If you enjoy clay target shooting, you know it’s a very weather-dependent sport. No one likes to shoot in the rain, during extreme heat or cold. Even high winds can cause issues, as they make targets fly erratically. But all of that is now in the past, as clay target shooting has moved indoors.
Located in extreme northern Ohio just a few miles south of the city of Sandusky, Lake Erie Arms (www.learms.net) opened to the public just a year ago. Promoted as a world-class indoor shooting megacomplex—one of just three such indoor clays ranges in the U.S.—the facility boasts 94,000 square feet of space, more than two acres under roof!
Co-founder Jim West, an energetic entrepreneur with four other businesses currently operating under his oversight, did not become involved in the shooting sports until his late 20s. “Ohio had just passed a concealed-carry law and I decided I wanted a CCW permit so took the course,” he said. “I enjoyed it so much that I became an instructor, and that went so well that I eventually opened a small gun shop. That venture was so successful that I came up with the idea of creating Lake Erie Arms, so that my CCW students would have a place to shoot indoors year round.”
Before beginning construction, West and his co-founder, brother-in-law Brent McConnell, did their homework, visiting 18 other mega-shooting ranges east of the Mississippi, meeting with the owners and picking their brains for concepts and ideas. “We then began working with an architect developing plans, and from the time we received those blueprints it took six years and $23 million to complete the project. In essence, what boats are to a yacht club, and golf is to a country club, Lake Erie Arms is to the shooting sports.”
Prior to interviewing West for this story, I decided to see for myself what all the hype was about, so I visited Lake Erie Arms unannounced recently on a weekday afternoon. The exterior of the large concrete, steel-and-glass building was indeed impressive from the parking lot. Walking through the front door with a cased shotgun hanging over my shoulder and a shooting bag in my hand, I was greeted at the spacious front desk by two young women employees.
“Hi, how can I help you?” one of them promptly asked, smiling. When I explained that this was my first visit to the range, she directed me to the check-in desk toward the rear of the facility.
The high-ceilinged retail area between the front desk and check-in was HUGE (6,600 square feet), containing a complete gun shop offering both standard and custom handguns, rifles and shotguns, as well as accessories and gunsmithing services. In addition, there was a café with numerous tables and chairs for relaxing/snacking with your shooting buddies.
Once I reached the check-in counter, another woman employee explained how to register by completing the required paperwork electronically, which took only a few minutes. I was then asked what I’d like to shoot. When I said two rounds (25 targets each) of sporting clays, I was handed two boxes of shotgun shells (all shotgun ammunition must be purchased on site) and was then introduced to Don Mayle, a range safety officer.
After making sure that I had brought along adequate eye and ear protection, Mayle escorted me to the shotgun range, swinging open the door to one of eight shooting suites, each of which can accommodate up to four shooters. Inside was a small table and three chairs, plus a large touchscreen mounted on the wall.
“The touchscreen is how you select the shotgun game you want to shoot—trap, skeet, five-stand or sporting clays—plus where you keep score,” Mayle explained. “The screen also shows in what direction the target(s) will fly and in what sequence.” Mayle had some extra time available to spend with me that afternoon, which helped, as I found the touchscreen a little intimidating at first.
When the clays began flying, however, I settled into the rhythm of shooting, finding the experience a bit surreal, as targets from any of 26 throwers appeared out of the floor, out of the walls or even the ceiling. Some “rabbit” targets, that normally roll across the ground when shooting outdoors, rolled across a concrete floor. Yes, it was all fun, but in an other-worldly, futuristic way. It was hard to believe that I was actually shooting real clay targets with my own shotgun … and doing it totally indoors!
In addition to indoor clays, Lake Erie Arms offers 16 indoor 25-yard handgun ranges (some for static shooting and some for tactical), and four indoor 100-yard rifle ranges. There is even a full-auto rental option. The public is always welcome, but if you’d care to become a member, five levels of membership are available. Just one of several advantages of membership is admittance to the on-site VIP Caliber Club restaurant.
The term “state-of-the-art” is often overused these days, but it’s very appropriate in describing my first experience at Lake Erie Arms. In short, I was truly impressed with this shooting facility, not only by the ultramodern construction, layout, décor and amenities, but also the level of professionalism, helpfulness and friendliness shown by the staff.
That said, are fully-indoor ranges—offering pistol, rifle and shotgun options—the future of the shooting sports? Surprisingly, Jim West doesn’t think so.
“I enjoy shooting sporting clays,” he said, “but I prefer doing it outdoors. In my opinion, there’s nothing better than spending an afternoon shooting outside with friends. But that’s not always possible—especially here in northern Ohio—so we created Lake Erie Arms, where our clayhouse is 70 degrees and sunny year round.”
To keep this mega-facility running seven days per week, about 85 people are employed, some full-time, some part-time. West has also made a commitment to local law enforcement, allowing a dozen or so such agencies to train on the ranges before or after regular business hours. Youth shooting sports, particularly shotgunning, is important to him, too.
“I have a young daughter who enjoys shooting clays, so I’m now in the process of contacting area high schools, encouraging them to form clay target teams that would shoot here during a weekly league,” West said. “A side benefit is that many more college scholarships are available in the shooting sports than parents realize. Young people are the future of firearms ownership and our Second Amendment rights in America.”
If you’re ever in northern Ohio, you gotta shoot at Lake Erie Arms. You won’t believe this place.
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