Putting in a range...

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  • cg21

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    Well I am finally getting around to putting in a range, by default I am also getting a pond so that's nice.

    I am wanting to hear the do's and don'ts from people who have already done this or are knowledgeable on the topic.

    I am making it 100yds from shooting bench to the furthest target. I will be making a berm with the dirt dug up from the pond. A couple questions I had,

    - how high to make the berm on the edges and the backstop?
    - is a berm necessary along the entire side of the range?
    - should something be in front of the dirt backstop?
    - how wide should it be would like to have targets at varying distances


    These are just a couple questions off the top of my head hoping to hear from people who know more than me. Have a good day
     

    Mgderf

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    - how high to make the berm on the edges and the backstop?
    - is a berm necessary along the entire side of the range?
    - should something be in front of the dirt backstop?
    - how wide should it be would like to have targets at varying distances...

    O.k., my brother just built a dirt berm range in his front yard a few years ago.
    The berm in the back is only about 4 to 4.5 feet high, but it has to be 8 feet thick at the base.
    The sides do turn in, but the side berms are very short, only a couple feet each, creating a "C" shape.
    The berm is built in front of railroad ties that have been stacked up.
    His berm is about 15 feet wide.

    This range is only 50 yards, and by the nature of the terrain, runs at a slight downhill angle.
    It could be much more substantial, but is entirely serviceable for our purposes.
    We shoot everything from .22lr up to and including .30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, .500S&W mag, .454Casull, without any issues.

    The biggest concern, with any range, is to keep all shots on your property.
    If even ONE round leaves your property you can be held responsible for whatever damage or injuries that may result.
     

    KLB

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    With a berm you are probably better off moving yourself than having targets at different distances. Shooting into a hill or some such would be much better for different distance targets.

    Whether you need sides or not depends upon what is to the sides of your targets. Are you shooting steel or paper? If steel, the lead will splash in an arc off to both sides, so you will want a berm there if there is anything you don't want getting hit by lead. It will have to be at least a little higher than your target, but it will not need to be as thick as the main berm.

    I would make the main berm as high as you can. As you pile the dirt it will make a natural slope. I've made a ramp on the back so that I can drive up it to drop more on the top. The front is much more steep than the back.
     

    91FXRS

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    Make it as tall and wide as possible with the dirt available you will never say I wish it was smaller. We put grass seed on the sides and that seems to be helping with erosion quite a bit.
     

    Sniper 79

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    Build it as big and tall as you can afford to do. I will say what others have said as well....don't let a bullet leave your property and move yourself instead of having various targets at different distances. All bullets have to hit that berm and stop. Shoot straight into the berm. I wouldn't let anyone else shoot. Have gotten county sheriff called several times at in-laws place. Neighbors called. Make sure you are good to go with the laws in your area.

    Guys at my club were putting targets at different distances and on the ground. Bullets hit the ground and went right over the top. Neighbors found bullets in the rain gutters and on their patio. NOT Good! Lucky they were members of the club and pro gun. Yikes! The club cracked down built the berm up and set some new rules.
     

    cg21

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    Will only be family shooting. Really wanting targets at various distances building a shelter with shooting benches and tables. So thinking the berm along the sides will be best. Will have The excavator for a day so will see how much earth can be moved. Will start with main berm and then just go from there. Dirt is no issue trying to make a watering hole for my local wildlife (deer and waterfowl) for different target practice!
     

    91FXRS

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    Do you have something to work with the excavator to move the dirt from pond to shooting berm?
     

    cg21

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    Do you have something to work with the excavator to move the dirt from pond to shooting berm?

    was hoping with them being close together it would eliminate the middle man but admittedly I have never handled HEAVY earth moving machines
     

    cg21

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    So you plan to make two 50+ yd berms down the sides of your range? Sounds like you'll be digging a lake :):

    one side is all abandoned woods not even hunters on it. So I think More like a large J shape. Then the varying targets can be along a berm still.
     

    91FXRS

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    The excavator is my favorite of all machines, but if you have to move that dirt 50' or more you're gonna need something to work with it.
     

    Trapper Jim

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    If you can be sure to lay it out so you can shoot North or South. Too many ranges are laid out east and west even when they had the choice to do it right.
     

    Bfish

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    For some reason when I read this in my head I saw you in an indoor range with a golf club on some fake turf... What is wrong with me?

    But congrats OP having a private range is nice!
    One thing I'd do is make your side berms high enough to shoot into them. I don't know what kind of shooting you are doing mostly, but being able to shoot a solid 180 degrees is a good thing to me at least. It may not matter to you but being able to shoot at targets that are not just right in front of you is nice, you can even basically shoot in front of you and turn and shoot behind you if your range is wide enough as well.
     

    Sling10mm

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    Just create a berm for each target line, assuming you are only going to have a few, with the furthest being the full width of the range, and then berms down the sides. Dig that pond deep!
     

    maxwelhse

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    I've never built a range, but one thing that has sucked at every buddy's range I've ever been to is the complete lack of consideration for where the shooters will be standing and the path to the back stop. While you have the equipment out, you might consider laying some gravel in. Or if you're really committed to a certain distance you can build a little deck as a shooting platform and toss down some pavers as steps to your targets.

    I'll also throw it out there that a former coworker straight up BOUGHT an ancient bulldozer when he made his range and pond. His "pond" is big enough that the fairly large island he left in the middle of it actually didn't look out of place. With that said, his backstops are immense because he had unlimited bulldozer time to build them.
     
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