Where are my Illinois natives at?

I've been in Sangamon County, near Springfield for many years now. There are two indoor ranges within reasonable driving distance, but I hate shooting indoors. Fortuantely we have the Lefthanders Gun Club, and Abe Lincoln gun club fairly close by. Both private clubs but with shoots to which the public is invited.

DuPage

I shoot at Article II, but if I know I can only shoot for an hour, I'll shoot at JR Shooting Sports because there is less of a wait.

I've made reservations at Article II and still had to wait 45 minutes...

In NW Suburbs of Chicago. Typically shoot at GAT guns. I don't get out as often as I would like.

So, color me shocked. Applied for my FOID and got it in just over 3 weeks, maybe Illinois is actually catching up. My wife applied at the same time though and hasn't gotten hers, so who knows.

Born and raised in Chicago, living now on the North side. I remember shopping at Kleins Sporting Goods and VL&A in the Loop and bringing my (cased) rifles home on the El. Then we got the Daleys, and it all went.
Currently shop and shoot indoors at GAT Guns near Elgin, an hours drive but they have a great selection of gear and a very nice range. Another favorite shop is Schrank's in Waukegan, nice folks and a fine selection of used guns. Outdoor shooting means the hour+ drive to the Free State of Wisconsin, the Bristol range has ranges out to 200yds. And trap and skeet for those that do that. I've looked at the ISSRA range but that's a 2 hour drive for me and a range membership is just too pricey for the number of times I'd use it. I've never checked out Maxon in Des Plaines, pretty close so might drop in when the weather lets up. Or Rahman Emanuel might get his backside handed to him by the courts and let a range get built in the City: wouldn't that be a hoot!

Or Rahman Emanuel might get his backside handed to him by the courts and let a range get built in the City: wouldn't that be a hoot!

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Actually Chicago was recently challenged in the courts about their law regarding gun ranges and gun stores in city limits. And the law is technically already changed allowing gun ranges in city limits......unfortunately the list of restrictions and code issues (cant be within a certain distance of residential zones, schools, parks, public buildings, and establishments that sell liquor) is endless. In other words gun ranges can be opened, but getting past all the rules, regulations, and the city will mean any gun range would be more a political statement then a real business.

Nice thread here!!

I hail from just inside Ill .at the junction of 2 well used trails. I#80 and Mississippi River.
I shoot at Milan Rifle Club and just across the river in the free state of Iowa at the Princeton public Iowa DNR dirt berm range .
The Milan range is the oldest and most respected range in these parts. They have big heated indoor pistol range to 25yds w/electric retrieve . Many outdoor pistol ranges . Covered range w.25,50,100, and 180 boards. Complete cowboy action range and police combat targets . Other options are 200yd rifle range , 300 yd range and 600 yd range 3 walled ranges that are for pistol and scatterguns. Access is by punch code electric gate .Don't need to even get out to use. lol
In good weather I favor the free state of Iowa's dirt berm range for plinking with the CZ 452s ,Marlin 30-30, H&R Handi 30-30. and the H&R Buffalo Classic 45/70.
For anyone in my area that uses the free DNR range . I'm assuming that the members here are not among those that choose to leave the brain at home when the range officer is not working the range . Shooting the target boards
2X4 supports literally to the ground is not exactly a show of common sense.
Wish all safe shooting

Glad I saw this thread

Hey! I, like Edarnold remember taking my buddy's Dad's hunting rifles (cased) on the commuter train to Northwestern Station and then walking to the gunsmith at Marshall Fields. The gun department had some of the most amazing specimens of taxidermy I have ever seen; especially the Kodiak Bear that to a twelve-year-old seemed about the size of Godzilla.
I recently have been shooting at Maxon's and have been meaning to try Article II. It's been a while since I've been to GAT. I actually have been doing most of my shooting lately at the Vilas County range near my place in Northern Wisconsin. Much more relaxed there.
One thing I would like to say is that I have noticed more couples at the ranges. It used to be when I took my wife and daughter there, they were the only women in the place. I'm glad to see the change.

Born south side Chicago, grew up in Oak Lawn (SW suburbs). I have not been back there except for 2 very short trips for 46 years. I try to avoid telling people that I am "from" there, I usually tell people I'm from Florida.

I have other issues besides the gun rights thing with Chicago and Illinois in general.

For some reason, my wife thinks it's funny to tell people I'm from Chicago. I think it's because it ticks me off to no end, and since it's really hard to get me angry, it's a little victory for her. I also don't like it when she puts my tennis/walking/gym shoes in the washing machine...grrrrr!

That's alright, I just tell people she was born at the Wendy's in Linton, IN....which is true in a way. And I don't shake the throw rugs out before I wash them, so there!

Born south side Chicago, grew up in Oak Lawn (SW suburbs). I have not been back there except for 2 very short trips for 46 years. I try to avoid telling people that I am "from" there, I usually tell people I'm from Florida.

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Are you old enough to remember VL&A in Oak Lawn? They always had a pretty good selection of handguns.

I almost bought my first handgun there. It was a choice between a 9mm Japanese Type 26 revolver and a Luger with absolutely no finish on it. I wish I'd bought the Luger. I ended up getting a Series 70 Colt from a little shop near 103(?) and Lincoln Highway(?).

I later bought a Smith Victory Model and an M1917 from VL&A. I REALLY wish I still had that M1917.

I'm in Champaign. I get to shoot at the U of I's police training range 2x per month. It's nice, very strict oversight and rules as it is very crowded on these days. (that's a good thing, imo)

I also shoot at the ISRA range when I can make the trip.

You guys need to do like a lot of your neighbors and buy a week end house over here. "Over here" being a 90 minute drive from the Loop. 70% of my neighbors are from Il and come out on the week-ends.

I live on a lake, and have a 200 yard range at my daughter's house right down the street. If you buy my house, you get access to the range. Hell of a deal. Walk out front to boat or fish and walk out back to shoot. And the house doesn't cost 1/4 of what it would in Illinois. And taxes are 1/10th.

redneck2 said:

You guys need to do like a lot of your neighbors and buy a week end house over here. "Over here" being a 90 minute drive from the Loop. 70% of my neighbors are from Il and come out on the week-ends.

I live on a lake, and have a 200 yard range at my daughter's house right down the street. If you buy my house, you get access to the range. Hell of a deal. Walk out front to boat or fish and walk out back to shoot. And the house doesn't cost 1/4 of what it would in Illinois. And taxes are 1/10th.

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I can't imagine being Ill-annoyed!

Screw a whole bunch of Illinois.

Well, I guess the vote from Texas is in.

@Deanimator: I will be 65 in July...I do not recollect any gun shops in Oak Lawn at all. I left at age 18 (1967) and have never seen the place again. My father had an Ithaca M37 12 gauge (which I still have!), my maternal granddad's 38 S&W (Iver Johnson, still have that one too) which he carried in WW1 and a little .22 Hi-Standard revolver. I had Crosman BB gun- it was a weird pump action, you'd load 1 BB and pump the barrel once.

I was in Chicago briefly in 1974 for my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary (somewhere out in the far SW suburbs, don't remember where) and in 2000 when my stepson graduated from Great Lakes.

I still have family in N. Illinois but I don't stay in contact. Neither have I stayed in contact with people I went to school with and such. No big deal, everybody's gotta live somewhere.

Chicago and I refuse to leave as it would mean signalling defeat on multiple issues.

I am fond of GAT Guns. 90 is easy to access from Belmont and it nice and easy drive up it to there. Just wish I had a easy to access range that I could use steel cased ammo at.

BGBL87, funny you mentioned Tonica. I grew up in LaSalle but spent all my younger years shooting in the local woods from Tonica to the old LoneStar quarry lands, Bailey Falls and along the Vermillion river. My dad grew up on a farm halfway between Tonica and the quarry, RR1 Ogelsby.
I think the OP mentioned Buffalo Rock Shooting Range, that place is a "dive". Years ago it was a gunshop and reloader supply until the owner got sloppy, and literally blew the place up from powder residue on his reload machines. That was around 86-88, I have a couple pics from that. BATF was all over that place.
Anyway, I left Illinois in 2001 and live in Michigan now, shoot at a decent local outdoor range out to 200 yards, smallbore range and a pistol berm. Small membership fee of $44 gets me the combo to the gate and clubhouse. Very convenient to back in with the truck and spend half a day with whatever I bring.

shuvelrider said:

BGBL87, funny you mentioned Tonica. I grew up in LaSalle but spent all my younger years shooting in the local woods from Tonica to the old LoneStar quarry lands, Bailey Falls and along the Vermillion river. My dad grew up on a farm halfway between Tonica and the quarry, RR1 Ogelsby.
I think the OP mentioned Buffalo Rock Shooting Range, that place is a "dive". Years ago it was a gunshop and reloader supply until the owner got sloppy, and literally blew the place up from powder residue on his reload machines. That was around 86-88, I have a couple pics from that. BATF was all over that place.
Anyway, I left Illinois in 2001 and live in Michigan now, shoot at a decent local outdoor range out to 200 yards, smallbore range and a pistol berm. Small membership fee of $44 gets me the combo to the gate and clubhouse. Very convenient to back in with the truck and spend half a day with whatever I bring.

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I think I know the area you're talking about. Small world! I actually grew up in Ottawa, moved to Tonica just about a year ago when my wife and I bought a house here, lived in Peru for about half a year before that. Never have been to Buffalo Rock Range and don't imagine I will soon because of the reasons you mention.

Buffalo Rock sits on the edge of the old strip mines near Naplate. I shot there once years ago, once was enough. You shoot down into the "pits" at whatever junk has been put in there, you and everyone else blasting into the pit. There is a pistol range off to the one side, not much and not the safest either. That was then, don't know how they are doing now.

@Deanimator: I will be 65 in July...I do not recollect any gun shops in Oak Lawn at all. I left at age 18 (1967) and have never seen the place again.

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I was going to St. Columbanus Catholic grade school at 72nd(?) and Calumet in '67. I didn't start going to VL&A until some time in the mid to late '70s. They're gone, and I'm pretty sure the place in Harvey where I bought my Ithaca 37 DSPS is too.

Comrade Mike said:

They've cleaned up their act with the pistol and rifle ranges, the plinking pit was shut down by the state. It's 30 bucks per person per day. Needles to say I stopped going there.

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Was the plinking pit shut down because of people complaining about stray lead ending up on or going over a road or something? Thought I remembered something like that.