Where are my Illinois natives at?

Drive south, brother, and don't look back. Everything gets better south of I-80.

I too live in the western suburbs. My indoor range is Article II in Lombard (10 minutes away). I much prefer outdoor ranges and favor the ISRA range in Kankakee, it's an hour away but worth the drive.

Live in Cook County, but not Chicago thankfully. As for shooting I do it all far up north in Wisconsin on 'private land' (think Green Bay north), don't get out there often but I like being able to shoot outdoors without any silly range restrictions or rules.

As for shooting indoors I don't really care for it but ever one in a blue moon I might go to Rinks.

Lebanon Illinois. 90 miles east of St. Louis Mo. No offense but most of us South of Cook County wish Cook County would secede from the state and become their own state. I am on a small farm 5 miles from town and shoot in my back yard. We do have a trap range in our local park that is adjacent to the city limits.

There is a new range being built in Bensenville, 30 lanes and state of the art. I'll keep any of you who want posted on progress and projected opening date. That said I try and stay out of public ranges. I've been shooting on private land way up north in WI.

Cook County, NW Suburbs. I go to Maxon's because, simply put, it is all I really know.

Plainfield Shooter

I live in Plainfield and I range at Mega Sports - though I have tried Rink's in Lockport and Article II in Lombard. I have not shot outdoors since 1966, when I cam home from Vietnam, but I plan to do so when the weather finally breaks. I will probably go to Buffalo Rock, but Kankakee's ISRA (which I knew nothing about until I read this thread) sounds like it might not be a bad idea to look into. And the DNR range in Indiana, too.

Mega Sports is expensive, yes, but the range is clean, well lit and very well ventilated and the equipment is up to date. The same cannot be said for Article II and Rink's. Especially Rink's. And the best thing about Mega Sports? There's a big sink with hot water, soap and paper towels right outside the range to clean your face and hands after shooting. When you know what's actually IN GSR, you want to wash your hands and face. As soon as possible.

Lived in Bartlett for 20 years and shot at my brother-in-laws club in Kenosha.

Now I live in Wisconsin, thank goodness, and shoot at a private club 10 minutes from my house.

My experience with Mega's employees has been quite the opposite. They work under VERY strict regulation - and one of those regulations seems to be to stay on task until the task is complete. Period. That means not allowing interruptions by other staff and/or customers while serving the needs of a specific customer. I wish they'd use a number system, like they do in a deli - it would solve a lot of the perception issues with "Customer Service". I have found the staff to be friendly and knowledgeable - when it came to be "my turn".

As for the range, the rules change from time to time. They discourage reloads, but they'll allow factory ammo - yours or theirs. Yes, you have to buy their targets. They discount the range fee if you spend more than 10 bucks - so buying a box of ammo gets you on the range cheaper.

Originally from the far South Suburbs (Dolton, Cal City, South Holland, ect). Now reside in the top left corner which is, in terms of attitudes of all stripes, much closer to those under I-80 than the Chi crowd; (as I say) the other 'downstate'.

Here we shoot on family land but close and inexpensive gun clubs are all over as well. Thats the irony maybe; in a rural area where mostly everyone can shoot in someone's 'back yard', public and nearly-public clubs are all over. I guess we are spoiled for choice.

I shoot at Darnall's outside of Bloomington and have been known to range as far south as The Bullet Trap in Macon.

They're both fairly out of the way, so I don't get to go as often as I'd like, but the Downstairs Laser Bullet Range gets a good workout. Dry fire scratches the itch a little.

I live in Rockford and I'm a member of the Pine Tree Pistol Club. We have three indoor ranges (no outdoor at all) and as a member you get a key to the building and can shoot whenever you want (unless the ranges are reserved for classes or competition). The only rifles allowed for use there are 22's and the ranges have a maximum distance of 50 feet.

I am from southern Illinois, DuQuoin, near Carbondale. I often shoot on private property, but also at MorMad Farms. It is an outdoor range recently started, with a 400 yard rifle berm.

We live on a small farm just outside of Trenton. We've set up a 100 yard shooting lane on our property that's not more than 10 yards from the house. We used to be members of the Highland Pistol and Rifle Club, but just cannot justify the added expense to do there what we can do at home. I've also shot for many years at Metro Shooting Supplies (formerly Belleville Shooting Range) in Belleville. As indoor ranges go, it's small but not bad.

I'm from Godfrey about 40 mi north of St. Louis. I can shoot right here in the back yard. There is a outdoor range 15 mi. away in East Alton at the Olin Corp. plant where they make Winchester ammo. They have one for pistol and another for shot gun, you have to buy there ammo.

65ish miles West of Lake Michigan 45ish miles South of Rockford/Belvidere.

Shoot at The ASC club in Waterman. Don't frequent any indoor ranges.


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If memory serves, NapalmMan76, the ASC, in Waterman is private. What do dues run? And the club in Big Rock is, as well, I just can't remember who that one is associated with.

Tonica, IL (North Central IL) here. Don't go to any ranges, just some informal clay shooting with friends and relatives.

Greetings
When up north there we live in Danville (intersate 74, extreme east ILLinois).
Been a member of Danville Rifle Pistol Club since 1982. We have our own 300 yard range west of town somewhat north of Oakwood.
Mike in Peru

Lived in Chicago for many years. Move out to TX at the end of 2011. Haven't looked back.

Madison County IL. I shoot at the Caseyville Pistol and Rifle Club located in Mascoutah IL.

Rinks is fine for the $9 they charge. No RO, no BS, your own ammo and targets. Not the top-of-the-line equipment but the price is right. Dark and dingy with manual target lines but who cares when you can shoot all you want for $9?

Mega Sports is all business. Like others have said, when it's your turn, you are treated right. The range fees are almost 3x Rinks, though, and you have to buy their targets. They have an outstanding selection but are pretty pricey. I've heard they like to hire off duty LEO, which is fine with me. They are true professionals but you pay for their services. Their choices of rental guns are second to none. I've waited over an hour to shoot there and you get to roam the aisles of shooting stuff while you wait. It can get expensive there.

I watched Article II get put together. It is 5 mins from where I used to work. The delays were tough to take but they had a lot of red tape from the community. When they finally opened they were not as nice as Mega Sports but did ok with their range. Their selection is no where near Mega Sports but the prices are cheaper too.