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Posted: 6/27/2012 11:58:17 PM EDT
[#1]
I'll make a few assumptions since it isn't mentioned specifically.
Assumption 1. A booth at the shooters end of the range large enough to contain the shooter within the range. Assumption 2. That you're a good enough shot to not need to bullet proof the side walls of range, just the backstop. The tunnel would be make of 1/4"plywood with 1/2" insulation board attached to the inside, and the first 10 feet a layer of studio foam. Backstop would be a 4'X4' sheet of AR500 (thickness dependent on what rounds you're using) For the shooter's box, same 1/4" plywood with 1/2" insulation board over it, and then studiofoam on the walls. Corners are your biggest concern for sound escaping and would probably need to be doubled up. If you DON'T want a shooters area and are trying to find a way to shoot ONLY inside the listed diameters, then sound suppression is going to be MUCH harder for pistol. For rifle, i could see getting a sheet of 1" clear plexiglass and drilling a hole large enough to insert barrel, then using the sheet of plexiglass to cap off the shooter's end. ETA: If you're shooting rifle in it, i'd remove the studiofoam, a couple of ar blasts in and you'd be catching the tunnel on fire 
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Posted: 6/28/2012 12:25:57 AM EDT
[#2]
a friend of mine did.
walls are made of concrete fully covered with a thick layers of cork/plywood. shooting position walls also have a layer of foam. exit door and windows are made of thick plywood & cork as well + 5mm of steel to prevent bullets to exit. being in the basement the windows aren't facing directly outside but into a manhole (inside a private property) so there's no way bullets can hit somebody outside. the target area consists of a deep cavity filled with big wood logs and sand. one important thing is the air ventilation system: every 15-20 minutes we have to open the windows and activate it or the smoke will kill you
ETA: this range setup is working fine with rifle caliber up to .308 
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Posted: 6/28/2012 1:59:33 AM EDT
[#3]
Sand will stop the bullets the best.
The sound will be the harder part. You will need insulation, or silencer. Silencer will be easier and cheaper. Third is fresh air. That will need windows in the area. |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 2:21:17 AM EDT
[#4]
Quoted:
I'll make a few assumptions since it isn't mentioned specifically. Assumption 1. A booth at the shooters end of the range large enough to contain the shooter within the range. Assumption 2. That you're a good enough shot to not need to bullet proof the side walls of range, just the backstop. The tunnel would be make of 1/4"plywood with 1/2" insulation board attached to the inside, and the first 10 feet a layer of studio foam. Backstop would be a 4'X4' sheet of AR500 (thickness dependent on what rounds you're using) For the shooter's box, same 1/4" plywood with 1/2" insulation board over it, and then studiofoam on the walls. Corners are your biggest concern for sound escaping and would probably need to be doubled up. If you DON'T want a shooters area and are trying to find a way to shoot ONLY inside the listed diameters, then sound suppression is going to be MUCH harder for pistol. For rifle, i could see getting a sheet of 1" clear plexiglass and drilling a hole large enough to insert barrel, then using the sheet of plexiglass to cap off the shooter's end. ETA: If you're shooting rifle in it, i'd remove the studiofoam, a couple of ar blasts in and you'd be catching the tunnel on fire You're suggesting that the OP use AR500 as his backstop at 20 feet, seriously? 
I would hope no one actually does this, because this is horrible advice. |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 3:05:30 AM EDT
[#5]
We use products from this company at work. We have several AR500 rolling backstops that we can move to different positions. The blocks appear to be made of recycled rubber.
http://www.inrangesupplies.com/index.php/ballistic-rubber/dura-bloc-689.html CHRIS |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 3:24:19 AM EDT
[#6]
Not impossible but do consider the enviromental end of things.
Look at the air the shooter is breathing and what might be escapeing to other parts of the house. Also consider that the area around the shooting position will have all sorts of nasty toxic stuff covering the floor . As the shooter stands and walks in this area he/she will be picking up this nasty material on shoes and walking it into other portions of the house.As floors and floor coverings are contaminated some of the material will of course be picked up by normal cleaning methods but traffic across these contaminated floors will raise a certain percentage of this toxic material into the air. If you are a old fart liveing alone this is only a personal issue but a family with kids and pets (both of whom spend a higher amount of time on or near the floor) this should be a concern |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 3:30:28 AM EDT
[#7]
There may be local laws that prohibit this. I suggest you check with your regional building department first. See if there are any building code or zoning issues to consider. It is your house, but the government still gets to tell you what you can and can't do sometimes.
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Posted: 6/28/2012 3:51:20 AM EDT
[#8]
following along .
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Posted: 6/28/2012 3:59:11 AM EDT
[#9]
My parents neighbor 3 houses up from them have a shooting range in their basement. They are super wealthy.
I was friends with their one son growing up and we used to shoot in it all the time. Its about 8-10 feet wide and about 25yds long. The entire room is lined with metal and on the shooting end there is a huge fan that ventilates the room. I wish I had pictures, but I lost the ones I had. |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 3:59:16 AM EDT
[#10]
Airgun + phonebook.
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Posted: 6/28/2012 4:09:49 AM EDT
[#11]
Dude in town had a nice little range in his basement. He shot bullseye and rimfire silhouette on reduced targets.
He used tractor tires cabled together as a "shooting tunnel" for approx 15' which really muffled things down to the point you couldn't hear him banging away with a .45 from the sidewalk outside. Bullet trap was a 3/8 steel plate at approx 45 degrees over a sand box. Ventilation was one of those basement window evacuators at the trap end, and a slightly opened window on the other. I never asked, but there were no permits for such a thing back then.LOL!! |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 4:18:56 AM EDT
[#12]
Quoted: a friend of mine did.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6AynwYeQsYwalls are made of concrete fully covered with a thick layers of cork/plywood. shooting position walls also have a layer of foam. exit door and windows are made of thick plywood & cork as well + 5mm of steel to prevent bullets to exit. being in the basement the windows aren't facing directly outside but into a manhole (inside a private property) so there's no way bullets can hit somebody outside. the target area consists of a deep cavity filled with big wood logs and sand. one important thing is the air ventilation system: every 15-20 minutes we have to open the windows and activate it or the smoke will kill you ETA: this range setup is working fine with rifle caliber up to .308 http://s13.postimage.org/rdyyjbv1z/RANGE.png Its killing you anyways, you need constant ventilation. What your doing is like staying in a house fire still you cant breath, completely ignoring the fact that you are still breathing in all that nasty crap before hand. There is no such thing as a healthy low dose of lead particles and whatever else there is. |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 4:21:21 AM EDT
[#13]
Quoted:
Airgun + phonebook. Pfft. Airgun. Please. (Warning! NSFW language)
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Posted: 6/28/2012 4:26:06 AM EDT
[#14]
Quoted: Quoted: I'll make a few assumptions since it isn't mentioned specifically. Assumption 1. A booth at the shooters end of the range large enough to contain the shooter within the range. Assumption 2. That you're a good enough shot to not need to bullet proof the side walls of range, just the backstop. The tunnel would be make of 1/4"plywood with 1/2" insulation board attached to the inside, and the first 10 feet a layer of studio foam. Backstop would be a 4'X4' sheet of AR500 (thickness dependent on what rounds you're using) For the shooter's box, same 1/4" plywood with 1/2" insulation board over it, and then studiofoam on the walls. Corners are your biggest concern for sound escaping and would probably need to be doubled up. If you DON'T want a shooters area and are trying to find a way to shoot ONLY inside the listed diameters, then sound suppression is going to be MUCH harder for pistol. For rifle, i could see getting a sheet of 1" clear plexiglass and drilling a hole large enough to insert barrel, then using the sheet of plexiglass to cap off the shooter's end. ETA: If you're shooting rifle in it, i'd remove the studiofoam, a couple of ar blasts in and you'd be catching the tunnel on fire You're suggesting that the OP use AR500 as his backstop at 20 feet, seriously? I would hope no one actually does this, because this is horrible advice. Steel is fine, as long as you have some plywood 2-3ft in front of it to catch the fragments, or use frangible ammo. |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 4:47:42 AM EDT
[#15]
Quoted:
There may be local laws that prohibit this. I suggest you check with your regional building department first. See if there are any building code or zoning issues to consider. It is your house, but the government still gets to tell you what you can and can't do sometimes. Many of the zoneing laws that would prevent a shooting range are aimed at commercial uses. The control for non commercial,not for pay uses are considerable les restricted. But it doesn't hurt to be familiar with building laws and regulations |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 4:49:08 AM EDT
[#16]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Airgun + phonebook. Pfft. Airgun. Please. (Warning! NSFW language) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZgoo6t7RZ4WTF... that fucker is crazy/dumb/crazy/stupid. Is it me or did it sound like that first shot (across the room) ricochet around the room? was that the one he couldnt find??? |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 4:49:34 AM EDT
[#17]
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Posted: 6/28/2012 4:57:54 AM EDT
[#18]
I don't have a basement. What then
Before the Do Not Call List came around I once (or more times) had a talk with a telemarketeer. He had these offers for waterproofing the basement. Tell you what: Come around and check us out. If there is no basement I get to shoot out the tires your vehicle. |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 5:04:23 AM EDT
[#19]
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Posted: 6/28/2012 5:17:01 AM EDT
[#20]
Do read up on lead poisoning first.
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Posted: 6/28/2012 5:24:50 AM EDT
[#21]
LEAD
No mention of that yet. (drat! GregK posted while I was typing  ). OP: are you aware that most PRIMERS contain lead & emit lead particles with ever shot? Not only that, but jacketed bullets with EXPOSED LEAD BASE will contribute to the lead in the air.
I could advice you to only use non-toxic or lead-free primers along with frangible lead free bullets, but we all know you are not going to do that. Few places do (although Sig Arms Academy does have such a range). I assume you plane to actually live in the hose too. Have kids? Planning to someday? Have nieces/nephews? You have a really cool idea, but use your head in planning this out; I believe it can be done safely but consider the lead too & how you will make sure lead particles will remain in a safe area (and not in your family's blood stream/bones). |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 5:25:45 AM EDT
[#22]
Dig trench
Install concrete storm culvert pipe Fill one end with sand and install electric fan vent to surface Cut hole in basement wall and connect other end of pipe Fill in trench Enjoy shooting |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 5:30:14 AM EDT
[#23]
You'll turn your house into a Tier 1 haz-mat superfund site, uninhabitable for 500 years.
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Posted: 6/28/2012 5:30:16 AM EDT
[#24]
Quoted:
Quoted:
a friend of mine did. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6AynwYeQsY
walls are made of concrete fully covered with a thick layers of cork/plywood. shooting position walls also have a layer of foam. exit door and windows are made of thick plywood & cork as well + 5mm of steel to prevent bullets to exit. being in the basement the windows aren't facing directly outside but into a manhole (inside a private property) so there's no way bullets can hit somebody outside. the target area consists of a deep cavity filled with big wood logs and sand. one important thing is the air ventilation system: every 15-20 minutes we have to open the windows and activate it or the smoke will kill you
ETA: this range setup is working fine with rifle caliber up to .308 http://s13.postimage.org/rdyyjbv1z/RANGE.png Its killing you anyways, you need constant ventilation. What your doing is like staying in a house fire still you cant breath, completely ignoring the fact that you are still breathing in all that nasty crap before hand. There is no such thing as a healthy low dose of lead particles and whatever else there is. Can you say N95 mask. lol jk Yes F that its going to cost a lot to make a indoor range in your basement the correct way. |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 5:31:16 AM EDT
[#25]
Quoted:
Airgun + phonebook. I use a kjw p229 airsoft gun that's the spitting image of my p228 and a canvas dropcloth as a backstop. |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 5:39:43 AM EDT
[#26]
All of what they said plus VENTILATION. My friend works as a firearms examiner and uses an indoor range a lot. he has to have blood work annually to test for lead.
Also for more advice go search the armory forum here...there were several threads and blueprints I believe. |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 6:02:33 AM EDT
[#27]
What about the bullet holes in the ceiling/kitchen floor?
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Posted: 6/28/2012 9:27:49 AM EDT
[#28]
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Posted: 6/28/2012 9:50:34 AM EDT
[#29]
Mark built an underground range - he used a burred bullet tunnel.
A sand filled trap will stop bullets and is considerably quiter than a metal one. Mine really does not leak all that quickly - you could probably use one inside if you replaced the front panel occasionally and monitored the sand level. That said, having the steel behind it as a backup plan is not all that bad (did loose a window once because of 100's of pellets hitting a bullseye in the same place eventually ate through my trap. My sand trap is outside - it is mainly to help extend the life of my berm. I have fired subsonic into my indoor steel trap before - and hitting the steel is still loud (went to steel inside after the window incident). Not to mention I suspect the steel creates a LOT more lead dust. The steel trap is in a shop - and generally only used for pcp air rifles and pistols. My preferred indoor trap is a captive silent trap, but I need to rebuild it so air pistol targets will fit - plus stepson is a bit wild yet and occasionally misses the paper. I used it mostly in my travel trailer. (with a safety plate behind hit, one window was enough). |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 11:35:58 AM EDT
[#30]
Some of the folks on the Cast Bullet List have successfully used the granulated rubber mulch available from Lowe's, HD, etc. to catch lead bullets at reasonable velocities.
Contraptions have ranged from a large box good for even deep-penetrating .45-70 Marlin-level loads down to a simple 5 gal bucket on its side, good for gentle pistol loads. Many (most?) of the bullets are recovered almost undamaged and ready to re-cast. It doesn't help with the primary source of lead exposure (the primers), but one could set up to reload with the lead-free primers for indoor use. You'd still need ventilation and sound suppression, but bullet trapping and lead contamination problems would be minimized. |
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Posted: 6/28/2012 4:44:20 PM EDT
[#31]
Got it, ventilation. Of course.
But what I really want to know is how to keep the bullets and sound in. Are the metal bullet traps louder than the treated rubber? I was thinking about shooting down a smooth 1/4" steel culvert (non-corrugated) into a space-saving trap of some kind, then wrapping the outside of the culvert and the inside of the CMU tunnel with sound proofing. Not sure how I would deal with the shooter's position... |
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Posted: 6/29/2012 6:04:30 AM EDT
[#32]
OP, I want to show you something:
I designed this match. Travis Haley is an old friend of mine, and he is in this video shooting my match. I built the temporary bullet traps you see in this video. They are simply thin wood boxes filled with backstop material: in this case, specialized shredded rubber from tires that contains NO STEEL AT ALL (this is very important, as steel will spark & catch the rubber on fire). The range was then owned by the current president and former world champion, Phil Strader (another old friend). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJpGrFeNpZs The temporary backstops were only about 14" to 16" thick; that amount of shredded rubber WILL stop a pistol bullet. Plus, after a year or two you can recover the lead and copper for salvage $$$. You should look into this material. I believe our trap was made by Caswell. Google it. |
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