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Posted: 6/4/2016 9:55:08 AM EDT
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Sorry to post here, but I can't find anywhere online that has a forum just for range design. Please feel free to guide me if you know of one.
I am building a range on some farm land that I own. I'm having a cabin built and my bulldozer guy is now finishing up on my range. These are the current dimensions as of today, and I am thinking this is where we are going to stop. He has moved an incredible amount of dirt and I currently have a 300 yard range (will put targets at 100, 200, and 300 yards). I am shooting at an elevation of 5'7" (Not in relation to sea level, just level of my range) towards a 300 yard target at 5', so there is a 7" downward slope over the course of the 300 yards. Behind the 300 yard target is a slope that runs about 8 feet in elevation over about 30 yards and then I have a backstop 84 feet wide, (left to right) 15 or so feet deep (front to back), and about 15 feet high. Thus making my backstop 23 feet total in height above where my 300 yard target will be. Sorry if confusing. Does anyone see a problem with any of this? Have any suggestions? We can make it higher, but it really does look huge in the current state. Just looking for help and suggestions. Thanks. |
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You're gonna shoot kneeling or prone or off a bench, so you'll be shooting an upward angle - plan for it.
Low and prone shots may skip off the ground and over the berm - I see it all the time - plan for it. Your backstop can never be too big, so just be sure what's behind and beyond, unless it's a mountainside. |
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Quoted:
You're gonna shoot kneeling or prone or off a bench, so you'll be shooting an upward angle - plan for it. Low and prone shots may skip off the ground and over the berm - I see it all the time - plan for it. Your backstop can never be too big, so just be sure what's behind and beyond, unless it's a mountainside. This is important to keep in mind. Our private range on our farm stretches 200yds in the bottom of a valley and 25 yards past the 200yd plate, the valley stops and the hill starts climbing dramatically so technically our backstop is hundreds of feet high. Having said that, if you know who will be shooting at your range and you are confident in their abilities, I wouldn't foresee any issues with what you have. But, if you have the means to add a little bit more of a cushion, why not? On a side note, it's hard for me to completely imagine what you have so far so if you think it's good, pay the dozer man and start breaking in that range 
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Thank you all for the suggestions. I think I will have him cut into that slope so I can put my target closer to the steep part of the berm.
Should I have 3 sets of targets and shoot from the same spot or 1 set of targets and shoot from 3 different spots? I suppose a table at 100, 200, and 300 is the best way to go. At this point my only concern is bullet skip. Off to an angle I'm not shooting at would be a house (over 100 yards of trees and 1200 yards of corn field according to Google maps dimensions.) I would have to miss pretty bad to hit that, I assume. Just want to be safe. |
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Pictures aren't great, but hopefully you all can see what I am doing.
This one is from about 225 yards away from the flag that represents 300 yards from where I'm shooting. 
This one is standing at the bottom of the berm and looking up. Looks huge from this angle, I am 5'10" and standing while I take this picture. Again, the flag shown is my 300 yard marker. 
This one is taken with me standing on top of the berm (Has a flat top about 6' wide) looking back at where I will be shooting from. I am around 325-350 or so. I put a little orange mark where the flag is because I could just barely see it on the picture. The flag represents where I will be shooting from. 
Not a great picture but turned out better then the others I took. The berm can be seen at the top right hand side of the picture. Can't remember a rough distance on this one, but it shows the elevation pretty good. 
At this point I think I am going to have my bulldozer guy cut into the berm about 5' and have my target sit lower then it currently would be.... Other suggestions/comments? Thanks. |
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Require that everyone only shoot "Rick Grimes style".
But seriously, I don't know if they still do, but the NRA used to have plans for ranges. I think they'd send them to you if you were a Member. That was quite a few years ago. Best of luck however you decide to proceed. |
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