Plans for Shooting Shed?

[Swifty Morgan]

I finally got out of the hellhole known as Miami and moved to a farm. Today I managed to get out to my berm and fire a few rounds. It was fantastic not having to deal with traffic and range people, but it's hot out there, and it's impossible to police brass in a pasture.

I feel like I need to construct a little shed of some sort, which includes a couple of shooting benches.

Before I reinvent the wheel, are there popular plans everyone else is already using?

I would like something under a thousand pounds so I can move it with the tractor.

I feel really blessed. This place came with a berm that must be a hundred feet long.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

Also wondering if anyone has practical tips for measuring out distances. I would like to set up at 7 yards, 50 feet, 100 yards, and 200 yards.

 

[Chuck R.]

I used a laser to get my distances (25-760y), and while I don't have a shooting shed, I poured a concrete slab for my bench. I do have a standard garden shed that I store steel and my target stands in.IF you are going to do the shooting shed/roof, I'd look at getting the muzzle outside, or double up on the hearing protection.





Chuck

 

[Walkalong]

This place came with a berm that must be a hundred feet long.

Sweet!

I have woods instead of fields. I built an 8' by 8' platform with a bench I can shoot from. I either catch the brass with something, or I have to pick it up off the deck or pick it out of the leaves. Tarps work well out in the open.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

Thanks for the tip about the noise. I don't want to be walled in completely, but I will need shade, and I have to have something on my right to contain brass. Maybe I can screen the right side instead of using a wall.

 

[wally]

Me and a buddy did this in two mornings, took far longer to haul in the materials than actually put it up (cordless driver/drills are a Godsend!)

Its a classic "Hillbilly" roof made from scrap pieces of corrugated aluminum and galvanized steel. The asymmetry of the supports is to make a clear line of fire to the 10 and 25 yard pistol berms off to the left when facing down range.

 

[buck460XVR]

I use a 12X15 heavy weight painter's drop cloth under and to the right/rear of my shooting bench to collect brass. When I'm done shooting, I just fold up the drop cloth and all the brass rolls to the center where I can either scoop it out or pour it into a container to take back and reload. Over the bench I use a 12X12 popup shelter canopy for shade and when shooting in the rain. About 15 minutes max to set up or take down.

 

[flightsimmer]

Mike Ventureno built a shooting shed on his property out in Montana.
I don't know if he had plans or just put it together as he went or had help from a friend.
Anyway, I believe it has power for heat and A/C and as I recall it had small shooting windows.
I guess you could go as fancy as your budget allows, I sure would.

https://goo.gl/images/FdAWoD

Just try goggling shooting shed plans.

 

[FL-NC]

SO many options. If you are really committed to that spot being your "firing line", a small metal carport for shade (if you don't feel like making one from scratch like wally above) , and a truckload of gravel may be the ticket. Wood pallets are cheap and available too, and could be covered with 1/4" plywood for prone shooting if you wanted to be off the ground, or if the area retains water after a rain. You could put up a small fence with chicken wire on the shooter's right side to catch brass and have in all end up in the same area. If you wanted to go cheaper and less permanent, you could just get one of those pop-up shade canopies for shade, and make the "brass fence" with some type of netting strung between 2 upright poles and put down a painter's canvas drop cloth to lay on and keep the brass from being buried.

 

[Armored farmer]

Maybe make it double as a hunting blind.
Transport to the woods with the tractor.

Double duty.

 

[bearcreek]

I feel really blessed. This place came with a berm that must be a hundred feet long.

Sweet. What's your budget?

 

[C.R.]

We got an old school bus it isnt pretty but it works well we painted it cammo ,and blocked it up level .maybe something like that,or an old camper?

 

[morcey2]

I usually just make sure that the shed is empty and then shoot it. Not a whole lot of planning involved. The big question is why do you want to shoot a shed? Did it do something to anger you?

 

[hdwhit]

stevehgraham wrote:
practical tips for measuring out distances. I would like to set up at 7 yards, 50 feet, 100 yards, and 200 yards.

How precise do you want the distances to be? What I mean by that is if your 100 yard target actually ends up 101.25 yards from the firing line is that going to cause you any heartburn?

How level is the site you will be measuring across? The reason this matters is that the bullet travels through the air, not across the surface of the ground and if the ground is not level then measuring across the surface of the ground has you measuring the hypotenuse of a triangle (or series of triangles) so your measurement will be off.

If the site is pretty level and you don't mind that your 100 yard target may actually be 99 or 102 yards away, then just get out the old steel tape measure and measure out 21, 150, 300 and 600 feet, holding the tape a level as possible for each measurement and call it "good enough". If you want precision, bite the bullet and hire a surveyor to come out with his/her equipment and get the locations measured exactly.

I finally got out of the hellhole known as Miami...

My parents abandoned South Florida in the 1970's for a derelict catfish farm in Arkansas.

Probably one of the best decision they ever made.

 

[Goneshoot'n]

I do a lot of shooting out on public land, and unfortunately every time I save enough for a range finder I end up with a new gun or a large quantity of ammo instead. I've found that measurements taken on google earth are actually really accurate, assuming the ground is flat. That could do in a pinch until you can get a more accurate way to measure.

 

[Walkalong]

Good point, I have done that for other purposes, but never thought about it for that.