I've got some land out in southern KS and there are parts were i could set up at least a 200 yrd range. Most of the area is flat and surrounded by woods(imagine that!) I am contemplating setting up a berm to safely shoot into. I might have acces to a bobcat or dozer for moving dirt, not sure yet. Does anyone have a good idea of what materials should be used(if anything besides rock and dirt) and how thick and high it should be? I was thinking of using sand bags and then putting a good layer of dirt to cover them up. Any advice is much appreciated.
Im thinking about building a good berm to shoot into on my farm, any tips?
- Thread starter hobgob
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Plenty of good advice that you can find with a search based on previous posts.
Rocks are a bad idea unless you're using them to form the back for a berm of sand or dirt. Sand is preferable to dirt. Chopped rubber is preferable to sand.
Look at rangeinfo.org for professional advice.
Rocks are a bad idea unless you're using them to form the back for a berm of sand or dirt. Sand is preferable to dirt. Chopped rubber is preferable to sand.
Look at rangeinfo.org for professional advice.
Gator
Member
chris in va
Member
Are you at least 2-3 miles from the nearest human being?
woad_yurt
Member
Before you start piling it up, remember to factor in the sun's position. You don't want to shoot into the sun if you don't have to. Shooting westward is to be avoided.
atblis
Member
I've never build a private range, but I'd love to. However, the gun club I'm a member of has 11 separate ranges for pistols and rifles. Most are approx 30 yards deep, one is at least 50 yds., and two are a full 100 yds. with multiple benches, and approved for h/p rifles.
These are all 3-sided ranges, with just high dirt berms. Big enough to drive your pickup down to the target stands, then turn around and drive out. Park right at the benches and git after it. Clean, clear, flat, no rocks and very few weeds. Great place for scrounging brass! I can always fill up a gallon jug every trip.
Some are double-wide, some are CAS setup, and there's also h/p rifle ranges out to 600 yards, shotgun areas, .22 rifle silhouette, Cowboy lead-only ranges out to 500 yards, Porta-Johns everywhere, it's a nice place!
You'll need, at the least, a tractor with a big enough front end loader to make the berms nice and high. Bobcat ain't gonna cut it. I think my club has a big trackhoe for berm maintenance (maybe it's just on loan from a member). I'd want 'em thick too, FMJ ammo from big rifles can go through a lot of loose, unpacked dirt.
Make sure to remove all the rocks you can, those cause ricochets. If you save your brass, you might consider vegetation control to make it easier to find them.
Good drainage is important, don't want a rutty mudhole. A scraper blade on a tractor would be invaluable, IMO.
I'd also want to make sure it's situated so the sunlight falls on the target/backstop area as much as possible. I hate to shoot with the sun in my eyes, or cooking my face, and it's nice to still see your targets at sundown.
This old dog likes the shade, so a covered bench area would be the shizz, IMO. Walls would help contain the brass too. Nothing elaborate, something like a simple cattle shed would be great, set up to let breezes through.
Sorry to blather, this one one of my favorite pipe dreams.
These are all 3-sided ranges, with just high dirt berms. Big enough to drive your pickup down to the target stands, then turn around and drive out. Park right at the benches and git after it. Clean, clear, flat, no rocks and very few weeds. Great place for scrounging brass! I can always fill up a gallon jug every trip.
Some are double-wide, some are CAS setup, and there's also h/p rifle ranges out to 600 yards, shotgun areas, .22 rifle silhouette, Cowboy lead-only ranges out to 500 yards, Porta-Johns everywhere, it's a nice place!
You'll need, at the least, a tractor with a big enough front end loader to make the berms nice and high. Bobcat ain't gonna cut it. I think my club has a big trackhoe for berm maintenance (maybe it's just on loan from a member). I'd want 'em thick too, FMJ ammo from big rifles can go through a lot of loose, unpacked dirt.
Make sure to remove all the rocks you can, those cause ricochets. If you save your brass, you might consider vegetation control to make it easier to find them.
Good drainage is important, don't want a rutty mudhole. A scraper blade on a tractor would be invaluable, IMO.
I'd also want to make sure it's situated so the sunlight falls on the target/backstop area as much as possible. I hate to shoot with the sun in my eyes, or cooking my face, and it's nice to still see your targets at sundown.
This old dog likes the shade, so a covered bench area would be the shizz, IMO. Walls would help contain the brass too. Nothing elaborate, something like a simple cattle shed would be great, set up to let breezes through.
Sorry to blather, this one one of my favorite pipe dreams.
Vern Humphrey
Member
Follow the link Benson posted.
One of the best ranges going is the Lafayette Gun Club range in Grafton, VA. They were almost shut down some 15 years ago when some Amadan put a target on the ground, in front of the backstop and shot at it with an honest-to-gosh elephant rifle. The bullet, hitting the ground at a shallow angle, ricocheted over the backstop and hit a house about two miles away.
The current range has a very high backstop (about 30 feet) and about twice that thick. Along the top of the backstop are baffels or "eyebrows" -- wooden structures that project out and are covered with earth to stop ricochets from the backstop.
In front of the backstop are "fences" made of heavy lumber and backed wiht about 6 feet of earth. These prevent people on the firing line from shooting into the ground.
There are concrete baffels on posts which prevent people from shooting over the backstop.
When you are on the firing line on this range, all you can see is the target frames -- you can't see (or shoot) above or below the frames.
There are side baffels similar to the backstop, so the range is U shaped with the firing line at the mouth of the U, and the targets at the base.
There are concrete benches with plywood inserts to convert them to flat tables for match use -- shooters take sitting, kneeling and prone positions on these "tables" because from ground level the "fences" prevent you from seeing the targets.
And finally, the firing line is covered, and there is about 18" of gravel in the roof.
One of the best ranges going is the Lafayette Gun Club range in Grafton, VA. They were almost shut down some 15 years ago when some Amadan put a target on the ground, in front of the backstop and shot at it with an honest-to-gosh elephant rifle. The bullet, hitting the ground at a shallow angle, ricocheted over the backstop and hit a house about two miles away.
The current range has a very high backstop (about 30 feet) and about twice that thick. Along the top of the backstop are baffels or "eyebrows" -- wooden structures that project out and are covered with earth to stop ricochets from the backstop.
In front of the backstop are "fences" made of heavy lumber and backed wiht about 6 feet of earth. These prevent people on the firing line from shooting into the ground.
There are concrete baffels on posts which prevent people from shooting over the backstop.
When you are on the firing line on this range, all you can see is the target frames -- you can't see (or shoot) above or below the frames.
There are side baffels similar to the backstop, so the range is U shaped with the firing line at the mouth of the U, and the targets at the base.
There are concrete benches with plywood inserts to convert them to flat tables for match use -- shooters take sitting, kneeling and prone positions on these "tables" because from ground level the "fences" prevent you from seeing the targets.
And finally, the firing line is covered, and there is about 18" of gravel in the roof.
robmkivseries70
Member
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2005
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- 241
HI All,
Generally, faced north is best, but the idea, depending upon the time of day you will shoot most, is to have the sun light behind you.
Sounds great to have your own range.
Best,
Rob
Generally, faced north is best, but the idea, depending upon the time of day you will shoot most, is to have the sun light behind you.
Sounds great to have your own range.
Best,
Rob
I have built several on my land here in Mississippi. The only thing I have ever used is a bulldozer and a box blade on a tractor. I've always used nothing but dirt, 5ft.-10ft. high. The only reason I have had to use the box blade is b/c it's pretty tough to do a pretty job with a D-7. I would use the dozer, then the Bobcat to straighten up, unless you have a small dozer, you prob. won't need the Bobcat. You might want to plant grass on the berm to help with wind and water erosion.
ClarkEMyers
Member
Ask the NRA - and your state association - Dave Parsons is long retired but the NRA usually has some folks around with good advice - some of it in writing.
As noted making a safety range is a good idea and much depends on how much land and how many people will be invited to shoot.
Other people have found that by offering the range to local law enforcement or to Guard or Reserve troops some heavy equipment help has been available for fuel costs as operator training.
If it's just for you consider in today's world shooting in a covered tunnel - maybe using culvert tubing?
As noted making a safety range is a good idea and much depends on how much land and how many people will be invited to shoot.
Other people have found that by offering the range to local law enforcement or to Guard or Reserve troops some heavy equipment help has been available for fuel costs as operator training.
If it's just for you consider in today's world shooting in a covered tunnel - maybe using culvert tubing?
bubbaturbo
Member
I assume you mean that this distance is required before it is safe to fire a gun. I bet a whole lot of hunters would be surprised.
sharkhunter2018
Member
I built a berm on my property over the winter. I have a plenty of sand due to the creek that runs through the property, so that is what I ended up using. I need to work on making it a bit higher, but to do that i need build up a ramp from the back to get there since the bucket on the tractor doesn't go high enough. It serves its purpose for now, and I don't have much time to work on it at the moment. I guess it will have to wait till winter.
jrfoxx
Member
I bet a lot of public shooting range owners would be too.
chris in va
Member
...which to me is totally irresponsible.
M2 Carbine
member
Just piling up dirt works for me.
I had a bulldozer get me started, then I bought this tractor.
I've had a 100 yard range since the late 1960's but the front end loader is allowing me to improve the range quite a bit and keep building up the berm.
Why?
My nearest neighbor's house is about 200 feet from the range.
I had a bulldozer get me started, then I bought this tractor.
I've had a 100 yard range since the late 1960's but the front end loader is allowing me to improve the range quite a bit and keep building up the berm.
Why?
My nearest neighbor's house is about 200 feet from the range.
M2 Carbine
member
You wouldn't be happy at all being my neighbor.
Not only do I have two ranges on 20 acres but I fly off it also.
MD_Willington
Member
I know the one at the hunter training range in Pullman WA is a big old pile of Palouse clay soil and in front of that is railway ties.
On the other side of that is quarry, and the quarry is expanding, so they are pushing more of that same soil towards the backside of the berm.
On the other side of that is quarry, and the quarry is expanding, so they are pushing more of that same soil towards the backside of the berm.
Here's some shots of the range I'm a member of, it's on 560 acres. Most of the surrounding landowners are members too, so I hear. I hope this isn't off-topic, maybe you can get some ideas from it.
New covered 100 yard rifle/pistol range, roof wasn't on yet.
CAS range.
Small pistol range.
A larger pistol range.
A deeper one.
And so they go. I personally would consider...clear ground for brass collecting, sun direction, shade, tables and benches, trash barrel, parking, drive-up access, etc.
Again, my favorite pipe dream, right there with my custom shop building. Ideally, a shop building with a covered pavillion on the side, with a full outdoor kitchen for grilling/BBQ/entertaining, and shooting benches, with the range right behind.
New covered 100 yard rifle/pistol range, roof wasn't on yet.
CAS range.
Small pistol range.
A larger pistol range.
A deeper one.
And so they go. I personally would consider...clear ground for brass collecting, sun direction, shade, tables and benches, trash barrel, parking, drive-up access, etc.
Again, my favorite pipe dream, right there with my custom shop building. Ideally, a shop building with a covered pavillion on the side, with a full outdoor kitchen for grilling/BBQ/entertaining, and shooting benches, with the range right behind.
chris in va
Member
And bullets never go over the berm.
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