Posted: 2/19/2009 2:12:03 PM EDT
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Couple years back neighbors called and bitched about the noise. Cops showed up and said they didn't give a shit about the noise but to shoot .223
or other "high powered rifle" you must have a 15' x 15' backstop. Well after going to the public range last week its seeming like a good idea to have a few truckloads of dirt brought in to make a backstop. My question is, does anyone know first hand, does it really have to be 15' x 15', that will take a shitload of dirt, Any help is appreciated. |
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If you've ever shot a .223 into say a pile of dirt you'll definately find out quickly that round will not pass through say 5-6 feet of compacted untouched Ohio dirt. 15x15 is a bit of a stretch. I shoot into the side of naturally forming hills, creek beds ect.
And yet i have had to make complaints at my parents house where "neighbors" have managed to land rounds into a barn that is 2500+ feet from any house. A .223 at that distance barely managed to lodge itself into 3/8" plywood. Just FYI make a reasonable judgement. |
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Quoted:
If you've ever shot a .223 into say a pile of dirt you'll definately find out quickly that round will not pass through say 5-6 feet of compacted untouched Ohio dirt. 15x15 is a bit of a stretch. I shoot into the side of naturally forming hills, creek beds ect. And yet i have had to make complaints at my parents house where "neighbors" have managed to land rounds into a barn that is 2500+ feet from any house. A .223 at that distance barely managed to lodge itself into 3/8" plywood. Just FYI make a reasonable judgement. ok, I know that and you know that. I am simply restating what the cop said. There is a thicket back there and high weeds behind that. I was just wondering if anyone had looked this up recently. I am just trying to fulfill the minimum requirement to what they consider "safe". Keep in mind, a lot of these people think the barrel shroud is the thing that goes up 
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Personally being a cop I wouldn't tell anyone that. If I determined (my discretion) you were shooting in a safe manner and not in the direction of any potential collateral targets I’d leave you be....
Now I can attest that not every cop is schooled in proper gun handling/target shooting/safety. So if you ever have negative encounters with a police officer/sheriff just ask for their supervisor and ask their supervisor if what that particular officer said was department policy. I don't like calling anyone on their word but I’d just question their level of knowledge. I think if any LE deems that you've taken "reasonable" steps to ensure safety on your own property I doubt many would have a problem and tell the neighbors to mind their own business and there's no need for them to be on the call. I had my father who owns a small dump truck construct a lite backstop in a relatively flat area. BTW the sheriff that came and took my complaint thought the bullet I removed from my father’s barn was a .17!!! WOW! Also on this particular tract of land I’ve had people who had "rights" to shoot on a buddy's land send shotgun slugs over my head into my woods while I was policing my property for trespassers and illegal deer stands. What county/city/township are you located. Hope you never hear from the cops again! 
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Quoted:
Personally being a cop I wouldn't tell anyone that. If I determined (my discretion) you were shooting in a safe manner and not in the direction of any potential collateral targets I’d leave you be.... Now I can attest that not every cop is schooled in proper gun handling/target shooting/safety. So if you ever have negative encounters with a police officer/sheriff just ask for their supervisor and ask their supervisor if what that particular officer said was department policy. I don't like calling anyone on their word but I’d just question their level of knowledge. I think if any LE deems that you've taken "reasonable" steps to ensure safety on your own property I doubt many would have a problem and tell the neighbors to mind their own business and there's no need for them to be on the call. I had my father who owns a small dump truck construct a lite backstop in a relatively flat area. BTW the sheriff that came and took my complaint thought the bullet I removed from my father’s barn was a .17!!! WOW! Also on this particular tract of land I’ve had people who had "rights" to shoot on a buddy's land send shotgun slugs over my head into my woods while I was policing my property for trespassers and illegal deer stands. What county/city/township are you located. Hope you never hear from the cops again!
I live in portage county, my parents property (where I plan on shooting) is located in atwater township, also in portage county. The 2 sheriffs who came out were completely courteous. I could tell they wanted to maybe blast off a magazine or 2 themselves, I even offered. So, I guess we will get some dirt and put a nice sized mound out there. I dont know if it will be 15' feet high though, thats like 2 stories of dirt or some shit. And the suppressor I now possess will cut down on the noise and bitchy little neighbors complaints. |
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Depending on your terrain, your water managment system and your desire to shoot 365 or not, think down. I took a dozer and kept pushing dirt down the shooting lane and then used the loader to build up the berm., so I have a shooting lane that is 12-14" below surrounding grade and ends with the base of the berm app. 3 ft. below previous grad and then use the dirt I removed to build up the grade, so if you shoot at low targets (usually as I do with the higher power sutff from a prone position, if it passes through the new perm, it will still be below grade (assuming a stright line pass through, and that you can't really do)....
Dan |
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I think 15' x 15' is overdoing it a bit. On my buddies property we shoot (downward of course) into a small, maybe 3' x 3' pile of sand and dirt. Sand might be a better backstop than dirt. Check out the box o' truth's test on sand and how well it can stop a bullet:
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot7.htm It's pretty dang interesting to see how well a few inches of sand can stop/slow/disintegrate a bullet |