Nailing the target begins with a strong foundation—your position. You screen out distractions and focus on the task at hand. Improvement is not going to happen overnight. There will be setbacks, days when the skeets fall to the grass unmolested and the ten-ring (the center ring of a paper target) is unblemished. Then, even as you achieve your initial goal, there is always room for improvement.

While the above description applies to various forms of target shooting, it is equally applicable to the operation or rejuvenation of a rod and gun club. Specifically, the Cowanesque Valley Rod and Gun Club in Elkland, at the border with New York. Interesting changes are taking place at CVRGC.

In general, rod and gun clubs are a twentieth-century phenomenon. While some were established earlier—the Corry Rod and Gun Club in Columbus, northwestern Pennsylvania, is more than 150 years old—most clubs were created in the 1930s through 1950s. In those days, the National Rifle Association, founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, was urging the creation of facilities to teach safe riflery skills, and a wave of World War II veterans came home with a desire to target shoot and hunt. The mid-century also saw skeet and trap shooting evolve from a hoity-toity activity of the upper classes to a populist means of honing scattergun skills.

The essence of such clubs boils down to four ingredients: comradery, safety, access, and education. Comradery is the social aspect, hanging around with sportspersons with common interests. Some clubs even have restaurant and bar access as part of their membership package.

Not everybody has their own property where they can safely shoot a variety of weapons. Gun clubs allow a pooling of resources to develop safe facilities for skeet, trap, target rifle, and target pistol. Teaching firearm safety is also a priority.

Access is certainly related to safety. The average Twin Tiers resident cannot afford their personal skeet/trap range or bench-shooting setup. Club membership provides the opportunity to use the range facilities and to participate in a variety of events and contests.

The education component includes improving the skills of existing shooters and recruiting and training the next generation of gun enthusiasts. Clubs have figured out that offering interesting, family-friendly events is often the key to attracting potential members. Clubs have also learned that years of the good-old-boy nature of their establishments was discouraging participation and membership by women.

CVRGC was at a crossroads less than a year ago. Membership had stagnated and the facilities were in dire need of upgrades. Only a handful of people were committed to the organization. Ken Shadle, the current CVRGC president and owner of Shadle’s Firearms in Knoxville, notes that lack of member contributions in terms of time and labor is always an issue with 501(c)(3)s like CVRGC, and believes that, in general, “not-for-profits are a dying thing.”

Luckily for CVRGC, a new generation of leadership has stepped up to the proverbial plate with a commitment to resuscitating the organization. Ken, Vice President Matt Dunbar, and Secretary/Treasurer Autumn Brown, Ken’s wife, recognize that they and the other officers of the club will be doing the heavy lifting for the next few years. Ken says their mission remains “realistically to promote comradery and safety” and to “educate the next generation.” Their short-term goals include improvement of the access road and parking lot at the pistol range, and overhaul of the five skeet houses.

The club occupies fifty-three acres at 128 Addison Hill Road under a ninety-nine-year lease from Elkland Borough. The facilities include a pavilion and a headquarters building.

“The club features a ten-lane outdoor rifle range with various targets out to 300 yards,” Ken explains. “There is also a six-lane indoor portion which allows shooting out to 300 yards from inside on the rifle range. The pistol range features a six-lane covered shooting area with various targets out to twenty-five yards. You can shoot at the swinging metal targets or staple your own up for a more customized experience. The club has two trap and two skeet fields as well.”

In addition to leasing their facilities for private parties, the club donates its pavilion and hall to numerous community events. The club’s annual Gun Bash is September 7. This carnival-like event will have family-friendly contests including axe throwing, darts, and ring toss. At least ten firearms will be up for grabs, with prizes exceeding $20,000. There will be 350 tickets available for a forty-dollar donation, and this event is likely to sell out. Tioga County’s Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries will receive proceeds from one of the games.

Ken and Matt are both veterans and are active with the Westfield American Legion Post. The club will host a veterans appreciation celebration on September 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free and there will be games for the entire family. Meals will be available for purchase.

The most popular club events last year were the Cosmic Clay shoots. This trap shooting experience takes place after dark, using black lights to highlight the skeet. Each shooter faces fifty targets. Cosmic Clays will start again in October. Previous Cosmic Clay events have sold out quickly, so call (814) 258-5326, or check cvrgc.com or Facebook for dates and times, and sign up early.

Also in October, CVRGC will host an educational event on deer processing and a Youth Field Day, and will continue to offer the state-required hunter education classes. A tree stand safety class is planned for the fall, too.

Annual membership is thirty-five dollars for adults, ten bucks for junior members, and free for active military and law enforcement personnel. Lifetime membership is $400. If you are looking for a club, good things are happening at CVRGC. They’d love to see you.

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Rod & Gun Clubs abound in our area, each with their own regulations, rules, facilities, and events. Find one near you. Those that don’t have websites can be found on Facebook.

Cowanesque Valley Rod and Gun Club
cvrgc.com
150 Dry Run Road, Elkland, PA

Nessmuk Rod & Gun Club
nessmukgunclub.com
4646 Route 287, Wellsboro, PA

Hillside Rod and Gun Club
hillsiderodandgun.org
625 Gulick Street, Blossburg, PA, (570) 638-3516

Lambs Creek Sportsmens Club
sites.google.com/view/lambscreeksc/home
339 Sportsman’s Club Road, Mansfield, PA, (570) 662-7850

Morris Rod and Gun Club
18 Back Street, Morris, PA, (570) 447-2587

Troy Rod & Gun Club
Gate 3 Alparon Community Park, Troy, PA

South Creek Northern Tier Sportmsman Club
585 Roaring Run Road, Gillett, PA, (570) 537-2088

Consolidated Sportsmen of Lycoming County
cslcpa.org
6386 PA-87, Williamsport, PA, (570) 435-5480

Genesee Rod and Gun Club
747 Grover Hollow Road, Genesee, PA, (814) 228-3857

Chemung County Rod and Gun Club
chemungrodandgun.50megs.com
Lattabrook Road, Breesport, NY, (607) 796-9090

Corning Fish and Game Club
sites.google.com/view/cfgclub
3472 Dyke Road, Corning, NY, (607) 377-5203

Bath Rod and Gun Club
bathrodandgunclub.com
7771 Telegraph Road, Bath, NY

Sullivan Trail Rod and Gun Club
1525 Greatsinger Road, Elmira, NY, (607) 733-0107

Pine City Sportsmen’s Club
187 Mountain View Drive, Pine City, NY, (607) 733-4928

Branchport Rod and Gun Club
3061 Armstrong Road, Branchport, NY, (315) 595-2809

Yates County Sportsman’s Association
myyatescountysportsmensassociationinc.com
424 Route 54, Penn Yan, NY

Addison Fish and Game Club
8482 McCarthy Road, Addison, NY, (607) 359-2542