Backstop

[KingHugh]

I'd like to practice in my backyard with my 9mm and my .38, I have a large lot, and the property behind mine is completely empty for several hundred yards back. I have a neighbor on one side, and he and I both shoot so we have given eachother permission to shoot within 500 feet of our respective residences.

I don't have a berm, I do have a small dirt pile that I've shot into in the past but it's not really big enough for any regular practice. Is there a backstop I can build that would resist passthrough of a 9mm or .38? If I can't do this safely, I ain't gonna do it at all.

Thanks;

 

[M2 Carbine]

This has been my backyard (pistol) backstop for over 20 years. 1/4 inch and thicker steel.
Hardly a day goes buy that I don't shoot a handfull of magazines or a pocket full of 38's at this steel.



A very easy way to hang steel plate is with a couple fence posts, a couple eye bolts and a steel pipe.

 

[.cheese.]

2 questions, and I hope I don't side-track the thread too much,

1) M2Carbine - do you leave those targets out all the time, or do you take them in when not in use? I ask because I see no signs of rust, and for 20 years to not take its toll seems pretty impressive.

2) What are the laws regarding setting up a range in your backyard? What if you have neighbors on both sides? Is it a zoning issue, noise violation, crime of some sort, etc? I've often wondered how the law treats having your own range and discharging a weapon on your own property (assuming the bullet stays on your property).

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Economist are you within city limits? I think most citys have ordnances against discharging firearms but if you are outside the city you just have to worry about your neighbors which don't seem to be a problem.
I shoot at my parent's place usually. We drove a couple pieces of pipe into the ground and then built target stands with steel rods as legs. You can just staple your target to the stand, slide it's legs into the tubes in the ground and start shooting. Then pull up the stand and bring it inside when you are done (although it's a 2x4 frame on the stands so the only thing that would rust is the legs).
Pretty quick and easy and it doesn't get shot out like the pallets laid on their sides we used to use. I can take pics tomorrow if you want. I might have to slam out a few mags from the AK and of course some practice from the carry gun.

 

[.cheese.]

I think I might technically be in an "unincorporated" area of the county.

I need to check an up-to-date map to see. Good point I hadn't thought about.

Thanks for the info.

 

[KingHugh]

Hey M2, that looks great.

What is that behind your steel targets?

Berm or just high grass?

 

[PRazz]

What makes a good backstop? Steel? Sand? What backstop will decrease the rate of riccoche or deflection.
I can remember the indoor range we had in HS. they had plates of steel(supposedly from a battleship) and they were angled so that when the bullet hit they would deflect down into the sand. I'm thinking that i need something set up like this. The neighbors I have are at the top of a very high hill in back of my house. When shooting from my back yard the angle I'm shooting is down, i just don't want anything to bounce up towards the houses at the top. We are seperated by a field and woods but I still know they are up there and don't want to take that chance. Oh and this is in Ky outside city limits. Thanks Razz

 

[RH822]

Call your local gravel pit and ask how much a ton of fill dirt is, Soft earth is the best back stop to prevent ricochets and it's cheap.

RH

 

[M2 Carbine]

TheEconomist
1) M2Carbine - do you leave those targets out all the time, or do you take them in when not in use? I ask because I see no signs of rust, and for 20 years to not take its toll seems pretty impressive.

2) What are the laws regarding setting up a range in your backyard? What if you have neighbors on both sides? Is it a zoning issue, noise violation, crime of some sort, etc? I've often wondered how the law treats having your own range and discharging a weapon on your own property (assuming the bullet stays on your property).
__________________

All the steel, plate, bullet traps and swinging targets stay right there all year.
There is a little rust once in a while but most of the steel is galvanized and it's all constantly spray painted, with whatever color I have on hand, as I keep shooting it off.

The laws vary state by state and maybe even in different locals.
In Texas you can pretty much do whatever you want on your land.
I'm about 7 miles outside of town.
I even fly off my land. I use to take-off and land on the road before we put up mailboxes.

My neighbors are as close as a couple hundred feet away. They are use to me shooting. Some time back I hadn't been shooting for a few weeks and a neighbor asked if I was OK. He said he likes to hear me shooting, it might serve as a warning that there are armed people around here


That little hill behind my targets is a storm cellar. It's half buried and half covered with dirt. So it's a nice, just in case, backstop.


Added.
And I'm not the only one around here that target shoots.
I was just outside taking care of the cats and there's someone, a little South of here shooting.

 

[RNB65]

A big pile of dirt is the best backstop. With grass growing on it to help stabilize it in the rain. Rent a Bobcat for a day or two and build your own.

 

[Jomax]

A big pile of dirt is the best backstop. With grass growing on it to help stabilize it in the rain. Rent a Bobcat for a day or two and build your own.

I'd say that's a pretty cheap and very effective backstop, as long as there are no rocks in the dirt you use (ricochets).

If you're into making a real weekend project out of it, the rear wall might be cinderblock with a double row of burlap (not plastic) sandbags piled up in front of it and bales of hay piled up in front of the sandbags to make it less noticeable. That will prevent ricochets and overtravel of the slugs.

This setup is similar to what was routinely used for executions by firing squads. The hay just disguises the backstop a bit.

 

[KingHugh]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I'll probably keep shooting into my small dirt pile on a limited basis for now. I just found out that the people who bought the property next door are going to be building a house. No fear of hitting their house, no matter where they put it, but law requires 500 feet clearance from a home unless you have the owners permission to shoot....Haven't met them yet. We'll see.

I'm keeping your posts though, just in case.