Home Range Construction?

[billmc2]

Hi Everybody, I've just joined the forum and this is my first post. I know this topic can be found all over the place and I have read quit a few, but I haven't been able to find an answer to my specific needs, so I thought I'd ask.

Here is a list of my current weapons, these are what I would be shooting:
Colt Defender, 3" .45 ACP
Walther PPS, ~3" 9mm
Beretta 92FS Inox 9mm
Ruger LCP .380 ACP
ATI / GSG 1911 .22LR
Ruger Mini-14 5.56 (mine's rated for that, so I prefer to shoot that over .223)
Marlin 336 Stainless .30-30
Savage Model 64 .22LR
Remington 870 12 GA

Some time in the future I might pick up a .40 S&W handgun and a .45 Colt (Long Colt) Revolver and Lever gun.

I have approximately 5 acres, that backs up to one of FL's wildlife management areas. I anticipate a range of approximately 100 yards. The only earth moving equipment I'm trained to operate is a shovel, and due to some health ailments, after about 20 shovelfulls of dirt would be out of commision, so I'm not considering sand or dirt. I have checked with a local tire store and they'd be willing to give me their junk tires (they even slice them flat for easier transport now).

This is what I'm thinking. A backstop 8 to 10 feet high, constructed from wood, that would contain the rubber, I'm not sure how wide to make it, 8', 10', 12'? I'm thinking of using pressure treated 4x4 as verticle posts to support the horizontal lumber. Leave a space of ??? inches in which to place the sliced tires, followed by sheets of plywood supported by 4x4. For the face, that would be impacted, I'm thinking 2x? planks. I would be able to replace these planks when they are torn up.

Anyone have any suggestions as to dimensions? What about a different choice of framing material? Size of backstop, would 8' x 8' be sufficient or should I go larger? Most important, how thick should this be, so that it will stop all the rounds I am currently anticipating shooting at it?

Thanks for the help,
Bill

 

[labhound]

Unless you have help with strong backs or a tractor I wouldn't even attempt this. I built mine out of railroad ties stacked approx 7' tall and 12' across the front, 6x6 posts to support the ties and pinned the ties together with rebar and bolted the ties to the posts. I used a fork lift attachment on my tractor to move and place the railroad ties. I put approx 25 to 30 old tires in it and covered everything with two dumptruck loads of dirt. I couldn't go any higher than 7' as thats as high as I could go with my tractor's front bucket and still dump it at the highest point. Looking back I don't think the tires were necessary. I used dirt instead of sand as sand is harder to keep piled up. I occasionally fluff the front of the dirt in case it hardens. I live on 35 acres, am shooting slightly downhill with woods and a swampy creek behind me. I shoot .22LR pistols and rifles, 9mm, .380, and .45ACP handguns and a 12 guage shotgun.

 

[oneounceload]

Isn't that a tad LOUD under the carport? I shoot 5-stand at a club where it is covered with sheet metal and the noise is amplified a lot - and that is using low-pressure shotgun ammo.

OP - you need to build it a little higher than you think you need - your bullets flying onto the WMA and hitting something/someone would NOT be a good thing to have happen

Get some friends and, like the Amish, make a party of it - many hands make light work, make it a BBQ after, friends get to shoot, etc.
You WILL want dirt - the ultimate bullet stopper - and not just rubber tire material to stop your bullets

 

[labhound]

^ Yeah the carport tends to redirect the sound downward. I started lining the inside of the roof with 4X8 sheets of styrofoam insulation and hanging 1/2 sheets vertically to help break up the sound. Good muffs block most of the sound, but the main thing with the carport is SHADE plus the gable end blocks the sun from your eyes in the late afternoon. I had it put up when we had two really large one's installed to house the tractor, horse trailor and a good supply of hay roundbails. Just didn't feel like building another wood structure at the time.

 

[DaleA]

labhound - color me envious.

 

[smoakingun]

#1. Even though there are woods beyond your property, any rounds you fire should stay on your property, if someone happens to be in those woods, and you ricochet a round into them you will be responsible.

#2. I light of #1, your target should always be immediately in front of the berm, that means you do not move the target up to shoot pistol, you either build a series of berms at the ranges you want, or build one berm, leave the target there, and move you closer or farther away.

#3 The bigger the berm the better, especially for longer distances. At longer distances is is much easier to miss the berm entirely. When I shoot alone, a never have problems, but when friends come over to turn money into noise, rounds ocassionally went over the berm. I had to modify my range, it is now cut into the ground, and has a 15 foot step berm every 100 yards