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Info on building a small outdoor range

sweaversweaver Member Posts: 973 ✭✭✭✭
edited November 2005 in Ask the Experts
I'm going through the motions now of buying a 14 acre parcel and want to put up my own small shooting range in one corner. I have been googling a bit this morning and cant find what I'm looking for. I am no carpenter by any means so I need plans or blue prints to follow. I want to build a roofed shooting area with three stations and a large backstop about 50 yards away. Can anyone point me to a good place to get this info?

Thanks,
Shane

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    gotstolefromgotstolefrom Member Posts: 1,479 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Check your local laws and your neighbors.

    I have 10 acres and have used my "home range" for years, but the city is moving in around me and I have gone to "22 only" in a hope to stretch out the time I have left before I will have to give up shooting there. We had to give up trap/skeet because of complaints of the new 'city folk'.

    According to the statutes I got from the clerk of court, a rifle cannot be fired within 5 miles of any occupied building... ( I hope they don't check the deer lease !)

    This is in NO WAY good advice, but it is advice.
    NOW...quietly check things out. Forgiveness is easier to get than permission.



    If we do not hang together,
    We will most certainly hang separately.
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    He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 50,964 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You might check with Classic95. I believe he has been involved with such matters at a shooting club in Fla. Also you might want to check into EPA requirements for lead recovery. I do not know if that is required on a private range, but it seems to be for public ranges, and better safe than sorry. Good Luck! Always wanted to do that my self, but the back yard is just tooooooo short.
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    richbugrichbug Member Posts: 3,650
    edited November -1
    My back yard is plently big, and I simply have a 30 ton pile of dirt that I shoot into, with a couple saw horses in front of to hold targets.
    My wife wants a me to build a gazebo, and I bet you can guess what it will have a view of.



    Gotstolefrom, where are you at that has arcane laws like that?

    .
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    roysclockgunroysclockgun Member Posts: 310 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The best information that you have gotten so far, is to be clear with your neighbors when you will shoot and how much! I bought 42 acres in N. Baltimore County, Md., in 1972. At that time, I was surrounded by dairy farms and City reservoir property. We hunted freely on the property and also had a 150 yards rifle range set up. I heard no complaints until the tree hugging, city folk REMFs moved in, wanting to having their city in the country. The one female person got with the so-called "improvement association" and attempted to end all hunting and firearms discharge in all of the county. We are still rural but getting denser by the minute. The one neighbor is the only one that has been a pit-bull on my shooting issues, but she has caused me a lot of problems, to include sending police to my place, with her complaints. Another neighbor, who in the past, had been firing full auto, legally, was shut down and the firing of full auto was made illegal on private property in Baltimore County. He had a couple of licensed SMGs, firing pistol ammo.

    roysclockgun
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    sweaversweaver Member Posts: 973 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I will never have to worry about neighbors or anything like that. The property on three sides is owned by a timber company, about 300 acres worth at least. The area I'm looking to build is pretty level so I was thinking of constructing some sort of framework that I would fill with dirt, effectively creating my own boxed in berm but I'm curious to see if anyone else has done this. As for the lead clean up, the EPA wouldnt even be able to find me out here.


    Shane
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    MN HunterMN Hunter Member Posts: 2,299 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by sweaver
    I will never have to worry about neighbors or anything like that. The property on three sides is owned by a timber company, about 300 acres worth at least. The area I'm looking to build is pretty level so I was thinking of constructing some sort of framework that I would fill with dirt, effectively creating my own boxed in berm but I'm curious to see if anyone else has done this. As for the lead clean up, the EPA wouldnt even be able to find me out here.


    Shane





    [xx(][xx(] again like he dog said, better safe than sorry. if your going to do this...might as well do it right. my .02
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    FatstratFatstrat Member Posts: 9,147
    edited November -1
    I might suggest stacking RR ties between 4 wooden 4x4 fence posts (or perhaps a telephone pole cut into 4 pieces).
    For safety you could then bolt some type of sheet metal back to it in the unlikely event a bullet should completely penetrate the RR ties.
    You could put a piece of cheap plywood on the front side to staple paper targets to. Or built some type of bench to set in front of it, to set cans etc on.
    RR ties are cheap at most farm stores (approx $8 apiece). Your largest expense would be the sheetmetal backing. Would probably want something heavier that corrigated tin. Probably 14 or 16 ga steel at least.
    Extremism in persuit of Freedom is no vice.
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    sweaversweaver Member Posts: 973 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks Fatstrat, that gives me an idea that will work perfectly for the backstop...now all I need is to find some sort of plans that will work for the shooting area.

    Shane
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    bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Shane,
    I could send you pictures of my shooting bench. Its made from lumber yard scrap and one sheet of 3/4 plywood. I can put the basic dimensions for you if that will help.
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    richbugrichbug Member Posts: 3,650
    edited November -1
    14 or 16 ga steel will not stop anything but a pellet rifle. railroad ties and dirt are great though.

    .
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