kir_kenix
Member
the cold weather/early sunset has caused much of my free time to be spent doing other things then shooting. i would really like to convert my empty, cinderblock basement into a sort of improvised in-door range. first off...it is totally blocked, and not under the house (its under a new, unfinished addition to the house, so it faces north south, 20 ft or so from under the house we live in). it will be ventelated just fine (no plyboard on some of the addition above, and a ceiling fan wired up as well). so really the only thing that is stopping me is figuring out a safe backdrop so that rounds wouldnt hit the cinderblock walls.
all i plan to shoot is .22 revolvers and semi-auto hand guns down there as well. i went out this morning and did some testing on phone books. 1 large phone book easily stops .22 rounds at 10 yds (the distance i will be shooting at downstairs, give or take a few feet) when put up against a hard backing. i took an old refrigerator down there, took off the door and filled it with boxes of phone books, magazines, and the such, and backed them w/ plywood. i cant think of a single way that a bullet could escape if i got it into the boxes. im really not conserned about richochets, becuase i would actually have to miss the 6' tall, 3' wide refrigerator to do so.
but when i showed all this to my new wife, she wasnt so sure. i then ended up putting 4 pieces of 3/8" plyboard (4' x 8', 2 thick) behind my target just in case. is there anything im overlooking here? i think it seems plenty safe as long as i do my part.
so what im asking is, does this sound like a safe set up for plinking in the basement. provided i can hit the big hole in front of me, the .22 bullet would have to pass thru 1.5 ft of phone books, magazines, cardboard, plywood, a steel fridge from the 50's (which ive shot before w/ a .22 rifle and did not penetrate it, just dentded it) and then proceed to hit almost 1" of plyboard to find its way into any cement.
did i think this out clearly? is there anything im missing? im not trying to be super dangerous, i just want to extend my shooting time on my days off.
i remember going over to my great-grandfathers house in kansas when i was young, he had a huge old house w/ a firing range downstairs. the previous owner had put a 1 lane bowling lane in down there, and since grandpa didnt bowl, he turned it into a really nice indoor range.
im really psyched about this and i hope that it doesnt sound like a rediculous idea to all who read. any thing that i could have overlooked would be helpful. thanks again guys, you guys always are able to help me out.
all i plan to shoot is .22 revolvers and semi-auto hand guns down there as well. i went out this morning and did some testing on phone books. 1 large phone book easily stops .22 rounds at 10 yds (the distance i will be shooting at downstairs, give or take a few feet) when put up against a hard backing. i took an old refrigerator down there, took off the door and filled it with boxes of phone books, magazines, and the such, and backed them w/ plywood. i cant think of a single way that a bullet could escape if i got it into the boxes. im really not conserned about richochets, becuase i would actually have to miss the 6' tall, 3' wide refrigerator to do so.
but when i showed all this to my new wife, she wasnt so sure. i then ended up putting 4 pieces of 3/8" plyboard (4' x 8', 2 thick) behind my target just in case. is there anything im overlooking here? i think it seems plenty safe as long as i do my part.
so what im asking is, does this sound like a safe set up for plinking in the basement. provided i can hit the big hole in front of me, the .22 bullet would have to pass thru 1.5 ft of phone books, magazines, cardboard, plywood, a steel fridge from the 50's (which ive shot before w/ a .22 rifle and did not penetrate it, just dentded it) and then proceed to hit almost 1" of plyboard to find its way into any cement.
did i think this out clearly? is there anything im missing? im not trying to be super dangerous, i just want to extend my shooting time on my days off.
i remember going over to my great-grandfathers house in kansas when i was young, he had a huge old house w/ a firing range downstairs. the previous owner had put a 1 lane bowling lane in down there, and since grandpa didnt bowl, he turned it into a really nice indoor range.
im really psyched about this and i hope that it doesnt sound like a rediculous idea to all who read. any thing that i could have overlooked would be helpful. thanks again guys, you guys always are able to help me out.
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