Welcome to Putnam County Gun Club

Hello All,

After a lot of discussion, the Executive Board has made the difficult decision not to have our annual picnic this year. We will have the range open on June 20th from 10:00-2:00 for any current member that would like to drop off their renewal application and payment.  We will also be conducting new member orientations that day for anyone that is interested in joining PCGC. 

Rules and Application Form

Included with this newsletter is a copy of this year’s application form. The Board adopted new range rules last August and I have met several members since that were not aware. Our applications have a copy of the current range rules on the back and by signing the application each member is agreeing to follow those rules. Please take the time to read and become familiar with our rules. For clarification, below is a quick list of the biggest changes and most overlooked rules.

· You may now shoot rifle caliber ammunition anywhere except the Cowboy and Liberty Ranges.

· Steel targets must be at least 100 yards away to shoot at them with rifle caliber ammunition or shotgun slugs and at least 7 yards away to use pistols and birdshot throughout the whole range. If you are caught shooting steel closer than the allowed distances, your membership will be suspended indefinitely. It is not safe to shoot steel any closer than these ranges and it damages our steel.

· You no longer have to wear your membership badge while at the range, but you need to have it with you and present it if asked.

· All parties must wear safety glasses if they are anywhere near a range that is currently in use. Spectators are just as likely to get lead splatter or debris in their eyes as a shooter.

· We now allow both concealed and open carry at the range, but pistols can only be removed from a holster on the firing line or in a designated safety area.

· Guns must be transported to and from the firing line in a case or holster. You cannot remove an uncased gun from your vehicle and carry it to the firing line.

Please read and make sure you understand all of our rules before signing and returning your application. If you have any questions, reach out to me or another board member and we help any way we can.

Range News

The last year has been exciting at the range. The Executive Board was able to work with the Putnam County Commission to extend our lease until the year 2100. The Commission also approved the return of some of our previously paid lease funds to go towards a couple of capital projects at the range. We were able to extend Pistol Bay 3 to 50 yards, raise the berm to a safe height, and doubled the parking area. Pistol Bay 3 is the range most often used for law enforcement training and this has already been a big improvement for them.

Secondly, we have started and completed phase 1 of having our own Clubhouse/Training facility. We have a little ways to go, but we are excited about the progress we have had so far. We hope to be able to provide on-site training in the future and have a place out of the elements to meet for big events. If you haven’t been to the range in a while, you should definitely plan a trip to see it.  Also, if you run into one of our County Commissioners make sure you let them know that we appreciate them. 

Thank you,

Michael Thompson 

(PCGC President)