Hello all. I tend to be long-winded with these questions so I'll try to keep it brief.
I also realize there have been several topics on this subject but I feel like the majority of the discussions turned into constructions that would run several thousand dollars if not the 5 figures, which is just not feasible here.
I have about 18 acres currently being used as a tree farm. Just last week I had precommercial thinning done which has left a tremendous amount of brush and small (1-2" diameter) trees on the ground. In the next few weeks, I have a guy coming out with a dozer that will clear me a driveway and some area to shoot. Won't get into the specifics of the area, but suffice it to say that anything beyond birdshot would be unsafe to shoot without a solid backstop.
So my original plan was to set up a berm at the back of the clearing for rifle, maybe 20' wide and 6' high. (like I said, can't spend crazy amounts of money on this). I was going to use the brush that this guy has to clear as the basis of the berm and fill it in with dirt and/or cover the front of it with tires.
Doing more research has led me to believe that using this brush, no matter how thick it may be, is a bad idea for this backstop, even if the dirt/tires are the actual stop, because it may deteriorate over time and I'll have a unsafe pile of stuff in a few years.
I was also going to do a separate U-shaped pistol area with the same basic idea and height. Since doing the extra reading I've decided that I should probably just consolidate everything into a single shooting area that can support rifle shots in the main backstop.
Question 1:
So I've heard many people say that backstop heights of 15' are the minimum, which just seems WAY out of my price/effort range. Obviously with a shorter backstop I can't have man-height targets set up out there, but that's okay. I also have to make sure I don't ricochet something off the ground, but that basically just means no action shooting with carbines and whatnot. Overall, for private, supervised shooting, is 6' high viable?
Question 2:
This guy has got to put all the brush somewhere. I'd like to make use of it if I can. What about using the brush + dirt + (tires?) plan for some side berms? If they disintegrate over several years, no big deal. I can re-invest in those if I'm really doing enough of that type of shooting to justify it.
Question 3:
How much should I expect to pay to get a berm that height if I can't find tires (and it's all just loads of dirt trucked in)? Again, 20' wide (maybe 15' truly shootable) and 6 or 7' high is the plan.
Question 4:
Any other suggestions? I'm trying to do this on a budget, obviously, but at the same time I ultimately want low maintenance. If it's a matter of dropping an extra $700 on "doing it right," it's worth it.
(Addendum) Question 5:
For the "U" shaped shooting area, what about drainage? Should I just make sure I have a slight grade leading out the opening?
I'm especially interested in hearing about anyone else in a similar situation and what you did, and definitely how much it cost to do it. Part of me wants to just pay for a single load of dirt, throw it on top of the brush pile, and only shoot in the 4'x4' safe area for a while. =)
I also realize there have been several topics on this subject but I feel like the majority of the discussions turned into constructions that would run several thousand dollars if not the 5 figures, which is just not feasible here.
I have about 18 acres currently being used as a tree farm. Just last week I had precommercial thinning done which has left a tremendous amount of brush and small (1-2" diameter) trees on the ground. In the next few weeks, I have a guy coming out with a dozer that will clear me a driveway and some area to shoot. Won't get into the specifics of the area, but suffice it to say that anything beyond birdshot would be unsafe to shoot without a solid backstop.
So my original plan was to set up a berm at the back of the clearing for rifle, maybe 20' wide and 6' high. (like I said, can't spend crazy amounts of money on this). I was going to use the brush that this guy has to clear as the basis of the berm and fill it in with dirt and/or cover the front of it with tires.
Doing more research has led me to believe that using this brush, no matter how thick it may be, is a bad idea for this backstop, even if the dirt/tires are the actual stop, because it may deteriorate over time and I'll have a unsafe pile of stuff in a few years.
I was also going to do a separate U-shaped pistol area with the same basic idea and height. Since doing the extra reading I've decided that I should probably just consolidate everything into a single shooting area that can support rifle shots in the main backstop.
Question 1:
So I've heard many people say that backstop heights of 15' are the minimum, which just seems WAY out of my price/effort range. Obviously with a shorter backstop I can't have man-height targets set up out there, but that's okay. I also have to make sure I don't ricochet something off the ground, but that basically just means no action shooting with carbines and whatnot. Overall, for private, supervised shooting, is 6' high viable?
Question 2:
This guy has got to put all the brush somewhere. I'd like to make use of it if I can. What about using the brush + dirt + (tires?) plan for some side berms? If they disintegrate over several years, no big deal. I can re-invest in those if I'm really doing enough of that type of shooting to justify it.
Question 3:
How much should I expect to pay to get a berm that height if I can't find tires (and it's all just loads of dirt trucked in)? Again, 20' wide (maybe 15' truly shootable) and 6 or 7' high is the plan.
Question 4:
Any other suggestions? I'm trying to do this on a budget, obviously, but at the same time I ultimately want low maintenance. If it's a matter of dropping an extra $700 on "doing it right," it's worth it.
(Addendum) Question 5:
For the "U" shaped shooting area, what about drainage? Should I just make sure I have a slight grade leading out the opening?
I'm especially interested in hearing about anyone else in a similar situation and what you did, and definitely how much it cost to do it. Part of me wants to just pay for a single load of dirt, throw it on top of the brush pile, and only shoot in the 4'x4' safe area for a while. =)