I have a 24' detached garage that i am thinking about building an indoor shooting deal for myself.
Where can i get some plans on large backstops,,, how thick,what type of bottom to build.
any suggestions?

Action Target

that will depend on how much you shoot, what you shoot and how you shoot.

if you are going to shoot 22lr from a rifle you can make something small and it would not need to be too strong. 5.56-7.62 you need more, alot more.


How big do you plan to make it ?

What are you going to shoot?

The answers to that will tell you what you need


plate steal at a 45 angle  a sand box at the bottom will catch any fragments. the size of the plate and the size of the sand box will differ from 22lr to pistol cal to rifle cal




Invisiblesoul

Quoted: Proper ventilation and HAZMAT can be much more of an issue (and cost) than the backstop,etc.

+1, and don't forget zoning laws/exceptions to noise ordinances and the local EPA regulations on lead accumulation.

Tom  

Thanks for the action target link

the calibers i plan on using will be 22lr, .45acp pistol, & 5.56

I just wanted to fire off a few rounds whenever i wished. (stress reliever, fung shui,,,whatever)

I live in the county so firing laws is no issue. I have no problem shooting outside, i just didn't want to keep blasting everyday causing the frindlys to call the county mounties.

I have to read more about the proper ventilation issue. maybe no consern if i only shoot 30mins at a time.

I was just mainly curious if anyone has built one or if it could be done properly.

thanks

stacks of tires full of sand 3-4 deep staggered  then put a sheet of plywood in the front  to hang targets on
will stop about anything  cheap and easy
just keep a eye on the sand level

Savage or Caswell, but rifle steel aint cheap.

It might be cheaper to buy a silencer for the 22/5.56 and a few yards of sand as a backstop.

I have a Barn / Garage that I did the same thing too just recently. I used a 4x8 sheet of AR500 steel placed against the far wall from the garage door. Glued to the steel are some rubber / kevlar panels about 2 inches thick called Durapanels, and in front of that are Durablocks. They are large rubber blocks that stack in front.

It can handle up to a .308 at point blank range, and you dont have to worry about ricochet.

I got the steel from a company in Texas, and the blocks from Range Systems.  They were very helpful. The total cost was about $2800 after it was all said and done.

Have been very happy with the results

If you have accesst o earth moving equipment, a berm of dirt would be cheaper than steel and kevlar.  4" of sand will stop just about all small arms.  The trick would be to hold it up.  The easiest would be just a pile, with a wood kicker on the bottom.  It would be a lot of it, but it should be as cheap as dirt.  If you got dirt on your property, pile it up, then put a 4" layer of sand on top.  Make sure to rake out the rocks, bullets, etc... every now and then to prevent ricochets.  If the only purpose of being indoors is sound, there is not much you can do unless you brick it all in or construct double wall with insulation (don't forget about the roof).  If rounds are able to exit the sides of the building, you have to make sure no one is down range from you where you can't see them (ie: outside).  For ventilation, the air flow has to go from back to front so that all the crap is blown down range.  This which makes down range hazardous is if it a confined space, so a track to pull and retrieve targets down range is safer so that you don't have to enter that area. "Green" ammo is best as there would be no lead.  If you ever had to move or sell the place, the environmental clean up of a pile of lead would be costly.  You could do it your self at the cost of brain damage to anything with a heart beat (especially kids), but it would have to be still disclosed.  You could also consider instead of enclosing the entire range, just enclose the shooter.  Shoot out of a shed with the muzzle of your gun pointing through a muffler.  Plinking into the side of a dirt mound or the side of a hill in the open air is stil the best.

Before you buy (I'm not knocking anyone out there) check out Mike Gibson at mgmtargets.com . Mike is a great guy who works his butt off. His customer service is top notch and his steel is as durable and well built as anyoe out there. The "Belly band" for his shoot house sound like what you need and should be good for hundreds of thousands of rounds before you change the rubber out.

At any rate, you'll want a couple of large fans (24"  moving at least 550CFM) with one or more sucking in fresh and as many pulling out stale. It smells good, but the fumes from shooting will cause health maladies after prolonged exposure. Air movers in the commercial indoor ranges are the most expensive portion.

Stick with the "sand trap" methods if you don't plan on an expensive air filtration system. Lead bullets hitting steel back stops will "spray" lead deposits all over the place.

You could limit your ammo to the new "range safe" stuff.......and greatly reduce the risk of lead poisoning.

"Limiting".........your shooting sessions, to avoid the air hazzards is a very dangerous method to try and use.........   If you have children.....please be extra cautious. Lead builds up in our systems over years before it will cause neuro. damage.

JF.

get frangible ammo and you don't have to worry about the lead

Wow, lots of options.
I had a thought about 2'x3',,1/2 plate for the backstop,angled 45 degrees, directing the lead into a  6" deep x 16" wide x 3' long sand trough, then 1/4" plate for the sides.
Then after shooting a few hundred rounds, sift out the lead and dispose.

I also have a window at the back side of the building that i could put in a fan window unit.

Would the 1/2 plate for the backstop be enough?
Is there any risk in this idea?
thanks

Quoted: It might be cheaper to buy a silencer for the 22/5.56 and a few yards of sand as a backstop.

+1

yeah the sliencer would be the best option but just don't want to go through all the hassle getting one.
Plus the indoor deal, anyone can come over and pratice

Quoted: Plus the indoor deal, anyone can come over and pratice

And when get lead poisoning - they have a convienent person to sue with a homeowner's policy....

Some other considerations not mentioned are overhead and side baffles to address the inevitable "oops" factor. Other occupants of the house probably would be justifiably annoyed by HV lead based projectiles transiting unshielded parts of the house in the event of one of those "oops" events, especially if they become an auxiliary backstop!  That and a leaky ceiling in the garage (and other parts of the house) tend to suppress the fun factor when it starts raining.

Quoted:
I got the steel from a company in Texas, and the blocks from Range Systems.  They were very helpful. The total cost was about $2800 after it was all said and done.
**************************

I contacted them and they gave me about the same price 4x8 $3200

I think i will just take out the window and make a 1/2" thick steel box 16"x20", hang it out like an air con unit,