Inside Lake Erie Arms

Just off the banks of Lake Erie, in Milan Township, Ohio, stands a state-of-the-art, world-class indoor shooting facility that might challenge the preconceived notion of modern ranges. There’s a restaurant, classy bourbon bar with edible scorpions and the crowning touch, an indoor trap house. (Get outta here!)

Lake Erie Arms (LEA) isn’t just a nice building with a few shooting bays and retail products; every square inch has purpose. In March 2025, LEA earned the prestigious NSSF 5-Star Rating. The goal is to bring gun enthusiasts in the door and keep them coming to shoot, learn and socialize. Lake Erie Arms is an experience-driven range with traditional range amenities, coupled with gracious hospitality oozing with creativity. 

Two Men, One Vision

Jim West, an insurance and real estate broker, along with his brother-in-law, Brent McConnell, a former Huron (Ohio) police officer, wanted to change the direction of their lives. They had a vision for what could be and started teaching CCW classes together. They built their first brick-and-mortar retail shop to sell guns, ammunition and accessories in addition to their classes. A customer visited the store and told them they needed a range in the back; they agreed and began the journey.

A (Shooting) Star Was Born

To get a better understanding of how this remarkable shooting complex was created, I interviewed West, LEA CEO and co-founder, and Shelby Brossia, VP of business development. In our candid interview, I learned how guts, drive, keen business acumen, and surrounding yourself with positive people and experts build a healthy range. West and McConnell researched and reached out to many shooting ranges before they dove into the range business. 

“You will start to notice a pattern as we talk. I’m not one to reinvent the wheel. I search for people who have succeeded and ask them how they did it. That is how I ended up in Provo, Utah, at a three-day Action Target Range Development and Design Seminar.” West said. “I feel like I received a PhD in shooting-range building in those three days!”

Finding the experts is imperative to the process of building or expanding your range. You may have some ideas that have been tried that failed, and you may not have thought of everything. Of the many experts West and McConnell sought advice from, the Action Target Range Development and Design Seminar helped to clear up many questions. 

In the Range Development and Design Seminar, topics included:

• Range design and equipment

• How to identify a range location

• Navigation of city planning, zoning and permitting

• Lead mitigation

• Range ventilation and HVAC

• Managing range and retail spaces

• Public relations

• Tour of ranges

Rock-Star Tour

After the Action Target Seminar, West, McConnell and a friend loaded up a van for a “rock-star” tour of 20 large ranges across several states in just five days to take notes and understand them better. 

“We chose ranges we wanted to emulate,” West said.

According to West, they needed to be over 20,000 sq. ft., have more than just pistol bays, at least one additional special element and a restaurant of some kind — which was a non-negotiable piece of the puzzle.

“Doing this tour helped cement our vision,” he added. “We asked what they did right, wrong and what they would do differently.”

The TopShot Clay House: One Of A Kind

Despite the short clay shooting season, Ohio is one of the biggest clay shooting states in the country. The “center showpiece” of LEA is the TopShot Clay House, and is crucial to the building design. 

There are only a handful of indoor clay shooting ranges in the world, so the design of the LEA clay house was very carefully planned. There also wasn’t any software that would work, and West — a clay-shooting enthusiast — knew they needed to be able to have a significant number of shooters at the same time to make a profit. 

LEA worked with a software developer who was also a shooting enthusiast to design the patent-pending software. West shared 32 people could use the clay range at the same time, with eight bays especially for leagues.

Growth, Membership & Community Impact

LEA is committed to its community; it has created well over 100 job opportunities for residents of the Milan Township area. Of its approximately 3,800 members, a whopping 44% are women. Additionally, LEA supports youth camps, local law enforcement, women’s self-defense groups and partners with Civilian Marksman Program (CMP) held at Camp Perry each July.

Takeaways

If you’re reading this to learn more about starting a range or expanding your current offering, here are some suggestions based on what Lake Erie Arms has done. 

• Enroll in the Action Target Range Design and Development Seminar in Provo, Utah.

• Work with the NSSF 5-Star Rating program to gain your best possible rating. 

• Find experts who can help you along. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel; use their advice to tailor your range to suit your vision.

• Tour other ranges. Really study the ranges you want to emulate and ask questions.

• Think outside of your circle and about how you can positively impact the community.

If you are interested in opening a new range, upgrading your current range, wish to shoot at an indoor trap range or get your name on the wall by eating a scorpion chased with fine bourbon, take a day or two to experience Lake Erie Arms. And after your visit, maybe chase a few walleyes. You’ll be glad you did. 

For more info: learms.net

A 94,000 Square-Foot Shooting Experience

Lake Erie Arms isn’t just a facility, it is a case study in reimagining range building, range operations and building a customer experience from the ground up. 

Standout amenities available to range guests and members include:

• The crown jewel, the TopShot Clay House, which allows up to 32 people simultaneously!

• (16) Interactive 25-yard lanes

• (4) 100-yard lanes

• Caliber Club lounge and event space

• VIP suites for events

• A 90,000 sq. ft. fully stocked retail center

Read More of Shooting Industry’s October 2025 Issue Now