Introduction:
There was a recent thread started by INGO member mike46060. He is looking at land and wondered how other members have set up ranges on their properties.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/general-firearms-discussion/403893-personal-ranges.html
Several range owners responded with good information. I wanted to see if my experience could be of help to him and others in the same situation. As I gathered some pictures, I realized that my response would be lengthy so I decided to post this in a new thread and link it to mike46060’s original post.
The intent of this post is to give existing and potential range owners some ideas for their land and ranges. I certainly don’t have the only way to do things and often I don’t even have the best way, but my hope is that these ideas will motivate others to improve on what I have tried so far.
As in all purchase decisions, whether it’s for a rifle, property, or a pair of shoes; the key question to ask is “What do I expect to do with this item?” Your intended use will guide you in selecting the best thing to buy.
My Range Before It Was a Range
In late 2004, my family moved back to Brown County, Indiana. We were blessed to find a nice piece of property that fit our lifestyle well. The ravines and ridges of Brown County provided some natural range backstops.
There was a pond on the property with a nice sized dam. I immediately thought of placing a pistol range below the pond using the dam as the backstop. However, that area hadn’t been cared for and what we found was lots of brush with the back side of the dam covered in 1-2” sapling trees.
The future range looking toward the house.
Looking down toward the future range.
My wife, son, and daughter helped to clear the tall brush and cut the saplings.
Here’s a view of the pistol range a couple of years later.
Choosing a Range Site
Legal Considerations
You need to find out whether there are any zoning restrictions, noise ordinances, neighborhood covenants, or other rules that might restrict shooting or noise. Check with your county zoning board and ask some of your local INGO friends what they know about the area you’re considering. Your realtor should be able to help you in your search.
After you’ve purchased some property, I encourage you to talk with your neighbors and let them know that you intend to do some shooting on your property. Listen to any concerns they have and if possible, try to accommodate them. For example, I never shoot before 9 am at the very earliest and rarely after dark (there have been a few exceptions but never after 10 pm). I know this is a touchy issue and some INGO members have had a struggle with some neighbors.
I also try to do something to support the neighbors. I my case, I take care of our gravel lane and do some snow plowing. By doing some service work for my neighbors, I think it makes them less likely to cause a problem regarding my shooting hobby. To date, they have be outstanding.
Know What’s Beyond Your Range
As the land owner, you are responsible for every round that is fired at your range. You need to know what buildings and properties are downrange from your backstop. Rifle rounds can carry for a very long distance. Don’t assume that every round fired will be expertly aimed at your backstop. Google Earth can be a helpful site to explore the land around your property.
Backstop: Natural or Man-made?
Because of the hilly terrain in Brown County, there were soil/stone banks on either side of the pistol range and a very tall earthen dam as the backstop.
If you live in a flatter area, you will need to move dirt to create a backstop. You will be surprised how much dirt and time it takes to construct a safe backstop. Dirt itself is fairly inexpensive. Moving it to your range is costly. Contact an excavator to get an estimate of the cost to build a backstop.
If you have access to a tractor and dirt, you can do the work yourself.
There are many other threads I’ve seen on INGO showing examples of how others have constructed backstops using dirt, railroad ties, tires, and other materials.
If you have a way to have the shooting area higher so that you are shooting slightly downward, you can increase the likelihood that any fired rounds will hit the ground near the backstop area.
Ease of Access
By this I mean “How easy is it to get yourself and your gear to your shooting range". How far away is your range? You might think that building the range on the back of your property will minimize the noise at the house. Later you find that you tire of trudging out to the range.
The very hills that helped me with the backstop issue at times have become a problem for friends. There is a 70 foot drop from the house to the pistol range. Fortunately, I had an ATV and large cart that could navigate the hills. This combo has been used to transport guns, ammo, canopies, lawn chairs, packs, coolers, etc. to and from the range and it’s proven to be a good system.
As you are considering a piece of land, consider how you would move around your range both when you’re shooting and when you are doing some maintenance tasks (more on that later).
Although the cart normally carries shooting gear, sometimes it's used to carry the shooters!
Our Current Range Layout
Aerial View
Here is a Google Earth picture of our property with arrows showing the various shooting lanes that have been developed over the years. The house is nearly the highest part of the property so people are shooting downhill on the lanes that start at the house.
Pistol Range
You’ve already seen one picture of the pistol range. It has changed over time as different targets were added or worn out equipment was replaced.
The range is approximately 120’ wide and 90’ deep. While a bit cramped, it worked for some training classes and even an Appleseed event at the range.
We've hosted events of up to 50 people at this range. That is crowded for this space and we used defined shooting lanes and several great range officers to keep everyone safe.
One October, several friends gathered to do some shooting. Thus the seasonal pumpkins.
Six NFA events have been held at the pistol range. In this photo INGO member esrice is sampling some of the goodies brought by others to share.
50 Yard Range
There is a shooting table that sits on the top of the dam. It sits 50 yards from the target stands near the spillway. It's a handy distance to initially sight-in many rifles or test .22LR accuracy.
211 Yards Across the Pond
In the last several years, I’ve gravitated to shooting rifles far more than pistols. Taking up reloading has added to this trend. I really enjoy shooting 211 yards. I wish it was longer, but that is set by the size and shape of the property.
There is a small hill that rises up right behind the targets and makes for a secure backstop.
I use this range to fine tune the more precise rifles I get to shoot (It’s not unusual for a friend to drop off a rifle and let me zero it and sometimes do some load development).
This is the view standing on the dam and looking toward the targets.
If you go prone on the dam, this is your view over the barrel of the rifle.
The targets change over time, but the typical arrangement is to have three IPSC steels and and usually some target stands to hold zeroing targets. I love the sound of .308 hitting the full-sized Bobcat Steel IPSC target!
The bench on the dam is used for zeroing and load development testing.
Some brave folks shoot offhand at 211 yards.
I remember watching VUPDBlue hit 3 out of 6 rounds with a .45ACP S&W revolver standing on the dam!
My friends aren’t fair weather shooters. Last March, we were shooting over a frozen pond.
From the House
I’ll admit that one of the aspects of living in the country that I love is the option to walk out on the deck and shoot a few rounds.
There are steel targets set at in the yard, across the pond, and at the spillway. Sometimes, I just want to shoot a bit or I’ve just reloaded a new recipe and want to test fire a few rounds. Many times, if we have friends down to shoot, after dinner we’ll end up on the deck just sharing some firearms and plinking the steels.
There are three steel targets at about 57 yards near a ravine.
Across the pond at 132 yards is a repurposed porch swing frame with six steel targets of various sizes. You can work your way down from larger to smaller depending on the firearm and the shooter’s skill level.
After using the two sets of steels for awhile, I wanted a bit more challenge so I placed two round steel plates on tripod stands at the spillway. They are 165 yards from the deck.
The two targets at the spillway.
I have to confess that sometimes I wanted to do some rifle work but didn’t feel like going out in the deep cold. Then I had an epiphany! I moved the table in the sunroom to the windows, opened the window, and moved the screen aside. Voila! A pseudo-indoor range.
Here’s a picture of my son shooting on Christmas Eve 2012.
Rearrange Your Range
If your range allows it and you have movable targets, you can customize your range to meet your needs.
For one pistol class, the firing line was moved 90 degrees.
On another occasion the target line was moved to the right side of the range to allow an Appleseed group to get the 25 meter distance they needed. The small hills on either side of the dam allow for this flexibility. When you are designing your range, don’t forget to build in some ability to change the layout when you want.
Range Equipment
This next section reviews some of the range equipment I use. The purpose here is to help new range owners see some of the many options available to them.
Paper Targets
There are the traditional paper targets. These can be on stands or clipped to a wire.
Steel Targets
I love shooting steel targets! You get instant feedback in the form of the ding and movement. They also help train the defensive shooter to shoot well enough without slowing down too much to get a precise shot.
At the end of the pond is a frame with three IPSC steel targets. (All the steel targets are from Bobcat Steel.) There is a full-sized steel in the middle flanked by a 50% IPSC on the left and a 25% IPSC on the right. The smaller steels allow the shooter to partially simulate shooting longer distances. For example, hitting the 25% target at 211 yards is like hitting a full-sized steel at 800 yards. You don’t have the challenge of dealing with bullet drop or wind effects of shooting the actual distance, but you can work on your trigger control and rifle stability.
More information about these targets at the range can be found here:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...scussion/104943-ipsc-targets-added-range.html
A plate rack is useful for practicing drawing from a holster and finding the balance between speed and accuracy. Add a shot timer and you can practice by yourself.
I think dueling trees were invented by the ammunition companies. They are a blast, but you can go through a bunch of ammo if you’ve got a couple of friends having a friendly competition. It’s amazing how just a bit of competitive stress can ruin your accuracy! Great practice.
There is a review of the dueling tree at:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...bobcat-steel-6-paddle-ar500-dueling-tree.html
A Dual Reactive target was added to the stand across the pond. Another Bobcat Steel offering. It has two zones where there are break-away sections.
I wanted to increase the difficulty level of the steel targets in the swing frame. The smallest existing steel was 4” in diameter. I asked Bobcat Steel to make a negative target for me. He cut a 2” hole in the center of a 12” round target. When you shoot that target, if you don’t hear the “ding”, then you know the round went through the hole (assuming you are being honest with yourself!)
More info can be found here.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...4517-review-bobcat-steel-negative-target.html
Target Stands
The basic target stand I use to hold paper targets is made of PVC pipe and 1”x2” uprights holding a wood or foamcore sheet. Having several available will allow you to quickly reconfigure your range to whatever scenario you have in mind.
A thread about making the PVC bases can be found here:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...sion/72420-lightweight-pvc-target-stands.html
Tripod stands can be a portable and highly flexible way to hold steel targets.
I converted a porch swing frame to hold six pieces of steel. It is positioned across the pond and allows me to shoot from the deck. Different sized targets allow the shooter increase the difficulty based on the firearm/cartridge they are shooting and their own skill level.
There is a thread specifically about this target frame.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...0685-built-6-position-steel-target-stand.html
Benches and Tables
My shooting bench has served me well for many years. I wrote in more detail about it in this thread:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...653-built-my-own-shooting-bench-pictures.html
It provides a stable surface for zeroing or load development where it’s vital to remove as much shooter variation as possible.
There is a “target table” at the pistol range. It can hold water jugs, watermelon, pumpkins, or any other things that need to be shot.
There is a steel guy wire stretched above the table. Bowling pins and softballs typically hang off this wire. Paper targets can be hung off the wire with large sized paper clamps.
More Stuff to Shoot
I’ve shot lots of things. Sometimes it's to test ammo performance, sometimes just for fun.
Gallon water jugs are a hoot. They also show very graphically the power difference between different calibers. Shoot a row of gallon jugs with a .22LR and then with a shotgun slug to see for yourself.
I like to see people shoot watermelons. They make a wonderful red spray!
A word about pumpkins. While watermelons explode, pumpkins are pretty boring (unless you use a shotgun). Because pumpkins have an air cavity, you don’t get the same hydraulic shock wave as watermelons. If you’re dead set on shooting a pumpkin with a rifle, core a hole in top and fill it with water first. It will help. (Or better yet, put a charge of binary explosives inside!)
I once had a thick sheet of acrylic that I shot with various caliber rounds. It was fun, but messy. I had to pick up lots of acrylic chunks around the range.
The acrylic did create some very cool fracture patterns. Here’s an example:
This thread has a few more pictures if you're interested:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...scussion/121286-firearms-plexiglas-=-art.html
I NEVER shoot glass at my range. It’s dangerous to shoot and nearly impossible to clean up.
Garage sales can yield some interesting targets. I’ve shot Mrs. Claus and the Easter Bunny at the range.
I once came into possession of an electric guitar that had been damaged by water after a fire. So, we shot it! (I didn't know guitars like this were made of wood inside.)
Range Maintenance
After the Shooting is Over
After a shooting event, your range can get pretty messy. You will have the job of cleaning it up and getting it back into shape. Keep lots of grass seed on-hand as you’ll always be growing new grass.
Tip: Watermelon guts in the summer attract bees!
Mowing and Trimming
Depending on how your range is configured, mowing may be easy or difficult. While I benefited from having a great natural berm on three sides of the pistol range, I do have to line-trim the dam several times a year. It’s too steep to mow with conventional equipment.
Here’s a good INGO friend helping me with my least-favorite chore on the property.
Drainage
If possible, inspect your potential range site in different weather conditions. In many areas, the best land is already being used for farming, leaving low wooded areas as possible range sites. You may have to do some ditching or drain work to make the range more pleasant to use.
After using my pistol range for a few years, it started to stay wet and muddy on a portion of it. With my wife and son’s help, we installed drain tile under about half of the range. Since then, there hasn't been any lingering wet areas.
For more info on this project, see this link:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ingo-range-report-range-drainage-project.html
Lessons Learned
In this section I plan to briefly touch on a few topics that come to mind. You don't need to waste money learning these lessons as I did.
Use the Right Steel
I started out using the wrong steel.
In the picture below is an early target stand with a piece of pockmarked treadplate and a cast steel flange. A36 and other mild steels should not be used on your range. Railroad connectors should not be used. They are too soft and don’t keep a flat uniform surface. Abrasion resistant steel is the best. Look for the designation “AR500” for your steel targets. (AR400 is okay for .22LR rounds.)
The irregular surfaces of lesser steels will cause ricochet of your bullets. Cast steels will fall apart quickly.
When a bullet hits a flat hardened steel surface it fragments and flies off at a very low angle, away from the shooter.
Note the surface difference between the AR500 (on the left) and regular steel plate on the right.
The link below takes you to an extensive thread on bullet fragmentation.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ion-patterns-off-steel-targets-pic-heavy.html
For those INGOers who shoot M855 5.56x45 ammo and wonder about its affect on hardened steel, see this link:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...-m855-rounds-5-56-hardened-steel-targets.html
Don’t Solidly Attach the Steel Targets
All steel targets need to have some “give” as they are struck. Use loose bolts with Nylok nuts, chains, cables, or tough rubber pieces to mount the steel plates.
I’ve used chain and steel cables:
Mud flaps and horse stall mats work. I’ve had good success with cutting strips of horse stall mats. They are tough, give when the round hits the target, and partially “self heal” when a round goes through them. They stop the swinging action and bring the target back into position much faster than chains/cable do. One downside: The horse mat pieces do soften the "ding" sound of the steel somewhat.
Target Color Matters
I learned this lesson one February when some friends gathered to shoot at the pistol range. One side of the flappers on the dueling tree was painted white. As they took some hits, they became the perfect winter camouflage against the dusting of snow on the ground. Look closely, there are three white paddles on the right side of the tree.
There is a thread about the cold day that several INGOers came and tried out the dueling tree and other steel targets.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ngoers-help-lovemywoods-review-pics-vids.html
Keep several colors of spray paint on hand. Michigan’s blue and gold is a great choice for winter shooting.
Inviting Others to Your Range
I enjoy sharing my range with my friends and new shooters. I get a lot of satisfaction creating a place where others can enjoy their shooting hobby and learn how to be a better firearm owner.
This is from NFA Day in 2011.
I’ve met some wonderful people on INGO. Here’s an example.
I’ve been able to experience several other people’s firearms through sharing my range. This is me shooting a suppressed full-auto AK rifle in 2013.
When you do open your range to others, you take a risk. Only you can decide whether the risk is worth the benefit. Talk to the agent who has your homeowner's insurance to confirm what your policy covers if you have friends at your range.
If you host larger groups, you can have each shooter sign a waiver. I’m not a lawyer so I can’t say with certainty whether they are worthwhile.
I checked into event insurance. They wanted $530 for two days and the insurance didn’t cover the shooter, only the onlookers.
Your Range is Never Done
I encourage you to design your range and equipment so that it is flexible. That way, you can customize the range to suit your needs based on what type of shooting you intend to do and with how many of your friends you intend to do it.
Here’s the pistol range before the 2013 NFA Day shoot. Notice the zombie hoard coming down the hill!
Conclusion
Thanks for reading this thread. It is my hope that it has been useful for you. Every shooter and every range is different. The goal is for your property and your range to make you happy. If it isn't meeting this goal, change it.
Best of luck to all my fellow INGOers who create their own ranges. Happy shooting!
There was a recent thread started by INGO member mike46060. He is looking at land and wondered how other members have set up ranges on their properties.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/general-firearms-discussion/403893-personal-ranges.html
Several range owners responded with good information. I wanted to see if my experience could be of help to him and others in the same situation. As I gathered some pictures, I realized that my response would be lengthy so I decided to post this in a new thread and link it to mike46060’s original post.
The intent of this post is to give existing and potential range owners some ideas for their land and ranges. I certainly don’t have the only way to do things and often I don’t even have the best way, but my hope is that these ideas will motivate others to improve on what I have tried so far.
As in all purchase decisions, whether it’s for a rifle, property, or a pair of shoes; the key question to ask is “What do I expect to do with this item?” Your intended use will guide you in selecting the best thing to buy.
My Range Before It Was a Range
In late 2004, my family moved back to Brown County, Indiana. We were blessed to find a nice piece of property that fit our lifestyle well. The ravines and ridges of Brown County provided some natural range backstops.
There was a pond on the property with a nice sized dam. I immediately thought of placing a pistol range below the pond using the dam as the backstop. However, that area hadn’t been cared for and what we found was lots of brush with the back side of the dam covered in 1-2” sapling trees.
The future range looking toward the house.
Looking down toward the future range.
My wife, son, and daughter helped to clear the tall brush and cut the saplings.
Here’s a view of the pistol range a couple of years later.
Choosing a Range Site
Legal Considerations
You need to find out whether there are any zoning restrictions, noise ordinances, neighborhood covenants, or other rules that might restrict shooting or noise. Check with your county zoning board and ask some of your local INGO friends what they know about the area you’re considering. Your realtor should be able to help you in your search.
After you’ve purchased some property, I encourage you to talk with your neighbors and let them know that you intend to do some shooting on your property. Listen to any concerns they have and if possible, try to accommodate them. For example, I never shoot before 9 am at the very earliest and rarely after dark (there have been a few exceptions but never after 10 pm). I know this is a touchy issue and some INGO members have had a struggle with some neighbors.
I also try to do something to support the neighbors. I my case, I take care of our gravel lane and do some snow plowing. By doing some service work for my neighbors, I think it makes them less likely to cause a problem regarding my shooting hobby. To date, they have be outstanding.
Know What’s Beyond Your Range
As the land owner, you are responsible for every round that is fired at your range. You need to know what buildings and properties are downrange from your backstop. Rifle rounds can carry for a very long distance. Don’t assume that every round fired will be expertly aimed at your backstop. Google Earth can be a helpful site to explore the land around your property.
Backstop: Natural or Man-made?
Because of the hilly terrain in Brown County, there were soil/stone banks on either side of the pistol range and a very tall earthen dam as the backstop.
If you live in a flatter area, you will need to move dirt to create a backstop. You will be surprised how much dirt and time it takes to construct a safe backstop. Dirt itself is fairly inexpensive. Moving it to your range is costly. Contact an excavator to get an estimate of the cost to build a backstop.
If you have access to a tractor and dirt, you can do the work yourself.
There are many other threads I’ve seen on INGO showing examples of how others have constructed backstops using dirt, railroad ties, tires, and other materials.
If you have a way to have the shooting area higher so that you are shooting slightly downward, you can increase the likelihood that any fired rounds will hit the ground near the backstop area.
Ease of Access
By this I mean “How easy is it to get yourself and your gear to your shooting range". How far away is your range? You might think that building the range on the back of your property will minimize the noise at the house. Later you find that you tire of trudging out to the range.
The very hills that helped me with the backstop issue at times have become a problem for friends. There is a 70 foot drop from the house to the pistol range. Fortunately, I had an ATV and large cart that could navigate the hills. This combo has been used to transport guns, ammo, canopies, lawn chairs, packs, coolers, etc. to and from the range and it’s proven to be a good system.
As you are considering a piece of land, consider how you would move around your range both when you’re shooting and when you are doing some maintenance tasks (more on that later).
Although the cart normally carries shooting gear, sometimes it's used to carry the shooters!
Our Current Range Layout
Aerial View
Here is a Google Earth picture of our property with arrows showing the various shooting lanes that have been developed over the years. The house is nearly the highest part of the property so people are shooting downhill on the lanes that start at the house.
Pistol Range
You’ve already seen one picture of the pistol range. It has changed over time as different targets were added or worn out equipment was replaced.
The range is approximately 120’ wide and 90’ deep. While a bit cramped, it worked for some training classes and even an Appleseed event at the range.
We've hosted events of up to 50 people at this range. That is crowded for this space and we used defined shooting lanes and several great range officers to keep everyone safe.
One October, several friends gathered to do some shooting. Thus the seasonal pumpkins.
Six NFA events have been held at the pistol range. In this photo INGO member esrice is sampling some of the goodies brought by others to share.
50 Yard Range
There is a shooting table that sits on the top of the dam. It sits 50 yards from the target stands near the spillway. It's a handy distance to initially sight-in many rifles or test .22LR accuracy.
211 Yards Across the Pond
In the last several years, I’ve gravitated to shooting rifles far more than pistols. Taking up reloading has added to this trend. I really enjoy shooting 211 yards. I wish it was longer, but that is set by the size and shape of the property.
There is a small hill that rises up right behind the targets and makes for a secure backstop.
I use this range to fine tune the more precise rifles I get to shoot (It’s not unusual for a friend to drop off a rifle and let me zero it and sometimes do some load development).
This is the view standing on the dam and looking toward the targets.
If you go prone on the dam, this is your view over the barrel of the rifle.
The targets change over time, but the typical arrangement is to have three IPSC steels and and usually some target stands to hold zeroing targets. I love the sound of .308 hitting the full-sized Bobcat Steel IPSC target!
The bench on the dam is used for zeroing and load development testing.
Some brave folks shoot offhand at 211 yards.
I remember watching VUPDBlue hit 3 out of 6 rounds with a .45ACP S&W revolver standing on the dam!
My friends aren’t fair weather shooters. Last March, we were shooting over a frozen pond.
From the House
I’ll admit that one of the aspects of living in the country that I love is the option to walk out on the deck and shoot a few rounds.
There are steel targets set at in the yard, across the pond, and at the spillway. Sometimes, I just want to shoot a bit or I’ve just reloaded a new recipe and want to test fire a few rounds. Many times, if we have friends down to shoot, after dinner we’ll end up on the deck just sharing some firearms and plinking the steels.
There are three steel targets at about 57 yards near a ravine.
Across the pond at 132 yards is a repurposed porch swing frame with six steel targets of various sizes. You can work your way down from larger to smaller depending on the firearm and the shooter’s skill level.
After using the two sets of steels for awhile, I wanted a bit more challenge so I placed two round steel plates on tripod stands at the spillway. They are 165 yards from the deck.
The two targets at the spillway.
I have to confess that sometimes I wanted to do some rifle work but didn’t feel like going out in the deep cold. Then I had an epiphany! I moved the table in the sunroom to the windows, opened the window, and moved the screen aside. Voila! A pseudo-indoor range.
Here’s a picture of my son shooting on Christmas Eve 2012.
Rearrange Your Range
If your range allows it and you have movable targets, you can customize your range to meet your needs.
For one pistol class, the firing line was moved 90 degrees.
On another occasion the target line was moved to the right side of the range to allow an Appleseed group to get the 25 meter distance they needed. The small hills on either side of the dam allow for this flexibility. When you are designing your range, don’t forget to build in some ability to change the layout when you want.
Range Equipment
This next section reviews some of the range equipment I use. The purpose here is to help new range owners see some of the many options available to them.
Paper Targets
There are the traditional paper targets. These can be on stands or clipped to a wire.
Steel Targets
I love shooting steel targets! You get instant feedback in the form of the ding and movement. They also help train the defensive shooter to shoot well enough without slowing down too much to get a precise shot.
At the end of the pond is a frame with three IPSC steel targets. (All the steel targets are from Bobcat Steel.) There is a full-sized steel in the middle flanked by a 50% IPSC on the left and a 25% IPSC on the right. The smaller steels allow the shooter to partially simulate shooting longer distances. For example, hitting the 25% target at 211 yards is like hitting a full-sized steel at 800 yards. You don’t have the challenge of dealing with bullet drop or wind effects of shooting the actual distance, but you can work on your trigger control and rifle stability.
More information about these targets at the range can be found here:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...scussion/104943-ipsc-targets-added-range.html
A plate rack is useful for practicing drawing from a holster and finding the balance between speed and accuracy. Add a shot timer and you can practice by yourself.
I think dueling trees were invented by the ammunition companies. They are a blast, but you can go through a bunch of ammo if you’ve got a couple of friends having a friendly competition. It’s amazing how just a bit of competitive stress can ruin your accuracy! Great practice.
There is a review of the dueling tree at:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...bobcat-steel-6-paddle-ar500-dueling-tree.html
A Dual Reactive target was added to the stand across the pond. Another Bobcat Steel offering. It has two zones where there are break-away sections.
I wanted to increase the difficulty level of the steel targets in the swing frame. The smallest existing steel was 4” in diameter. I asked Bobcat Steel to make a negative target for me. He cut a 2” hole in the center of a 12” round target. When you shoot that target, if you don’t hear the “ding”, then you know the round went through the hole (assuming you are being honest with yourself!)
More info can be found here.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...4517-review-bobcat-steel-negative-target.html
Target Stands
The basic target stand I use to hold paper targets is made of PVC pipe and 1”x2” uprights holding a wood or foamcore sheet. Having several available will allow you to quickly reconfigure your range to whatever scenario you have in mind.
A thread about making the PVC bases can be found here:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...sion/72420-lightweight-pvc-target-stands.html
Tripod stands can be a portable and highly flexible way to hold steel targets.
I converted a porch swing frame to hold six pieces of steel. It is positioned across the pond and allows me to shoot from the deck. Different sized targets allow the shooter increase the difficulty based on the firearm/cartridge they are shooting and their own skill level.
There is a thread specifically about this target frame.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...0685-built-6-position-steel-target-stand.html
Benches and Tables
My shooting bench has served me well for many years. I wrote in more detail about it in this thread:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...653-built-my-own-shooting-bench-pictures.html
It provides a stable surface for zeroing or load development where it’s vital to remove as much shooter variation as possible.
There is a “target table” at the pistol range. It can hold water jugs, watermelon, pumpkins, or any other things that need to be shot.
There is a steel guy wire stretched above the table. Bowling pins and softballs typically hang off this wire. Paper targets can be hung off the wire with large sized paper clamps.
More Stuff to Shoot
I’ve shot lots of things. Sometimes it's to test ammo performance, sometimes just for fun.
Gallon water jugs are a hoot. They also show very graphically the power difference between different calibers. Shoot a row of gallon jugs with a .22LR and then with a shotgun slug to see for yourself.
I like to see people shoot watermelons. They make a wonderful red spray!
A word about pumpkins. While watermelons explode, pumpkins are pretty boring (unless you use a shotgun). Because pumpkins have an air cavity, you don’t get the same hydraulic shock wave as watermelons. If you’re dead set on shooting a pumpkin with a rifle, core a hole in top and fill it with water first. It will help. (Or better yet, put a charge of binary explosives inside!)
I once had a thick sheet of acrylic that I shot with various caliber rounds. It was fun, but messy. I had to pick up lots of acrylic chunks around the range.
The acrylic did create some very cool fracture patterns. Here’s an example:
This thread has a few more pictures if you're interested:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...scussion/121286-firearms-plexiglas-=-art.html
I NEVER shoot glass at my range. It’s dangerous to shoot and nearly impossible to clean up.
Garage sales can yield some interesting targets. I’ve shot Mrs. Claus and the Easter Bunny at the range.
I once came into possession of an electric guitar that had been damaged by water after a fire. So, we shot it! (I didn't know guitars like this were made of wood inside.)
Range Maintenance
After the Shooting is Over
After a shooting event, your range can get pretty messy. You will have the job of cleaning it up and getting it back into shape. Keep lots of grass seed on-hand as you’ll always be growing new grass.
Tip: Watermelon guts in the summer attract bees!
Mowing and Trimming
Depending on how your range is configured, mowing may be easy or difficult. While I benefited from having a great natural berm on three sides of the pistol range, I do have to line-trim the dam several times a year. It’s too steep to mow with conventional equipment.
Here’s a good INGO friend helping me with my least-favorite chore on the property.
Drainage
If possible, inspect your potential range site in different weather conditions. In many areas, the best land is already being used for farming, leaving low wooded areas as possible range sites. You may have to do some ditching or drain work to make the range more pleasant to use.
After using my pistol range for a few years, it started to stay wet and muddy on a portion of it. With my wife and son’s help, we installed drain tile under about half of the range. Since then, there hasn't been any lingering wet areas.
For more info on this project, see this link:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ingo-range-report-range-drainage-project.html
Lessons Learned
In this section I plan to briefly touch on a few topics that come to mind. You don't need to waste money learning these lessons as I did.
Use the Right Steel
I started out using the wrong steel.
In the picture below is an early target stand with a piece of pockmarked treadplate and a cast steel flange. A36 and other mild steels should not be used on your range. Railroad connectors should not be used. They are too soft and don’t keep a flat uniform surface. Abrasion resistant steel is the best. Look for the designation “AR500” for your steel targets. (AR400 is okay for .22LR rounds.)
The irregular surfaces of lesser steels will cause ricochet of your bullets. Cast steels will fall apart quickly.
When a bullet hits a flat hardened steel surface it fragments and flies off at a very low angle, away from the shooter.
Note the surface difference between the AR500 (on the left) and regular steel plate on the right.
The link below takes you to an extensive thread on bullet fragmentation.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ion-patterns-off-steel-targets-pic-heavy.html
For those INGOers who shoot M855 5.56x45 ammo and wonder about its affect on hardened steel, see this link:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...-m855-rounds-5-56-hardened-steel-targets.html
Don’t Solidly Attach the Steel Targets
All steel targets need to have some “give” as they are struck. Use loose bolts with Nylok nuts, chains, cables, or tough rubber pieces to mount the steel plates.
I’ve used chain and steel cables:
Mud flaps and horse stall mats work. I’ve had good success with cutting strips of horse stall mats. They are tough, give when the round hits the target, and partially “self heal” when a round goes through them. They stop the swinging action and bring the target back into position much faster than chains/cable do. One downside: The horse mat pieces do soften the "ding" sound of the steel somewhat.
Target Color Matters
I learned this lesson one February when some friends gathered to shoot at the pistol range. One side of the flappers on the dueling tree was painted white. As they took some hits, they became the perfect winter camouflage against the dusting of snow on the ground. Look closely, there are three white paddles on the right side of the tree.
There is a thread about the cold day that several INGOers came and tried out the dueling tree and other steel targets.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ngoers-help-lovemywoods-review-pics-vids.html
Keep several colors of spray paint on hand. Michigan’s blue and gold is a great choice for winter shooting.
Inviting Others to Your Range
I enjoy sharing my range with my friends and new shooters. I get a lot of satisfaction creating a place where others can enjoy their shooting hobby and learn how to be a better firearm owner.
This is from NFA Day in 2011.
I’ve met some wonderful people on INGO. Here’s an example.
I’ve been able to experience several other people’s firearms through sharing my range. This is me shooting a suppressed full-auto AK rifle in 2013.
When you do open your range to others, you take a risk. Only you can decide whether the risk is worth the benefit. Talk to the agent who has your homeowner's insurance to confirm what your policy covers if you have friends at your range.
If you host larger groups, you can have each shooter sign a waiver. I’m not a lawyer so I can’t say with certainty whether they are worthwhile.
I checked into event insurance. They wanted $530 for two days and the insurance didn’t cover the shooter, only the onlookers.
Your Range is Never Done
I encourage you to design your range and equipment so that it is flexible. That way, you can customize the range to suit your needs based on what type of shooting you intend to do and with how many of your friends you intend to do it.
Here’s the pistol range before the 2013 NFA Day shoot. Notice the zombie hoard coming down the hill!
Conclusion
Thanks for reading this thread. It is my hope that it has been useful for you. Every shooter and every range is different. The goal is for your property and your range to make you happy. If it isn't meeting this goal, change it.
Best of luck to all my fellow INGOers who create their own ranges. Happy shooting!
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