I currently pay dues at 4 clubs that have sporting clays. In spite of reciprocal agreements, I choose to pay dues to help support the places and to have a voice. All told, including my local trap/skeet club I shoot about 10k targets/year. The venues are all different, they have different cultures, and I enjoy them all. As a member, I pay between 28 and 35 cents per target. The trap/skeet place is $6/line, I volunteer there one day a week.
I recently visited Seattle which is a very expensive place to live and was surprised that the shooting venues are priced about the same as here. I even got to shoot bunker trap and wobble skeet.
White Flyers are about 13 cents now coming up the driveway. I'm well aware of what challenges the clubs all face trying to keep the doors open.
Compared to some activities, the cost of shotgun shooting isn't that bad. I know people who attend spectator sport stadiums and visit Vegas who spend multiples annually of what I do on shooting. You could get a boat and pour your money into that hole...
If you enjoy a place like Orvis, you go right ahead. I'll shoot 3 targets for the price of one instead and then sit on the porch with a cold beverage from the fridge, grab a brat from the grill, and swap lies with my friends. That is the experience and ambiance I prefer.
Whatever part of this sport fits your style, do it now. It won't be getting any cheaper and you aren't getting younger. Do it while you can and have no regrets.
