Winamac FWA Shooting Range

[theslasher]

I live about 14 miles from the Winamac FWA shooting range. Super nice place. And best of all its free. Been going there for years. Only problem is lately its impossible to shoot there on the weekend because its taken over by Illinois people. Since its free its funded by tax payers. (Indiana residents). They contribute not one cent to the cause yet act as if they own the place. Arrogance runs rampant. I once saw a 5 year old boy shooting with his dad at the 25 yard range and all 3 spots were being used. A guys just walks up next to the boy and says, "Im just gonna shoot here!" Then theirs 45 acp brass hitting the little boy and landing in the hood of his sweatshirt. Sure enough when the guy went to leave his vehicle had Illinois plates. Im sure some will be offended by this post. But who else finds this to be a problem? There has got to be other options besides driving 100 miles to shoot.

 

[spec4]

It seems fair to charge out of state shooters. When I lived in Illannoy I used Willow Slough and would have been happy to pay for the privilege. Should we collectively agree on a fee and petition the DNR?

 

[DukeTheDog]

Same with Willow Slough, which is even closer to IL. Can't even go there on a weekend. Hell, even went Friday at noon and the place was packed. Lots of IL plates...

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

I've run into the same problem at Winamac. Hoosier shooters are always polite and helpful. The IL shooters that I've met, were either snobbish or clueless about range safety. Saw a couple unsafe IL shooters, get told to leave by DNR rangers.

 

[theslasher]

I've run into the same problem at Winamac. Hoosier shooters are always polite and helpful. The IL shooters that I've met, were either snobbish or clueless about range safety. Saw a couple unsafe IL shooters, get told to leave by DNR rangers.

Couldnt have said it better!!!

 

[baba]

Having been gone from the state for a long time, i was pleased to see how much time and money they had put in to the Willow Slough area. I hadn't been there since the 90s and it is much improved. I've only been back one time now as a resident of IN. It was a Friday and not too crowded. Guess i got lucky. I feel bad for the people of Illinois. Having grown up there my dad and I could barely find a place to hunt, and there were no public ranges outdoors. Maybe we could petition the Indiana department that runs it to donate some time to teaching the Illinois side how to get their act together. Then the shooting sports would be more accessible to all people. Sigh...just a pipe dream though.

-Brian

 

[theslasher]

Over the summer on a Sunday my dad and I pulled in and at the 25 we saw tents set up. People grilling out. Kids running around including some that had to be less than 2 tears old. Had to of been 50 people in that area alone. Saw two guys unload another big cooler out of a Yukon Denali XL complete with Illinois plates and carry it that way. Watched guys at point blank blast the hell out of fresh plywood with shotguns. We waited for a place to shoot for probably 45 min then we left.

 

[87iroc]

Sad to hear that...especially considering INGO helps fund their plywood usage.

I get leary when I see a thread stereotyping all shooters from Illinois as the same...seems like it might be a blanket statement due to a couple incidents. I've seen a few idiots from Indiana shooting as well. But then, growing up in NW Indiana we had all the 'FIBs' running across route 8 on Friday nights doing 90 mph...and we blanket cursed them too.

That said, how would they go about collecting a 'fee'. That would require full time Manpower, would it not, to police that? If they did, how long would it be before INdiana folks were getting charged too?

 

[hornadylnl]

None of those problems at my local range.

 

[jedi]

Over the summer on a Sunday my dad and I pulled in and at the 25 we saw tents set up. People grilling out. Kids running around including some that had to be less than 2 tears old. Had to of been 50 people in that area alone. Saw two guys unload another big cooler out of a Yukon Denali XL complete with Illinois plates and carry it that way. Watched guys at point blank blast the hell out of fresh plywood with shotguns. We waited for a place to shoot for probably 45 min then we left.

Suspect that what you saw was actually the NWI INGO group at it's once a month get together at WINAMAC.
We have been doing those for the past 4 years.
2011 NWI INGO Current Events Schedule
2012 NWI Events
2013 NWI Events

This year over the summer we co-sponsored YOUTH DAY with DNR as well.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...-jun-2013-nwi-ingo-dnr-winamac-youth-day.html

Then in July we have close to 70 INGO members including Fenway (INGO Owner) and several of the MODs.
Some of our members come from as far as IL (close to the WI border and Rockford) for the event.

Yes the plywood does get heavly, heavly used during these events but we also donate plywood each time we go. 6+ sheets per month to cover the 'useage' of what we do during that one day. In addition we have donated the brooms, dust pans and wood posts that you see at the range.

This past month we also donated a foam 4'x8' for DNR to try out on the longer ranges to see if those will last longer than the plywood.
We post a big "NWI INGO" sign on the 25 yard and welcome everyone to going us. We have flyers about INGO as well for the 'public' to join us online as well.

Our last shoot for the year is on SAT, 30 NOV 2013 this year. More info here:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...30-nov-2013-nwi-meet-shoot-last-one-year.html

Then we go into 'hibernation' until MAR 2014. During the winter months we are busy planning the 2014 YOUTH DAY for WINAMAC that will occur in JUNE. We need donations of:

ammo (.22lr and .223)
manpower to help teach and cook
flyer pass out
earplug, targets, rifles
food

Sad to hear that...especially considering INGO helps fund their plywood usage.

Prior to JULY 2013 INGO had not helped with the funding of the plywood. Donations came from NWI INGO members in 2010 - JUN 2013.
In JULY 2013 INGO owner fenway did give us $150 for plywood for the range.

 

[baba]

That is really awesome - to see such sponsorship of events like these. I will have to try and make one, but I think i'm too much of a cold weather wimp for Nov 30th!

-Brian

 

[jedi]

That is really awesome - to see such sponsorship of events like these. I will have to try and make one, but I think i'm too much of a cold weather wimp for Nov 30th!

-Brian

oh don't worry of the 40-70 active members only the 'die hards' will be there in NOV. Typically the numbers increases as the year gets warmer and then drops off again with fall. BTW to click on my sig for the NWI INGO social group and sign up to the status update thread for up to date info.

 

[melensdad]

Sad to hear that...especially considering INGO helps fund their plywood usage.

Uh, correction, the NWI INGO Sub-Group donates that plywood. Its not INGO, its just a bunch of INGO members based in the roughly 5 most NW counties.

And to add to what JEDI wrote, the NWI INGO group works with the DNR, its not INGO working with the DNR, but our subgroup of members who volunteer to help the DNR, who provide their time, who drive the plywood out there, who actually feed NON-INGO members and try to get them to join INGO, who come out and staff the DNR Youth Shoot on their own time, etc.

Yes, we take over the 25 yard range, but we also make space for people if they come and ask to use the line. At the last event we had a father/son shooting with us that were not from INGO, they never heard about INGO. We made space for them, we showed them our guns, we fed them our food. Ask them if they have any complaint.

Yes, there WERE times in the PAST when we blasted away at the plywood, but realize that was the plywood that was due to be changed, it was not new plywood, it was the worn out stuff.

Oh, and guilty as charged with the grills. I was the guy who started bringing a grill. Now we typically have 2, 3 or 4 of them when we show up and we feed not just our group, but anyone else who comes along. Oh, and its all donated by us.

 

[Andy219]

 

[melensdad]

Said the guy who brings out HAND CANNONS and scares all the girly-men off the shooting line!

 

[87iroc]

Umm...yah. Sorry for confusing INGO with NWI INGO members. Simply substitute that and go have a beer. If I stepped into a bone of contention there take it up with someone who can do something about it. From jedi's post sounds like INGO helped fund the plywood this time.

I have never been but have hopes of making it in November if I can get away from the sunny south. My brother had a blast last time. He hauled the plywood...

 

[Andy219]

 

[melensdad]

Umm...yah. Sorry for confusing INGO with NWI INGO members. Simply substitute that and go have a beer. If I stepped into a bone of contention there take it up with someone who can do something about it.

I have never been but have hopes of making it in November if I can get away from the sunny south. My brother had a blast last time. He hauled the plywood...

Not a bone of contention but just setting things straight.

We are the friendliest group you'd ever want to see. Typically 20 -30 people, 200+ guns, lots of food, and we all share. We do our own range safety, with some of us facing the shooting line during 'cold' range periods to make sure everyone down range changing targets are safe. We allow strangers to try our guns and often provide them the ammo for free. The range officers know what we do, they see how safe we are, they see that we accommodate other non-INGO visitors to the range, they see us training newbies in a safe manner, they appreciate the donations, heck sometimes they even eat with us. Yes come join us!

 

[Wild Deuce]

What Melensdad said ...

To the OP ...

Next time you show up and it looks crowded, don't be shy! Walk over and say "hello!" We don't bite. If you see something wrong, say something. If you are totally new and don't know who to talk to, saunter over and socialize and casually ask what's going on and who's in charge? They'll explain it all to you and point you to someone in pink eventually (we let him think he's the boss).

I am completely serious here, if you drove over on your one free day that particular month and you couldn't get to the 25 yard range. Walk over, introduce yourself and share your dilemma with someone ... or not ... you don't need a reason. I GUARANTEE the people with the NWI INGO group will bend over backwards to clear you a spot on the line.

Some of the nicest people you will ever meet are in the gun community. Sometimes we are having such a great time that we don't see what's going on away from us. Give us a chance. You might end up shooting a ton more than you planned with a ton more different guns than you brought and you might even eat a lot more than you planned. You might also leave having made more friends than you had when you woke up that morning.

 

[Winamac]

WD, You nailed it. That is exactly how I came to join INGO. The Winamac range is and has been for years my "HAPPY PLACE" (in case you couldn't tell by my name). My experiences have always been pretty much positive there. The good times had and good people met at the Winamac range out weight the negative. I think it is awesome the way INGO (in whatever Indiana region) donate the plywood and poles and feed the range officers. I am not always able to make the INGO shoots. However I do always take the time to thank the DNR range officers for being there when I go shoot.