Board of Directors
John Calandro
President, Executive Committee
Instructor Program Chairman
Sporting Clays Chairman
James Payne
Vice President, Executive Committee
Past President
Jim Thompson
Immediate Past President,
Executive Committee
Long Range Planning Committee
Government Affairs Committee
Don DeGroot
Treasurer, Executive Committee
Past President
Finance Committee
Leagues Chairman
Government Affairs Committee
Mimi Wilfong
Secretary, Executive Committee
Helice Chairman
Long Range Planning Committee
Randy Stewart
Vice President, Executive Committee
Finance Committee
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Andy Stahl
Long Range Planning Committee
Finance Committee
Helice Committee
Darian Mock
Membership Chairman
Sporting Clay Committee
David Cancilla
Guy Davies
Sporting Clays Committee
Drew Walling
Safety Committee Chairman
Randy Payne
Nick Panza
Membership Committee
Ryan Goldblatt
Social Committee Chairman
Finance Committee
Management Team
A Dallas Institution
Grounded in tradition
Our Mission & Vision
The Dallas Gun Club is committed to delivering an exclusive private club experience, to members, their guests, and visiting shooters, for the enjoyment, growth, and perpetuation of the shooting sports.
We provide an enhanced DGC member experience by continuously improving both the amenities and shooting venues so that DGC consistently is rated in the Top Tier of private gun clubs in the country while ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Club’s success through sound fiscal policy.
Our Rich History
Founding Members: Wallace Moore, A.H. Meadows, W.H. Sanford
The Dallas Gun Club was chartered under the laws of the State of Texas as a non-profit organization on April 23, 1946. As stated in the bylaws, the club was established for the promotion and encouragement of the safe use and handling of firearms, the general promotion of shooting sports, and the encouragement and sponsorship of the tournament shooting.
Initial funds of $13,500 were held in trust with Dan D. Rogers at the Mercantile National Bank for the purchase of land and construction of the Dallas Gun Club. On April 29, 1946, a 40-acre parcel of land on Webb Chapel Road about halfway between Valley View Road and Beltline Road on the then Glad Acres Farm of R.B. George was acquired for the purchase price of $8,040.
By July 26, 1946, six skeet fields had been completed and a new club was soon to follow. The opening date for shooting was set for Sunday, August 4, where those present would draw for position. The membership was slightly over 150 members. The initiation fee was $100 plus a $20 federal tax and yearly dues to the National Skeet Shooting Association. It was noted at this time that in order to complete the clubhouse the membership would need to be about $300, plus each member would need to find one
additional member.
In an effort to attract new members, D. Lee Braun, World Champion, and National Skeet Shooters hall of Famer-provided shooting instructions on the weekends. The membership goal was achieved and the club facilities were completed. Anticipating the needs for additional property for the site of the National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA), the Dallas Gun Club purchased an additional 90 acres on July 27, 1949, for $28,000. In 1951 the Dallas Gun Club became the home of the Pan American Shoot and was becoming an influential and quality shooting facility.
As the city of Dallas grew and began to encroach upon the club’s property, it was necessary to look for a future location. In January of 1955, 132 acres of club property we sold to the Cato Corporation for $2,000 an acre. The Dallas Gun Club was in search of a new home.
At the annual meeting of the membership on March 27, 1955, club chairman Fred Alford asked the membership to authorize the Board of Directors to purchase a new club site. The proposed site was 78 acres on Highway 183 and 15 adjoining acres from Charles Dilbeck. The purchase price was $20,000, plus closing costs. Seven years later Dallas was once again closing in on club property --- it was time to face the inevitable. In December of 1962, the State Highway 183 site sold for $675,000.
In 1963, the Dallas Gun Club moved to a new location on 200 acres north of Royal Lane and west of the Trinity River for an approximate cost of $275,000. Ten years later the club property was annexed by the city of Irving and purchased for multiuse development. The premier development of the Las Colinas Corp. was underway, and the Dallas Gun Club was on the search again.
In July of 1979, The Las Colinas Corp. agreed to purchase the Royal Lane site for approximately $4,000,000. The Dallas Gun Club purchased 714 acres, seven miles north of the intersection of IH-35 and LBJ Freeway, for $2143,500 from First Texas Savings the following October. This location is the present site of the Dallas Gun Club. Currently, membership is restricted to 700 members and there are rarely new openings. Most members consider being a part of the Dallas Gun Club a privilege.
Superior amenities include a spacious, well-appointed clubhouse with a dining room, bar, lounge, and locker rooms. Additionally, shooting accessories and supplies are available for purchase. The club also hosts social activities throughout the year including private parties, charity fundraisers, and corporate events.
Through years of hard work and the unselfish dedication of its members, the Dallas Gun Club has become a renowned private shooting sports facility. The club’s registered skeet program includes two major NSSA tournaments, the Pan American and the Southwest Classic, that rank among the top 10 national tournaments. A third skeet shoot, the Metroplex, typically ranks among the top 25 to 50, and every other year the club hosts the Texas State Skeet Championship, which is also ranked among the top 20 in the country. The sporting clays program sponsors three major shoots each year, hosting over 200 competitors at each one. Every year, the club also hosts two world championship qualifying events for the world Helice Championships. The Olympic-caliber bunker trap facility, jointly financed with 25% of the funds coming from the club and 75% from individual donations, is one of the finest in the country. At the end of 2007, the club updated its rifle and pistol range with a state of the art steel/rubber baffle system and new retaining walls were added in 2019. Aided by a Long Range Planning Committee, the Board is continuing to expand and enlarge its diverse, challenging, and fun shooting venues.