Building a back stop part I

horsemen61 · Apr 26, 2020

Hey everyone I just wanted to share some pics with y’all and talk about my plans to build a backstop for my range!

step 1 source Materials

Free telephone poles*

So I started by cutting 4 10 foot long lengths of pole I will bury 2 feet of pole for support
Next I cut 8 foot lengths of poles for the walls ......and I ran out of steam so that’s all for now

*When I say free I didn’t pay for them with money I traded a days worth of yard work

stay tuned for future installments of this project also any thoughts tips comments are appreciated thanks y’all!

2zulu1 · Apr 27, 2020

Nice project you have planned,

how wide will the backstop be? How high do you plan to dirt fill at the front and back?

troy fairweather · Apr 27, 2020

Me and a friend built one about 10 years ago with utility pole. We dug a U shaped ditch with the excavator about 10' down. With room to stagger them in the ditch. Back filled with dirt, the inside got shredded tires and two peaces of hard plates(8'x8' 2inch thick steal) inbetween the rubber and poles.

horsemen61 · Apr 27, 2020

2zulu1 said:
Nice project you have planned, how wide will the backstop be? How high do you plan to dirt fill at the front and back?

I plan on it being 8 feet wide and as far as dirt depth I’d like at least 6 feet

2zulu1 · Apr 28, 2020

horsemen61 said:
I plan on it being 8 feet wide and as far as dirt depth I’d like at least 6 feet

I'm thinking the same plan of yours for mine, have the poles and thinking 11ft with 3ft in the ground. Have a PTO auger for the 3pt and hope the gearbox will take the tractor HP. Plenty of dirt here in Arizona.

jjadurbin · Apr 28, 2020

horsemen61 said:
Hey everyone I just wanted to share some pics with y’all and talk about my plans to build a backstop for my range!

step 1 source Materials

Free telephone poles*

So I started by cutting 4 10 foot long lengths of pole I will bury 2 feet of pole for support
Next I cut 8 foot lengths of poles for the walls ......and I ran out of steam so that’s all for now

*When I say free I didn’t pay for them with money I traded a days worth of yard work

stay tuned for future installments of this project also any thoughts tips comments are appreciated thanks y’all!

Hey ...great work ...we started just as you have and built a terraced system adding railroad ties as "keepers" and "reinforcements" of our mounds by using a kind of log cabin system. For the end cuts we just nibbled a fit with chain saws, then mounted in place. We found our poles and railroad ties for free on Craig's, just a thought.

horsemen61 · Apr 28, 2020

jjadurbin said:
Hey ...great work ...we started just as you have and built a terraced system adding railroad ties as "keepers" and "reinforcements" of our mounds by using a kind of log cabin system. For the end cuts we just nibbled a fit with chain saws, then mounted in place. We found our poles and railroad ties for free on Craig's, just a thought.

great thinking I’ll look there

Bob Willman · Apr 29, 2020

Here are 2 photos of the backstop in my back yard that I built in 1972. There are 2 dump truck loads of yellow sand in front of the railroad tie wall.

Hooda Thunkit · Apr 29, 2020

1972. I'm thinking the trees ( hackberry trees?) behind the backstop were mere saplings....

Jammersix · Apr 29, 2020

I see buildings downrange.

Bob Willman · Apr 29, 2020

Buildings are a mile away. The sand is over 5 feet thick at the target level and about 7 feet wide. The deepest I have dug bullets out of the sand is about elbow deep. They were pure lead maxi balls from muzzle loaders. 30-06 might make 10 inches deep. If it is shoulder fired we are good. If it is on wheels we will have to discuss it.

Jammersix · Apr 30, 2020

A MILE?

ONE? For .30-06?

alsaqr · Apr 30, 2020

i much prefer earth berms. Earth berms do require occasional maintenance, they can slump over time: Got to spend a couple days raising mine soon.

However your "backstops" are built, go to great lengths to prevent bullets from leaving your property.

horsemen61 · May 1, 2020

Update nothing is bolted together but I am trying to see how it will look and I like what I see so far

Good Ol' Boy · May 1, 2020

I look forward to seeing your progress. Disregard the naysayers that will tell you you need 10,000 miles of desert behind your stop.

I had folks nitpick my thread sharing my backstop rebuild.

Build as best you can and obviously you're responsible for every bullet you fire. So long as it's legal where you're at and you can sleep well at night after taking that in then have at it.

It's still a free country at the moment.

horsemen61 · May 2, 2020

Jammersix said:
I'm glad you guys are in another state.

Pray tell why is that @Jammersix FYI

1.) I am shooting down into a steep holler

2.) I am working with what I have available to me (PS please show me your backstop that will be sturdier than my telephone poles)

3.) 30 TONS OF SAND SHOULD CATCH A .224 DIAMETER PROJECTILE!!!!!

In closing please inform me how I’m not doing enough most folks I know just shoot into a little pile of dirt I’m placing 30 TONS OF SAND
at my cost no one else’s!

Hooda Thunkit · May 2, 2020

@horsemen61 - try to avoid feeding trolls.

Your mental well being will thank you.

Bfh_auto · May 2, 2020

horsemen61 said:
Hey everyone I just wanted to share some pics with y’all and talk about my plans to build a backstop for my range!

step 1 source Materials

Free telephone poles*

So I started by cutting 4 10 foot long lengths of pole I will bury 2 feet of pole for support
Next I cut 8 foot lengths of poles for the walls ......and I ran out of steam so that’s all for now

*When I say free I didn’t pay for them with money I traded a days worth of yard work

stay tuned for future installments of this project also any thoughts tips comments are appreciated thanks y’all!

You have a good start.
From experience, you want at least 3 deer of your post in the ground to stop it from leaning if it rains really hard.
If your ground freezes, you want to be below the frost line or it will get pushed up.
You have a good start going. Keep at it.

CapnMac · May 2, 2020

Bob Willman said:
There are 2 dump truck loads of yellow sand

Sand can be a good choice, as it naturally slumps to 40º or less, so it will support grass, which will hold it down, which helps extend your maintenance cycle.

Navy87Guy · May 2, 2020

Hooda Thunkit said:
@horsemen61 - try to avoid feeding trolls.

Your mental well being will thank you.

@horsemen61 - Yup, just look at Jammersix’s signature lines. It tells you everything you need to know!

Jammersix · May 2, 2020

horsemen61 said:
Pray tell why is that

Because they're dangerous.

Calm down. Take a breath. I wasn't commenting about your project.

If you want me to comment about your project, post a picture looking downrange from the bench.

I've always had trouble shooting at a lower elevation. It's deceptive. I can shoot at higher elevations, but lower screws me up.

horsemen61 · May 2, 2020

@Jammersix the Midwest is a lot different than Seattle let’s just leave it at that

troy fairweather · May 2, 2020

No madder how fare there maybe houses, the same safe gun rules still apply.

Jammersix · May 3, 2020

horsemen61 said:
@Jammersix the Midwest is a lot different than Seattle let’s just leave it at that

A flat mile is a flat mile in both places, the .30-06 is the same, people compete at two miles these days, a miss is a miss and a mistake is a mistake. The four rules are the same, and breaking two of them makes me glad it's happening in another state.

The idea that one mile is enough for a .30-06 is criminally foolish.

Now it will be left.

horsemen61 · May 3, 2020

Jammersix said:
A flat mile is a flat mile in both places, the .30-06 is the same, people compete at two miles these days, a miss is a miss and a mistake is a mistake. The four rules are the same, and breaking two of them makes me glad it's happening in another state.

The idea that one mile is enough for a .30-06 is criminally foolish.

Now it will be left.

@Jammersix

First of all I never said anything about 1 mile

secondly I’m shooting down into 30 tons of sand!

Thirdly “Most importantly show me where did I say anything about breaking “the 4 rules”

Mods please don’t close this one I am very excited about building my range, it just burns my shorthairs whenever someone who has no clue about me,my property ,or what I am doing chimes in about my situation with nothing to add other than negativity!
:cuss:

Building a back stop part I

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