Home range idea

[Frost49]

I am thinking about putting a range on my property. What would be some basic guidelines to follow. Area I need, height of backstop, materials of the stop.. Any help would be great. I have 4 acres of land and my area I am thinking about is the back 2 acres of my land. I have approximately 750 yds past my property of farm land until the next road and houses. If the pic posts the south end of the trees is the end of my property. The range would be just north of the star and 1.5 acres of pine trees. Shooting north to south into the backstop with the pine trees as additional protection. The circle north of the star is a burn pile I am thinking about putting it there or moving it right back against the tree line. Thoughts? Suggestions? I am only going to be using pistols for myself, but I want a safe controlled environment to train with my children with my Ruger 10/22 carbine. I don't trust taking them to the local range because of some of the nuts I have encountered out there muzzle sweeping and firing when the range is "cold". It is a zoo most days anyway just to get a spot and refuse to endanger myself or my kids out there.

 

[sparky32]

It takes an enormous amount dirt and or many tri axle loads of dirt to make something that is safe in my opinion for rifle calibers.
just remember you are responsible for any projectile that leaves your property. If you are not 100 percent certain you can make it safe then I would not do it. I recall reading guidelines that say upwards of 20 feet for Height. My range has a natural hill that is upwards of 60 feet or so. I just think it's better safe than sorry. Now pistols on the other hand you will get different suggestions but I still recommend a fairly tall backstop.

Ranges | National Shooting Sports Foundation

here is a link.

 

[Frost49]

Thanks for the info. There won't be any lg. caliber rifles used, but I know .22 can travel a long way. The thick trees behind it will help, but I wouldn't be counting on them to stop anything.

 

[KLB]

How much do you want to spend? Do you have equipment to move dirt around?

The key is to make it big enough that any miss of your target stays in the berm. So, the number of targets you want to have is a starting point. Figure out how big it needs to be and then figure out how much bigger it needs to be for you to be comfortable that no one will miss it.

Mine is about 20' wide with a 4' wide plywood and some steel targets. It is maybe 10' tall and ranges from about 5' to 20' thick. We happened to have a lot of dirt lying around from having our gravel drive widened. I just had to move a lot of it with my tractor. Every year I move more dirt onto the berm. It gets taller and wider.

 

[Frost49]

I do have access to equipment and a good starting pile of dirt I can use. I dug out a 25x25 garage for concrete floor and footers a few years back. It's only going to be at most 2 targets since it is only me using it. So not that wide really. I could do what my crazy neighbor does.. Walks out the back door of his house, into his field, unloads a full mag out of his AK into a stump with nothing behind it. On full auto no less. He and I have had words a few times. He used to give no warning and did it randomly no matter where people were on my land. After a few verbal altercations he at least warns my kids now before he does it if he sees them out. I make sure they know that guy is not a gun safety role model.

 

[Wolfhound]

We built my son a shooting backstop recently using landscaping 6x6's and 8 cubic yards of dirt. Not adequate for big bore rifles but better than nothing. We will improve it as time and resources allow. Sounds like your thinking a little bigger than this which is good.

 

[DIRTROAD]

A pond is always a good way to get dirt

 

[Frost49]

I can get railroad ties pretty cheap at a local place. I wasn't thinking much larger than that Wolfhound. Just something to have at home that I know is safe from the range nuts and I have complete control over. Maybe a railroad tie back stop in a flat bottom U shape filled with dirt. I'll take a picture of where I am thinking to give everyone a better view of what I am thinking.