Looking for ideas for a home shooting range -

[Andy_C]

I'd like to set up an area near my house for practice with pistol, rifle, and shotgun. We've got a lot of land, no immediate neighbors, and are down low in a fairly narrow valley so we are backstopped by close high (200+ feet) hills almost all the way around. I'd like ideas for things to think about in setting up a home range -what works best for you? For example, I've got a friend with a home shooting area that has a large permanent bench and paper targets, is ideal for sighting in, but seems limited in other ways. He has targets at 25 yards for an initial sight check and at 100 yards for confirmation. At our place our longest good straight shot would be around 200 yards. I'd be interested in what you use for targets (paper, tin cans, steel targets, and including seasonal specialties - shooting at pumpkins once they get real cheap after Halloween?), are you set up for "competitive" family shooting, what distances you recommend for rifle, pistol, shotgun, and any other ideas you can offer. If you are shooting at paper targets what do you use, what are they hung on, and where do you get them? What other things should I be thinking about? Thanks!

 

[Ex-MA Hole]

I've used empty tin cans from eaten food. You can punch a hole in the with a church key, hang them from a string from anything and shoot at them. They move, which makes it fun.

Also spent shotgun shells.

 

[bhk]

I am set up for paper targets, but also have commercially available metal swingers set up for both centerfire pistol and rimfire rifle/pistol. The are great for informal plinking and also good for offhand rifle practice using a .22. They never need changing, but I occassionally touch them up with new flourescent orange spray paint.

 

[rbernie]

Ricochets are a very real problem, even if you're surrounded by hills. I'd be very wary of shooting steel if you have any neighbors with structures within a half a mile of your backstop.

 

[Officers'Wife]

My brother puts eye screws in golf balls and hangs them from a frame as targets A good solid hit with a .308 is an impressive sight.