I need to build a backstop. What do you think of this idea?

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Molon Labe

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I shoot on my own property. But ricochets have been a problem. I really need to build a backstop.

I've been trying to think of something that would be simple to build. One idea is to simply haul in a bunch of dirt. But this is not very appealing to me for a variety of reasons. Stacking tires is also an appealing idea, but after much thought I do not think I will pursue the tire approach.

Here's an idea I've come up with. Let me know what you think:

I will build a wall about five feet high and eight feet wide using railroad ties. The wall will be two ties thick, which means it will be 16" thick. I figure that should stop just about anything.

In front of the railroad tie wall will be another wall about five feet high made of straw bales. This straw wall will be two-bales thick (which is pretty thick).

Paper targets will be placed directly in front of the straw wall. Bullets will enter the straw wall and lodge into the railroad tie wall. Any ricochets off the railroad ties will bounce back into the straw, and be absorbed. (I doubt there will be enough energy for the bullet to make it back through the straw.)

Does this sound like a good plan? It appeals to me because all I have to do is stack stuff.
 
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The Straw will eventually rot and have to be replaced - bummer.

Here's what I'd suggest. Where I live a bulldozer with operator can be hired for about $50/hour. Hire one. Lay out a lane however long you want and have the bulldozer plow it's length. The dirt, trees etc. moved will at the end of the lane make a berm. Use the railroad ties as a support at the front of the berm to prevent it collapsing.

I've seen this done - it works pretty well.

Invest in some metal target frames that will hold plywood sheets.
 
The railroad tie idea will make a great backstop. Let me say that first. Something I might add is to mound dirt behind the ties, so that in the event a bullet should pass through, it wil help stop them some. It will also help support the ties from leaning one way or another over time. The bales I would pass on because they will be kind of hard to attach targets to and will rot over time as said before. Good luck!
 
ML,

The only issue you may run into is that repeated strikes in the same general area will eat a hole in your wood much facter than you might guess.

Esp. so if you rae hammering away at it with a HP rifle and all the rounds are go into the same 6 or 8 inch circle.

Just my 2 pence
S-
 
Thanks for the replies. A few comments:

1. It is my opinion that the bullets should not first hit something hard (e.g. railroad ties). If the bullets hit a hard surface first, there's a good chance for ricochet. Bullets need to first hit something that is soft and penetrable.

2. I don't like the idea of tires. First of all, they must be filled with something, else they will fill with stagnant water, which is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Secondly, they are unsightly. Thirdly, I would not want to use steel belted tires for fear that they would increase the chance of ricochet. (Which means I'd have to use bias-ply, which are hard to find.) And lastly, I don't like the idea of shooting at something with a curved surface - even something soft - since doing so could cause ricochet.

3. I've had 10 bales of straw around our fire pit for 5 years. They appear to be intact. Furthermore, bales of straw are cheap, and if I have to replace them every few years, it wouldn't be a big deal.

4. Paper targets will not be attached to the straw wall. Targets will be placed in front of the straw wall on target stands. The straw wall is simply there to absorb ricochets.

The neat thing about this idea is that it requires no digging or earth moving - just stacking. Dirt and sand do not need to be delivered. And with the exception of having the railroad ties & straw delivered, I and a buddy can build it on our own.

Oh, and can you tell I'm very nervous about ricochets? Those have been my biggest problem. :(
 
adaman04 said:
Sounds like you have your mind made up, then. Start building!
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Yea. But the reason I'm posting is to see if anyone thinks there are any major problems or liabilities with this approach. So far there doesn't seem to be any.
 
Dirt backstops are popular for a reason - they're relatively 'self-healing'. Wood is not.

No matter how thick you make the wood barrier, in the end you're gonna chew a hole through it. And, as has been pointed out already, it really doesn't take many rounds of virtually any centerfire rifle chambering to do that.
 
I've only had "plinker" pistol bullets bounce off a crosstie backstop. Never, ever, had a rifle bullet bounce. From .223 to '06.

Do the double crosstie deal, although if you're shooting from a bench I don't see why it needs to be very high. I always put my paper targets very near the ground.

I'd not bother with hay bales. Dirt piled behind the crossties works just fine. As the bullets chew out the central target area, just fill in with dirt and nail a piece of plywood over the area to hold the dirt. Repeat as necessary. :)

My present backstop is just a framework and "wall" from old pallets, with a gravel pile behind it. From time to time I add another piece of plywood, and shovel a bit of gravel. It's worked fine since 1993...

:), Art
 
rbernie said:
Dirt backstops are popular for a reason - they're relatively 'self-healing'. Wood is not.

No matter how thick you make the wood barrier, in the end you're gonna chew a hole through it. And, as has been pointed out already, it really doesn't take many rounds of virtually any centerfire rifle chambering to do that.
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Very true, and it's something I'll definitely have to keep an eye on. But there are disadvantages to dirt, also:

1. I would have to pay a backhoe operator and truck driver to fill trucks w/ dirt, drive to our place, and dump it. This could get pretty expensive. I should also mention that I plan on making a fairly wide range, and it would require quite a few truckloads of dirt.

2. I plan on shooting everything up to .50 BMG, which means the dirt mound will have to be pretty thick.

3. Unless the dirt is highly compacted, or there is vegetation growing on it, dirt will settle into a conical shape. Even if I install three walls (L side, R side, rear), dirt will still have a tendency to spill out the front. Which means it will have to be pretty high, and may require maintenance.
 
Molon Labe said:
Very true, and it's something I'll definitely have to keep an eye on. But there are disadvantages to dirt, also:

2. I plan on shooting everything up to .50 BMG, which means the dirt mound will have to be pretty thick.
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I'd be surprised if two railroad ties stop .50 BMG at less than a couple hundred yards.
 
ML
In my younger days a say a few very substancial trees "sawed off" with very little HP rifle fire. Nothing like a 50 BMG. It really made me think about what it takes to stop a HP rifle round. If you are worried about richs now why go with a backstop that will fail sooner or later.

IMO dirt is a better choice even if it has cost and other downsides.

If your frendly local DOT guys have a repaving project in your area they may "have load of dirt, will travel" to you location and dump it for free. Perhaps you can get a backstop for free if you check around with DOT or a few local grading companies.

Just a thought

S-
 
Are the ricochets coming back towards you are going beyond? Any problems with neighbors which have caused recent concern?
If your really set on continuing shooting at your home range, pay the bucks.
Get a good backstop built with dirt, timber, etc. Pay for a dozer operator to come out and shuffle some dirt around. Have dirt/fill trucked in if needed.
Have the target area of the backstop built with an overhang and protruding sides.
The extra cost and effort in building an efficient backstop is cheaper than a lawsuit, hospital bill, death or injury to a family member, harm to a neighbor and/or property, or yourself and/or a shooting buddy going to jail for a range day gone bad.
If you've already had a ricochet that's caused you concern, cease from any further shooting at this area until a good backstop is constructed. Reconsider shooting a .50 there.
 
if you are going to shoot things such as a .50 bmg. you should definately NOT USE railroad ties. the only reasonable backstop for you to have is sufficient dirt to stop the bullets. Youd be replacing ties several times during each extended range session. using railroad ties for such a large caliber would be irresponsible in my opinion, as they wont offer much resistance in stopping the 50.
 
trapperjohn said:
if you are going to shoot things such as a .50 bmg. you should definately NOT USE railroad ties. the only reasonable backstop for you to have is sufficient dirt to stop the bullets. Youd be replacing ties several times during each extended range session. using railroad ties for such a large caliber would be irresponsible in my opinion, as they wont offer much resistance in stopping the 50.
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Yea, I'm beginning to think that some dirt may be in order. But it would be a lot of dirt! But it's probably the safest solution.
 
how about:
haybales - double layer of ties - atleast 12" of dirt - another 2 layers of ties

.50 BMG will go through some ties like S thought a tin horn...

~TMM
 
How about this:

When you build your tie walls, leave a gap of 2 or 3 feet between them, that way if the slug punches the first set, it will be slowed down enough that it wont punch the second set.

You could also fill the area between the walls with tires and cover with dirt, then the tires are filled, covered and hidden.

just a thought
 
Consider this:

1. Two walls of stacked ties leaves a common "seam" that is the weak point. Your rounds will find it.

2. If you do three walls, with two stacked the "long" way and the middle one stacked the "short" way, then you might avoid a round "slipping through" the seam.

I am also in the process of building a berm with ties. I'll have some dirt behind mine.

Also, I think there is NO issue with shots from HP rifles that strike the RR tie surface directly (no straw, etc.). I've shot many times at a range where targets are stapled directly to them with no issues (RWVA range in central NC - you read about it in Fred's Shotgun News columns). Test it somewhere with .22lr up through pistol and HP rifle if you like. I agree with others that you have more risk w/the smaller stuff. The .308 and it's ilk will zip right into the ties and penetrate!
 
Another option rather than hiring an equipment operator is to rent a small one (Bobcat) for the weekend. Often, the rental places are closed on Sunday so you can have it for 2 days and get a lot of it done yourself.

Just an option.
 
At my nephew's 5 acre place I use several large round hay bales for my backstop. They were sitting there when he bought the place and he doesn't keep any livestock. At about 6' thick, there's no way a round is getting through, and if it should there's about 500 yds of open field behind them. I shoot 95% pistol rounds into them.

If the bales become unusable we can just burn them in place. The bales have a covering rolled on the outside, so I think they will last for several years. Replacements are available around here for $25 each. You can probably get a farmer to deliver them for little or nothing.

If/when I get to set up a range on my own place, I'll probably stick with the big bales.
 
You need a pond.

Ponds are neat. Ponds are picturesque. Best of all building a pond creates a lot of dirt. ;)
 
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