Using a BX to build shooting range berm.

[manosteel00]

Hi Guys,

I'm a new tractor owner and recently purchased a BX23s.

I do a lot of competitive shooting and have been wanting my own range for years. Now that I have the land to do it, I'm starting to plan.

A local excavator just quoted me $6k to build a shooting berm that is 15' tall and about 30 yards wide with side walls. He was going to strip off the topsoil and push existing dirt/sand to the berm and then replace the topsoil.

My question is, is this a task my little BX is set up for? It would be nice to save the money but I just have a hard time imagining that tractor moving that amount of earth.

 

[BX23S-1]

I bought my BX23s to do the exact same thing, one of many projects.
Do it yourself, take your time, you`ll get there, and save yourself $6K
No tractor is to small to do that job with a FEL, size matters, gonna take time.

 

[BigBoyToys]

Is there a requirement to go 15' tall? I would thing 10-12' would be sufficient and would save a lot of work.

EDIT...looks like 15' is the recommended min.
Ranges | National Shooting Sports Foundation

 

[captronr]

Is the ground sandy, or clay, or filled with rocks? If it's tough ground, your BX will struggle. My BX2200 couldn't dig in our clay soil.

The size you described is a LOT of dirt. Yes, you could do it with a BX, but what is your time worth?
How far do you have to travel with the dirt for the pile? There is a learning curve for how to move dirt effectively, which could add to the effort if you have to travel farther than you planned. Unless you can obtain the fill dirt right next to the site, travel time will get really old, really fast.

Do you know how your excavator planned to build it? If he planned to use a bulldozer, you might check to see how much it would cost for you to rent one. If you take out his profit and labor, the bill might be half what he quoted.

Not trying to rain on your parade, and by any means, go for it if you wish. I just wanted to toss my two cents in for how long it might take. I once moved 35 tons of sand and topsoil from my driveway to the backyard (couldn't get a truck in). It started very slowly. Load the bucket, shift to hi range, drive to back, dump, and return. I ended up hiring two bulky football players with large wheelbarrows. I'd fill their wheelbarrows from the pile with the BX, then they'd go dump it in the swimming pool hole we were filling, and come back for more. Still took a long time.

Best wishes,
Ron

 

[manosteel00]

I agree 15' may be a bit tall. I'm building it close to my pole shed though and want to minimize and ricochet possibilities. I'll likely go closer to 12 and build the side walls high. I want to be able to drive on the top of if though.

The soil is mostly sand which should make it easy to move. There is a slope that I can cut into in the same field and move the dirt. The water table is very close to the lower part of the range so I don't foresee using the backhoe.

If I do this my plan would be to use the box scraper to move off the topsoil and then scoop up the sand with the FEL.

 

[bilrus61]

Could you make it 10 feet tall then put a heavy 5 foot fence on the top? That would help keep the sound level confined also. I would think a 2 inch board would stop any ricochetes as long as it wasn't the primary backstop.

 

[TripleR]

My sons built a shooting range on one of our farms using our M8540 and L5030 using accepted specs on height, slope etc. as it was to be used to teach classes and it took a loooong time and lots of diesel, no way it could have been done in a reasonable amount of time with one of our BXs.

 

[coldsteelva]

If there is no concern re: overpenetration or beyond range hits, a thinner earthen backing can be made to work if you have the ability to acquire last season round bales. Stack a couple high as wide as you need. Once they break down too much...burn them, collect the lead (if you care) and replace the bales.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Hi Guys,

I'm a new tractor owner and recently purchased a BX23s.

I do a lot of competitive shooting and have been wanting my own range for years. Now that I have the land to do it, I'm starting to plan.

A local excavator just quoted me $6k to build a shooting berm that is 15' tall and about 30 yards wide with side walls. He was going to strip off the topsoil and push existing dirt/sand to the berm and then replace the topsoil.

My question is, is this a task my little BX is set up for? It would be nice to save the money but I just have a hard time imagining that tractor moving that amount of earth.

Why on earth would you need a range 30 yards wide. I have seen public shooting ranges that were not that wide. I would think 30 feet wide (inside dimension) with wings on each side would be way more than you would need to set up 3-4 targets wide. Heck if you cant get within 4 feet of a 2 foot wide target, you need to give up rifles and pistols and stick with a shotgun.

 

[JerryK]

One of the main concerns with berm height is how close the targets are to the berm. It is an eye opening experience to see how quickly a bullet deflects and leaves the ground when impacted at a slight angle. If you keep your inadvertent ground hits near the berm it is a real plus. I built my pistol range with berms at about 11, 26, and 51 yards...for 10, 25, and 50 yard targets.