Shotgun range still in construction, seeking funds
Range upkeep to cost school $1.25 million
Michael Mayday
Issue date: 3/5/09 Section: Your News
Students hoping to use Hillsdale College's new Outdoor Firearms Education Facility may have to wait a year or two longer as the college raises funds to finish the 77-acre shooting range.
"We're receiving funding here and there," Vice President of Administration Rich Péwé said. "We will move ahead for a second trap field."
Péwé said the college hopes to fund the range in piecemeal; constructing a small part, then maintaining the range while looking for more funds.
Maintaining the range will cost roughly $1.25 million for ammunition, utilities and other supplies.
Péwé said construction of the shooting range will come in four stages.
First, the college must build the shooting ranges. Currently, one is complete and construction has begun on the second shotgun field. It should be open in time for this Saturday's shotgun course.
Péwé said there are a total of five shooting fields planned: four trap fields and one sporting clay field, with the addition of a 200-yard rifle range and a 25-50 yard pistol range.
Altogether, the trap fields and sporting clay field bring the range's price tag to $1.5 million, and an added clubhouse might boost it over $2 million. However, construction has slowed due to the lack of funds.
Péwé said the college hopes to raise $2 million to operate the range before completing the final plan.
The third phase will involve creating an intramural shooting club. Students will be able to sign up for the club and attend shoots during scheduled times. The club may funnel into a varsity team, at which point the program would be handed over to the athletic department, but the administration has no timeline for this.
Sophomore Kamil Stasiulewiz believes the shooting range might draw out students who don't ordinarily shoot.
"I know there's a lot of shooters on campus" Stasiulewiz said. "They might draw out people who don't shoot into shooting more."
Campus groups, such as fraternities, may be able to get an instructor to supervise shooting sessions in the meantime.
They would have to cover the cost of ammunition, targets and instructor's time.
Course instructor Barry Leosh said he's more than willing to help students have a safe shoot.
"Money isn't an issue," Leosh said. "Safety is."
Sophomore Robby Colgan expressed interest in using the range to improve his marksmanship and to have a fun and relaxing time. However, if the cost is too high, he'd rather find an empty field.
"It depends on the cost," he said. "If I can set it up on grass on my own, buy my own shells, a hand thrower, I'd do it if it's cheaper."
Once the college can endow it, it will open the range to the public.
"The public is a whole different set of principals," Péwé said. "When the public is out there too, you're looking at accessibility and to have someone there to supervise."
"We're receiving funding here and there," Vice President of Administration Rich Péwé said. "We will move ahead for a second trap field."
Péwé said the college hopes to fund the range in piecemeal; constructing a small part, then maintaining the range while looking for more funds.
Maintaining the range will cost roughly $1.25 million for ammunition, utilities and other supplies.
Péwé said construction of the shooting range will come in four stages.
First, the college must build the shooting ranges. Currently, one is complete and construction has begun on the second shotgun field. It should be open in time for this Saturday's shotgun course.
Péwé said there are a total of five shooting fields planned: four trap fields and one sporting clay field, with the addition of a 200-yard rifle range and a 25-50 yard pistol range.
Altogether, the trap fields and sporting clay field bring the range's price tag to $1.5 million, and an added clubhouse might boost it over $2 million. However, construction has slowed due to the lack of funds.
Péwé said the college hopes to raise $2 million to operate the range before completing the final plan.
The third phase will involve creating an intramural shooting club. Students will be able to sign up for the club and attend shoots during scheduled times. The club may funnel into a varsity team, at which point the program would be handed over to the athletic department, but the administration has no timeline for this.
Sophomore Kamil Stasiulewiz believes the shooting range might draw out students who don't ordinarily shoot.
"I know there's a lot of shooters on campus" Stasiulewiz said. "They might draw out people who don't shoot into shooting more."
Campus groups, such as fraternities, may be able to get an instructor to supervise shooting sessions in the meantime.
They would have to cover the cost of ammunition, targets and instructor's time.
Course instructor Barry Leosh said he's more than willing to help students have a safe shoot.
"Money isn't an issue," Leosh said. "Safety is."
Sophomore Robby Colgan expressed interest in using the range to improve his marksmanship and to have a fun and relaxing time. However, if the cost is too high, he'd rather find an empty field.
"It depends on the cost," he said. "If I can set it up on grass on my own, buy my own shells, a hand thrower, I'd do it if it's cheaper."
Once the college can endow it, it will open the range to the public.
"The public is a whole different set of principals," Péwé said. "When the public is out there too, you're looking at accessibility and to have someone there to supervise."
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