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The Mississippi Valley Gun Club was incorporated February 14, 1967, and it's remained one of the longest-running private gun clubs in the area. Located two miles south of Rockwood on Illinois State Route 3 at the Cora levee—clearly marked with a large lighted stone sign and flagpole—this club operat...
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The Mississippi Valley Gun Club was incorporated February 14, 1967, and it's remained one of the longest-running private gun clubs in the area. Located two miles south of Rockwood on Illinois State Route 3 at the Cora levee—clearly marked with a large lighted stone sign and flagpole—this club operates exactly like a functional shooting community should: members show up, shoot regularly, and the place stays because people use it.
Membership has grown to exceed 309 members and counting. Every single member maintains NRA membership as a club requirement. If you're serious about shooting sports and living in southwestern Illinois or eastern Missouri, this is where shooters have been gathering for nearly six decades.
| Facility | Details |
|---|---|
| Rifle Range | Covered, lighted 150-foot firing line with target frames at 25, 50, 100, and 200 yards |
| Trap Range | Singles and Doubles Pat Trap machines with lighted field |
| Archery | Elevated tower and dedicated range |
| Clubhouse | City water, restrooms, meeting space available for member events ($25 reservation fee) |
| Support | Portable restroom facilities at the range |
All facilities are available to members and their guests. Scheduled shooting events are open to non-members under event-specific rules.
The club runs monthly trap meat shoots (typically first Saturday and meeting night, $15 entry, two rounds of 50 targets at 16-yard singles). Throughout the year, various rifle and handgun matches are offered. Everything's coordinated by volunteer shooting program coordinators—one for rifles/handguns, one for shotgun.
Monthly meetings: 3rd Wednesday of every month at 7:30 PM at the clubhouse. This is where membership applications are voted on (requires 2/3-majority) and club business gets handled.
The membership votes annually on a gun raffle. Past prizes included:
Who can join: U.S. citizens, 21+, with a clean background (no felony convictions). You must: - Have a valid F.O.I.D. card if required - Join the NRA and maintain membership throughout your membership - Pass a 2/3-majority vote by existing members - Attend the meeting where you're voted on - Pay initiation fees and dues
Costs: - Initiation: $25 - Annual dues: $30 - Prorated dues available (ranges $2.50-$30 depending on join month)
Special memberships: - Life membership for anyone 70+ who's been a member 20+ years - Life membership for anyone who served 2+ years as club president - Military members have dues/fees suspended during service
All officers are exempt from dues during their service year, and the club pays their NRA membership renewal.
The club maintains a full set of elected officers and committees:
Elections happen in December at the annual meeting. All officers serve one calendar year.
No alcohol on shooting days. Period. Any member or guest who violates this is asked to leave immediately. Members face potential suspension or expulsion.
Guests are your responsibility. If you bring someone, you're accountable for their conduct.
Membership application process: You complete an application (available from any member), get voted on at a regular meeting (must attend to answer questions), and need 2/3-majority approval. If you don't make it, you can reapply any month.
NRA membership is mandatory: Let it lapse and you get six weeks with two written notices to rejoin. Don't renew in time? You're expelled. Reinstatement requires paying the full initiation fee and joining NRA through the club again.
Two miles south of Rockwood in Randolph County, Illinois, just off Illinois State Route 3 at the Cora levee and Gun Club Road. You can see the facilities from the highway—they're clearly marked.
Mailing address: Mississippi Valley Gun Club P.O. Box 91 Chester, IL 62233
Contact: - President Craig B. Rayburn: (618) 615-1640 - NRA Recruiter Gerald "Skip" Mallender: (618) 615-5323
This is a functional, member-run shooting club. No storefront. No commercial range fees. Just a community of shooters who show up, participate in matches, maintain the grounds, and keep it going—exactly like it has been since 1967.
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