Where to get new railroad ties for backstop.

[kBob]

Friend out near Trenton built a cross tie backed mound we used for classes for a while. He used power poles from Clay Electric (I don't think they sell them any more though) for corners and stacked the ties horizontally so only the bottom run was in contact with the dirt. He used sand fill and then laid down sod over it to hold it in place.

Amazing how many Florida folks and folks with in spitting distance of Gainesville are on this thread.

-kBob

 

[Aragon]

Google it.

I just Googled "new railroad crossties Florida" and there were several sources.

 

[Sunray]

Railroad ties are just timbers soaked in Creosote. 8 x 8 inches I think. Your local Home Depot will have stuff like that. Doesn't last long though.

 

[DPris]

Large yard in Salt Lake City sells new, used, cuts to length, loads 'em for you.
Denis

 

[Arizona_Mike]

There were piles of them by Highway 70 near my cabin a few years ago when they were replacing them with concrete. I did not take any. Petroleum-based artificial creosote??? Arsenic??? I had no idea.

Back in the early '80s my dad put new ones across out living room as decorative beams and they were very nice.

Mike

 

[Delford]

https://nssccorp.com/products/new-ties/
Use this link. They are big; make a variety of new ties.

 

[DM~]

When you look at the end of a piece of pressure treated (PT) lumber, there's a tag stapled there. IF the tag is .40 then it's NOT rated for ground contact. IF the tag reads .60 or higher, it IS rated for ground contact...

Most "flat" lumber is not, but 4x4's or bigger are treated to .60 or better.

DM

 

[leadcounsel]

You can probably get all the tires you want for free, and they'd last a long, long time. Tires are never in short supply, and will last a century.

If I were building one, I'd go with tires. Stagger them like bricks, and fill them with sand on each layer. Maybe put a vertical posts as anchors through sections every X feet to ensure they stay put.

I don't like RR ties. They leach chemicals and give off a really bad odor in the heat and sun. I mistakenly had some installed for a garden, paid $1 per foot. I will be removing them and giving them away soon.

They are filthy to work with, and cut, and they do rot and fall apart. If you've worked with them you see they rot out from the inside and get hollowed...

Tires are easy for a single person to move, and they are quite uniform, whereas RR ties are quite heavy and cutting them to size is a real PITA.

Edited to add: I have no experience weather tires will reflect or absorb bullets, but I've seen them on a lot of ranges so assume others have tested these.

Here's an example of tires used on a range. Ignore the gun review, but in the vid the user is on a live fire range where tires are used as backstops. Watch around the 2 minute mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XAYsYwZGxI

 

[splattergun]

Just spoke with David at Crossties of Ocala. Really nice guy! He has what are called relay ties (in condition good enough to lay for new track) for $40 each. But he recommends the #1 grade for $19.50 each which he recommends for a soil retention wall or shooting backstop.

www.crosstiesofocala.com/products/crossties/

#1 ties are generally nice stock. I've seen them priced higher than that, so I say go for it.

 

[Dan Forrester]

Thanks for the suggestion of searching "railroad crossties" Aragon. It brought up a lot more results than searching "railroad ties".

Thanks for the lead on the poles kBob. I've been a Clay Electric customer for a long time. I'll need to contact them.

I know people are suggesting tires and I'm sure its a better longer lasting option. I just can't get over bring old used tires onto my property. I guess an old used railroad tie I feel different about. Makes no sense I know.

DM~ I didn't know about that. Great information to know. I'll need to look at that next time I'm at the lumber yard.

Thanks for all the great information everyone!

Dan

 

[oneounceload]

Amazing how many Florida folks and folks with in spitting distance of Gainesville are on this thread.

Isn't it though......

 

[medalguy]

Use RR ties. Most "treated lumber" will read on the tag "treated for appearance only." This means they splash a little colored solution over them and call it good. I had to locate some true treated for ground contact wood this winter to replace some steps and found that Universal Forest Products does make a true lifetime guaranteed ground contact wood in dimensional lumber sizes. They sell all over the country, and I'm sure there are others as well but this is the product I ended up buying.

Just FYI I built a backstop several years ago using B grade RR ties and it's still looking good. Those cost me about $8 apiece but it was about 5 years ago. Current prices are a lot higher, more in the $20 range here in New Mexico.

 

[rust collector]

Used ties seem like the best solution, but the creosote makes them hazardous waste so best to be aware of the pros and cons. http://tercenter.org/pages/crossties.cfm

As lazy as I am, I would try to find old sheet piling for back and sides 6 to 8 feet tall. Wouldn't need to drive it in--not likely to wash out.

Save the tires for your sound suppression. More info: http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/destinations/shooting_ranges/outdoor_shooting_best_practices.pdf

 

[The Kidd]

OK, I don't post much but I built a great backstop with RR ties and tires. I used the ties to make a 3 sided enclosure, about 6 feet tall, and tapered towards the rear. I also used treated 4x4s sunk into the ground about 3 feet on the inside of the stack to stiffen things up. Then I got a number of free tires from a tire store and took a good sharp cabbage knife and cut the side wall out. Then put the cut piece into the tire so you don't have to dispose of it. Place the tires in a"W" pattern and fill the tires and the space between with sand. Stagger the next layer of tires and again fill with sand and tamp it down good. I tapered the tires toward the rear as I went up. I've had this up and been shooting everything into it for ten years and with just minor maintaince.