Deer Creek Shooting Range is open

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  • Slonsteady

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    Jul 26, 2016
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    This range can be reached off of US 40 in Putnamville. Take 243 south from 40 for a few miles. It is brand new DNR range run by some standup people. It is smaller than Aterbury but the same design. Help em get started and pay them a visit.

    Good shooting.
     

    DanVoils

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    I wouldn't refer to this new wave of DNR ranges as 'public', since they are run like a business, and you have to pay to use them. ;)

    The $7 an hour is used to pay wages and other overhead costs. Do you complain when you have to pay to get into a state park or recreation area? Public doesn't mean free. Bernout Sanders didn't win so people actually have to pay their way. :D Doesn't it cost to shoot at Atterbury?
    I'm more concerned about Eagle Creek Shooting Range being closed to the public and only open for a select few. Tax money is being used to maintain and staff it.

    I've been to Deer Creek and may go again today. It's a very clean and well run facility. The RSO's actually do their job and aren't pricks. Their website with more info and pricing is at Deer Creek Gun Range
    Dan
     

    Mgderf

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    I wouldn't refer to this new wave of DNR ranges as 'public', since they are run like a business, and you have to pay to use them. ;)

    I wouldn't expect it to be free.
    I would just like to see a range in Tippecanoe county that the public at large had the opportunity to access.
    The only outdoor ranges here now are private, and not available for public access.
    You must be a member of a club to use the ranges here.

    I don't mind joining clubs, but I can't justify $200+ for a membership.
    Tried it for a couple of years and couldn't seem to get my monies worth. Either I was too busy to go, or the range was being used for club events when I did have a chance to go.

    I would much prefer to see a range that I could pay for by the hour or day
    I'm luckier than most. I have access to a 50 yard outdoor private range. My brother put a range in his front yard after I gave him a Frankengun AR that I'd assembled.

    Like most though, 50 yards is not enough to stretch out a long gun, so a "public" range would be something I would patronize.
     

    Slonsteady

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    Jul 26, 2016
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    Plainfield
    Before moving to the great state of Indiana I lived in Maryland and when younger in Massachusetts. I really appreciat the people of Indiana and escpecilly the business owners and the like. Driving less than an hour and only paying $7.00 an hour to practice a sport I like, is priceless. I feelt like I was in a duengon in those other states.

    I don't have any affiliation with Deer Creek, but really like the facility and people. I used to drive to Atterbury every month. I had to cross two rivers, pass through four towns and drove my car or rode my motor bike for an hour or more. I also used to shoot at Eagle Creek, so I know what it is like to loose a range and time with friends. I think these ranges are a nice way to use some of our hunting and fishing fees, two other sports I love.

    Happy Sunday to all.
     

    nipprdog

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    The $7 an hour is used to pay wages and other overhead costs. Do you complain when you have to pay to get into a state park or recreation area? Public doesn't mean free. Bernout Sanders didn't win so people actually have to pay their way. :D Doesn't it cost to shoot at Atterbury?
    I'm more concerned about Eagle Creek Shooting Range being closed to the public and only open for a select few. Tax money is being used to maintain and staff it.

    I've been to Deer Creek and may go again today. It's a very clean and well run facility. The RSO's actually do their job and aren't pricks. Their website with more info and pricing is at Deer Creek Gun Range
    Dan

    Good point about the RSOs. Jasper is free, and it gets crazy with only one officer.
     

    DanVoils

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    Good point about the RSOs. Jasper is free, and it gets crazy with only one officer.

    I've been to too many ranges where the RSO is either trying to hit on a pretty girl, are absorbed by their phone or just don't give a damn. At those kind of ranges I try to get a lane on the end. It cuts down the chance of anything bad happening since there's only shooters on one side. I've also seen an RSO pick up brass and put it in their pocket. I don't know what caliber the guy was shooting but the RSO definitely wanted the brass.
    Dan
     

    bb37

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    Jan 27, 2013
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    North of US40
    Relative noob here. I've not shot at an outdoor range, so my questions may be rather basic.

    At Deer Creek, does the shooter have to provide their own targets? What do you attach the targets to and how do you attach them? How often are the shooters allowed to go downrange to reach their targets?

    At Deer Creek, I assume that when you go in, you are assigned a lane. What if you have both a handgun and a rifle and you want to shoot your handgun for a while then shoot your rifle? Do you have to request a lane reassignment? Or, can you just move to a different lane?
     

    DanVoils

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    Relative noob here. I've not shot at an outdoor range, so my questions may be rather basic.

    At Deer Creek, does the shooter have to provide their own targets? What do you attach the targets to and how do you attach them? How often are the shooters allowed to go downrange to reach their targets?

    At Deer Creek, I assume that when you go in, you are assigned a lane. What if you have both a handgun and a rifle and you want to shoot your handgun for a while then shoot your rifle? Do you have to request a lane reassignment? Or, can you just move to a different lane?

    You can bring your own targets or buy some there. The backing is coroplast and they provide push pins for you to attach the target. The coroplast is flush with the wooden frame so binder clips would only work on the top and bottom if you use oversized targets. They do a 15 minute shoot with a 2 minute target change/eval. I use a spotting scope so I was good to go most of the time. Only when I poked too many holes in my target did I need to go down range and change it. On a side note there were only a few people there shooting the last time I was there. The RSO kept an attentive eye on us and even though it wasn't the full 15 minutes he saw us all just kind of standing around waiting on the 15 to be up so he asked if we needed to change targets. This kind of attentiveness is what sets Deer Creek apart from a lot of other ranges.
    When you arrive you sign in and they assign a lane according to what you are shooting. If you change firearms, rifle vs hand gun, just go inside and they will reassign your lane. It's more about lane and shooter management than restriction. I could shoot my hand guns on the 25 or 50 yard line if I wanted but that's not really plausible.
    Dan
     

    DanVoils

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    Nice aerial video of the range.
    Dan


    [video=youtube_share;dJL29TZUrWw]http://youtu.be/dJL29TZUrWw[/video]​
     

    DanVoils

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    Good work, Dan. Given the discussion going on elsewhere at INGO, seeing what Schneider did at Deer Creek makes you appreciate the effort required to build a modern, "safe" range.

    https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...gun-range-neighbors-think-they-line-fire.html

    Thanks. I didn't know Precision was a DNR facility. Big difference. Check out the pictures on Deer Creek's web page. With the baffles you would really have to try to shoot outside of the range. Plus there's not really anything for a good while to the north/down range.
    Dan
     

    bb37

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    North of US40
    Precision isn't a DNR facility. My point was that if Precision had gone to the effort to contain errant rounds that is evident at Deer Creek, Precision wouldn't be in the news right now.
     

    DanVoils

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    Precision isn't a DNR facility. My point was that if Precision had gone to the effort to contain errant rounds that is evident at Deer Creek, Precision wouldn't be in the news right now.

    Got it! Thanks.
    Dan
     

    Dimitrivich

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    Mar 18, 2017
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    I have been here and this place is fantastic. Range fees are nice and reasonable. In my never ending hunt to find a nice local outdoor range, I couldn't have been happier with my experience. Well, maybe the drive. Can you reproduce this place up on the NE side?
     
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