Guide To The Elm Fork Shooting Range
Elm Fork Shooting Sports
10751 Luna Road
Dallas, TX 75220
Shotgun: 972.556.0103
Rifle/Handgun: 972.556.0164
Open: Wednesday -Sunday; see site for hours of operation
Various Prices
Let me start by saying that I am not an avid guns-woman or archer. I grew up shooting tin cans and clay pigeons up in Ford County, while visiting my grandparents but I do not claim to know what I am doing and I definitely won't admit to being even remotely good! I will say, though, that I have fun trying!
I found out about Elm Fork Shooting Sports in an article on what to-do on a weekend in Dallas. Instantly, memories of taking archery class at summer camp came rushing in. So, I drug my husband out the door one Saturday morning, claiming "we need to get out and do more" and we drove to a part of Dallas neither of us had ever seen before. Elm Fork Shooting Sports sits in a beautiful wooded area in the west part of Dallas. When we pulled into a large parking lot filled with cars, saw the nice buildings and were immediately greeted, I knew we were in good hands.
We were there to take the $10 archery class. The archery section is open to Texins Archery Club members only, except on Saturday mornings when it is open to the public. We paid the fee and waited while the class size grew to about 12 people -- It was taught by an extremely knowledgeable staff member. After a short history on archery and the bow (it could have been shorter still), you line up in front of one of four targets, aim and fire away. This of course was everyone's favorite part. The instructor was great and came by to give one-on-one help to anyone who needed it. I saw a mother/daughter come together, 3 female med school roommates, 2 guys that had biked there and a few others. An eclectic group, no doubt, but it was fun meeting new people and getting lots of time to practice shooting a bow and arrow.
Archery is not the only thing going on at Elm Fork Shooting Sports; there is so much to choose from. If you know what you are doing and want a place just to have target practice or practice skeet shooting, they have a ton of options. See their "Pricing" section online for all the different options. You can even rent your guns from them.
On the other hand, if you consider yourself a beginner, you might be interested in a few of their basic courses they offer. Try their Basic Shotgun course for $75. It's designed for beginners to get you familiar with the equipment, safety and shooting. It's most Saturdays from 10 a.m.-12:00 p.m. If you find that you'll be hunting soon, then you might consider the Practical Hunting Skills Class. This is a 10-hour one-day course that offers instruction in shotgun, rifle and archery, as well as safety, equipment and tracking, and basic first aid and emergency preparedness. It's $125, offered a few times a year and requires that you pre-register.
Lipstick and Lead
Elm Fork touts itself as "one of the most user-friendly gun clubs in the world for women." It's General Manager – and 23 Time Grandma - Jeanie Almond is all about encouraging women to get in on the fun. They even hold women only events that focus on teaching the ladies everything from handgun/shotgun shooting, fly-fishing, and bird dog training – oh and they shop! Contact Jeanie directly for more info: jalmond@elmfork.com.
I realize that a place like Elm Fork Shooting Sports is not for everyone. However, if you want an extraordinary date or are looking for something out of the norm (at least for most people) or you just have a more adventurous spirit, Elm Fork would be a unique and memorable way to spend a Saturday in Dallas.
Casey Gilliam is a co-founder of Dallas Moms Blog, which strives to connect moms to each other and to Dallas. She's been married for 8 years and has a precious 9-month-old little girl.
