I would start by looking in the Yellow Pages of the local Phone directory. The next step if none were listed would be to call or visit a store that sold guns and ask.

You might mention on this forum what part of the world you are located in so we could better direct you.

And yes, new members are typicaly walked through gun club facilities and observed to determine whether they should be turned loose or not. Club members will typicaly see that a new shooter is informed of appropriate gun handeling, but be sure you obtain some training before hitting the range on your own.

Welcome to the Forum and the world of guns.

You could try www.NRA.org, you also might want to check where some of the other members here are from. With out knowing where you are I can't help unless you want to hear about the ranges in Western North Carolina.

Sorry, I forgot to mention...Im from south western pennsylvania

Originally Posted by futurepharm

1) How do I locate shooting clubs/ranges in my area?'

Gun shops, yellow pages, Google, NRA.com

Originally Posted by futurepharm

2) How do I go about joining one? Is it true that new members need to be escorted by another experienced member?

Call or visit the range. They will explain everything you need to do. Some just let you sign up, others you have to go through their orientation. Some private ranges require you have a current member "sponsor" you. It all depends on the range.