Backstop Height

[maansmit]

I am installing a backstop at my father in laws place using heavy duty timbers. How tall would you folks recommend I go? I have an endless supply of timbers. Max shooting distance is 200 yards but that would be rather infrequent. 50-100 would be most common. Timbers are 8"x8"x6'.

 

[Sylvain]

How far are the closest neighbors down range? That might be a factor.

 

[maansmit]

More than a mile.

 

[Mgderf]

Topography, and the quality of your shooters is everything.
If you're shooting at enough of a decline, you really need very little height.
My brother has a small 50 yard range in his front yard.
Neighbors property is behind the berm by less than 200 yards, and his horse is back there too.

From the shooting position, we're probably shooting downhill about 4-5'
He constructed a railroad tie and dirt berm only 5 feet tall, but we've never shot over the berm.

We have the grandkids/nieces/nephews... out there shooting .22's a couple of times a year, and never an issue.

I guess my point is, just know where your bullets are going to land.

 

[maansmit]

Its about 7' tall. 26" thick. Need a few more timbers to finish up the sides but was too lazy to go get another load. It is functional as is.

 

[Gluemanz28]

Wholly smokes batman, that farm to the right looks pretty close.

 

[Rayne]

View attachment 55961

Its about 7' tall. 26" thick. Need a few more timbers to finish up the sides but was too lazy to go get another load. It is functional as is.

Are these used railroad ties? Do you have access to a supply or a place to purchase them from? I'm looking for a way to establish a berm at 1000 feet. I have access to soil but not much room to build a huge earthen berm because it's in a farm field.

 

[maansmit]

Are these used railroad ties? Do you have access to a supply or a place to purchase them from? I'm looking for a way to establish a berm at 1000 feet. I have access to soil but not much room to build a huge earthen berm because it's in a farm field.

These arr 8"x8"x6' used guardrail posts. Much heavier duty and in better shape than railroad ties. I get them from work.

 

[maansmit]

Wholly smokes batman, that farm to the right looks pretty close.

You would have to intentionally shoot at it.

 

[gmcttr]

You would have to intentionally shoot at it.

I would be very uncomfortable if I was that property owner OR a shooter on your range....sh*t happens.

 

[jamil]

I would be very uncomfortable if I was that property owner OR a shooter on your range....sh*t happens.

yeah. consequences for "**** happens" are pretty dire.

 

[ViperJock]

In terms of height, i looked this up a while ago and there is some organization of ranges or something that recommended minimum height of 15'

IANAL but it seems to me that you'd be in trouble if anyone got hurt either way but maybe more trouble if you didn't meet the minimum suggested standard?

 

[jamil]

In terms of height, i looked this up a while ago and there is some organization of ranges or something that recommended minimum height of 15'

IANAL but it seems to me that you'd be in trouble if anyone got hurt either way but maybe more trouble if you didn't meet the minimum suggested standard?

I would think you've be better off if something unfortunate were to happen, if you could show you researched a suggested height and followed all the recommendations of a reputable expert or organization.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Maybe a month, maybe 2 months ago, someone posted a link(s) with some recommended specs for shooting ranges. It was in another thread about home ranges...maybe the one about where the rounds were escaping a commercial range. But anyway, I glanced through those specs and they would make the average gun owner wince at the proposition of building something to comply with them.

Maansmit, looks like you're in pretty flat land so I don't know if it's even an option to consider moving that backstop to a spot where you have a hillside behind you, maybe where you'd be shooting downward, but that's best. I'd also advise keeping an eye on those timbers as they will disintegrate as you shoot them up.

 

[Frost49]

So I don't start another thread.. Here is my situation. I want a home range as well, but pistols only. I have 4 acres, 2 of it wooded. In the picture where it says "home" would be the back stop in the edge of the woods. Behind the woods I have 700 yds to the nearest road and house. Is the 15' height mentioned above for a rifle back stop or all back stops? If we had a wild shot it would have to go through 2 acres of trees before exiting into 700 yds of farmland. Suggestions? I am buying some rail road ties locally I can get cheap. Would I need dirt behind it as well?

 

[IndyTom]

Frost - I think one of the recommendations was sand in front of it to catch and the ties behind as a last resort because the sand doesn't "wear out" like the wood does and is easy to replenish/top-off.

 

[jamil]

This topic comes up often enough, maybe this should be a sticky.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Check out the link at this post. It's got some pretty good sounding "best practices".

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...hbors-think-they-line-fire-3.html#post7016576

 

[t-squared]

Frost - I think one of the recommendations was sand in front of it to catch and the ties behind as a last resort because the sand doesn't "wear out" like the wood does and is easy to replenish/top-off.

Using just rr ties, posts, phone poles, etc by themselves without dirt to stop the rounds sounds like a future ricochet waiting to happen. Sure, the first bunch of rounds will be absorbed nicely by the wood. But over time build up in heavily hit areas will turn into solid masses of lead and jacketing material. Think about how easily say a .22 could come back out of a pile of metal like that....

Building a "wall" with ties then filling in front of it with dirt lets you use 1/2 the material over just a tall mound....

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I put up the Minnesota range construction guide in the other thread. I think it is very helpful, especially with the images.

Both the NRA and NSSF have excellent range construction guides, as well as DoD.

Ranges | National Shooting Sports Foundation

Please understand that while no one wants to take your fun away, every bullet has a lawyer attached to it. If you are building a range, then go overboard.