Range Loss in Illinois ?

[shooterg]

Can't be that many good places left to shoot in Illinois ? Saw this posted elsewhere. A shame.


"A Lack of Shooters May Cost Illinois A Range January 05, 2010
by Brian McCombie
Summary
Illinois shooters could lose the shooting range located in the Atterbury Fish and Wildlife Area, “after its private manager told the Department of Natural Resources that he is losing too much money to stay in business,” the Chicago Tribune reported.

“Ron Mason, who has managed the site near the Indiana National Guard's Camp Atterbury for three years, says 2,000 to 3,000 people hone their skills at the facility each month.

That's down 30 percent to 40 percent from past years, despite a facelift in 2008 that more than doubled the size of the range.” Mason noted that he had raised fees and limited shooting hours to try to balance income to expenses, but still couldn’t get enough users to keep the range financially viable.

The range was set to close at the end of December 2009, though the Department of Natural Resources said it hoped to re-open it sometime in 2010.

‘The shooting range opened in the mid-1970s with about 30 open-air firing stations. It underwent a $4.7 million renovation in 2008 and now features four trap and skeet fields, a long shotgun shooting area and a pistol and rifle range with 66 stations.

Mason said the facility helped produce a national championship team of clay target shooters.”“I hope that whoever takes it over is successful,” Mason told the Tribune. “It's a fantastic facility, and it's a shame to let ($4.7 million) go to waste of the sportsmen's money.” "

[Russel Nash]

Will they take a check?

[pincherpartner]

Not only bad news, but poor reporting as well. It's in central Indiana, about 100 miles from Illinois.

The range news has been bad in Illinois though as well. We had a great place about 2 miles from the house. Then people were complaining that they were finding bullet holes in their houses. The range built all sorts of baffles to contain any errant shots, but the developers wanted the land around it. So no more range nearby.

[Tom W.]

I dunno, but raising fees and limiting time doesn't sound like good PR to me...But I suppose it's like everything else, pay more and get less. Anyone seen a 3lb. can of Maxwell house coffee, or a 1/2 gallon of Breyers ice cream lately?

[Pat I.]

I dunno, but raising fees and limiting time doesn't sound like good PR to me...

I was thinking the exact same thing. I wonder what he raised them to and how limited the hours were.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Well . . . maybe if IL was a tad more gun friendly . . . just sayin' :mrgreen:

[Russel Nash]

^^^ Yeah, that might help.

But that range is in Indiana. They actually have CCW there.

I think NO matter where you go, people have this overly inflated sense that their house or property (value?) trumps your use of a range. Even after they moved there while the range has been there for 20, 40 or more years.

The way things are going, I think I am just going to have to win the lottery, buy a little bit of farmland, put up a pole barn and turn it into an indoor range.

A shoothouse would be really slick too.

[deltaenterprizes]

The scarcity and rising cost of ammo and reloading components coupled with high unemployment is taking it's toll. Since for most people shooting is a hobby it is the first thing to go when dollars get short.

[lwknight]

Gas prices rising don't help range trips either. Its 22 miles to my local range so I only go when I plan to spend several hours there. I have 40 acres of my own that I can use but its even farther and has no facilities like shade and benches. Plus back in early 09 it looked like we might had better save what ammo we have. That had to hurt range business as well.

[cbrick]

I am part owner of Angeles Shooting Ranges, a 100 acre outdoor public shooting range just north of Los Angeles.

High gas prices, scarce ammo, high un-employment or any of the rest of the reasons listed has not effected the range at all. 2008 was the highest grossing year in the ranges 50 year history. The final 2009 figures aren't in yet but each month of 2009 has beat the same month of the year before, 2009 will be better than 2008.

200 feet of covered rifle range and 200 feet of covered pistol ranges plus several additional ranges and on weekends you have to wait for bench.

Don't know what's going on with the range in Indiana/Ill but here business has never been better and is still on the increase.

Rick

[Lead Fred]

See a worth while stimulus project, and Mertha would rather build his own private airport, or a bridge to nowhere, or voting districts that don't exist.

[Bad Water Bill]

Here are the fees for Atterbury

http://www.atterburyshootingrange.com/Newrates.html

Most of the ranges in Indiana are FREE

Here in Illinois I have NEVER shot at a state range. I have not been able to find one within 100 miles. But then I have not been looking that long. Only 73 years and the way it looks it may be another 73 before we have one.

Strangely there are at least three within 50 miles of my house and they are FREE and in Indiana. Probably 1/2 of the shooters are from Illinois. :groner:

Yes I do have some club ranges and the ISRA range but none of them are free . I would like to know where or when the feds range money is coming to Illinois?

[pmeisel]

Indiana is a funny state. South Bend is in the north, North Vernon is in the south, and there ain't nothin' french about French Lick. Brown County is mostly green, at least in the summertime, and Michigan City is only next to Michigan, not in it.

Went all over Fort Wayne looking for the fort and never found it, either.

[jcwit]

Went all over Fort Wayne looking for the fort and never found it, either.


Its there, at least it was during the summer of '08, just not open to the public, lack of funding.

[Bad Water Bill]

Michigan City is only next to Michigan, not in it.

OOOHHHHH The last time I was in Michigan City LAKE Michgan was miles closer than the state of Michigan. The only way Mich Cty could get closer to the lake would be to SINK.:bigsmyl2:

[pmeisel]

I used to go to Fort Wayne regularly, about 25 years ago. I lived in Lima, and Fort Wayne was the closest "trading post".... like, civilization.

[Bad Water Bill]

As far as the town names go Remember the Indiana plate signature. WANDER INDIANA. Well the towns started out in the correct place BUT they also wandered.[smilie=2: