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McMiller Sports Center
1 review for McMiller Sports Center
This is a terrific clays range. Just got back from shooting here, and I'm pretty happy, even driving from Chicago to do so.
They have what looks to be an 11 station clays course, 10 of which are open at any given time. The course begins with a "warm-up station," where you can take up to two shots at a handful of (I would say, even though I missed a few) easy birds. From then on, a good mix of true and report pair stations, with 4, 5, or 6 pairs at each station. There's a good mix of tricky launcher positions and shooting backgrounds, from down in to a valley with clays coming top to bottom, to clays firing high over your head two at a time, and even one under a pavilion, into nearby trees.
They have a 100 round and a 50 round course, the difference being less clays at each station for the 50 round course, not fewer stations. A big bonus for me (I'm a nancy) is that most of the course is in the trees - today was about 80 and very sunny, but the well shaded course stayed nice and cool. Didn't really bother anyone's sighting either - sunlight seems to work it's way through into the area you're shooting towards.
They also offered us free hand thrown trap to warm up, which is a nice touch, and something I would probably take advantage of - I'm always a bit hesitant the first couple rounds while I get into the swing of things. They even had community bug spray, which you will want to take advantage of. The sunscreen I brought wasn't needed, and I never even thought about bug spray. I might not be talking to you now if they hadn't had it available.
One gripe: One station has a downright mean and sadistic flying rabbit. A rabbit clay is launched on edge from a hard to spot launcher, in an upward arc. It passes behind some trees, peaks in height, and then rapidly drops out of sight into a small valley. You have to track it early, and make a quick snapshot on a fast moving target. For someone like me who doesn't always pick up fast enough...man was that a hard one to nail. And what kind of rabbit flies through the air like that??
It should be noted that McMiller *does not* have any permanent trap houses. So I wouldn't drive out here to shoot formal trap. But why shoot trap when you can shoot sporting clays?
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