Range building

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fireside44

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In the process of getting a lane cleared in the back. I have a couple big stumps to burn out but then I have about 125 yards for the rifle range. Gentle downhill slope. Bench will be on my Texas deer stand aka back porch and for pistols I'll just walk back towards the berm.

I have a lot of cedar to cut so I'm thinking about a 10 or12 foot wide berm about five feet high, using cedar logs to form the back of the berm and then run the tractor blade to push up soil.on front of the berm. Soil is rocky limestone but I can pick out large rocks. I have another clear 150 yards of my woods behind the berm area with no one directly to the back of my place so risk of bullets hitting structures or people is next to zero.

Just looking for suggestions from guys who built there own ranges. Planning on shooting mostly steel target with pistols but some paper for load testing along with occasional pound or two of tannerite. My entire property is a homestead under construction so aside steel targets I need to keep the bill as close to zero as possible.
 
Sounds good. Only advice I'd have is to clear another 100 yards further back so you can have 200 yds and make the berm higher if you can. Best to have it 7+ feet so you can put targets at realistic heights. (This is assuming you're using it for more than just hunting practice)
 
I’d just mound double the earth you’re planning on and grass seed it. Not really a need for wood backing. Put some stacks of tires on the front side to help with shooting/erosion and you’re ready to shoot.

a tractor blade might not get it done efficiently, but a tractor bucket might work, and a skidsteer will for sure.
 
I am in the process of buying land to build a range on. We are looking at building a berm 20' tall (and well over 4' deep). 5' sounds a bit low to me, especially for shooting downhill.
 
bearcreek said:
What are you going to use for the retaining walls?
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Local dirt (compressed) with grass to reduce erosion. One of my partners on the project has time on big Cat dozers. Depending on the terrain we will also be building containment baffles.

Keep in mind, we are building a private range that will be equivalent to most commercial outdoor ranges. It will be roughly structured along the lines of a DNR range (at least like ones I have seen in Ohio and Michigan), complete with a covered firing position on a concrete pad. We are also building a structure to house all the equipment needed to keep up to 8 shooters entertained (not including guns or ammo though).
 
Havok7416 said:
I am in the process of buying land to build a range on. We are looking at building a berm 20' tall (and well over 4' deep). 5' sounds a bit low to me, especially for shooting downhill.
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4’ or 40’ deep?

a base of 40’ would be about right for 15-20’ height
 
Wisco said:
4’ or 40’ deep?

a base of 40’ would be about right for 15-20’ height
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I'd have to go back and recheck everything but that doesn't sound unreasonable for the base. In addition to using public ranges as a model we are also looking at NRA guidelines for range construction. Part of that (IIRC off the top of my head) suggests to make the berm mowable which requires more width to allow small vehicles on top.

This whole project is way overkill for any particular recreational purpose but we wanted our own range and we're going to do it right.
 
bearcreek said:
Sounds good. Only advice I'd have is to clear another 100 yards further back so you can have 200 yds and make the berm higher if you can. Best to have it 7+ feet so you can put targets at realistic heights. (This is assuming you're using it for more than just hunting practice)
Click to expand...

I knew a gun guy was gonna say clear another hundred yards haha. The terrain would start to demand a much higher berm if I went the extra 100 otherwise I think it would mostly be below my vantage point for shooting rifle.

Wisco said:
I’d just mound double the earth you’re planning on and grass seed it. Not really a need for wood backing. Put some stacks of tires on the front side to help with shooting/erosion and you’re ready to shoot.

a tractor blade might not get it done efficiently, but a tractor bucket might work, and a skidsteer will for sure.
Click to expand...

It's hill country, very rocky, so I'm not sure I have enough dirt before hitting bedrock or rocks that require a front end loader to move. The nickname of this area is the rock. You can dig a foot deep hole in an hour if you move and don't need the sledge. I will definitely go higher if possible. The wood backing is so i lessen my burn-load a little.
 
Havok7416 said:
Local dirt (compressed) with grass to reduce erosion. One of my partners on the project has time on big Cat dozers. Depending on the terrain we will also be building containment baffles.
Click to expand...
It's not possible to build a 20 ft high berm that's only 4 ft thick using only dirt. Or did you mean 4 ft wide at the top? That'd be doable.
 
Havok7416 said:
If you haven't already it might be worth your while to see if there are any construction companies with fill dirt they don't want or are willing to sell cheap.
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Could do but it would be full of concrete and tar chunks. This place is my investment, I rehabbed a party property I got for cheap that was a hidden gem and eventually the taxes will run me out of it and some rich Houston guy will pay me a lot of money. So I need to make sure I get as much of the rich man's money as I can. No tires, concrete chunks, and junk cars to shoot, unfortunately. I play my cards right and I might be able to fill a safe up again and get the tipi by the river I really want so it can't look messy.
 
I have a lot of cedar to cut so I'm thinking about a 10 or12 foot wide berm about five feet high, using cedar logs to form the back of the berm and then run the tractor blade to push up soil.on front of the berm. Soil is rocky limestone but I can pick out large rocks. I have another clear 150 yards of my woods behind the berm area with no one directly to the back of my place so risk of bullets hitting structures or people is next to zero.
Click to expand...

Not real clear to me but an extra 150 yards might not be enough especially if you are shooting at a berm with rocks that can deflect bullets up and over a backstop.
 
bearcreek said:
It's not possible to build a 20 ft high berm that's only 4 ft thick using only dirt. Or did you mean 4 ft wide at the top? That'd be doable.
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It would be closer to 4ft at the top, yes. I have the backstop guidelines saved somewhere but I'm only going off memory at the moment.
 
Fireside - using any organic matter (the cedars) isn't a good idea. After just a few years, they will be bug eaten, water-rotted, and weak. As a backstop for your berm, imagine trying to replace them with out having to redo the berm. As for your rocky soil, any piece of rock the size of a chicken egg or larger has the ability to cause a ricochet. If you want to use that for the backside of the berm, OK, but you should have at least 18" of packed, clean fill on the target side. More if you are going to be shooting high powered rifle rounds.
Maybe you could use the cedars for either target posts OR on the sides of the berm to "funnel" any strays back towards the berm.
 
JTHunter said:
Fireside - using any organic matter (the cedars) isn't a good idea. After just a few years, they will be bug eaten, water-rotted, and weak. As a backstop for your berm, imagine trying to replace them with out having to redo the berm. As for your rocky soil, any piece of rock the size of a chicken egg or larger has the ability to cause a ricochet. If you want to use that for the backside of the berm, OK, but you should have at least 18" of packed, clean fill on the target side. More if you are going to be shooting high powered rifle rounds.
Maybe you could use the cedars for either target posts OR on the sides of the berm to "funnel" any strays back towards the berm.
Click to expand...

Well consider it a starter berm that I will be adding to if I stay beyond the next 3 years but I understand what you mean. All work, laboring at the homestead and working part time, four years, and very little gun and fun time, I'm getting to be a bit of a dull guy. No kitchen sink yet but I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I'll have hot water this week so I can start thinking about something more useful, like a gun range.

I figured cedars would at least get me some pistol time until I can sweet talk the tractor friend into giving me a hand. Cedars for my steel target stands is a good suggestion ima put that to use. Egg sized rocks...even soft limestone? The work never ends and backstop area isn't someplace a dump truck can drop a load of clean fill at either. I guess my rock picking days aren't over.
 
You want something on the sides of the berm that stick out enough past your steel targets to stop the horizontal splatter if there is concern about close neighbors. You could use tires as the back of the backstop at first. Two layers deep and offset by 1/2 the diameter. Fill them full and between rows as you stack them to the hight needed. Then push up the dirt in front at least two feet deep and maintain it that deep on the top to add a good layer to shoot into. As time goes by you could cover the back of the tires with soil/picked rocks or whatever you can get in there. I would avoid wood or woodchips though for fire reasons. I find it is amazing the volume of two 5 gallon buckets of dirt dumped out on the berm every day amounts to in a year.;)
 
If you plan to stay at this place very long I highly recommend you reconsider extending the range another 75 yards to get a full 200. Otherwise there's a good chance you'll regret your choice in a couple years when you're adding a second backstop at 200 yards.

Past that, I'd feel fine with your option of cedar and dirt 5' high for pistols at close ranges, understanding the cedar will eventually rot. Personally I'd go to 7' for safety reasons. You can't be too safe with something like this. But for rifles, the other recommendations of going higher should be considered. 15' is a good height, and either use soil for the entire thing or line the back with non organic building materials like concrete. Then seed to prevent erosion.
 
Personally, I like the idea of a mounded berm at 200 yards and build a bunker in front of it with your cleared trees that the targets sit back inside, that way any potential ricochet off of a stone or target will ricochet into the trees that form the ceiling or side walls of the bunker. I don't think this bunker has to be terribly deep just 4' or so, and set the targets 3' into the bunker.

What direction does the bunker face from your shooting position? Hopefully the sun is not in position to blind you when your premium shooting time is expected.
 
bassjam said:
If you plan to stay at this place very long I highly recommend you reconsider extending the range another 75 yards to get a full 200. Otherwise there's a good chance you'll regret your choice in a couple years when you're adding a second backstop at 200 yards.

Past that, I'd feel fine with your option of cedar and dirt 5' high for pistols at close ranges, understanding the cedar will eventually rot. Personally I'd go to 7' for safety reasons. You can't be too safe with something like this. But for rifles, the other recommendations of going higher should be considered. 15' is a good height, and either use soil for the entire thing or line the back with non organic building materials like concrete. Then seed to prevent erosion.
Click to expand...

I'd have to build an elevated platform or a very large berm to be able to beat the elevation change beyond my chosen location The drop becomes steeper, my angle is no good. Also, clearing 12ft wide 75 yards will add a lot of cutting and burning to the workload and negatively effect the privacy of my propety. I just want to get shooting regularly again.

<*(((>< said:
What direction does the bunker face from your shooting position? Hopefully the sun is not in position to blind you when your premium shooting time is expected.
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East. My work hours are varied, some weeks six plus shifts, others, like this slow Dec, two or three shifts and thats evenings or nights so I am home often to take advantage of good shooting conditions.
 
fireside44 said:
East. My work hours are varied, some weeks six plus shifts, others, like this slow Dec, two or three shifts and thats evenings or nights so I am home often to take advantage of good shooting conditions.
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East facing should be great! :thumbup:

Won't it be nice to stroll out there in your house slippers and send a bullet on it's way! 'Merica
 
<*(((>< said:
East facing should be great! :thumbup:

Won't it be nice to stroll out there in your house slippers and send a bullet on it's way!
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That's the dream. Building the whole place for security, seclusion close to town, but mostly to be a small version of an outdoorsmans/sportsman's paradise. Easy game harvesting, shooting from the back porch. Cabin, garden, range, small field, and my personal favorite, the woods itself.
 
fireside44 said:
I'd have to build an elevated platform or a very large berm to be able to beat the elevation change beyond my chosen location The drop becomes steeper, my angle is no good. Also, clearing 12ft wide 75 yards will add a lot of cutting and burning to the workload and negatively effect the privacy of my propety. I just want to get shooting regularly again.



East. My work hours are varied, some weeks six plus shifts, others, like this slow Dec, two or three shifts and thats evenings or nights so I am home often to take advantage of good shooting conditions.
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If you're using a blade, drag the soil instead of pushing it. This is easier on the tractor and compacts the mound.
I dug a pond and made a 6 feet tall berm using a box blade and 50 horse tractor using that method.
Get rippers if you don't have them.
 
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