I wanna build a berm....

[The Plainsman]

or some type of shooting backstop. I'm hoping that there are enough engineers on this forum that someone can give me a little guidance.

I live in an unincorporated area of my county, on 3 1/2 acres - roughly 400' x 400'. I shoot both handguns and rifles, being able to get a little over 100 yards out.

I currently have a shooting backstop that is a combination of railroad ties (3 layers thick and about 4 1/2' high) with a 4' x 5' piece of 5/8" T1 armored steel behind part of the ties, leaning at about a 30 degree angle to deflect bullets downward. The ties are laid out about 10' long, so there are 3 layers of ties 10 ' long by 4 1/2' high with the steel plate behind about 4' of it. Ties are replaced as they get "shot up".

There are 1 1/2 miles of open pasture (belonging to a neighbor) behind my backstop, with about 40 head of cattle grazing in it. When the cattle are anywhere close to the line of fire in the pasture, there is no shooting. When there are any people in the pasture ANYWHERE, there is no shooting. There have been NO incidents with this set-up.

I've been using this arrangment for about 15 years, but for my neighbor's and my own peace of mind, I'd like to build a "real" backstop. I envision an earthen berm about 15' or 20' long by 8' to 10' high, but I've also considered a railroad tie "box" filled with gravel, of similar size.

My question to you, my friends, is this - what would be your recommendations for some type of backstop of approximately the dimensions described above?

I'd like to build this in an hour for a total cost of $5. Knowing that's unlikely, I'm open for suggestions. Whaddaya think?

As has been asked, this range is strictly for my own use and my occasional guests.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

First I would check into permits. Sometimes ranges have to have state licenses. Next I would select an area thinking about drainage because you got to get the dirt for the berm from somewhere.

My though would be to either rent a bobcat or the like and have some fun learning how to drive it, or get real and rent a dozer. When I rent dozers and drivers, it is usually on a per hour rate and that is a very local thing. My bet is you could get a dozer out there and a skilled operator for less then $500 and bang it out pretty quick.

Key point. Remember to get the dozer to compact the mound as he builds it up.

 

[RooK]

Unless he's charging people and making a business of it, I doubt it would be classified as a range. Otherwise it's just shooting on his property.

I personally shoot into a bunch of sections from a cut down pine tree in my yard. They're generally about 1 1/2' in diameter and 2' long. Also make a nice surface for attaching targets to. If you built a berm out of dirt, a 3' thick section would be fine for everything but some serious cast bullet loads or FMJ.

 

[CEShooter]

Permits are key. For usually a small fee they can save you from larger costs and headaches later on.

Going on the assumption that an earthern berm is going to be the most realistic in both cost and fitting within the lot size:
- figure out exactly where you want it and how much dirt it will most likely take. Simply geometry will handle this but remember that when the dirt is loaded into say a dumptruck, its volume will "shrink" by about 30% on average once it's compacted in it's final location.
- if there isn't enough dirt on your land simply call up a couple of local contractors in the area and tell them you have a dump site for clean fill and watch the trucks roll in. (If you are good you might even be able to charge them a couple quarters per cubic yard of dirt they bring in. To put that in perspective, if you built a berm 20 ft long on 3 sides and 15 ft high you should need roughly 450 cubic yds of dirt hauled in.) Just tell them where to stockpile the dirt and they will probably have it done in a week or so. Now you can probably get the job done with a Cat D3 sized dozer. In my area you can rent a D3 sized dozer for $360 a day. Figure in delivery and fuel costs you should be able to build your berm in a day and maybe have some time left over to do other odd jobs around your grounds for under $500-600.

 

[Clemson]

I highly recommend the NRA Range Book, available from the NRA. It gives design information for ranges of all types from the simplest to the most complex. It also has design info for benchrests, target stands, berms, etc. According to the Range Book, you need a berm 20' high. I have used a concrete culvert arranged in front of the benchrest so that shots must go through the pipe. That effectively prevents wild shots in the air.

Good luck.

Clemson

 

[Gordon]

Good info so far . My $.02 is if you inquire about a permit : Don't even mention the word shooting range or backstop.Lead into soil is a fed no no ,at least! What you are building is a wind break or a landscapeing berm. In most areas (even in Kali) if you move 100 cubic yards or less and there are no streams, wetlands, trees or landslide slopes you are good to go with a legal setback from property line. Looked less than 100 cubic yards to me Is your county trying to pad the building dept. pension fund or is it reasonable, areas vary depending on Democrat territory Or Republican good ole boys

 

[forquidder]

Shooting range

Take a dozer and begin shaving earth about 30 yards from your shooting position out to your 100 yard mark any width you desire. The shaved load is then deposited at the end of the range forming your berm. As the dozer shaves earth the range becomes more subteranian esentially creating smaller berms on either side of a larger backstop berm. Dig until satisfied. Shoot your rifles from the high end and go down into the "hole" for your pistol work.

 

[swingset]

Two good suggestions I acted on when building mine:

1. Use dirt. It's easy to repair, and cheap.

2. Enclose the dirt in old tires (free from tire shop if you haul them away), filled with dirt placed over a pole to hold them up. They are VERY hard to tear up, keep the dirt in and are more durable than anything else you can use.

3. Typically, even in a "perfect" berm, you only shoot at 1 spot. Place a large armor plate sheet behind that spot angled down (sounds like you already have that). Then, your berm will last even longer.