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Any downsides to ATA membership ?

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4.2K views 21 replies 20 participants last post by  Neil Winston  
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#1 ·
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Are there any downsides to ATA membership ?

I have been shooting nearly every weekend at the local trap club for a couple of years now.

Shooting between 200 and 300+ rounds per visit.

Nearly all singles from the 16 yard line.

Have shot some 25 Straight but a lot more 23 and 24s.

Reload my shells on a Spolar.

Have acquired a few trap guns.

I am having a very good time at the local trap range.

My family joins me frequently and they love to shoot trap too. While all the children played very competitive sports including being the captains of state championship teams, they like to keep trap shooting relaxing.


Have been approached by some to join the ATA and join them for registered matches here and elsewhere.

They seem to have a good time, but their stress level also seems to be higher than the non-ATA shooters. They get more excited about a "lost bird".

I can imagine a lot of positive benefits to ATA membership...

But are there downsides for the hobbyist shooter who uses trap shooting for family get-togethers, relaxation, and to forget work ?

Can ATA membership and scorekeeping ruin what is now a good family thing ?

Hammer

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#4 ·
I'm with Big Heap on this one. The positives will far out weigh the negatives for sure. You will meet alot of great people and hear more BS stories than you could ever imagine. I have not been sorry for one minute when i went from recreational shooter to ATA competitive shooting(i use the word competitive very loosely). :)

Matt
 
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#5 ·
You can "compete" and still have fun. For some, it is more fun.

It is a good excuse to shoot at some great venues and meet more wonderful people.

Winning a few trinkets is nice too.

For $20, what have you got to lose?

Don Verna
 
#8 ·
It's a wonderful experience for the whole family. I've never been beat so much by women and small children. You'll adjust nicely.

Shoot well.

Dave
 
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U
#9 ·
If you shoot with the ATA you're going to travel further and spend more time and a lot more money (travel, lodging, meals) than you would if you do the same thing locally... and probably for the same result.

Go to an ATA event and hang around for the whole event. You don't need a ticket and you don't need to shoot. See what it's like and decide if it's how you want to spend your shooting dollar.

MK
 
#10 ·
I have been a card holder since 1993 and I don't regret it one bit. Sure I haven't shot continuously all those years, but I love the competition the comradare and meeting new people. Hell, since I have gotten back in to it, back in September of this year, I have won over $300 in prize/lewis money, HOA buckle and additional individual buckles. You can't get that shooting at your local club practice shoots.

I introduced my 14 year old to shooting and now it looks she might have the bug.
 
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#15 ·
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The $20 membership fee is irrelevant.

Just wondering if the other aspects of trap shooting -- family event, relaxation, forgetting about work, ability to just shoot for fun -- get adversely affected.

Hear some ATA members won't shoot unless someone is keeping score. They can't just step up to the line and shoot 25 with the rest of us.

But think I will join ATA and give it a try.

ATA membership doesn't automatically put me on an Obama watch list any worse than being a NRA Benefactor Endowment Life member, does it ?


Hammer

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B
#16 ·
I bought my ATA Life Membership in 1946, back when the money was used to pay off the mortgage on the headquarters building.

Looking back, I know that trapshooting is an excuse to socialize and the competition is just an excuse to circle-up with friends for 99% of the people gathered.

Best lifetime friends for a married couple will develop and the kids will be exposed to good sportsmanship. Pretty good bargain for not many $.
 
#18 ·
Hammer,

The views and "uptightness" that you've been exposed to have nothing to do with ATA shooting. It has to do with the people you've been exposed to. Those same people would fret over a target and not shoot without a scorer whether they were ATA members or not. Most of the ATA shooters I know would rather go out and practice without a scorer. They'd rather that the club just set up the Canterburys and let us have at it. After all, we can all count to zero, or one. :)

As far as fretting over a lost target goes, they must not be very good shooters. You can't see a difference in the demeanor of a good shooter when they lose a target versus when they hit one. Loses happen. They happen more frequently if you fret about them.

Whether other aspects of your life are affected by competitive shooting is entirely up to you.

If you're shooting 200 - 300 targets each time you go to the club, you're already making a sizable investment. You can turn those targets into registered targets with only a small additional investment.

Try it, you might get hooked.
 
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#19 ·
I took out my first membership in the 70's. I have met some of the finest people in all of sport. Due to getting older, medical problems, and the economy, I don't shoot ATA any more. If you can afford it, take your family with you. Don't take this sport so serious that you forget that it is just a game. Chances are that you will never be able to win enough money to make shooting your sole occupation. I have spent a few hundred thousand on this sport and don't regret one single dime of it.
Steve Balistreri
 
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