Rifle Range Upgrade

[yoderjac]

We have a 100 yard sight-in range at the farm. Years ago, we just stacked up tires on posts and filled them with dirt as a backstop. We also built a shooting bench. We have just been leaning pieces of wood against the tiers and stapling targets to them. With so much rain, I could not work on the plant yesterday or today, so I did some other stuff including building this:

It is pretty simple. Just a couple pieces of 4x4 as end posts. I put brackets on them made of scrap 2x4s The 2x2 crossbeams just slip into the brackets. The bottom 2 handle 8 1/2x11 targets you can print. The middle and top crossbeams handle larger commercial targets that are about 17" tall. I painted the verticals blaze orange so they don't get shot up. The cross beams are easily replaceable.

Thanks,

jack

 

[Troubles Trees]

Nice Jack, good job bud!
Not to hijack your post but want to share a project that I have procrastinated for roughly 5 years lol I always felt like I didn’t have enough pressure treated materials to do it, well that was the excuse in my head anyway.
I was only short 2 4x4’s for the legs so I used cedar posts instead. I obviously didn’t need 2x8’s for the framing but I didn’t have enough in smaller PT so a bit of a waste but it is one solid shooting bench. I only spent $12 for the 3/4” top boards in the back, I ran out of 5/4 deck boards, and Lowe’s didn’t have a single one in stock :/

 

[yoderjac]

Very nice. My buddy build our shooting bench. I like yours better

 

[yoderjac]

We did our backstop on the cheap when we put in the range. We just augered some holes and put cedar posts in them and put tires on them and filled them with dirt. Over time it has degraded and you can see in the pic in my previous post that it over grown with vines and stuff. Some aspen had grown up in the pines and many got killed when we did a prescribed burn. They are falling on the range. Now that I got the JD 35G mini-excavator, I decided to redo it. My first day was just clearing around the existing backstop:

Next time I get a chance to work on it, I'll tear down that backstop and rebuild it further back so we can mow around it.

 

[356]

Jack, thanks for posting this...it is the time of year to get this done, and building a backstop is on my list, but keeps getting pushed back. Ironically, I don't have old tires at our place, but I do have some old RR ties.

I saw this on another forum a few years ago downloaded the picture, as the general idea might work for me...I have enough ties to go 6' high x 10' long, with 5' sides. My current backstop is just a dirt terrace.

 

[yoderjac]

Jack, thanks for posting this...it is the time of year to get this done, and building a backstop is on my list, but keeps getting pushed back. Ironically, I don't have old tires at our place, but I do have some old RR ties.

I saw this on another forum a few years ago downloaded the picture, as the general idea might work for me...I have enough ties to go 6' high x 10' long, with 5' sides. My current backstop is just a dirt terrace.

View attachment 44520

Interesting approach. I plan to build a berm. The tires I use will just be to keep the front of the berm fairly vertical. I'm just going to use dirt from the site to build the berm.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[b116757]

Nice work

 

[yoderjac]

Has anyone else here used old tires to stabilize a shooting range berm? I'd like to hear what and how you did it.

 

[MRBB]

Has anyone else here used old tires to stabilize a shooting range berm? I'd like to hear what and how you did it.

ranges up my way will not use tires due to the possible risks of things bouncing off them, most of the REAL ranges up my way will use either screened dirt or sand for back stops(rock free to also prevent things from coming back out!)
a few ranges I have been part of that were close to old CO generation plants, used to use the ashes from burning coal in them, it was a like a mix between sand and pulverized lime, NOTHING gorws in it, and it stays in place even in high winds and heavy rains, and they got it free! HAHA!

and will build berms both behind target holders(target holders are normally telephone/utility poles, or rail road ties) and off to the sides from the benches to the targets, be them 50*-100-200-300+ yard ranges any how

some of the father ranges 500+ yards skip on the side berms,
I think a lot of things come down to the PLACE you building a range, and what RULES are needed to comply with insurance for safety(private land owners I know will just use what ever)
but when things are open to the public or ?? there are rules for LEGAL ranges in MY state that have to be meet to be considered a legal range
also a ZONING issue too!
kinda sad what we have come to with where and where we can shoot on our own land any more !

but screened sand or dirt is the best option IMO
if you want things as safe as they can be that is !
and I will add this too, I have been hit from a bullet that came back out of a target, from about 30 yards out! a 45 acp ball ammo bullet , hit me in upper thigh, hit a rock and came back at me, so I KNOW it can happen! and not the only time I had them come back at me either!

I have even seen rifle bullets travel pretty far from a ricochet
here is one on video of a 50 bmg to boot! real lucky guy !! or unlucky pending how you view it HAHA!

 

[yoderjac]

Thanks, but I don't plan to use tires as a backstop. I plan to build a berm. I'm hoping to use the tires inside the dirt to stabilize the berm. This is a small (one shooter) private range with no real requirement. No particular rules in my county for this kind of range.

My plan is to use them to help keep the front of the berm more vertical. My current plan is to lay a row, fill them with dirt, compact it with the bucket, and then build the berm behind it up to the level of the tires. I'll then off-set the tires and set them back an inch or two from the first layer and repeat the process. Once I have the berm built, I'll make sure the tires are covered in the front with dirt and then seed the entire berm. I has to be better that what we were doing shooting directly into the tires.

My understanding is that the ricochet issue is with slow high caliber rounds. I'm presuming dirt and eventually sod over the tires will eliminate that problem.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[MRBB]

Thanks, but I don't plan to use tires as a backstop. I plan to build a berm. I'm hoping to use the tires inside the dirt to stabilize the berm. This is a small (one shooter) private range with no real requirement. No particular rules in my county for this kind of range.

My plan is to use them to help keep the front of the berm more vertical. My current plan is to lay a row, fill them with dirt, compact it with the bucket, and then build the berm behind it up to the level of the tires. I'll then off-set the tires and set them back an inch or two from the first layer and repeat the process. Once I have the berm built, I'll make sure the tires are covered in the front with dirt and then seed the entire berm. I has to be better that what we were doing shooting directly into the tires.

My understanding is that the ricochet issue is with slow high caliber rounds. I'm presuming dirt and eventually sod over the tires will eliminate that problem.

Thanks,

Jack

sounds like you have a plan
but ricochet's can happen with any caliber bullet or projectile if were honest!, the video I posted is a .50 BMG about as stout a caliber as there is, used for shooting down air craft and likes, and many other things too,
but after spending a few decades on shooting ranges(machine gun, rifle, shotgun pistol archery ranges) both as a job /worker, trainer, , and as just a a shouter, I have seen many many many of them!

 

[yoderjac]

I appreciate your advice. How deep do you think the tires need to be covered in the front to mitigate ricochet issues? I've been an RSO at a number of ranges but have never been involved in range construction.

 

[MRBB]

as they say more is better than less, but a good foot would be my min

if your near any railroads, a lot of time,s older railroad ties can be had pretty cheap or free, and they last a long time
might be worth looking about!
same cane be said for used utility poles, many time broken or damaged one's can be had if you ask about to the right folks!

you have a excavator there I see, y if you can get some , is dig a trench and place them in it like a wall too, for an idea!

 

[yoderjac]

We adjoin a RR, but the ties are in great shape and I doubt they will be replacing them anything soon. They would work well if I had them available. The tires are free in any quantity we want. I'll shoot for at least a foot of dirt over the front.

 

[MRBB]

I also used to know a few hunting camps that would use large bales of hay, like a 700 lb bales, to make walls and back stops, then fill behind them with dirt a few feet thick
as the bales got wet and shrunk they added more on top
and that stuff seemed to slow bullets down pretty good as it got wet and super thick like weaved hay and all!
but they used to have to replace every so often as they would get moldy and things would start to grow out of them
they mostly got them off local farmers for free, so they didn;t mind so much, and they only really used range for checking zero's at deer camp
heck at times deer would be in there eating the bales! . and even in deer season some times
so guess it has that perk maybe too, HAHA
but too much work for me if I was building a range to have to keep replacing!

 

[yoderjac]

Thanks, but I'm looking for a more permanent solution with less maintenance than hay. I cleared a bunch of trees from behind the current backstop as you can see in the pic. I had contemplated using them along with the tires, but I think they are aspen and will break down quickly when in contact with soil. I'm thinking if I just use soil and tires and plant something on it, it will degrade much more slowly. I'm sure any berm that you shoot into will erode eventually.

 

[b116757]

Concrete eco blocks are usually pretty cheap I’d look into building a berm wall with them.

 

[b116757]

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These are concrete ecology blocks for those unfamiliar with them. Half blocks are sometimes available also full blocks are around 4600lbs

 

[Wind Gypsy]

The tire idea seems pretty smart to me Jack. Two rows staggered and filled with dirt/sand and maybe some stuff mounded behind them would be pretty dang maint free I'd think.

 

[MRBB]

Used Construction, Agricultural Equip., Trucks, Trailers & more

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These are concrete ecology blocks for those unfamiliar with them. Half blocks are sometimes available also full blocks are around 4600lbs

there also called BIN BLOCK, used hi way Jersey walls /barriers can be used too and had for fair prices, but they can be heavy to place if you don;t have proper equipment, plus most delivery services require you to have means to unload
but have seen them sold here for about 40 bucks a block 2x2x6x ft for stack able one's and jersey walls for like 50-100 bucks a 8 ft long section, 4 ft tall!
but the bigger they are heavier they get and larger equipment is needed, which most don;t have on hand, which is there flaw!

rail road ties last decades , or better yet railroad bridge ties, there typically 12"x 11" x11 ft long, or can be longer
I was buying them here for 30 bucks each, bought about 50 over the past few yrs for a big retaining wall project I did
so if you have any rail roads again near you, they could be a source for you or others looking for them
these on trailer are 12-13 ft one's and about 700 lbs each!, petty stout timbers!