Posted: 11/23/2008 8:53:12 AM EDT
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So my pappy tells me I have to come up with a plan on how I will build a range to shoot on on his property. It's 320 acres of forest in hilly terrain. 0.5 mile along the road and 1 mile into the land. We have a cabin near the front and a large set of hydrolines that cut across part of the land in a diagonal fashion.
Should I just find a place with a long flat area, clear out trees and berm up a bunch of dirt for a backstop? ETA: I will post pics when it is done/in construction |
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Quoted:
So my pappy tells me I have to come up with a plan on how I will build a range to shoot on on his property. It's 320 acres of forest in hilly terrain. 0.5 mile along the road and 1 mile into the land. We have a cabin near the front and a large set of hydrolines that cut across part of the land in a diagonal fashion. Should I just find a place with a long flat area, clear out trees and berm up a bunch of dirt for a backstop? Ideally you would want to put berms up in an upside down U shape around the edges of the range. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
So my pappy tells me I have to come up with a plan on how I will build a range to shoot on on his property. It's 320 acres of forest in hilly terrain. 0.5 mile along the road and 1 mile into the land. We have a cabin near the front and a large set of hydrolines that cut across part of the land in a diagonal fashion. Should I just find a place with a long flat area, clear out trees and berm up a bunch of dirt for a backstop? Ideally you would want to put berms up in an upside down U shape around the edges of the range. So like a berm that goes along the sides and around the back? |
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Are you building a range for the public to come and shoot on or just yourself and a few select friends?
If you are going for a commercial operation then get the U shaped berm where the sides go past the shooting points on both sides. IOW the shooting positions are down in the U so even if a shot goes off to the side it will still be contained. Might not be a bad idea for commercial use to have the berm in square with an overlap to enter so it will contain shots in any direction. If this is just for you then I think you'll be ok with just a backstop. I would make several, starting at maybe 25 yards, then 100, 200, etc. With a new firearm or a checking out one with a scope that was just mounted you start at 25 to make sure you are on the paper. |
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Quoted:
Are you building a range for the public to come and shoot on or just yourself and a few select friends? If you are going for a commercial operation then get the U shaped berm where the sides go past the shooting points on both sides. IOW the shooting positions are down in the U so even if a shot goes off to the side it will still be contained. Might not be a bad idea for commercial use to have the berm in square with an overlap to enter so it will contain shots in any direction. If this is just for you then I think you'll be ok with just a backstop. I would make several, starting at maybe 25 yards, then 100, 200, etc. With a new firearm or a checking out one with a scope that was just mounted you start at 25 to make sure you are on the paper. It will definitely be just for me and some friends. I'm thinking that digging into a hill may be a good way to do it. We have lots of hills. |
| One really cool idea for a range would be to, yes build a berm, but build it like a BIG horse shoe. Make it about 10 feet high and have it like 50-60 feet in total length or so. Then you can put up cool reactive targets like making a little thing for golfballs attached to strings to hang off of to shoot at, put up full size figures of bad guys. But whatever, it was a pretty cool setup that this guy had whose house we went to last year. There were a TON of different kinds of targets shoot. |
And just think, in a few years you can open a lead and copper mine! 
Be sure to set up your range so that it's easy to keep all your brass policed up. I would lay down some sort of paving at the shooting area, even if it's just fine gravel. Asphalt would be better, concrete would be ideal but of course more expensive. CJ |