Indiana Opens new $4.7 Million Shooting Center
On May 30, 2007, Indiana will open the new Atterbury Fish and Wildlife Area (FWA) Shooting Range, a $4.7 million facility that features a 66-position rifle and pistol range, and four combination trap and skeet fields. The state-of-the-art range, located between Indianapolis and Columbus, replaces an aging shooting facility that was being used by more than 15,000 shooters each year. Similar modern baffled ranges were built near LaPorte in 2002 at Kingsbury FWA, and near Huntington in 2004 at J. Edward Roush Lake. The Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) will be reimbursed for about 75 percent of construction costs through federal aid. The aid is derived from federal excise tax revenue from the sales of firearms and ammunition, and archery equipment. “More than one million Hoosiers are shooting-sports enthusiasts, and they need facilities like this to support hunter education programs and to have appropriate locations to practice and improve their skills,” said DNR Director Robert Carter.
Atterbury FWA covers 6,000 acres that was once part of Camp Atterbury military base. The land was purchased in March 1969, from the Government Services Administration, through the Federal Lands to Parks Program.
Range Hours and Gen’l Info: Call (812) 526-6552.
How to Get There: Exit I-65 at Exit 80 (Edinburgh/Flatrock). Take S.R. 252 west to Edinburgh. Follow S.R. 252 west until it intersects US.31 (about 2.6 miles). Continue west across U.S. 31 for about 1.8 miles. Just before the “Camp Atterbury-1942″ boulder, take Edinburgh St. (northwest) for about 2,000 feet. Range is on right. The official address for the range is 4250 E. Edinburgh St., Edinburgh, IN 46214.
Editor’s Comment: Now this is what we like to see–a state government working actively to enhance shooting facilities, and making proper use of federal funding to do so. By contrast, in my home state of California, state and local politicians aggressively work to close shooting ranges or limit their use to police and law enforcement. In my county alone, two indoor ranges and two outdoor ranges have been shut down in the last year and a half. Kudos to Indiana DNR officials for launching the new Atterbury FWA facility.
