Maybe that is what is needed to prevent the sport from dying?
If you look at the entry criteria in most other sports, local events levy a surcharge for unaffiliated competitors. That's for not being a club member not NGB membership. As far as I know, most NGBs that have individual membership require competitors to be members in order to enter their sanctioned events. At least the NSRA will allow you to do so on payment of a fee and that's for the national championship. Quite a few NGBs require that affiliated clubs register and pay a capitation fee for all of their members. No registration means no participation and that applies to bodies above club level as well. County associations are barred from affiliating clubs that have not registered with the NGB. Against that background do you still think it is fair to describe the NSRA as "elitist"?

I remember shooting in the champs when it was at Cardiff and also shooting in the NSRA postal leagues too and there was no need to be a member (other than an affiliated NSRA member of an affiliated club).
If it was so good then why do you think that they changed the system? Maybe it has something to do with people wanting their own purpose built facility and not having to rely on a temporary venue at the mercy of a third party? Maybe it was unsustainable?

The problem is that everyone wants a modern dynamic and responsive governing body to run the sport but very few are prepared to bear the cost of financing it.

Rutty