Firing Range at Home?

[amazingflapjack]

The best situation I ever had was on a place we had in the N.E. Georgia mountains. We built on the side of a steep, deep draw, one ridge below the highest point in this area. It had 900 sq ft of deck around 3 sides of the house, so I had 180 degrees of mountainside plus to shoot at. We had no neighbors, and we were on a private, gated road. I could shoot as close as 15-25 yds, or as far as 100 yds +. I hung worn out aluminum frying pans up to shoot at. They will take a licking, and it's fun to hear them, and make them dance. This was the place where I determined to become proficient with a hand gun. I trained with the marvelous Ruger Mk II. I got to where I could keep one of those pans dancing at some fairly long distances. After I learned on the Mk II-I got a model 59, and I was off to the races, so to speak. I grew up shooting, from age 7 on, but we didn't have a hand gun until I was 15 or so, so I didn't have much time on it. I shot expert on everything in the army, but never had to qualify with a 1911. Carried a M-10 4 inch in RVN, and that's where I developed the desire to shoot a hand gun well. I have about 15 old pans out in the garage, but nowhere to shoot at them. I just can't seem to throw them away. Great times.

 

[billwill]

You guys have some great ideas, thanks. I can get about 200 yds but like others have said, a few little things have to move..couple trees and some dirt. But hey, I got a John Deere and the summer.

Like the pallets filled with sand/dirt setup

 

[Brian41]

I had a wierd situation a few years ago before I built a berm and shot into logs. I was sighting in slugs in a shotgun and the first three went high over my target but no problem right as I own a good chunk of land behind and shotgun slugs (sabots) drop like rocks.
Well the neighbor behind who was an *** shows up and claims slugs were flying through his trees some 500 yards beyond. I show him the setup with my shotgun pointing downward into the dirt and he says okay but they were hitting my trees which I figured impossible. I was sighted in and quit shooting but was curious and walked back to where the slugs should have hit the dirt. Well wouldn't you know there was a huge flat rock some 50 yards behind the target that had three fresh chips out of it. I expect those slugs did deflect off that rock and go skyward into his trees that far away as claimed.
I built my berm soon after.

 

[gregintenn]

I built the berm for my backstop from leftover dirt dug out for the basement of my house. My target holder and 100 yard bench are built from pressure treated lumber and corner fence posts. I have a perfect spot for a 200 yard bench as well, but haven't yet built it. I'm still debating on incorporating it into a gazebo of some sort.


The area behind our house also doubles as the neighborhood informal skeet/clays range.