Central Indiana shotgun range suggestions?

[SmolderOutdoors]

I’ve shot quite a bit of clays but the gf is a first timer and would like to go somewhere low pressure and get some practice in with a hand thrower before jumping into trap and sporting clays at places like Indiana gun club etc.

What are your suggestions for a range where we can use hand throwers and get her some practice since she’s brand new to shotgun? We live in Westfield and are willing to travel of course.

 

[TJ Kackowski]

Crawfordsville Gun Club ... https://www.crawfordsvillegunclub.org/ ... they shoot ATA style trap and occasionally wobble trap on Sunday mornings. Trap shooting starts around 10:00 AM and runs to about noon. Then the Club members usually switch over to benchrest rimfire rifles. Their style of trap shooting is about as informal as it comes and they’re very welcoming to new shotgun shooters.

The last Sunday of the month is open to the public. However, there is a Club Board meeting tomorrow, 10 September, and you are welcome to stop by with your girlfriend to check out the Club.

 

[Dog1]

Not necessarily in the central area but they have a hell of a facility.

https://www.indiancreekshooting.com/

 

[singlesix]

Brownsburg Conservation Club.

Guests welcome to shoot on Tuesday Noon - 3PM.
Super Friendly members and very welcoming to new shooters.
Two Trap Fields with Pat Traps.
You can't use hand throwers, but members are more than willing to let you have the trap field for a round to train your friend.
Yes, I'm a member :-)

 

[Dean C.]

You are in Westfield 30 minutes away from the gun club, just go straight to station 4, it has some great straight away "give me" shots for beginners IMHO. It's where I take everyone there first time shooting a shotgun.

 

[SmolderOutdoors]

You are in Westfield 30 minutes away from the gun club, just go straight to station 4, it has some great straight away "give me" shots for beginners IMHO. It's where I take everyone there first time shooting a shotgun.

Thanks for the tip. I used to shoot trap 2x a week in nwi at the izaak Walton shoots and have shot various other places after moving away. Girlfriend has never shot a shotgun but wants to learn. We have a Weatherby sa-08 youth 20ga on order from a lgs for her. (She needs a short lop)

We were hoping to find somewhere to throw some clays with the hand thrower while teaching her how to mount/lead/follow through etc before jumping into an actual trap field but this may be the best option if we don’t have that ability. I just don’t want her to go 0/25 and get discouraged

 

[SmolderOutdoors]

Crawfordsville Gun Club ... https://www.crawfordsvillegunclub.org/ ... they shoot ATA style trap and occasionally wobble trap on Sunday mornings. Trap shooting starts around 10:00 AM and runs to about noon. Then the Club members usually switch over to benchrest rimfire rifles. Their style of trap shooting is about as informal as it comes and they’re very welcoming to new shotgun shooters.

The last Sunday of the month is open to the public. However, there is a Club Board meeting tomorrow, 10 September, and you are welcome to stop by with your girlfriend to check out the Club.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[Jont22]

Proteq is worth the drive.

ProTEQ Firearms Academy | Brazil, IN 47834

 

[SmolderOutdoors]

Proteq is worth the drive.

ProTEQ Firearms Academy | Brazil, IN 47834

They have an area where we can throw clays with a hand thrower while I’m teaching the girlfriend?

 

[Jont22]

They have an area where we can throw clays with a hand thrower while I’m teaching the girlfriend?

Yeah, they have a couple of areas depending on your membership level.

 

[Winamac]

I’ve shot quite a bit of clays but the gf is a first timer and would like to go somewhere low pressure and get some practice in with a hand thrower before jumping into trap and sporting clays at places like Indiana gun club etc.

What are your suggestions for a range where we can use hand throwers and get her some practice since she’s brand new to shotgun? We live in Westfield and are willing to travel of course.

The Winamac FWA has a very nice clay pigeon range. You bring your own birds and throwers be it hand thrower or otherwise.Both are allowed. It is all free. No pressure because you go at your own pace take as little or much time as you need. Not crowded.This place is a "diamond in the rough". The down side for you is a bit of a drive north on US35. Just putting it our there.

 

[STEEL CORE]

There’s one around Geist 116th and Olio rd Fishers area.

 

[12many]

When my daughter first started to hunt pheasants in Northern Indiana I took her down to Atterbury to shoot trap on the automatic range.
For like $8 you got 25 clays and could use the foot switch if you wanted or if you had enough people one could use the hand switch. The hand switch worked for us.
When I got her own shotgun we went to the automatic range at J Edward Roush (same set-up)
Worked well for us.

 

[TJ Kackowski]

There’s one around Geist 116th and Olio rd Fishers area.

That's Indiana Gun Club ... a place the OP wants to avoid until his GF gets more comfortable with shotguns.

 

[SmolderOutdoors]

That's Indiana Gun Club ... a place the OP wants to avoid until his GF gets more comfortable with shotguns.

Agreed. We will definitely shoot there-eventually… but while I teach her the basics and let her start learning she wants to do it with just us off of a real trap field.

 

[Bollorollo]

Thanks for the tip. I used to shoot trap 2x a week in nwi at the izaak Walton shoots and have shot various other places after moving away. Girlfriend has never shot a shotgun but wants to learn. We have a Weatherby sa-08 youth 20ga on order from a lgs for her. (She needs a short lop)

We were hoping to find somewhere to throw some clays with the hand thrower while teaching her how to mount/lead/follow through etc before jumping into an actual trap field but this may be the best option if we don’t have that ability. I just don’t want her to go 0/25 and get discouraged

Back during the 80s My dad was a member at the Izaak Waltonin Griffith. Plus some of my friends family's were members also. We use to shoot a lot of trap there, fish, Ice Fish ( I would go in to the liquor store on the north side of Ridge Road close to Burger King and buy a 12 pack of Miller when 17 and we would drink it while Ice fishing lol) plus shoot at the small range there. They had the Wild Game Dinner there every year after hunting season which was very good also.. Plus the annual Ice Fishing Tournament was a great time to. Lots of great memories at this place. During the early 90s I move to Central Indiana so I haven't been there since then. Now I'm a member at Marion County Fish Game. They have trap shooting every Thursday Night. I don't shoot trap much now but have been once at MCFG and its a fun time.

 

[SmolderOutdoors]

The Winamac FWA has a very nice clay pigeon range. You bring your own birds and throwers be it hand thrower or otherwise.Both are allowed. It is all free. No pressure because you go at your own pace take as little or much time as you need. Not crowded.This place is a "diamond in the rough". The down side for you is a bit of a drive north on US35. Just putting it our there.

Might make a trip up- haven’t been there in a very long time! Willow slough had a similar setup years ago but I haven’t been there since the range was re-done. (Moved out of nw Indiana in 2013 and was out of state for two years. Moved back in 2015 and I’ve been in the Indy area ever since)

 

[SmolderOutdoors]

Back during the 80s My dad was a member at the Izaak Waltonin Griffith. Plus some of my friends family's were members also. We use to shoot a lot of trap there, fish, Ice Fish ( I would go in to the liquor store on the north side of Ridge Road close to Burger King and buy a 12 pack of Miller when 17 and we would drink it while Ice fishing lol) plus shoot at the small range there. They had the Wild Game Dinner there every year after hunting season which was very good also.. Plus the annual Ice Fishing Tournament was a great time too. Lots of great memories at this place. During the early 90s I move to Central Indiana so I haven't been there since then. Now I'm a member at Marion County Fish Game. They have trap shooting every Thursday Night. I don't shoot trap much now but have been once at MCFG and it’s a fun time.

I used to shoot at Griffith and Hobart izaak Walton’s back in like 2010-2013ish. At the time I worked the gun counter at gander mountain in merrillville so I shot out there with some guys from work. Fun times!

 

[SmolderOutdoors]

@Bollorollo a little throwback to a company shoot we did at the Hobart izaak Walton after a district meeting.

 

[TJ Kackowski]

Back during the 80s My dad was a member at the Izaak Waltonin Griffith. Plus some of my friends family's were members also. We use to shoot a lot of trap there, fish, Ice Fish ( I would go in to the liquor store on the north side of Ridge Road close to Burger King and buy a 12 pack of Miller when 17 and we would drink it while Ice fishing lol) plus shoot at the small range there. They had the Wild Game Dinner there every year after hunting season which was very good also.. Plus the annual Ice Fishing Tournament was a great time to. Lots of great memories at this place. During the early 90s I move to Central Indiana so I haven't been there since then. Now I'm a member at Marion County Fish Game. They have trap shooting every Thursday Night. I don't shoot trap much now but have been once at MCFG and its a fun time.

I can vouch for the MCFG trap on Thursday nights. They're an easy going group of shooters who are very gracious with new shooters. I shot there for years and years, years ago. When I finally added up how much I spent in guest fees I figured out that I could have paid for a life-time membership. So then I bought a life-time membership. Soon after that life got in the way of Thursday night trap shooting. I still get to MCFG on an infrequent basis to use the pistol bays or sometimes the main line to shoot pistols and rimfire rifles. Still good people who are in charge of the Club and grounds.