Posted: 9/8/2016 11:36:47 AM EDT
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Hey all,
I will be building a backyard backstop this weekend. It will be used for centerfire rifle 30cal and below. I plan on building it 2 to 3 feet wide, 2 to 3 feet tall, and deep enough to catch the bullets. I plan on using regular sand but not sure how deep I need to go. What are your thoughts on how much sand is needed to stop a 30 cal running at 2666 fps at the muzzle at 100 yards? Then build in extra thickness for safety sake... It needs to be just enough to cover the target area with overlap and deep enough so the round doesn't go into the pasture and woods behind my property. I don't need a big berm to catch everything as I shoot pistols elsewhere and that is already safe. Thanks!!! |
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Quoted:
that sounds very small for a rifle range. at 100 yards 3 feet is very small. This. If you want a meaningful backstop, you're going to need 5-6+ loads of dirt, and even that is tiny for a rifle berm. A 3x3 ft sand pile is not going to do much of anything and would be a waste of time. |
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I appreciate yalls concern that my backstop is too small. However, my rifle will shoot a 10 round group into a .4 to .5 inch at 100 and a 4 inch group at 1,000. I am pretty sure I can keep it within a 3 foot square at 100...
This is at my house where only myself, my wife, and folks I shoot with on a regular basis will use. I won't be having some random swinging **** over to my house who can't shoot to save his own hide. I should have clarified before. The sand will be held in place by plywood to keep the width and height. It is not just going to be a berm like we use at the range. Which brings me back to the question I asked.... How much sand is needed to stop a 30 cal? |
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It's always been my understanding that a "foot of sand" will stop most any common centerfire round.
Not sure where I got that figure, but I seem to remember it having something to do with the design of sandbags. That being said, my berms on my personal range are all 8-10 foot thick. 
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So if your scope mount loosens up and you ricochet one off the ground and over your backstop what happens then? Whats behind there?
Personally I'd rent a backhoe for a day(they are fun as shit too) and do it right I rented a case 580 (big mo-fo) for like $200/day when I did some landscaping so its not super expensive. |
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Quoted:
I appreciate yalls concern that my backstop is too small. However, my rifle will shoot a 10 round group into a .4 to .5 inch at 100 and a 4 inch group at 1,000. I am pretty sure I can keep it within a 3 foot square at 100... This is at my house where only myself, my wife, and folks I shoot with on a regular basis will use. I won't be having some random swinging **** over to my house who can't shoot to save his own hide. I should have clarified before. The sand will be held in place by plywood to keep the width and height. It is not just going to be a berm like we use at the range. Which brings me back to the question I asked.... How much sand is needed to stop a 30 cal? Safety devices are not there for when things go well, they're there for when things go wrong. By your numbers you could hang a 5"x5" thick ass steel plate angled down and have a sufficient backstop. Shit happens, scopes get bumped, irons get whanged, new rifles don't perform sub-MOA even though the marketing guy says it will, and people make mistakes. Thats what the berm is for. Its there to catch bullets that don't quite go where they were supposed to, not to catch bullets after passing through the target exactly where you want them to. |
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Quoted:
Safety devices are not there for when things go well, they're there for when things go wrong. By your numbers you could hang a 5"x5" thick ass steel plate angled down and have a sufficient backstop. Shit happens, scopes get bumped, irons get whanged, new rifles don't perform sub-MOA even though the marketing guy says it will, and people make mistakes. Thats what the berm is for. Its there to catch bullets that don't quite go where they were supposed to, not to catch bullets after passing through the target exactly where you want them to. Quoted:
Quoted:
I appreciate yalls concern that my backstop is too small. However, my rifle will shoot a 10 round group into a .4 to .5 inch at 100 and a 4 inch group at 1,000. I am pretty sure I can keep it within a 3 foot square at 100... This is at my house where only myself, my wife, and folks I shoot with on a regular basis will use. I won't be having some random swinging **** over to my house who can't shoot to save his own hide. I should have clarified before. The sand will be held in place by plywood to keep the width and height. It is not just going to be a berm like we use at the range. Which brings me back to the question I asked.... How much sand is needed to stop a 30 cal? Safety devices are not there for when things go well, they're there for when things go wrong. By your numbers you could hang a 5"x5" thick ass steel plate angled down and have a sufficient backstop. Shit happens, scopes get bumped, irons get whanged, new rifles don't perform sub-MOA even though the marketing guy says it will, and people make mistakes. Thats what the berm is for. Its there to catch bullets that don't quite go where they were supposed to, not to catch bullets after passing through the target exactly where you want them to. Exactly. and every round has a lawyer attached to it. |
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Quoted:
I appreciate yalls concern that my backstop is too small. However, my rifle will shoot a 10 round group into a .4 to .5 inch at 100 and a 4 inch group at 1,000. I am pretty sure I can keep it within a 3 foot square at 100... This is at my house where only myself, my wife, and folks I shoot with on a regular basis will use. I won't be having some random swinging **** over to my house who can't shoot to save his own hide. I should have clarified before. The sand will be held in place by plywood to keep the width and height. It is not just going to be a berm like we use at the range. Which brings me back to the question I asked.... How much sand is needed to stop a 30 cal? Lol |