Anybody built a shooting range?

[grsthegreat]

Well, i got some more time in today to move dirt. Had to stop though, cause i started to smell diesel. Turns out a varmint chewed a small hole in my plastic diesel tank. Now i have to find a way to seal the plastic tank before i can continue with this project.

before pics

 

[grsthegreat]

After day 1 -

 

[Ken73]

Here's mine, 50 & 100 yards. The land slopes down in the middle where the 50 yard line is and works its way back up at the 100 yard line (and keeps going up.) Took an old picnic table that was poorly made and re-assembled it as a shooting bench with a swivel seat on it. Bought a waterproof tub to put my targets/chrony/bench rest in so I don't have to lug all that back and forth. Works like a charm! Need to mark it out for pistol though.



BTW the berms are much taller than that now, this was right after I had marked it and put up some targets to verify distance with my range finder.

 

[JD 4520]

Well, i got some more time in today to move dirt. Had to stop though, cause i started to smell diesel. Turns out a varmint chewed a small hole in my plastic diesel tank. Now i have to find a way to seal the plastic tank before i can continue with this project.

before pics <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=313382"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=313381"/>

Wow, northern Idaho is looking good already this spring. Look forward to my week in Priest Lake again this summer.

 

[grsthegreat]

after day 2 - today

 

[TripleR]

Looks like you are making pretty good progress, how high and wide to you anticipate and what amount of slope will you have?

Thanks for posting.

 

[grsthegreat]

Looks like you are making pretty good progress, how high and wide to you anticipate and what amount of slope will you have?

Thanks for posting.

I am planning on using railroad ties for backstop . Total height to be 10 feet high and 16 feet wide with 2 side 8 foot returns. Ill interlock the ties and stake them. Ill completely fill the resulting c shaped backstop with compacted fill. 8 feet at bottom and slope to top ...as thick at the top as will stay in place.

Going overkill as safe rather than sorry. the max distance will be 80 feet to target, and who knows what caliber of guns well be using in the future. I was going to skip the wood backstop, but in order to build it 10' tall x 16' wide, the sloped sides would be massive. Overall this way will result in a smaller overall mound. Should disappear rather nicely.

The 275' rifle range will incorperate an existing cleared arena with a deep cut wall that already exists. Its alreadt 6' high cut wall . Ill add more to the top to bring it to 10' also.

 

[TripleR]

I am planning on using railroad ties for backstop . Total height to be 10 feet high and 16 feet wide with 2 side 8 foot returns. Ill interlock the ties and stake them. Ill completely fill the resulting c shaped backstop with compacted fill. 8 feet at bottom and slope to top ...as thick at the top as will stay in place.

Going overkill as safe rather than sorry. the max distance will be 80 feet to target, and who knows what caliber of guns well be using in the future. I was going to skip the wood backstop, but in order to build it 10' tall x 16' wide, the sloped sides would be massive. Overall this way will result in a smaller overall mound. Should disappear rather nicely.

The 275' rifle range will incorperate an existing cleared arena with a deep cut wall that already exists. Its alreadt 6' high cut wall . Ill add more to the top to bring it to 10' also.

Sounds really good, we learned on our first try that without the sidewalls, the dirt just won't stay and you just can't get enough thickness to make it safe at the top.

On our last one, we were going for a commercial range and it was too big to use ties on and it too a LOT of dirt to get the right slope, height and thickness. We lost most of it to a flood a couple of years ago, but still have one section we can use. We still have to go in and repair some of the erosion when we can find the time.

 

[GolfAddict]

Does anyone use steel targets on their range? I've been doing quite a bit of reading about them lately, and it seems it can be quite safe given they are made of the proper steel, placed at appropriate distance, etc. It sure looks like a lot of fun!

 

[TripleR]

Does anyone use steel targets on their range? I've been doing quite a bit of reading about them lately, and it seems it can be quite safe given they are made of the proper steel, placed at appropriate distance, etc. It sure looks like a lot of fun!

I don't now, but have shot steel in the past without any issues. Some were commercial targets using lead; silhouettes and falling plates. My sons built me some spinners a few years ago, but I have trouble hitting them anymore.:laughing: