Your Backyard Range

[DarkRose]

Man, these all so make me want to get out of my apartment and out of town even more!

My closest range is about 15 minutes, but went there earlier this week... They have 2 handgun ranges, both 30 yards (I prefer 15 yards for now) and require you to use their target stands, and not use your own. Problem is the stand on one range is missing, and the other one has had the welds on it snapped (rebar framework) so you have to prop it up with a broken piece of bar behind it... The shooting line is nice, covered, concrete, etc., but the target stands are worthless...

 

[SmileDocHill]

If it were not for the magazine sitting on the table it would appear as though you got a picture of her halo.

 

[RH822-A]

If it were not for the magazine sitting on the table it would appear as though you got a picture of her halo.

Thats funny, I've read this thread a half dozen times and never noticed that.

 

[esrice]

If it were not for the magazine sitting on the table it would appear as though you got a picture of her halo.

You don't see it often.

 

[GhostofWinter]

You don't see it often.

Which one? the mag or the halo?

 

[SmileDocHill]

You don't see it often.

If it is like my kids it ends up being a hidden "in plain sight" kind of thing. When you are looking for horns its harder to notice the halo.

 

[jsn_mooney]

backyard range

I'm not trying to jack this thread or anything, but some interest has been shown in getting a few more details on my little backyard range project. I wish that I'd have taken pictures from start to finish- but I didn't think about it, so I'll explain it as best I can.
I started by sinking 2- 4"x4"x10' treated post in the ground about 3' deep , 5' apart on center and plumbed/concreted them in. Then, I came out 6' in line with those, drove a stake, and then put a post 1' on center to each side of my 5' marks to make the front 7' wide. I then split the difference between my front and back sets of posts so that I ended up with 6 posts in the ground in a kind of "V''- 7' wide at the front and 5' wide at the back. This was the hardest part for me, getting everything laid-out, because it had been a while since I had done anything like this, and I wanted the face of this to be square with the deck that runs the length of the house. Get you some lath, marking paint, stringline and a good tape and then just keep fine-tuning it until it's what you want- and where you want it to be.
Next, I cut the tops off the posts where I wanted them, and leveled the area inside the posts in preparetion for the tires. Then, I aquired a fair amount of used tires(about 18 I think) that were in the 285/75/16 size range, they don't have to be exactly the same- but the closer, the better. I also picked up 7 or 8 skid steer tires to put as my 3rd row. I went to a truck tire place in Centerville and they were more than happy to let me cart them off- any tire store that does alot of volume should be able to fix you up.
Now, get a whole bunch of sand and start filling! a 5 gal bucket worked out best for me, kinda rotate between the 3 stacks and stair-step your way up, making sure they are level as you go. I wanted to have them stacked around head high. It takes alot of sand to fill a tire all the way up, you have to lift up on the bead, and pack it all around with your hands. After mine were all filled, I took a piece of 4"x4" and ran it along the back of my 3rd set and then, ran 3 cargo straps from eyelets screwed into my back set of posts to bind everything tight and keep them from shifting.
After that it's all cosmetic- exept for the roof over the sand filled tires- everything I read said that if the sand got wet, and was allowed to freeze bullets would start bouncing off the tires. I imagine the feeze and thaw would heave them out of plumb and they would topple over in the spring as well.
I just ran me some 2"x4" stringers along the 3 sides, and screwed 6' privacy fence boards to them- same as you would to build fence sections, onlt alot sturdier, and then went back and cut my doors out. The roof I made took a little framing, then I just sheeted it with OSB and used old conveyor belt as roofing material. It extends beyond the face of the tires about a foot.

I also lined mine with conveyor belt and dressed-up around it with #8 stone but you can use whatever you can eaisly obtain.

You know you've done everthing correctly when the wife gives it her approval, by coming out and sending rounds downrange.
That's an Albanian holding an Albanian, by the way.
Hope this helps. Jason