Any ranges offering coaching in the Northern Chicago suburbs

[Guest]

My little girl is interested in target shooting but not in hunting. She is also right handed but left eye dominant, something that could cause problems when she learns to shoot a pistol. I am hoping to find her a club that offers coaching in the Northern Chicago suburbs. If anyone knows of any, please let me know - my present club does not offer much pistol shooting at all. If she takes up Olympic satndard pistol, it is going to be an expensive investment for me and I hope to get her coaching that would help as well.

KMJ

[Russ]

Only it is located in Chicago’s northwest suburb of Arlington Heights
They have the Junior Air Pistol team.

http://www.aiac-airguns.org/

The Arlington International Airgun Club (AIAC) is located in Chicago’s northwest suburb of Arlington Heights, IL. AIAC’s goal is to promote Olympic-style air pistol and air rifle shooting. The club is affiliated with the National Rifle Association (NRA), the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), USA Shooting (U.S. Olympic governing body), and the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA).

[Nicole Hamilton]

My little girl is interested in target shooting but not in hunting. She is also right handed but left eye dominant, something that could cause problems when she learns to shoot a pistol.

You'll be happy to know that cross-dominance is not usually a problem for pistol shooters. All they usually need to do is adjust their stance a little, perhaps tilting their head to bring their dominant eye in line with the sights. It's not at all like trying to shoot rifle, where it's generally impossible to take up the gun to shoot with, e.g., your right hand, put your cheek onto the comb, and still look through the sights with your left eye.

How far along is your daughter? There should at least be an NRA Basic Pistol class (which is a shooting class) you could get her started in at nearly any club in the country.

[Guest]

Thanks. Will check the Arlington Heights range out, it is just two miles away from where I live and I didn't even know that it existed. I've been told about a pistol range in Bristol WI, about 30 minutes up the expressway, but am not sure that would be a practical place to drive to and back. With winter coming up, I want her to start shooting after I return from my deer hunt.

Thanks again for the suggestions, especially about overcoming cross dominance.

KMJ

[SteveT]

Arlington International Airgun Club is a great club. We have three airgun ranges, Junior Rifle, Junior Pistol and Adult, which is both rifle and pistol. The Junior program has done very well and produced some very good shooters. We shoot only airguns, but that is great training for her.

I am not aware of any other places that a young pistol shooter can get coaching and training in the area. There are a few junior rifle teams, but no other pistol teams.

Contact AIAC through the web site, or send me a message if you want more info.

Best regards,
Steve Turner