# Anyone have a home firing range?



## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

Looking for ideas for cheap backstops. I live in a rural area here in northwest ohio. This is a good thing and a bad thing. Good because my closest neighbors are a quarter mile away and everyone around here fires guns, so I don't have to worry about noise complaints... but bad because northwest ohio is super flat. Fine for .22 and shotgun plinking, but I recently added a 5.56 to my collection and I don't feel like accidentally shooting the neighbor's dog while zeroing a new sight or something. 

So does anyone have a range, and what did you use for a backstop? I don't have a huge area (maximum distance for my range would probably be about 30 yards), and the cost of all building materials is crazy right now. 

My current thoughts would be to try to get my hands on a bunch of scrap tires super cheap or super free... stack them to form a wall about 10'x8' and fill each row with dirt or sand, whichever is cheapest. 

Any better ideas?


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

3in' 12in oak plank 2 layers in a metal rebar frame where plank can be switched out ,
2x4 frame ,3/4 plywood front and back ,then sand filled ....you tube is your friend with this
Mine is a cut out in the hillside (50yrd), but was going to do the oak plank, haven't yet, to expensive to shoot anymore

Here's a good one, like the rubber mat inside idea


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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

ironman172 said:


> 3in' 12in oak plank 2 layers in a metal rebar frame where plank can be switched out ,
> 2x4 frame ,3/4 plywood front and back ,then sand filled ....you tube is your friend with this
> Mine is a cut out in the hillside (50yrd), but was going to do the oak plank, haven't yet, to expensive to shoot anymore
> 
> Here's a good one, like the rubber mat inside idea


Yeah, I don't have a hillside to cut out, and oak is... oak. Lol


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

I got it from work oak cut offs, used rail road ties would be good too stacked , like the bullet trap on you tube


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## bountyhunter (Apr 28, 2004)

build a big wall out out of railroad ties.


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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

ironman172 said:


> I got it from work oak cut offs, used rail road ties would be good too stacked , like the bullet trap on you tube


I've heard railroad ties aren't a great idea because they're soft and rotten... the railroad replaced them for a reason, right?

Also, I'm not sure where I'd get them...


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## EnonEye (Apr 13, 2011)

you said "everyone around here fires guns," same in my neighborhood. Take a walk down the road on a quiet eve and zero in on which neighbors, drop them a friendly note, they might be happy to have company and might ignore you,,, so what


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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

EnonEye said:


> you said "everyone around here fires guns," same in my neighborhood. Take a walk down the road on a quiet eve and zero in on which neighbors, drop them a friendly note, they might be happy to have company and might ignore you,,, so what


Most of my neighbors are the keep-to-themselves type. I don't even know most of their names...


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Couple dump truck loads of sand is cheap.


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## TheKing (Apr 15, 2004)

My BIL's backstop is stacked railroad ties with a load of sand as backstop. Railroad ties at the lumber yard are decent. They leach a little bit of the preservative over the years.


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## baitguy (Dec 17, 2013)

job sites, especially commercial ones with structural steel, have a ton of deliveries that use oak 2 x 4, I've even seen 4 x 4 ... lumber yards too if you can find any ... many times they have a pile of them to throw in the dumpster, if you ask the forman and slip him a dozen donuts or something  he might put some aside for you but you'd have to get them prompt, they wouldn't want them sitting around ... you'll need a good base, those rascals are real 2 x 4 and heavy, not like the studs you get at HD for your garage ... I 've seen a .22 easily go thru regular 2 x 4 at 50 yards but I doubt it would these ... 5.56 is different story but they're tough boards


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

I have railroad ties stacked up in a straight wall followed with logs stacked behind the railroad ties several logs deep. It cost me nothing but some gas to build. Small rounds stop in the railroad ties. Big bullets pass through the railroad ties and end up the logs. No bullets leave the backstop.


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## shot1buck (Feb 23, 2011)

We have used the log stacked with sand and dirt behind and a 2nd log stack behind it. The problem also with flat area is if you have inexperienced shooters use your stop it might be an issue. I’m sure if you make a
10-15’ wide stop you should be good have to decide on height as well we made ours 10 foot tall. It’s a lot of work but worth it


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## John Garwood (Jul 5, 2016)

kevinw said:


> Looking for ideas for cheap backstops. I live in a rural area here in northwest ohio. This is a good thing and a bad thing. Good because my closest neighbors are a quarter mile away and everyone around here fires guns, so I don't have to worry about noise complaints... but bad because northwest ohio is super flat. Fine for .22 and shotgun plinking, but I recently added a 5.56 to my collection and I don't feel like accidentally shooting the neighbor's dog while zeroing a new sight or something.
> 
> So does anyone have a range, and what did you use for a backstop? I don't have a huge area (maximum distance for my range would probably be about 30 yards), and the cost of all building materials is crazy right now.
> 
> ...


I used 4 6' telephone poles I had then 2x8 x4' and made a square, then filled it in with dirt to top. It is 4' high and nothing but farm land and our woods for a mile


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## Blackcat 86 (Feb 11, 2011)

I'm up here by LSA. I've got a 150-yard range. The backstop is stacked logs laid crossways. It's been in use for over 20 years. I've poked at it with a mix of loads in .243 Win, .44 Rem Mag, 12g slugs, and most everything less. Nothing has come out the back yet. 

I'll refresh it as needed with another stack of timbers in front of the existing stack. With the winds over the winter, our wood lot looks like a combat zone so there's lots of material to work with.


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## papaperch (Apr 12, 2004)

Friendly neighbor with a front end loader. Dozed me up a back stop just using dirt. Plenty thick enough to stop anything short of 155 mike mike. Once ground firms up going to use fill dirt to make 100 smooooooth yd path . Use now must have to exercise caution on rough ground.


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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

papaperch said:


> Friendly neighbor with a front end loader. Dozed me up a back stop just using dirt. Plenty thick enough to stop anything short of 155 mike mike. Once ground firms up going to use fill dirt to make 100 smooooooth yd path . Use now must have to exercise caution on rough ground.


I would do that if I had the space, but I don't own the field around our property and the only real spot I have to build a range is in a back corner of our lot that has the leech bed and drainage for our septic system, so I can't go digging up that area.


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## berkshirepresident (Jul 24, 2013)

This guy is in Iowa....if you want to copy his set up. You probably need a bigger wall or backstop than you may first think....but it's doable:


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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

berkshirepresident said:


> This guy is in Iowa....if you want to copy his set up. You probably need a bigger wall or backstop than you may first think....but it's doable:


I don't have that kind of space, and I don't intend to shoot steel. It would be nice, but it's not feasible. I just need something to prevent rifle rounds from flying across a few fields and pegging the neighbor's cat or something.


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

Easiest would be a low wall of Railroad ties(or other thick lumber) with sand bags behind the wall. Only has to be three or so feet high. Keep it simple. Only needs to be three feet or so long. You shoot down, not level, not up. If you want put a sand bag in front as well. RR ties are pretty dang heavy. I bought ten or so while ago, and I do not recall the price. TSC had them and when I bought them they were the cheapest.


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## berkshirepresident (Jul 24, 2013)

kevinw said:


> I don't have that kind of space, and I don't intend to shoot steel. It would be nice, but it's not feasible. I just need something to prevent rifle rounds from flying across a few fields and pegging the neighbor's cat or something.


I take it you're out of Veskar Steel?


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## Jim white (Feb 19, 2018)

Go to scrap yard and see if you can find a plate of Steel you might be able to get it cheap


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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

Jim white said:


> Go to scrap yard and see if you can find a plate of Steel you might be able to get it cheap


Well the problem with cheap steel is it's often softer and easier to put and divot, which can cause unpredictable ricochet. 

Like I said, I don't intend to shoot steel. It's way expensive and I don't have the space for a real range anyway.

I wish my backyard was a huge hill... then I could set up a range like Hicock45. Lol


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## Jim white (Feb 19, 2018)

Yeah Hickok can shoot cant he


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## Jim white (Feb 19, 2018)

You might be surprised how cheap a thick piece of Steel is at a scrap yard


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## demodave216 (Sep 6, 2014)

Having been part of design and construction of 2 (PD and hunt club) outdoor gun ranges, I can tell you this.

Tires are a bad idea if you bury them and the EPA finds out. You will be forced to remove them and face a possible fine for your efforts. 

RR ties (PD) start out to be great, but will deteriorate over time from being shot. Been there done that, if I had pics I'd post them to show you. Used them as a shield for target stands, bad idea on my part. Guys would set targets against the ties, instead of using the stands. Over time the ties get destroyed. 

Best backstop in the world is a dirt pile, ours is 20' tall, and 30' deep surrounding 3 sides. PD range is on 45 acres, Hunt club is on 30 acres, so space is not a hindrance in either situation.


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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

demodave216 said:


> Having been part of design and construction of 2 (PD and hunt club) outdoor gun ranges, I can tell you this.
> 
> Tires are a bad idea if you bury them and the EPA finds out. You will be forced to remove them and face a possible fine for your efforts.
> 
> ...


The tires wouldn't be buried, they'd be stacked and filled with dirt like this... 









How to Pound Tires and Build Tire Walls - Earthship Biotecture







earthshipbiotecture.com





I don't have the space for giant dirt hills.


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## demodave216 (Sep 6, 2014)

Same idea we had at the hunt club. Had stacks of tires sitting in the lot, zoning guy shows up and ask "whats the deal with the tires?" Told him we were building a backstop for the range. He said, "negative, by EPA code you can't bury them" I told him we weren't burying them, they were above surface filled with dirt. He stood fast it was considered buried regardless. I called the EPA and the concurred with the zoning guy. I tried to argue my case, she told me to do what I thought was right. If they received a complaint from the zoning office and started an investigation, not only would we have to pay for removal and clean up, we'd get hit with a hefty fine. Needless to say, we got rid of the tires, dug a pond and used the dirt for the backstop.


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