Basement shooting range.....

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The guy wants to shoot in his basement because it is too cold outside. Come on. This is an unnecessary risk that can be easily avoided.
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The last two times that I have been out shooting in the last week, it was in the negative numbers F.

Today sighting in two new scopes, still managed to get sub .5 MOA in sub zero F.

If the OP wants to be "very" comfortable, chance his health, the possible resale value of his house, he sounds like he has taken some of the given advice and is content with his "roll of the dice"/risk.

But seriously,"it's too cold outside"?
 
It's really not that difficult to generate the air flow necessary to remove airborne lead and primer compound dust from the vicinity of the shooter. The bigger concern, in the long term, is how to deal with the dust that has settled on the floor and other surfaces.
 
It's really not that difficult to generate the air flow necessary to remove airborne lead and primer compound dust from the vicinity of the shooter.
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Right, but it needs to be a flow through situation where the contaminated air being drawn away from the shooter is replaced by clean air. This does not happen with an open door to the outside or even and open door to the outside with a fan. The air entry and exit points need to be sufficiently separated such that contaminated air is not recirculated by being sucked back in at the air entry point.
 
Sort of a side comment, possibly relevant -

We used to shoot at a local PD range, until they closed it. The reason? Insufficient design to handle lead particulate in the air handlers.

It was so expensive to redesign that the PD moved their qual shoots outdoors.

Possibly the person most at risk was the rangemaster, as the officers came in on some kind of rotation.

At the time, I thought they were being a little "over the top", but then I got educated as part of work...industrial safety training incl. lead exposure.

It really isn't something to mess around with, even in small quantities. Lead poisoning tends to be cumulative and very, very difficult to reverse.

Just my two cents...
 
Cheapshooter said:
The point I intended was that the OP already exposes himself to the lead fumes, and contact with the skin when he casts bullets.
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I wonder if he casts in his basement? If so opening a window and shooting down there might make things better, not worse. :)
 
I wonder if he casts in his basement? If so opening a window and shooting down there might make things better, not worse.
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Yes, I do cast in the basement also, I have a custom-built cabinet with built-in exhaust fan to the exterior.
I was asking for advice here, not personal insults. But Thanks for both. This thread can be closed now, please....
 

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Glad to see that someone is applying physics and logic to safely enjoy a hobby in their own home.

Thanks for posting your ideas and set-ups.
 
I'll second the thought that it will be very LOUD. I have shot off a couple of rounds from an air rifle .177 cal. The noise from that necessitated hearing protection. I can't imagine what a .45 or .38 would sound like. My basement is carpeted and drywalled (finished). And, if you have neighbors, they most certainly will hear you and perhaps even report you for disturbing the peace. Also, you would want to check your local laws regarding discharging of a firearm in your local. I know I can't legally do it within my city limits.
 
IIRC I recall Massad Ayoob saying that he always wore an industrial face mask-a heavy duty type with replaceable filters,not a mere face mask-when he fired on an indoors range and I have seen pictures of him wearing one.
 
A friend of mine owned a house with a living room which looked out unto a large piece of property. The living room was spacious and had an unobstructed line of fire from almost any chair or couch in the room. At distances starting at around 20ft and ending about 100 yards there were different types of targets. We sat in comfortable Lazyboys and shot, while the kids loaded the magazines. Sure is an easy way to blow through a lot of ammo:D
 
Been around lead vapors for over 25yrs worked with lead daily on the job enclosed inside a bldg with vapor and all residules. Some guys longer than myself. Never heard of illness or death from lead among my co workers,we ate and smoked with lead on our hands along with mercury.
 
dajowi said:
A friend of mine owned a house with a living room which looked out unto a large piece of property. The living room was spacious and had an unobstructed line of fire from almost any chair or couch in the room. At distances starting at around 20ft and ending about 100 yards there were different types of targets. We sat in comfortable Lazyboys and shot, while the kids loaded the magazines. Sure is an easy way to blow through a lot of ammo
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Wow. :D

Are you ABSOLUTELY sure nobody (even trespassers) can move into the line of fire outside? It would sure ruin the fun if the meter man walked past the window as you pulled the trigger.
 
Yeah, when I was drugging years ago, I had a drug dealer "friend" whose house was like that... people would shoot out the sliding glass doors and windows on the back side of the house. ;)

Glad I don't live that way any more, though I probably shoot more now than I did then... I just shoot in more "conventional" settings.
 
Oops, I guess that was a conversation-stopper. :D

Just so you all know, I am no longer a menace to society. I'm much better behaved than I was as a younger man.
 
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