Bell City Rifle Club Inc. - Southington, Connecticut

Alex Everything

I’m not a member but I have heard from people that I dearly trust of this club and their credibility. They have clearly been a victim of the obnoxious side of the internet. Courage for calling out fake reviews is one that many businesses lack, and this business has not lacked it. I hope this club keeps protecting their reputation and integrity. Happy new year.

007connecticut

I’m an active shooter and belong to several places for many years. I had a very bad experience here after several years of membership.

I wanted to test a magazine for function. The range was open, so I stopped by. There was heavy ice down range so I didn’t set up a target. I test fired my magazine and the neighbor complained about the gunfire. So the club board accused me of breaking a laundry list of rules, from not setting up a target to fully automatic fire on club property. I resigned.

To my defense I recorded the event. You can see how the club treats their members here. Visit youtube under my name and check it out. They have a long list of rules to obey and neighbors complain all the time about the noise. If they complain, you're gone. If the board don’t like you, they treat you like garbage and push you out. I never felt at home here because of all the cameras and the constant threat of getting in trouble because someone is complaining about your behavior, or what is screwed on at the end of your muzzle.

They have a high turn over rate of members yearly, so it seems new members with $500 helps pay the bills. I don’t recommend the place. Stay away, you are warned. They blocked my feedback on another site so social media reviews are important to them. I posted it here. Enjoy your negative review.

Brian McAllister

Joined a little under 2 years ago and so happy that I did! Everyone that I have met so far from the managing board to the members have been absolutely fantastic! Regularly attend with my wife and daughter and we always have a great time! Have been to many other ranges over the years and this is by far the best! If you read many of the bad reviews, you'll (hopefully) see how pointless they are with claims of their slingshots being too loud, etc. Listen... there ARE rules there and there ARE cameras on the premises. These are two of the major factors on WHY I chose to join this club! If you are one that feels that rules are not required at a GUN RANGE and you think you can do whatever you want and however you want, PLEASE do NOT join this club!! I would prefer to continue to be around individuals who take the shooting sport seriously and conduct themselves in a responsible and safe manner. Testosterone fueled cowboy wannabes need not apply. Luckily every single member that I have met so far does not fit this description. In reading many of the negative reviews, it's very obvious that many have never even been there.

Richard Lee

I am currently and have been a member of this club for the past six years and I believe it is one of the best clubs in the state. The managing board members all work very hard at balancing the desires of their members and being good neighbors to the surrounding neighborhood. When I first joined the club it really was pretty run down, the previous board of directors evidently didn't do much at all to improve the club, the first time I took a guest there they were rather disappointed with its condition. During the six years of my membership, the club has really turned around, the club house has been remodeled, the indoor range is much cleaner and has much better lighting! The outdoor range is usually very well kept, both the grounds and the shooting facilities. Even though there is an almost 3 year waiting list I would encourage you to sign up (on our new web site!) because this is a very good place to shoot.

RENZ

All my life I've looked for a quiet shooting range where I could peacefully throw my rocks at targets. So a good friend of mine recommended this range and just as expected there was nobody there which was great. Took my bag of rocks out and started chucking them at my targets until some old guy started towards me yelling his face off that my targets weren't range approved and had to leave if I wasn't willing to comply. Packed my rocks, left the place and never looked back. What kind of range doesn't allow paper rock targets.

Bill Dowling

I have been a member for 7 years, and have always found this club to offer a safe and controlled environment to enjoy shooting.
Are there rules, you bet!
Are they important to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable visit, darn right.
Show me a shooting range or gun club without some serious rules, and I’ll show you a dangerous place I would never bring my family! Bell City does a great job, with the help of its members, supporting and furthering the shooting sports. I highly recommend this club to any and all responsible shooters.

M H

Came by and had a great time a couple of Christmases back. As an Iraqi War veteran 8888, I have a lot of physical and neurological damage, so I'm picky about the places I take naps at. I'm afraid of monsters and crocodiles, so gun ranges are one of the few places in the world where I feel safe. Here's my story:

After paying my $500 yearly dues and waiting almost a year, I was finally granted a membership to the club. I'm the only African American member of the range. I went in on Christmas day to get some sleep, and not five minutes after I set my cot up downrange, some yahoo idiot starts doing a fully semi-automatic mag dump and completely woke me up. I started yelling "HEY, people are trying to sleep out here, and now I hear gun shots and have bullets whizzing past me!" And this jerk keeps firing away like he doesn't hear me.

Thankfully this range is located in the middle of a private neighborhood with several houses straddling the property, so I wasn't the only one complaining. What kind of moron goes to a shooting range TO SHOOT?!!! Finally the Range Officer politely berated the guy for being insensitive, and the potential mass shooter took his AR-47 home and he's no longer a member.

I have to say that I'm impressed with the prices ($500 a year to not shoot at a shooting range is a damn good deal. I'm from Ohio where most Range memberships are $20-30 a year, and they're of course nowhere near as quiet as this range.) I will definitely come back to Bell City Rifle Club to catch up on some much needed quiet time.

EDIT TO RESPOND TO OWNER: You say that your dues are only $198, yet you charged me $500? Why, because I'm black? Sir, I am truly offended and will be following up with the NAACP, ACLU and Revs Jackson and Sharpton.

Jason Bolas

I joined bell city this year. I was very impressed with how organized this club was. I never thought they would have been so well put together. The board members have everything organized and made me feel right at home. The place is very safe and they follow all appropriate rules as s club with firearms should. Join if if can !!!!