Seventy years ago, the late John M. Olin—then president of Winchester—decided to create a gift to America's sportsmen and women. He envisioned a hunting and shooting preserve that would house the best retrievers that time and patience could produce; a place where the raucous clatter of wild wings would never be silenced; a place that would stand as a legacy and a testament to the uniquely American tradition of hunting. That place is called the NILO Winchester Hunting & Shooting Preserve, and it's just as beautiful on its 70th birthday as it was in 1952.
Lovingly dubbed "NILO Farms," the preserve got its name from its founder ... it's "OLIN" spelled backwards. To this day, from October to March, hunters, veteran guides and NILO’s famed Labrador retrievers experience some of the finest wingshooting in America. Year-round, it's open for trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand and other shotgun games, as well as special events such as the Kids & Clays Shoot. It's open to all and (as designed by Olin) affordable to the average American.
NILO Farms still has close ties with Winchester Ammunition, given that it's the spot where Winchester's engineers do their testing ... including one of Winchester's most famous shotgun loads ever, the AA. (Winchester AA dates back to 1965, 13 years after the farm was founded!) That's why Winchester's celebrating NILO's 70th anniversary with special commemorative and collectible shotshell boxes. It's only available through retailers, and unlikely to last long on shelves, so keep an eye out at your local sporting goods store!
