Looking for a little information on building a small (25yd) range on my property.
Unfortunately, due to the terrain/layout of the property (4 acres of mostly hillside, with neighbors to either side, a well-used road at the bottom,and the house at the peak) there is really only one place I can site it, on the 3/4 or so acre behind the house.
The problem with this is there is no natural backstop on our property, though the neighboring property is a cow pasture that is unused for about 11 months out of the year. The cow pasture is backed by a large wooded hill, which is uninhabited, though a person or two might be known to hike up there from time to time.
I plan on talking to both the neighbor (who also owns the wooded hill) and the county sheriff before I do anything to make sure everyone is a) aware of my intended action, and b) I'm legal.
My main issue is going to be safety (due to the notes above) and I believe a fair sized backstop will be the solution to any problems--but having no experience with the mechanical requirements of a backstop, and being pretty bad at construction activities, I'm at a loss. I've searched the web looking for information but haven't found any.
I plan on shooting exclusively .22LR, though if I can build a backstop to handle it without spending additional funds, I'd be interested in shooting 9mm, .40, and/or .45ACP. I will not shoot centerfire rifle.
Can anyone give me some ideas, or contact info for someone who might have a few?