Finally finished my pistol range

[someguy2800]

Last year I decided to add a pistol range off to the side of my rifle range so I kept a section mowed off to the side. I cut the target plates out of 1/4” mild steel with the plasma torch last year, but never got around to making posts to hang them on. The posts just have j hooks welded on them made out of 1/2” threaded rod I had laying around.

The big plates are 8” and the smaller ones about 4”. The closest ones are 10 yards from the front of the bench and the back ones are 28 yards.





I drove the posts in at an angle so the plates have room to swing a bit. Otherwise its hard to tell you hit them. Still plenty of room to mow around them



Next I need to make some more plates. I want to make a couple 50% sized silhouettes, mabey get some AR500 animal silhouettes to set on the ground, and also get a few AR500 hangers so I can use the AR15 on them too.

 

[doubleh]

That's nice. Wish I could do the same thing but I have a couple of problems. When I bought this place I lived out in the country. Now it's almost like living in town so it wouldn't be safe and also my state has a distance between dwellings law that I can't meet anymore. The second reason is I can't drive tee posts into my rock pile. I have to drive 25 miles one way to my gun club range and pack my portable steel swingers.

 

[someguy2800]

That's nice. Wish I could do the same thing but I have a couple of problems. When I bought this place I lived out in the country. Now it's almost like living in town so it wouldn't be safe and also my state has a distance between dwellings law that I can't meet anymore. The second reason is I can't drive tee posts into my rock pile. I have to drive 25 miles one way to my gun club range and pack my portable steel swingers.

I'm actually considering buying the 40 acres past the end of my field just to make sure I always have a place to shoot. On the other side of that is 1/2 mile of public land. Right now its just a corn field but I told my wife if they develop that land we are selling the house and moving lol.

 

[Milt1]

Damn someguy2800 you really know how to make a guy jealous. That's really a nice setup! By the way at the far far end of your range where the tree line starts, it that some type of building?

 

[someguy2800]

Damn someguy2800 you really know how to make a guy jealous. That's really a nice setup! By the way at the far far end of your range where the tree line starts, it that some type of building?

Just to the left of the tree line? That’s a patch of red willow. At the end of the mowed path there is a small dirt berm. I only own up to where the cornfield starts which is 200 yards. There is also 150 yards of space behind the bench so I can shoot 350 yards on my property and in the winter the neighbor doesn’t mind me shooting across his field but I rarely do.

I burned 450 rounds of 22 today between 2 pistols and a model 60 with peep sights. This project was worth every penny.

 

[someguy2800]

Oh and I learned from my shooting today that it’s pretty hard to tell when you hit the plates with a 22 pistol other than you can hear them if you pay attention. I am going to rehang them all with three links of chain so that they react more when hit. The chain still forces them to sit straight and they shouldn’t swing around much with only 3 links.

 

[LoneGoose]

Very nice. Well thought out.

 

[reddog81]

Oh and I learned from my shooting today that it’s pretty hard to tell when you hit the plates with a 22 pistol other than you can hear them if you pay attention. I am going to rehang them all with three links of chain so that they react more when hit. The chain still forces them to sit straight and they shouldn’t swing around much with only 3 links.

It helps to use much thinner plates for .22's. The heavy plates barely move and don't make much noise when hit with a .22.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

Nice looking range.

I only have two AR500 swingers currently, a 1/4" 8in round and a 3/8” 3in round. They hang from a chain off each ear at about 10 and 2 o'clock. The larger one moves enough to know you've hit it and the smaller one swings pretty good both with 22 from my rifles at 50yds. They also make enough noise to clearly be heard, but then again I don't wear ear pro when shooting 22 rifles.

I would suggest changing the way they hang for more movement, as you were thinking.

 

[Eagle103]

That looks like fun. I'm west of you toward Detroit Lakes so just let me know when haha.

 

[Fleetman]

Mine is ok and has worked well for me.....fortunately, we're moving to Ga next month and twenty acres allows me to stretch out a bit more!

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Nice man. Looks like fun.

 

[rpenmanparker]

Just wondering guys. The range of a 9 mm bullet is something around a mile and a half. Can you really safely shoot across farm land? Is there really no chance of hitting someone? If you want a private gun range, shouldn’t you build fairly high berms or ballistic walls on theee sides downrange?

 

[someguy2800]

Only if you shoot into the air at a 35 degree angle

 

[rpenmanparker]

Only if you shoot into the air at a 35 degree angle

It could happen.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

It could happen.

So could a lot of things. We are all responsible for every round we fire on our own property.

You'd probably freak out at my backstop on 1 acre in the woods....

 

[Armored farmer]

I'm actually considering buying the 40 acres past the end of my field just to make sure I always have a place to shoot. On the other side of that is 1/2 mile of public land. Right now its just a corn field but I told my wife if they develop that land we are selling the house and moving lol.

Lol. I always said if our nearest town ever gets a stoplight, thats it......im moving

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Lol. I always said if our nearest town ever gets a stoplight, thats it......im moving

If my county gets a stoplight I'm moving.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

I'm actually considering buying the 40 acres past the end of my field just to make sure I always have a place to shoot.

Probably a very good idea.

For a louder ring with 22's use blades off a farm disk. They work well for larger rounds too as long as they are 20 plus yards.

 

[farm23]

Really nice. I only have a hand gun range and it is only about 25 yards but it is convenient. The nearest gun club is an hour away so I am happy to have something. Our town does have one stop light.

 

[bullseye308]

Man, what most of us wouldn’t give for a home Range like that. Just enjoy it safely for us while we dream on.

 

[tallpaul]

I dont see a backstop let alone a safe one...

 

[someguy2800]

The earth makes an excellent backstop. There is no habitation for a mile and a half in that direction.

 

[rpenmanparker]

The earth makes an excellent backstop. There is no habitation for a mile and a half in that direction.

But you don’t control all that space. Anyone could be walking through there.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

If it's not safe to shoot in rural Brainerd MN where is it safe?