3) Get a written release from anyone else in your video/photo. Many of our club members value their privacy, don't want it known that they own/use firearms, and you might even put their employment or security at risk if they are seen handing firearms.

 

If using images for commercial purposes: Request permission from the club Board of Directors. They will likely want someone to review whatever you're asking to use.