Small Caliber indoor range at home?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Small Caliber indoor range at home?

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:09:58 AM EDT

Is it legal? I was thinking of using .22LR only and several thick telephone books as a back stop and 20ft away? Good idea or dangerous?

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:10:21 AM EDT

[#1]

IN

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:11:36 AM EDT

[#2]

First consult your state and local laws (specifically city ordinances) about the legality of discharging firearms within city limits. A homemade backstop out of telephone books is ill advised. There are special traps (rated by caliber) which would be preferred.

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:11:48 AM EDT

[#3]

Lead dust from bullets impacting each other will be a problem

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:14:36 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Lead dust from bullets impacting each other will be a problem

Plastic Bullets

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:16:41 AM EDT

[#5]

Let me know when the first "Armoredsaint house party and indoor shoot" is going to be.

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:17:28 AM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Lead dust from bullets impacting each other will be a problem

Plastic Bullets

I've also used foam earplugs for point shooting up to 20 feet or so.

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:21:09 AM EDT

[#7]

One of the fanciest indoor ranges I've seen - the 50 meter setup at the olympic training center - used nothing but roll-out steel traps in what was otherwise essentially a gymnasium.

In fact, when the day was done and the traps rolled away, it was great for floor hockey.

Your biggest concern is not the backstop, but the ventilation. Ventilation is what kills indoor ranges.

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:23:04 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Lead dust from bullets impacting each other will be a problem

Plastic Bullets

I've also used foam earplugs for point shooting up to 20 feet or so.

Neat idea. I have heard of exhibition shooters using solid wax bullets as well.

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:25:32 AM EDT

[#9]

Phone books will soon disintegrate at the point of multiple impacts at which time they will no longer be able to absorb the energy of the bullet.

Even if you get a bullet stop that will work with a given caliber, you will also have a problem with lead dust in the air. If you had been around an indoor range built before the air quality requirements were established, you would have found the floor to be slippery with lead.

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:26:16 AM EDT

[#10]

Aguila .22 Colibri will not penetrate one large phone book. But a better idea to get one large cardboard box (think a moving box) and fill it up with Sunday edition newspapers.

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:29:13 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Let me know when the first "Armoredsaint house party and indoor shoot" is going to be.

haha! i can see the local PD raiding my place

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:33:19 AM EDT

[#12]

I'd put the books in a box to avoid having to clean up confetti.

Ventilation would be important.

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:34:23 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Lead dust from bullets impacting each other will be a problem

Plastic Bullets

I've also used foam earplugs for point shooting up to 20 feet or so.

Neat idea. I have heard of exhibition shooters using solid wax bullets as well.

I ried wax also. Unless your gun was spic and span it left wax in the bore. It also traps moisture in the bore, which means clean it within a day or two. Someone made a rubber bullet you squished down. It wass a full wadcutter. you also had to drill out your flash holes larger or it would back out your primer. Same with the wax. The earplugs i never had a problem with

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:43:59 AM EDT

[#14]

I've used wax bullets alot as a kid. We had a range setup in our basement.

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:54:03 AM EDT

[#15]

I have been thinking of building a bullet trap out of modeling clay. I think if I layer it three bricks deep, in a metal pan, there won't be any dust. it'll be in the clay.

the lead will lump up in chunks and occasionally I'll dig out the big chunks, pound another couple bricks in there and shoot again.

it'd be sweet to bore a hole through the wall, 50 feet or so out from the basement wall and put a little bullet trap with a vent hole and fan to the surface.

I bet it wouldn't cost that much except digging a small hole would be a biatch.

Posted: 7/19/2008 11:56:30 AM EDT

[#16]

As said before , check local laws.
If you live in an urban area, you can bet it will be illegal.
Phone books will not last, you will need some kind of trap, there are many made commercially and really not that expensive.
I have a few friends that have small caliber ranges in their basements, and one that has a setup for anything up to .45 ACP, but he only uses suppressed weapons.
If you do it right, and are very safety oriented you should have no problem.

link

Posted: 7/19/2008 12:06:58 PM EDT

[#17]

tag

Posted: 7/19/2008 12:22:50 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
First consult your state and local laws (specifically city ordinances) about the legality of discharging firearms within city limits. A homemade backstop out of telephone books is ill advised. There are special traps (rated by caliber) which would be preferred.

well unfortunately i just found out it's illegal in my area

o'well...

Posted: 7/19/2008 12:28:51 PM EDT

[#19]

Ruger MKII + Gemtech Outback Can + Yellow pages = FUN FUN FUN.

This was taken in my spare room.

A few issues;

1) If you use phone book, you can only get a few shots of til they start "channeling" through existing holes, which means they will follow other shots and eventually penetrate all the way through the phone book. This is why I purposely made my shot groups spread out, this was shot at 10yards from one room to another. lol

2) The powder and smoke is horrible within a confined room. After those shots I was done. The place smelled like a gun range for weeks. also because im using a surpressor, there is always unburnt powder that gets everywhere. I put a tarp down and you should see how dirty it was after those shots.

3) unless you use a surpressor or aquila primer only ammo, itll be very loud inside a confined space.

Now, if your talking a 20yard basement, that is fine. Have good ventiliation and I would sound proof the hell out of the place. Maybe even look into using old tires as a "tunnel" for shooting to help absorb some of the sound, etc. I would also get a legit backstop. for 22 cal. bullets. PHone books are fine for plinking on rare occasions, but you have to change them too often to make it worth while.

Posted: 7/19/2008 12:31:00 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Ruger MKII + Gemtech Outback Can + Yellow pages = FUN FUN FUN.

This was taken in my spare room.

i21.photobucket.com/albums/b262/die-tryin/FunFactor.jpg

A few issues;

1) If you use phone book, you can only get a few shots of til they start "channeling" through existing holes, which means they will follow other shots and eventually penetrate all the way through the phone book. This is why I purposely made my shot groups spread out, this was shot at 10yards from one room to another. lol

2) The powder and smoke is horrible within a confined room. After those shots I was done. The place smelled like a gun range for weeks. also because im using a surpressor, there is always unburnt powder that gets everywhere. I put a tarp down and you should see how dirty it was after those shots.

3) unless you use a surpressor or aquila primer only ammo, itll be very loud inside a confined space.

Now, if your talking a 20yard basement, that is fine. Have good ventiliation and I would sound proof the hell out of the place. Maybe even look into using old tires as a "tunnel" for shooting to help absorb some of the sound, etc. I would also get a legit backstop. for 22 cal. bullets. PHone books are fine for plinking on rare occasions, but you have to change them too often to make it worth while.

my .22 is suppressed, but it's only 20 feet of space i can afford...probably not worth it now

Posted: 7/19/2008 2:08:25 PM EDT

[#21]

You will get lead that comes from the bullets themselves (and whatever they are hitting) and you also get lead compounds and other hazardous heavy metal crud from the primers and burning of the powder.
Run a big fan and move enough air and you will be good to shoot but there is a surprising amount of crud that still winds up on the floor (and walls and ceiling) that you will track into other parts of your living space.
Sounds like a dream to have a place to shoot right where you live but be very careful that if you go ahead that you stay healthy

Posted: 7/19/2008 8:35:03 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
One of the fanciest indoor ranges I've seen - the 50 meter setup at the olympic training center - used nothing but roll-out steel traps in what was otherwise essentially a gymnasium.

In fact, when the day was done and the traps rolled away, it was great for floor hockey.

Your biggest concern is not the backstop, but the ventilation. Ventilation is what kills indoor ranges.

Wanda has improved things. When I shot at the OTC, we went to the Air Force academy.

SRM

Posted: 7/19/2008 8:43:33 PM EDT

[#23]

I have shot indoors with wax bullets, plastic bullets, rubber bullets, air gun pellets, and suppressed .22s.

A previous post already discussed some of the problems you will run into.
The smoke is bad, just from the primer alone.
The smoke from the primer contains lead (the bullets arn't the issue).
Primers are way louder than you think they are.
If you use a telephone book, newspapers, Sears catalogs.......you will have paper and paper dust all over the place, and you will never be sure you haven't shot a hole clear through the phone book.
Obviously, there is always some danger that you will have an AD or miss. This is always possible no matter how good you think you are or how experienced you think you are. At a range, an AD or miss goes safely into a backstop or the ground, in this case, it goes into your house.
I own two Outers bullet traps. Even with air rifle pellets, there is a layer of lead dust in front of the trap.

After having done quite a bit of indoor shooting, I have decided to never fire any firearm indoors other than air guns.
Obviously the garage is a better choice and firing FROM the garage to a target outside is even better.

Posted: 7/19/2008 8:47:57 PM EDT

[#24]

Lead is mostly from the priming, a lead compound.

Posted: 7/19/2008 8:55:41 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
Lead is mostly from the priming, a lead compound.

Yeah man lead is serious business. Do not shoot a gun in the house...unless it is at an home invader.

Posted: 7/19/2008 8:59:49 PM EDT

[#26]

When my Dad and I took our CCW course, the instructor had us do the shooting part of it in his basement. He had two bullet traps set up and we had to use .22LR. He provided us with the guns. He said that he has never had anyone miss the target b/c he has red dots on each pistol.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Small Caliber indoor range at home?

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