Range renovations- need ideas

[Lowdown3]

Doing some larger scale renovations on the range. Talking about an area roughly 5 acres in length, shooting berms at 100, 200 and 300 yards, main shooting area cut into hillside, wide enough for about 10 shooters at a time, max distance to that only around 70 yards.

Have equipment to dig dirt and move dirt. Burying some old trash piles left from before I got the property, currently cleaning up the place a bit. Couple of unimproved dirt tracks aka roads come through the area, one close to main shooting area, one about 70 yards out. Have one old beat up car down there now, would like to find another couple.

Area is mainly open but slightly wooded. Planting more trees there next winter, eventually would like it mostly forested.

Ideas for improvements? Even the crazy ones will be considered :)

[protus]

Berms left and right down the long stretch.
This way future runs/lanes can be done.
Or do it on the wooded area.
Much as I like working static. The on the move use your gear..add stress shooting is what I enjoy.

Small shell scrapes or berms to force use of cover or prone positions.
Full of water or mud of course :p lol

Build an obstacle course with shooting lanes...run..shoot...crawl..climb..shoot.

Or get crazy and berm up a 360 range.

Add gravel ...gravel is fun. Lol

[rockriver]

the NRA has some range construction information guidelines... a lot of it is free.
my involvement is greatly reduced... hmm.. the above sentence used to be true!

you might find some info there. '

also...
one associate was planning a range and berms.... he had plans to build a "storm shelter" hmm. I think he called it a root cellar? into the berms.
he was going to be moving dirt anyway... so, why not was his thought. that guy had a pretty powerful rifle. lol... I wonder how far into a berm that big ole chunk of lead would go?

[1Admin]

Anyone have experience- or their kids- with those little $50. Airsoft tanks that are remote controlled that shoot airsoft BBs?

Watching people run drills years ago, it occurred to me how few people truly used cover correctly. Most of the time it was "yeah I'm kinda sorta going to a knee here..." type deals.

I submit unto you, they lack proper motivation.

That's what the little airsoft remote controlled tanks would be nice for. Set them to fire at a height not far above available cover to reinforce the need to actually USE the cover.

I've done the same thing standing behind a barrel and firing airsoft AK at shooters that were not moving but were shooting steel targets behind me. But I wouldn't do that with just anyone either. The tank would be a lot safer way to go.

RR- this area is too wet for a secret underground lair ;) It would end up being an aquarium 10 months of the year!! LOL

All of the free standing berms I have average about 6-8 foot deep of semi packed earth. I keep the heights low of the racks, typically less than 3', basically just enough to hang a full size IPSC steel silhouette on them, wide enough for two. All of them have a little bit of "wings" on the sides, but some I will be making wider here soon.

[rockriver]

I'm trying to get citrus growing... having trouble in my plant zone. until I visited a guy near adel in so. ga.. he had all kinds of citrus .. they were protected by huge trees..from the wind.
back to this thread.. I don't know where you live, but if you planted citrus on the east side (or wherever down wind is ) you could use the berms to protect your citrus (or other fruit) trees.

[cpt_sfc]

The last range I built we used shredded tires for the berms and tire walls filled with dirt. When you mix dirt with shred rubber it piles well, and if you use a timber/lumber, step back wall to hold the rubber in layers it won't have much of a foot print. Shred rubber stops lead fast. We planted native heirloom seeds and in a couple years the whole place looked like a flower garden. Made the tree huggers happy as they were not happy with a range at the college. Shred rubber around here is free because there is so much, Although we used the first shred so it still had pcs of steel strand in it. Not cleaned like the hardware stuff.
Here we had to have 8 ft side walls and 16 ft backberm. At the ARNG base we had to use back berm of 3 ft every 100 yards to avoid skip out to 1000 yds then that berm had to be 16 ft. Some ranges only had berms right behind target, those were just sand bags.

[protus]

If I was a radio shack geek. I'd say just put an airsoft on a mount at the cover..get a remote controlled or manual control aka wire on the trigger. Shooter to high..pull it of hit the remote actuators.

[1Admin]

If I was a radio shack geek. I'd say just put an airsoft on a mount at the cover..get a remote controlled or manual control aka wire on the trigger. Shooter to high..pull it of hit the remote actuators.

I bet you could do that with a break line beam

[protus]

Well the do make motion activated sprinklers.....but..that's more work. But the motion detector should do the same.

To bad you can't find a cheap automated tennis ball thrower.......lol

[Templar]

How bout a basic tower to get some slant-down practice? Could double up during deer season, or used as a zeppelin spotting post?

And while the bulldozer is handy, run some 1/2 inch PVC and some electric wire down to the targets. Could allow for future improvements...

Templar

[1Admin]

How bout a basic tower to get some slant-down practice? Could double up during deer season, or used as a zeppelin spotting post?

And while the bulldozer is handy, run some 1/2 inch PVC and some electric wire down to the targets. Could allow for future improvements...

Templar

Remember that place where two guys really thought they were slick and set up one night with all the trip wire keeping out others? I'm thinking about putting a platform on top of that. Wouldn't be super high, but may double as part of an obstacle course. The sides of them are pretty slick so I'd have to consider how to make it a climbing obstacle.

[Lowdown3]

Progress so far:

Cleaned up the trash heap previous owner left there, mounded over that area. Long shooting berm just to the edge of the water started that will run approximately 50 yards.

Pit is going to be expanded further so as to have room for about 12 at a time. Secondary berm built on hill behind pit area to catch the really really stray rounds. Couple culverts put in to help drainage near roads.

[protus]

Sounds good. So far.

[Templar]

Drainage, WTF??? Remember Hawk45, and if it ain't raining, we ain't training...Besides, mud just adds to the suck factor, kind of a training multiplier...LOL

Templar

[Lowdown3]

Remember Hawk45, and if it ain't raining, we ain't training..

From the back of the RV you mean? ;) Or from the Alpha approved blow out couch complete with multicam couch cover? LOL Those were the days huh?

The drainage is mainly for the roads. Although the pit previously wasn't sloped well and was a small pond for a good while-OOPS!

I'll try to get some pics today when I drove over there later.

Got to write "the vermin have inherited the earth" on the wrecked van down there.

Now all it needs it a life size Wes Huntley cut out for motivation.