Shootin' Shack

[hayseed]

I hope to build a shooting station for load developement and casual shooting. My once rural setting is becoming much more populated, so sound dampening is one of my main concerns. I also wanted to create a spot that would be comfortable in all 4 seasons. It can be a long winter here. I've been giving it quite a bit of thought, talked to some knowledgable people, and have come up with a plan. I'd sure appreciate your experience and input.

First, let me say that I understand that the super-sonic crack cannot be eliminated. Probably a sound level similar to an unmuffled 22 lr rifle is the best I can hope for. I think that level should be tolerable to the neighbors. I hope to shoot everything from the old 375 H&H down to 22 lr. I am going to try to have the county certify it as a private range. Nearest neighbor is about 250 yds behind the axis of shooting. 100 yard shooting path would be length-wise down a shallow draw,about 7' on one side and 10' on the other). Targets set at the base of a berm which is about 12' at that point. Makes for a safe, and I think certifiable spot.

The "Shack" itself will be much like one of those larger pre-built utility sheds. I'm thinking 8'x16'. There will be an interior double-wall to create two 8'x8' spaces. One side will be the shooting, loading, cleaning and bullshitting station, and the other will be the "sound chamber". Centered sliding or hinged 1'x1' doors will allow the bullets to pass through the chamber.

Containing the muzzle blast in this "chamber" would have 3 elements:
1) A row of tires about 6-7' long, held tightly together, maybe alternating 14 to 16" ID. I should be able to build a cradle to support and center them and hold them in alignment between the two sliding doors.
2) Hanging carpet about every foot - full width and heigth. Basically, occupying most of the interior that the tire tube doesn't take up.
3) Double wall. I thought to create independant stud walls to mount that 1" blueboard rigid insulation to. I guess that would go for the ceiling too. Not sure what I could do about the floor.

I expect I will extend my power to the shack, and probably to the target area as well. That allows me to pursue many comfort and convenience items without having to drag out a generator.

Some further, if disjointed thoughts -
. Walk-in door to the shooting side.
. Baseboard heater and heck, might as well stick in one of those little A/C units too.
. Benches for reloading and cleaning.
. Decent lighting.
. Shooting bench may be a bit more of a compromise than I'd like. I'd love to have block and concrete top sitting on a pad, but this whole contraption will sit on a couple of treated 6x6 skids. I'm wondering if I couldn't pour a 1 1/2" removable cap for the center section of a std table, and then utilize fold down wings to create and complete an extra large bench top.
. Barn doors for the downrange end. Unequal,like 6' + 2') width so sliding bullet door can still be centered. This would also allow cleaning and maintenance. I'm not sure how fast green powder will accumulate, but imagine it could be a hazard.
. Exhaust blower for the business end.

Because I've created a nearly blind shooting situation here, I thought it would be good to mount a couple video cams up under the gable end angled to cover down range. As it would also be hard to monitor targets while shooting through the little doors, I wondered about mounting a protected cam above the targets. I'm pretty un-knowledgeable about this closed circuit business, and hope there's an inexpensive way to do it.

What do you guys think? I'd love to eliminate element 2,carpet) of the sound deadening, if I can. Any thoughts on the video would sure be appreciated. I welcome all of your comments.
Sorry for the long rambling post.

Thanks, Dick

 

[Travelor]

Sounds great and well thought out.

I see from your profile that you are in Montana - I would use double pane windows and shoot out one of the windows rather than use barn does to conserve heat/cool air and to allow for observations to the sides. This should help with creature comfort and eliminate the need for video cams.

Why not put the shed on a concrete foundationmand thus allow for a concrete shooting bench as you are goinf to so much effort in this project? If you use foam insulation around the exterior base of the foundation, this would act as a heat/cold barrier to keep the concrete base from transfering outside temperature into you shooting shed.

George

 

[Jacob]

Sounds great and I like Travelor's recommendations. However, I would not put blueboard rigid insulation on the walls. This will only reflect the sound. I would put bat insulation between the studs and then carpet line the walls. I would put the lined side of the bat insulation towards the outside. This would add as a vapor barrier to. Nick

 

[hayseed]

Hi George - Thanks for your considered reply.

As far as the doors and windows part, I guess my choices were directed by my obsession with sound dampening. Trying to keep the chamber as tight as possible and still have a way to get in and clean and maybe access some storage. All I'll be heating and cooling would be the 8x8 shooting end, so it shouldn't take much.

I had thought to put the shed on skids for a couple reasons. Mainly, it would allow me to build it in the shop during the winter and then drag it into place next Spring. Also, I'd be able to winch it up onto the tilt-bed trailer and take it up to the cabin if I wanted to...

Thanks for your comments - anybody else?

 

[hayseed]

Thanks, Jacob. Yep, I was talking to a contractor friend last night and he put the nix on the blueboard too. This is a great forum!

Dick

 

[jeffreybehr]

Dick--
1. For maximum sound absorbtion inside the shooting chamber, install the fiberglass insulation on all 4 walls and the ceiling. Use 6" studs and R19/20 insulation and DO NOT carpet the walls or cover the spun-glass part of the insulation with anything. ,Of course you can staple chicken wire or similar over it to hold it in place.) Anything covering the insulation will reduce the amount of sound getting into the thickness of the insulation and being absorbed...turned into heat, actually.
2. Make the wooden floor 2 layers with no seams on top of each other. Maybe use 3/4" MDF with the bottom 2 pieces running left-right and the top-layer pieces running front/back. Do indeed carpet the floor. Leaving slabs of that 6" insulation lying on the unused portions of the floor will absorb even more of the muzzle-blast noise.
3. I like the idea of using double-pane windows with a sliding section to shoot thru. You could make the window wide enough to see clearly in a wide forward angle and not need any TV systems.
4. Of course, the farther back in the room...the farther from the window-port...the shooting bench is, the less noise will escape to the outside.

I think you'll be surprised how acoustically dead this shooting chamber will be, even with, say, 6 feet of forward-facing windows.

BTW my other hobby is being an audiofool, and at least some of us spend lots of time learning about acoustics.

Good luck; pls keep us informed.

 

[Jacob]

You may want to think about building it in a container. You can get a used 8'x20' shipping container for about $1600-2100.

 

[hayseed]

Geez Jeffery - Do you really think the double pane glass would be a good sound blocker? It would really simplify things, if so.

 

[hayseed]

Yikes Jeffrey! You are one great photographer. I about got lost in your albums. Shot of the Grand Tetons was especially fine for me. After looking through your audio albums, I guess it would be fair to say you know some things about sound... Sorry if I sounded like I was questioning you.

Dick

 

[jo191145]

FWIW I built a range muffler two years ago. Being a tightwad I used whatever was on hand. I ended up removing the bottoms of two 35 gallon plastic drums. Cut a piece of concrete wire reinforcing grid, rolled it up tight and tied it with string.
I then wrapped two old sleeping blankets around the grid and slid the two barrel bottoms over it. Screwed the barrel ends together and cut the strings. Wala instant muffler. The barrels have screw on tops to keep out the weather.

I just mounted it to my bench,picnic table). No where as sophisticated as your plans but I know the neighbors like it.

 

[Travelor]

The idea of double pain glass was for insulation from the cold when not open - not as a sound barrier. Also the foam board around the concrete foundation was for a cold barrier and I should have said that it should only go up as far as the top of the foundation.

The idea of skids sounds good IF you canget it level and stable - otherwise it would suck.

A friend of mine who lives out from town, but with neighbors who compain about the noise of gunshots built a "muffler" of sorts. It is a square box 8 feet long and 2 feet on each side and ope on each end. He lined the box with bat fiberglass held in place with chicken wire. He shoots 38 Special pistol through it by placing the muzzle inside the box and shooting the length of it before the bullet exits on the way to the target. The sound is greatly reduced. You might consider something like this on the outside of your window and place the muzzle of you gun outside the shed, but inside the "muffler".


I am envious - a dedicated shooting shed. What a great idea!

 

[jeffreybehr]

Dick and Travelor, good question and ideas.

Double-pane glass transmits maybe 20dB less noise than single-pane glass, so absolutely it'll transmit less noise to the outside. But assuming you won't use an external muffler, the farther inside the window opening you position the rifle, the less noise escapes. Of course one wishes to shoot safely, so I'd like a wide field of view thru those windows before I pulled a trigger, so a wide expanse of window would be beneficial. The more noise you keep inside AND ABSORB with that 6" fiberglas insulation, the less escapes to the outside and bothers your neighbors.

So...insulation on ALL the wall surfaces that aren't glass AND on the ceiling AND on some of the floor, too.

TY for your kind comments on my pics. I wish I were still interested in getting out and creating them, but if I were, I wouldn't be involved in THIS crazy obssession.

The 1000-yard target butts at Three Points w. of Tucson, AZ, fotografed with a fairly long lens.