My new private range

[duelist1954]

As some of you know, there was some political unpleasantness at my gun club last Fall. It all worked out in the end, and I'm now the club's president.

But...while it was going on I bought some land in the woods where I could make a private range, so I'd always have a place of my own to shoot and record videos.

Here's a little update of what I've done with the property since I bought it at Thanksgiving last year. It was impossible to access the site from January until the end of March, so I haven't had a lot of time to get it ready.

It will be a long term work in progress...

https://www.full30.com/video/597e0a00a94ef286ac46f7abea9a4264

 

[Zebraranger]

I think its a great private shooting range. You did a very nice job, I like the variety of targets that you've put up. Nice piece of property too.

 

[thegunpunch]

Good for you, I'm jealous, I hope you have many happy years at your new range

 

[Sam1911]

Dang Mike, that's fantastic!

 

[bannockburn]

Well it certainly is in a remote place in the woods! Sort of place I have always dreamed of having but can't afford!

 

[Redstate]

I'm envious! Cool

 

[Walkalong]

Very nice.

 

[Ex]

Great job on setup and shooting (pun intended!)
Within the month, wifey and I are taking a drive over to NM to look at
just over 2.5 acres that backs up to Nat forest to retire to. 380 ish people population
in this town. Very quiet (until I get there lol) and remote. Will be able to do similar.

Congrats on yours, looking forward to mine.

 

[horsemen61]

Awesome is all I can say if I were you I would find a spot for a 100 yard shot to sight in the ole rifles but hey that's just me do as you please you own it

 

[browningguy]

Looks like it will be a very cool setup.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

That was a very good reference point for the difference between where you live and the front range of Colorado. I grew up in Iowa and we had Oak and Hickory woods but they were not nearly as thick in vegetation as is yours, but where I shoot in northern Colorado (at a private range) we have marked place holders at 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards as well as 300 and 600 yards. There is room to probably hang a target gong out to 2000 yards but I am just not interested in trying to see that far through a peep sight.....

Great job though, I really enjoy your posts and articles in the magazine.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Wow, that's beautiful! Use it in good health.

 

[Liquidring]

Nice range, but, you mentioned an EPA permit to cross the crik, but with the crazy reg's up north, what will they do to you about lead contamination in the ground? You may have to aply for super fund clean up. Not trying to be critical, but the northern states are just wacko with land reg's.

 

[wannabeagunsmith]

Nice.

 

[Cee Zee]

Nice looking area. It looks like my yard at home. Why is it you only have access during the months you mentioned? Is there some reason you can't get there in the winter? One thing I might suggest is setting up a place to shoot from on the road side of the creek. If you get heavy rains you might find yourself unable to get your Ford back across the ford. I've seen creeks that size turn into raging whitewater in a very short time. I've seen times when there was no rain at all where the creek was but upstream there was a very heavy rain and the creek got up with no warning whatsoever. That was in the mountains. I don't know where you're at but any creek that size has the potential to flash flood. It is definitely something I would pay attention to.

Shooting across a holler like that is one of the safest places a person can shoot. Just be careful of the trees because they can make your bullet change directions. The targets you have on top of the downed tree might cause a problem if there's anything in the area behind where you're shooting. It could cause a bullet to go over a small hill. Again I don't know how big your hills are. But I always prefer having my steel targets stuck in the ground in a way that will cause the bullets to be pushed down. It's a matter of making them lean the right way so that the bullet bounces down from them.

You have a very nice place for shooting there. It really does look a lot like my yard. Yes I live in the woods. Or at least I did for 25 years until my wife had to transfer to keep her job. I'll be going back there when she retires. I love the woods and you have a nice spot there. But just so you know that creek is bigger than the creek at the edge of my property (not the one I shoot across) and we have had several flash floods on that road including one that very nearly killed a friend of mine. His car was caught up in a sudden flood and washed over 150 yards to within 20 yards of a much bigger creek. Another woman died across the hill that night in a very similiar situation. Flash floods are very dangerous things so please keep an eye out for weather condtions. It's possible the road may not be completely protected from a flash flood too. I can post photos of the aftermath of a flood on a creek that size that washed houses away, took out bridges, washed cars half a mile, and killed people. I grew up in the woods. I've seen this stuff happen many times.

 

[Ash]

Having a nice place to shoot on your own land is a real blessing. For most of my life, I have shot on private land, using public ranges only a handful of times. Two years ago I got my own place that, while not as wooded as yours (those are great shade trees), still gives me my own place to shoot. The road going into my place is almost as narrow as yours, and that is a very nice thing. My place is all on the left of the road.

You have a real gem of a place, there, all shooting aside. Having a nice place to shoot makes it even better.

 

[Cee Zee]

Ash you're absolutely right that nothing beats having your own private place to shoot. I am lucky to have a farm and a house both of which have many places to shoot. But I guess best of all I can shoot right out my front door no matter the weather if I want. I've done a lot of shooting with deep snow on the ground. I crack my sliding glass door just enough to get my barrel sticking out and my swinging targets are 45 yards away against a hill and down in the creek bed. It's hard to beat except I'm too close to people there. They're safe but some of them get nervous if I shoot more than a few hundred rounds a day.

Here's a view of my house. I did cut back some trees to make a yard. I didn't want to but my wife did.

And here's me shooting from a temporary bench type setup I cobbled together. But you can see where my targets are and you can tell I can shoot right out my front door if I want. That's my driveway there. We're pretty far back off the road.



This is just a small part of my farm. There are hundreds of great places to shoot including this spot. I grew up playing in this spot because it was a swamp at the time. My uncle drained it when the gubmit decided that no one could ever drain wetlands again. So before the law went into effect the swamp was drained. Too bad because there was lots of wildlife there.

 

[Steve in PA]

I'm jealous. I'm trying to find something just like that.

 

[Cee Zee]

I found some more photos that might be important to someone. They're of a flash flood. The first one shows the size of the creek involved and some of the debris it left behind.

The second image shows the size of the creek better and the size of the flooded area.

The last one shows a house the water got into. People died there. I believe they said there was 4 foot of water running into that house. You can see where it broke through a wall. It moved the whole house off it's foundation.Small creeks can become raging rivers in a very short time. They found one body about a mile down the creek.

You have a very nice spot there. Just don't let it be a trap for you friend. I don't mean to sound like I'm lecturing you. I just know some people are surprised at how fast a small creek can become a river. I mentioned a friend that nearly died in a similar flood. He was heading home after dropping off my daughter at my house. His daughter was best friends with my daughter. The water got up a little bit over a bridge and he thought he could make it. Before he made it across the bridge the water was up another foot. And the bridge was only about 10 foot long. So his car was in 18" of water moving very fast. Only a few trees kept him from going into a much larger creek. He would have never come out of that. If you see water coming up fast never try to drive away. Run for high ground as fast as you can go.

 

[g.willikers]

Congratulations on your new shooting range.
I, too, am envious, as probably most here are.
Enjoy it and please keep the videos and reviews coming for our enjoyment, too, of course.
How difficult will it be to keep trespassers from using the place?
Will you have to remove the targets and the temptation every time you go there?

 

[old lady new shooter]

Wow CeeZee, that is just idyllic.

 

[230RN]

Great spot. Lush, green. I imagine the foliage and the fact that it's in a valley will soften the sounds of your shooting. One thing, though: how do you keep the other people out?

Terry, 230RN

 

[Inebriated]

Once you start shooting on your own property, it's impossible to go back to a public range.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

Are those propane tanks? Like coffins, they tend to pop up when the soil gets too soft.

Mike

 

[duelist1954]

So far, I've had no problem with people trespassing. I probably won't always be so lucky.

There are some factors that are currently helping me out. In the past there were three, more or less, paved roads that accessed the dirt road that I'm on. But, two of the three bridges were declared unsafe and they are blocked from traffic.

My property is at the south end of the hollow. The only bridge still open is at the north end of the hollow. Then it is two miles of one-lane dirt road to my land. It is very hard to turn around on the road. I back and fill a half dozen times in one of the few wide spots to get the truck turned.

There are no houses on the road, so, in the Winter, the township doesn't plow it. Even with four-wheel drive, I have trouble getting down that road in the winter. Then there is the steep slope down the creek bank to the ford...you pretty much need a snowmobile to get in there during the Winter.

As you can see in the video, I have a steel gate that I keep locked at the only ford on the creek.Someone could walk in and wade the creek, and maybe a 4-wheeler could get in...it hasn't happened yet, but it is bound to at some point.

Usually I don't see anyone on the road all day, but occasionally I'll see hikers, and there's a small group that ride their horses down the road every now and then.

Mostly I don't see another soul while I'm there, and that's how I like it.