Posted: 6/24/2014 6:41:59 AM EDT
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I'm not sure where to put this, maybe GD is not the best. I have built a shooting range on my farm. There is a natural backstop, but it is not on my property. From where my targets are there is a creek about 30 feet wide and then about 80 feet of wooded area before you get to a hillside with dirt/rock/trees. In the fall it's easy to see if anyone is back there. In the spring, not so much. I always check before shooting, but would feel better if the bullets stopped on my side of the creek.
I've been looking for cheap ideas on how to build a backstop and not sure what to do. I have a several pine trees I could cut and stack up then cover with dirt. I'm thinking that may be by cheapest option. Any suggestions? |
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Bullet traps are easy enough to make. I have a box filled with sand in front of my berm. I forget - but I don't think even a 50bmg can make it through 16" of sand. That said - a true berm should be large enough that you can not miss it either. A berm at 100 yards is useless if you put your targets at 20 and bounce your rounds over it. Of course the 2 solutions to that is multiple berms or a movable firing line. The real berm problem I have seen is new shooters who anticipate recoil. They will often be raising the gun before the trigger falls - sending the round over the target (and often over the berm). At least on a rifle the reverse can be true - leaning into the shot before the trigger falls will drop the bullet - but my step daughter has bounced rounds over the berm doing that. |
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Bullet traps are easy enough to make. I have a box filled with sand in front of my berm. I forget - but I don't think even a 50bmg can make it through 16" of sand. That said - a true berm should be large enough that you can not miss it either. A berm at 100 yards is useless if you put your targets at 20 and bounce your rounds over it. Of course the 2 solutions to that is multiple berms or a movable firing line. The real berm problem I have seen is new shooters who anticipate recoil. They will often be raising the gun before the trigger falls - sending the round over the target (and often over the berm). I find that hard to believe. |
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I would not want to be the test dummy standing behind it if you are shooting it with a 50bmg. I did see an article that rated 50 bmg ammo piercing at 24" of dry stand. Real issue I would worry about is voids caused by prior shots. My main point is that most of us don't have a 50bmg and sand will stop everyday stuff much easier - nothing I own penetrates a foot. There is a reason the army still uses sandbags. They do wonders against shrapnel and small arms. - sorry about the berm soap box. I help coach with 4H shooting sports. Bullets over the berm is a good way for our clubs to get kicked off of ranges (even if they fall in open fields - too much liability). |
I am in the process of building a range. I have been using old tires. There is a scrap yard near my house with a shit load of old tires they want to get rid of, so I have been getting them for free. I also get them from a local tire shop for free. I am working on a second berm for shooting from and around the old junk van I have out next to the range also. Rail road ties make for good backstop material if you can get them cheap. Sorry about the crappy image quality, I had to make the pics smaller through imgurs editor. 
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I find that hard to believe. Quoted:
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Bullet traps are easy enough to make. I have a box filled with sand in front of my berm. I forget - but I don't think even a 50bmg can make it through 16" of sand. That said - a true berm should be large enough that you can not miss it either. A berm at 100 yards is useless if you put your targets at 20 and bounce your rounds over it. Of course the 2 solutions to that is multiple berms or a movable firing line. The real berm problem I have seen is new shooters who anticipate recoil. They will often be raising the gun before the trigger falls - sending the round over the target (and often over the berm). I find that hard to believe. Penetration capabilities of a single .50 caliber M2 Ball round fired from a 45-inch barrel. Range............Sand...............Clay...............Concrete 219 yd (200 m) 14 in (355.6 mm) 28 in (711.2 mm) 2 in (50.8 mm) 656 yd (600 m) 12 in (304.8 mm) 26 in (660.4 mm) 1 in (25.4 mm) 1,640 yd (1,500 m) 6 in (152.4 mm) 21 in (533.4 mm) 1 in (25.4 mm) And another one: 50 Cal Ball Ammo (Muzzle velocity not given): Sand at 600 meters: 12" Sand at 1500 meters: 6" Clay at 600 meters: 26" Clay at 1500 meters: 21" 50 Cal armor piercing (Muzzle velocity not given): Sand at 600 meters: 12" Sand at 1500 meters: 6" Clay at 600 meters: 27" Clay at 1500 meters: 21" Short range is what you may want to plan for! 50 AP at 100 yards: Concrete 9" Timber (logs) 96" Dry Soil: 28" Wet Soil: 42" Dry Sand: 24" Wet Sand: 36" Dry Clay: 42" Wet Clay: 64" |
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Helped a person in NM make one out of a old travel trailer. He shored up the sides with his post hole driller and pine logs sunk into the ground about 2ft apart down both sides.
Cut a hole down the middle with a saws all and filled it with dirt and tires. Witch crushed the suspension to the ground. piled dirt at the bottom in case something might try to go under. He screws plywood or old election signs to the logs for targets.  He painted the outside green and tan camo so it wouldn't look too bad.
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http://s15.postimg.org/4jhmlegtn/Backstop.jpg What about something like this? I can use old barn wood to cover the sides and fill with dirt. Not too sure how long the wood would last before needing to be replaced though. I would go that route if I was building one. But would the cover front side with a ton of old conveyor belt someone was getting rid of. It would heal up and the wood could fall apart behind it. That stuff is cheap and plentiful around here. Gravel pits have to pay for hazard removal for it. They will give it to you for free most of the time. Edit again for I bet you could build that with 10 4x8 sheets of plywood. A roll of old chain link fence pulled tight would keep the tops of the posts from splaying out. That dirt will exert a lot of outward pressure. But you could refill it by just pouring it through the top. As the dirt settles in. |
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I find that hard to believe. Quoted:
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Bullet traps are easy enough to make. I have a box filled with sand in front of my berm. I forget - but I don't think even a 50bmg can make it through 16" of sand. That said - a true berm should be large enough that you can not miss it either. A berm at 100 yards is useless if you put your targets at 20 and bounce your rounds over it. Of course the 2 solutions to that is multiple berms or a movable firing line. The real berm problem I have seen is new shooters who anticipate recoil. They will often be raising the gun before the trigger falls - sending the round over the target (and often over the berm). I find that hard to believe. I've seen range covers with hole in them, this missed everything! |
| My buddy built one on his farm. He drove 4x4s into the ground as posts, stacked used railroad ties up against the posts, then pushed a dirt berm up against it. He also braced the back with railroad ties as a precautionary measure (which turned out to be necessary with the weight of the dirt). |
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Penetration capabilities of a single .50 caliber M2 Ball round fired from a 45-inch barrel. Range............Sand...............Clay...............Concrete 219 yd (200 m) 14 in (355.6 mm) 28 in (711.2 mm) 2 in (50.8 mm) 656 yd (600 m) 12 in (304.8 mm) 26 in (660.4 mm) 1 in (25.4 mm) 1,640 yd (1,500 m) 6 in (152.4 mm) 21 in (533.4 mm) 1 in (25.4 mm) And another one: 50 Cal Ball Ammo (Muzzle velocity not given): Sand at 600 meters: 12" Sand at 1500 meters: 6" Clay at 600 meters: 26" Clay at 1500 meters: 21" 50 Cal armor piercing (Muzzle velocity not given): Sand at 600 meters: 12" Sand at 1500 meters: 6" Clay at 600 meters: 27" Clay at 1500 meters: 21" Short range is what you may want to plan for! 50 AP at 100 yards: Concrete 9" Timber (logs) 96" Dry Soil: 28" Wet Soil: 42" Dry Sand: 24" Wet Sand: 36" Dry Clay: 42" Wet Clay: 64" Quoted:
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Bullet traps are easy enough to make. I have a box filled with sand in front of my berm. I forget - but I don't think even a 50bmg can make it through 16" of sand. That said - a true berm should be large enough that you can not miss it either. A berm at 100 yards is useless if you put your targets at 20 and bounce your rounds over it. Of course the 2 solutions to that is multiple berms or a movable firing line. The real berm problem I have seen is new shooters who anticipate recoil. They will often be raising the gun before the trigger falls - sending the round over the target (and often over the berm). I find that hard to believe. Penetration capabilities of a single .50 caliber M2 Ball round fired from a 45-inch barrel. Range............Sand...............Clay...............Concrete 219 yd (200 m) 14 in (355.6 mm) 28 in (711.2 mm) 2 in (50.8 mm) 656 yd (600 m) 12 in (304.8 mm) 26 in (660.4 mm) 1 in (25.4 mm) 1,640 yd (1,500 m) 6 in (152.4 mm) 21 in (533.4 mm) 1 in (25.4 mm) And another one: 50 Cal Ball Ammo (Muzzle velocity not given): Sand at 600 meters: 12" Sand at 1500 meters: 6" Clay at 600 meters: 26" Clay at 1500 meters: 21" 50 Cal armor piercing (Muzzle velocity not given): Sand at 600 meters: 12" Sand at 1500 meters: 6" Clay at 600 meters: 27" Clay at 1500 meters: 21" Short range is what you may want to plan for! 50 AP at 100 yards: Concrete 9" Timber (logs) 96" Dry Soil: 28" Wet Soil: 42" Dry Sand: 24" Wet Sand: 36" Dry Clay: 42" Wet Clay: 64" My backstop is made up of ditch cleaning from the state, county and township road side ditches. It has a fair amount of sand, gravel and clay along with some topsoil. I consistently find penetrators at 20" into the material when shooting 50 BMG API or AP at 100yrds out of a 20" M82CQ. |
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I am in the process of building a range. I have been using old tires. There is a scrap yard near my house with a shit load of old tires they want to get rid of, so I have been getting them for free. I also get them from a local tire shop for free. I am working on a second berm for shooting from and around the old junk van I have out next to the range also. Rail road ties make for good backstop material if you can get them cheap. Sorry about the crappy image quality, I had to make the pics smaller through imgurs editor.
http://i.imgur.com/IfkY900.jpg?2 http://i.imgur.com/P6RLxCT.jpg?2 On the face of it. That looks like a nice smart setup. Able to be scaled to whatever the situation dictates. Plus you could pull the sides in a bit to give a cone shape. Just for any splatter that might run parallel to the wall. Would be caught by the forward edges on both sides. Done cheap and with easy to obtain materials. |
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On the face of it. That looks like a nice smart setup. Able to be scaled to whatever the situation dictates. Plus you could pull the sides in a bit to give a cone shape. Just for any splatter that might run parallel to the wall. Would be caught by the forward edges on both sides. Done cheap and with easy to obtain materials. Quoted:
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I am in the process of building a range. I have been using old tires. There is a scrap yard near my house with a shit load of old tires they want to get rid of, so I have been getting them for free. I also get them from a local tire shop for free. I am working on a second berm for shooting from and around the old junk van I have out next to the range also. Rail road ties make for good backstop material if you can get them cheap. Sorry about the crappy image quality, I had to make the pics smaller through imgurs editor.
http://i.imgur.com/IfkY900.jpg?2 http://i.imgur.com/P6RLxCT.jpg?2 On the face of it. That looks like a nice smart setup. Able to be scaled to whatever the situation dictates. Plus you could pull the sides in a bit to give a cone shape. Just for any splatter that might run parallel to the wall. Would be caught by the forward edges on both sides. Done cheap and with easy to obtain materials. Filling tires with dirt is EXTREMELY hard, if not done carefully you will end up with MANY air pockets with just the tire to stop the bullet. Which it WILL NOT do. If you can get the ones cut in half it makes the job easier x50 |
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Filling tires with dirt is EXTREMELY hard, if not done carefully you will end up with MANY air pockets with just the tire to stop the bullet. Which it WILL NOT do. If you can get the ones cut in half it makes the job easier x50 Quoted:
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I am in the process of building a range. I have been using old tires. There is a scrap yard near my house with a shit load of old tires they want to get rid of, so I have been getting them for free. I also get them from a local tire shop for free. I am working on a second berm for shooting from and around the old junk van I have out next to the range also. Rail road ties make for good backstop material if you can get them cheap. Sorry about the crappy image quality, I had to make the pics smaller through imgurs editor.
http://i.imgur.com/IfkY900.jpg?2 http://i.imgur.com/P6RLxCT.jpg?2 On the face of it. That looks like a nice smart setup. Able to be scaled to whatever the situation dictates. Plus you could pull the sides in a bit to give a cone shape. Just for any splatter that might run parallel to the wall. Would be caught by the forward edges on both sides. Done cheap and with easy to obtain materials. Filling tires with dirt is EXTREMELY hard, if not done carefully you will end up with MANY air pockets with just the tire to stop the bullet. Which it WILL NOT do. If you can get the ones cut in half it makes the job easier x50 I wouldn't say "extremely hard", a pain in the ass? Yes. I took extra time with each row and made sure each tire was completely filled up. I also packed dirt in between the tires, and there is dirt piled up behind the wall. I packed it good and tight with clay also. It does a good job. If I was really worried about bullets passing through, I would build a rail road tie wall up against the back of it. I have shot it quite a bit and inspected the back of the wall, and have yet to find evidence of bullets breaking through. It took a bit of extra effort, but considering that this back stop has cost almost nothing, I don't mind the extra work. |
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I'm not sure where to put this, maybe GD is not the best. I have built a shooting range on my farm. There is a natural backstop, but it is not on my property. From where my targets are there is a creek about 30 feet wide and then about 80 feet of wooded area before you get to a hillside with dirt/rock/trees. In the fall it's easy to see if anyone is back there. In the spring, not so much. I always check before shooting, but would feel better if the bullets stopped on my side of the creek. I've been looking for cheap ideas on how to build a backstop and not sure what to do. I have a several pine trees I could cut and stack up then cover with dirt. I'm thinking that may be by cheapest option. Any suggestions? Sorry but in my opinion you have no business relying/using someone else's property as your backstop. If you are not 100% sure that all rounds will be stopped on your property you have no business shooting at your range. The neighbor should be free to use their property without worrying about checking with you first if you are shooting or going to shoot, and they definitely should not have to worry that you might not see them while they are traversing their property. |
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Sorry but in my opinion you have no business relying/using someone else's property as your backstop. If you are not 100% sure that all rounds will be stopped on your property you have no business shooting at your range. The neighbor should be free to use their property without worrying about checking with you first if you are shooting or going to shoot, and they definitely should not have to worry that you might not see them while they are traversing their property. Quoted:
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I'm not sure where to put this, maybe GD is not the best. I have built a shooting range on my farm. There is a natural backstop, but it is not on my property. From where my targets are there is a creek about 30 feet wide and then about 80 feet of wooded area before you get to a hillside with dirt/rock/trees. In the fall it's easy to see if anyone is back there. In the spring, not so much. I always check before shooting, but would feel better if the bullets stopped on my side of the creek. I've been looking for cheap ideas on how to build a backstop and not sure what to do. I have a several pine trees I could cut and stack up then cover with dirt. I'm thinking that may be by cheapest option. Any suggestions? Sorry but in my opinion you have no business relying/using someone else's property as your backstop. If you are not 100% sure that all rounds will be stopped on your property you have no business shooting at your range. The neighbor should be free to use their property without worrying about checking with you first if you are shooting or going to shoot, and they definitely should not have to worry that you might not see them while they are traversing their property. Did you read all of the post? That is what I'm trying to do. |
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Did you read all of the post? That is what I'm trying to do. Quoted:
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I'm not sure where to put this, maybe GD is not the best. I have built a shooting range on my farm. There is a natural backstop, but it is not on my property. From where my targets are there is a creek about 30 feet wide and then about 80 feet of wooded area before you get to a hillside with dirt/rock/trees. In the fall it's easy to see if anyone is back there. In the spring, not so much. I always check before shooting, but would feel better if the bullets stopped on my side of the creek. I've been looking for cheap ideas on how to build a backstop and not sure what to do. I have a several pine trees I could cut and stack up then cover with dirt. I'm thinking that may be by cheapest option. Any suggestions? Sorry but in my opinion you have no business relying/using someone else's property as your backstop. If you are not 100% sure that all rounds will be stopped on your property you have no business shooting at your range. The neighbor should be free to use their property without worrying about checking with you first if you are shooting or going to shoot, and they definitely should not have to worry that you might not see them while they are traversing their property. Did you read all of the post? That is what I'm trying to do. Yeah I read twice before posting and you fail to see the issue. No matter what you do you run the risk of putting lead onto your neighbors property. Simple you do not own enough property down range to make a safe range. |
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My buddy built one on his farm. He drove 4x4s into the ground as posts, stacked used railroad ties up against the posts, then pushed a dirt berm up against it. He also braced the back with railroad ties as a precautionary measure (which turned out to be necessary with the weight of the dirt). This is exactly what I did. I got the railroad ties for free when the railroad near here was replacing them, hell, they even helped me load them using their crane |