pipe range design

[NZVarminter]

anyone got any info on pipe range designs? I'm thinking of building one 100m long, so need to know about minimum pipe diameter, ventilation and lighting

Cheers

Grant

 

[Johnboy]

If I understand this right,then why not do this.Just take an attic fan for one end of the building, and an open vent for the other end.Put the vent lower than the fan for better cross ventilation,this would pull all gas' out for ya pretty good.Even pull enough air to keep it cool.With a switch at the door then your good to go.

 

[NZVarminter]

yep thats what I was planning, but I suspect there is a minimum pipe diameter thats critical, particlularly for longer lenghts. 12" diameter may be ok for 25 yd range, by 100 yd range with 12" pipe may bw too small, but bigger pipes are more expensive.

small pipe over long length may introduce unwanted variables like temperature inclines and low light etc

 

[articmp]

I saw one built out of 55 gallon open top steel drums with the bottoms cut out. They had them connected with the clamps that hold the lids on. Place 6-12 tires stacked in the first few drums to act as a sound damper. 12" would be plenty for rimfire or centerfire rifle. Get kinda hairy with pistol, revolver, or airgun.

 

[BoydAllen]

I have to tell you. Anyone who knows anything about shooting tunnel design will fall off his chair laughing if someone told him that he was building a 100 yard steel tube range, on top of the ground, with a small inside diameter, for serious accuracy work. I would suggest that you look into this a LOT more before you spend any money. There is a lot more to it than you may imagine.

 

[Immike]

I always thought that a extended DIY green house design might get the job done. Any thing big enough to walk through is going to cost. Mirage is the problem I'm told with the home made stuff. Mike

 

[NZVarminter]

I was intending to put it underground so the temperature was more stable, but yes, I do have concerns regardng accuracy etc which is why I'm trying to find appropriate design info!

 

[chevytruck_83]

I've never seen or even considered such a thing, though surely they exist. as a 420 union steamfitter large bore large scale piping is common place for me. I would be concerned with the shear volume of the gun firing along with the sonic boom of the bullet. coefficient of expansion of the pipe. example steel is .00000645 per inch per dergree. so a 100 yard piece of steel pipe will expand right about 1 5/8" from a cold winter day of 20' to a warm 90'summer day. so you will not be able to grout or finish itnice on the ends without an expansion joint of some sort. I would think if your doing a push pull type draft system you pull with the bullet. how are you going to light it or clean critters out if they get in.

 

[BoydAllen]

Being a bit more constructive than my last post, I would make a list of shooting tunnel locations, and contact their owners. Before I called them, I would come up with a basic list of questions, and if I found, after talking to some of them that there were other considerations that I had not thought of, I would add to the list. Generally, for underground shooting tunnels, I think that concrete is the material of choice, and that you need to be thinking of something quite a bit larger in diameter. One feature that you might consider would be some sort of good sized expansion room, in between the shooting room and the tunnel, with an aperture at the front of the bench to shoot and sight through. Ventilation is also critical. I think that you will need to have a fan at the far end that draws air past the target, in a controlled manner. The issues are drawing combustion byproducts away from the shooter, and dealing with mirage, caused by a difference in the wall temperature of the tunnel and the air within it, as well as the disturbance and heating of the air by firing.

 

[Uthink Uknow]

I would just call Gene Beggs.

 

[jonbearman]

I would contact the NRA if you are a member and they help design shooting ranges of types.

 

[NZVarminter]

its a little dififcult to vist ranges as I live in New Zeland. I've contacted NRA and am following up with them on their sourcebook for range design, but I'd prefer to talk to someone first hand.

I realise there may be a few issues with temperature and ventilation, hence my questions

Thanks

Grant

 

[StevenDzupin]

Please due keep in mind that the front area needs to be accessible for cleaning.

Powder slivers will become a hazard.

Nosler found out about this the hard way,a fire and explosion shut them down for quite awhile.

This happened due to poor house keeping in their test range / tunnel.

Regards and be safe,

Steve

 

[Leeman]

Hi Grant,

Try this website: www.steadhallfirearms.co.uk. On the 'about us' tab there are photos and a description of the tunnel range they installed. Probably far bigger than what you envisage but it may be worth contacting them as they could have information on tunnel range design that may be relevant to smaller diameter tunnels, ie don't bother!

By the way, give Ken my congratulations when you next see him, looks like he's done it again

Richard.

 

[mshelton]

May be a dumb question but could one solve a lot of the hurdles by having a 6-10 foot jump from the muzzle to the start of the tunnel, just have the tunnel starting off the back of a building or something and position the rifle back from the start.

Seems to me that may stop most gases and other debris from going into the actual tunnel, but then again I don't know jack squat about shooting tunnels.

 

[BoydAllen]

Not a dumb idea at all, but one that has been incorporated in more than one tunnel that I know of. Also, the shooter is separated from this expansion area so that there is only enough room for the muzzle of the rifle and what ever is required for the scope's angle of view, and there is similar baffling at the beginning of the tunnel, I believe that better results will be obtained. An expansion room is a good idea.

 

[Uthink Uknow]

"An expansion room is a good idea."
Care to explain the why of that statement complete with your experience in tunnel construction and facts and figures?

 

[BoydAllen]

Two people that I know have tunnels that have this feature, and it works out well for them. As far as figures go, I have none. Over the years I have had a fair number of conversations with people who have tunnels, and others who have shot in them, about design issues, problems, and solutions. What has your experience in this area been? I am always looking for more information. Of course anyone can build what he wants. One of the tunnels that I spoke of, had considerable research and professional engineering involved in its design, and is used for critical testing of rifle and reloading components, with considerable success, so naturally I assume that its configuration has something to do with how well it works. Did I design it? No. I was just reporting on what has worked well.

 

[longbow]

A friend wants to build a 50 yd " tube". I said why'll your at it, pipe in for A heat pump and lay pipe under your tube! Might as well kill two birds with one stone . Will help alliviate the cost and make it more mentally exceptable putting out the $$$$. Pete

 

[Uthink Uknow]

At both Western Powder in Miles City, MT and Speer bullet in Wa the only expansion chamber is the room from which you shoot as I recall. In both cases the muzzle is in the tube. On a guess I would say the Speer tunnel is about six feet high while the Western Powder tunnel is about four feet. As I was not invited to shoot I can't say how well they work for the shooter.