New member looking for Range advice

[dantiff2]

If you are into a more mobile setup. A plastic 55 gallon barrel laid on its side filled with old clothes and fabric material works great to stop anything you'd want to shoot into it. I have seen other use ground up tire mulch also but I have no experience with that. The barrel is easily moved to wherever you want and if you want to re-use lead, you just dump out on a tarp and shake out all the bullets and repack.
Dan

 

[snert]

Building a 100 yard range is like building a 4x4 bathroom. You will certainly want it bigger about the time you first use it.

 

[dantiff2]

Building a 100 yard range is like building a 4x4 bathroom. You will certainly want it bigger about the time you first use it.

That's what I was thinking!! He has 400 and doesn't want it. I max out at 155 yds and I want 400!! HAHAHA

 

[Steve h]

Also consider facing it north or south. No fun shooting into the sun,

 

[ebb]

You may not wish to shoot over 100yds now, but the itch is irresistible. I speak from experience.

 

[GetReal]

Prime concerns / goals:

1. Neighbors & noise.
2. Berms that will capture all fired rounds
3. Use of suppressors
4. To the degree possible, make your range unknowable to everyone.
5. Place bench / targets so Prevailing Wind direction is at six or twelve o'clock. I would do this , so my load testing is as much as possible unaffected by wind, since my real long range shooting would be off site.
6. Don't place your range so that you are facing directly into the sun rise or sunset.
7. Single or multiple covered benches?
8. Steel or paper targets.

 

[Walt Krafft]

I built a target trailer with a bullet bunker on it. Gives lots of option for distance.

 

[J.d. Popkes]

With the right precautions I’d shoot rimfire or pistol there, maybe? Maybe.

You’re in a subdivision. I get that you’re not in town, technically. But you’re not in the country, and sure don’t have any room for shooting. But, my house is safe from here, so, if that’s how you and your neighbors roll, I say giver hell.

 

[Steve Donlon]

Shooting to the north may be out as well, since there is a road there that is pretty well traveled, as well as a house.

The plan for this is occasional use to site in my firearms and some practice. My wife and I, mostly I, will be the only ones using the range.

I always look at a worst case scenario, you and some friends are doing mag dumps into your berm while a neighbor and his friends, that have lived there for a very long time, are having a Bar B. Q. and drinking and it does not go well. I would avoid noise as much as you can.

 

[joshb]

 

[F Class John]

If you haven't already, you may also want to consider the potential impact to your home insurance. Not to be the Debbie Downer but there's a strong likelihood that any incident that may occur, however slim the chances, won't be covered even with an umbrella policy and/or your insurance may just straight up drop you and make it tough to get new insurance if they learn there's a 'range' on the property. Insurance is likely to take the Jurassic Park approach of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should".

Not saying people everywhere don't or haven't shot on their property for years without an issue, just saying it's something to consider.

They're looking for any reason to decline coverage these days and leave the homeowner hanging.

 

[sapper1]

I built a target trailer with a bullet bunker on it. Gives lots of option for distance.View attachment 1731519

I like that idea.

 

[DShortt]

I built a target trailer with a bullet bunker on it. Gives lots of option for distance.View attachment 1731519

That is genius right there.

 

[dantiff2]

I built a target trailer with a bullet bunker on it. Gives lots of option for distance.

This is the answer! Fantastic idea! Murphy's law though, one of my buddies would end up shooting the danged tire out! HAHAHA

 

[charlie b]

FIL had a small range on his property. About 200yd from neighbor. Down range was no one for over a mile, yes, good large backstop. Neighbor was ok with it, but, new owners moved in with horses. They protested the noise. He protested the dust (they were barrel riders). County cut off complaints. No rules about noise or dust prevention in the county (New Mexico). Both had to live with it.

Later on the in-laws got a new dog who was sensitive to the noise so the range was dismantled. Then the neighbor's kids moved away and the horses were sold.

 

[JMayo]

I had a friend build a giant muffler, couple of feet opening, that he'd stick the muzzle in.
Did a decent job at quieting the blast.

 

[sapper1]

I just picked up my first suppressor today, so that should help with the noise. And plan to have cans on almost all of my firearms.

 

[powderbrake]

Errant shots, accidental shots, just shooting too high, means that you have to consider where the bullet is going after it passes over the berm.
Our club raised the berms to about 60 foot high due to a shot over the berm that landed in a guys house about 2000 yards away. As a result we all have to take a shooting test for over 200 yards. One test for 300 to 600 yards , and another test for the 1000 yard range. We have a flag with our "Allowable range" on it, which must be flown when shooting over 200 yards. One of the new rules is " shots must hit the berm" meaning you can't skip one off the ground. You must be sure of your sight settings and sight picture before pulling the trigger.

Yes this seems like a lot of bother, but the clubs existence depends on it.

Your total assets also depend on you not sending a round into a neighbor's house. Plan carefully.

 

[GotRDid]

The only element not mentioned so far is the topography; is the land fairly flat or are those trees on low hills on/near your property?

 

[GotRDid]

This is the answer! Fantastic idea! Murphy's law though, one of my buddies would end up shooting the danged tire out! HAHAHA

Buy a Caldwell IPSC (66% size) AR500 silhouette to place in front of the trailer tire. About $140, and although heavy, it can be stored on the trailer.

Caldwell AR500 Steel Target Silhouette 33% IPSC

The Caldwell IPSC Gong 3/8” AR500 Steel Target is a bright, easy-to-see target designed for competition, training, and recreational use. The IPSC...

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