Indiana Gun Club: A Long-Standing Tradition

When I was a child, I spent many enjoyable hours at the Indiana Gun Club. Sometimes I was shooting, but mostly I was watching my dad and his friends practice or shoot in competitions. We would often pull our pop-up camper to the Indiana Gun Club and camp on the property for the weekend when there was a sanctioned shooting event. I have very fond memories of my dad, Jim Edwards, who passed in 1996, and his friends, Doc Gottschalk and Stu Warner, playing cards in the clubhouse on Wednesday nights. Some nights, we would venture over to Kingons Gun Club and shoot there as well. I grew up on the East side of Indianapolis in Irvington, and it seemed like we were constantly driving to get to the Indiana Gun Club; so I find it amusing now that I live a stone’s throw from the club and it is in my daily surroundings.

At the Indiana Gun Club, located at 14926 East 113th Street in Fishers, you can participate in Trap, Skeet, and Sporting Clays. In addition, they have a full retail store for all your shooting needs.  The club has been there since the 1960’s and has enjoyed tremendous growth over the last 5 years since Phillip Baker and his wife, Amanda, have managed the property. During the Bakers’ tenure, the membership has risen from approximately 500 to over 1100 members today. Membership costs $100 the first year and then $50 for every year thereafter. Membership entitles you to discounts of $2 per round of Trap and Skeet and $10 per round of Sporting Clays.

In addition to membership, instruction and corporate events have had steady growth. Recently, the club had a few dozen individuals from a petroleum company out for a day of team building. You will hear Sporting Clays sometimes referred to as Golf with Guns. Sporting Clays is a great way to enjoy a round with family and friends and maybe a cigar or two.

Phillip is tireless in constantly working to bring about improvements to the club including the Sporting Clay course and the new card-operated systems for the stations on all the disciplines. You must also see for yourself the tremendous new retail operation within the club. Ask for Rich Self when you are in, and he will get you on the right track for the perfect firearm to suit your needs. In fact, the Indiana Gun Club is the only gun club in the Midwest where you can try before you buy. In a sport where each individual shooter can react or perform very differently with each brand of shotgun, this is a very big deal. As some will tell you, sometimes the gun picks the shooter – not the other way around. If you are looking for a place to shoot rifles and pistols, Amanda and Phillip also manage the Atterbury Shooting Complex in Edinburgh. I have frequented the Atterbury facility many times, and it is well worth the drive.

Within the Hidden Gem that is the Indiana Gun Club, there’s an even bigger hidden bounty. This gold mine of knowledge and experience comes in the form of Bob Self. Bob is an N.S.C.A. Master Class Caesar Guerini Pro Staff Shooter. Caesar Guerini is a preeminent Italian manufacturer of fine shotguns. The stated goal of Caesar Guerini is to build the finest quality shotguns that people enjoy shooting.  After 10 years as a Browning staff shooter, Caesar Guerini lured Bob away. He has been excelling with a Caesar Guerini shotgun ever since. Bob has won world championships and has instructed as far away as Thailand. Not only do we have a world champion in our midst, but Bob is an instructor as well.

From the moment you meet Bob, you quickly learn that he is dedicated to helping his pupils learn to shoot better and delights in watching them improve. Bob offers instruction to all ages in private or group settings. Within the same day, Bob may find himself, one hour giving some fine-tuning advice to a lifelong shooter who is going pheasant hunting in Spain, to the next hour instructing a junior novice shooter. Both are equally important to him. When the Super Bowl was in town, Bob hosted an event for members of the NFL. Bob also offers gun fitting from his office on-site. Bob can be reached at shotgundisciplin@aol.com.

I encourage you to discover this family-friendly gem in Fishers.  Come out and enjoy some Trap, Skeet, or Sporting Clays. Or drop by to observe others. And keep the gun club in mind for your next corporate outing. Whether you are new to the sport or looking for some additional instruction, Bob will be happy to work with you to enhance your enjoyment.

Some upcoming events at the Gun Club are the Indiana State Trap Shoot July 9-14, and the Pheasants Forever Sporting Clay Shoot August 24. The Club’s hours are: Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.; Friday, Noon-6:00 p.m.; and Saturday & Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. You can reach them by phone at 317-485-6540.

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