migs1974
Member
So jealous. Great job Jim.
Home Shooting Range for my 22s
- Thread starter RedNeck Jim
- Start date
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RedNeck Jim
Member
Thanks. My intent is to open up my process for comments and suggestions. I've never done anything like this but am just using logic to work thru issues.
I also understand most here are not blessed to live on rural property... in a free state no less. However, by me showing what we did & how, I'm hoping others can duplicate what we have done so far and hopefully improve upon it. Point being, it would take very little redesign to make all this portable. As opposed to bolting the targets to the board, they could hang from hooks. The "Mickey Mouse" could easily be designed to come apart and slide into the post.
Mike1161
Member
cjt50
Member
Well done Jim, coming along very nicely!!
Makes me want to go out and buy some property and replicate your efforts. (dreaming of course...)
Makes me want to go out and buy some property and replicate your efforts. (dreaming of course...)
Majorlk
Member
Outstanding job, Jim. I know commercial range operators that would be jealous of your installation.
OP
RedNeck Jim
Member
Yes, that is what I call my upper pasture. The orchard, which is hard to see, is further to the right, as you look up the hill. Our house is on top of the hill, looking down on all this stuff. I live way in the country, down a dead end lane, so I'm not real concerned about strangers walking onto my property. Also, none of this part of my property can be seen from the road. Out in the country, we don't use high fencing to keep out people. We have guns for that.
That fencing you see is just coated wire horse fencing, to control horse access... not people. Now the orchard has 8' tall fencing to keep deer out. I am putting up a run of fencing, next to the berm, to keep horses (and cows) off of the levee & spillway and to keep them out of the corner to the left. That corner of the pond will be isolated from the cows & horses and we will soon be putting in a small dock & pavilion there. That fencing actually goes down into the bottom of the pond.
FYI, this bottom pasture is normally used by my horses only in the winter. During the summer, I let my neighbor put his cows in there. Helps him and keeps me from cutting that pasture.
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RedNeck Jim
Member
Interesting thing about these targets is that when painted, you can really very easily see where your bullet strikes. The grey lead splat is easily seen against the black background.
I had just installed a PA 3x magnifier in front of my TRS-25, but that required me to put the red dot on a little taller mount. That means I needed to resight in the gun and was concerned about doing so without paper targets. However, from 40 yards we could easily see where the bullet was striking, without any magnification and were able to quickly make the adjustments.
This pic was not taken to clearly show the hits but I think you can see what I'm talking about.
I had just installed a PA 3x magnifier in front of my TRS-25, but that required me to put the red dot on a little taller mount. That means I needed to resight in the gun and was concerned about doing so without paper targets. However, from 40 yards we could easily see where the bullet was striking, without any magnification and were able to quickly make the adjustments.
This pic was not taken to clearly show the hits but I think you can see what I'm talking about.
TacoDaTugBoat
Member
Very cool! What thickness plates did you use? Are you sticking strictly to rimfire? I am going to have to setup some similar targets once I finish my berm. I love the Micky Mouse targets.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing!
OP
RedNeck Jim
Member
I am sticking to rimfire simply for loudness issues. If I shot my AR or other guns, they would really bother my horses & dogs. All my 22s are threaded (just ordered another Buck Mark pistol) and they are soooo quiet when used with my 22Sparrow.
Mark at shootingtargets7.com offers the targets in 1/2", 3/8", & just added 3/16" for rimfire. I chose 3/8" as that was his lightest but even with the new size, would stick with 3/8". I love to over engineer. All his targets are water jet cut, which is the best way possible. Funny story. We tried cutting the circle out of a regular target 1st. After we broke several bits on our end mill, and barely scratched the surface of the AR 500 steel, we gave up. I then asked Mark for help... and they are perfect. Keep in mind, the heat buildup of "normal" milling weakens the AR 500 steel & that would have been not good for such a target that will be hit a lot right on the cut. Mark's water jet made a perfect cut that will not weaken the steel.
I bet if you asked him, Mark would cut you a "Mickey Mouse" special. I think you can see from the pic how I attached the smaller target to the back. That is simply one link of chain bolted onto the target, using a stainless clamp that you can get at any hardware store. It allows easy attachment/removal and can swivel in both directions.
Mark at shootingtargets7.com offers the targets in 1/2", 3/8", & just added 3/16" for rimfire. I chose 3/8" as that was his lightest but even with the new size, would stick with 3/8". I love to over engineer. All his targets are water jet cut, which is the best way possible. Funny story. We tried cutting the circle out of a regular target 1st. After we broke several bits on our end mill, and barely scratched the surface of the AR 500 steel, we gave up. I then asked Mark for help... and they are perfect. Keep in mind, the heat buildup of "normal" milling weakens the AR 500 steel & that would have been not good for such a target that will be hit a lot right on the cut. Mark's water jet made a perfect cut that will not weaken the steel.
I bet if you asked him, Mark would cut you a "Mickey Mouse" special. I think you can see from the pic how I attached the smaller target to the back. That is simply one link of chain bolted onto the target, using a stainless clamp that you can get at any hardware store. It allows easy attachment/removal and can swivel in both directions.
Yes, that is what I call my upper pasture. The orchard, which is hard to see, is further to the right, as you look up the hill. Our house is on top of the hill, looking down on all this stuff. I live way in the country, down a dead end lane, so I'm not real concerned about strangers walking onto my property. Also, none of this part of my property can be seen from the road. Out in the country, we don't use high fencing to keep out people. We have guns for that.
That fencing you see is just coated wire horse fencing, to control horse access... not people. Now the orchard has 8' tall fencing to keep deer out. I am putting up a run of fencing, next to the berm, to keep horses (and cows) off of the levee & spillway and to keep them out of the corner to the left. That corner of the pond will be isolated from the cows & horses and we will soon be putting in a small dock & pavilion there. That fencing actually goes down into the bottom of the pond.
FYI, this bottom pasture is normally used by my horses only in the winter. During the summer, I let my neighbor put his cows in there. Helps him and keeps me from cutting that pasture.
LOL. That really sounds great. We have too many drunken @@#%@% for that kind of setup.
Kayback
Member
Lol. I am major jelly. There isn't an emoticon to show just how jelly. Not only of the range but of the steel as well. Very tidy setup.
KBK
KBK
OP
RedNeck Jim
Member
Thanks.
It is some nice steel... real nice. I prefer it greatly over paper but I have just realized I will need to shoot some paper targets. Hard to beat paper when you are sighting in, as I was yesterday when using my CZ. So I am now working on a holder, made out of angle iron, which will allow me to slide in paper targets that are attached to a backer board (cardboard).
UncaGrunny
US Veteran
I'd be thrilled just to be Jim's "down the road" neighbor & sometime shooting buddy.
Beautiful work, & a beautiful place you live!
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RedNeck Jim
Member
You would be welcome. I was shooting by myself yesterday & it is so much more fun when others shoot with you. My wife is not a shooter but I have ordered another Buck Mark pistol with threaded barrel for her possible use.
Cool pictures and project Redneck Jim,
Had you thought of using explosives to make that pond? Granted you don't have as much control over the depth, but ditching dynamite is super-cheap compared to the cost of running heavy-equipment...
Of course I don't need to tell you how quickly you'll want to get some greenage growing on that berm face, before it washes itself back into your freshly excavated pond!
The key to a good/effective impact berm is the slope of the face. The closer you can keep it at a minimum 1:1 (45 degree) angle the more effective it will be. Steeper than 45 is even better, but it will take a mechanical means to help maintain that of course. Being a 50BMG shooter, I've helped a couple of places design impact berms to allow for the EXTREME energy of the rounds that we fire so that there are no ricochets. Surprisingly, even a "rocky" soil mix will prevent a .50BMG ricochet, IF the berm face's slope is steep enough. I've even fired .50cal rounds into a solid sandstone berm-face in central Pennsylvania and not one ricochet was recorded at that venue over a weekend long match which probably included at least two thousand .50cal rounds fired.
Granted, .22 rimfires, even if they pop up off the berm face, will not go too far or do any significant damage to what they hit. But with .50's, we are launching projos weighing 800 grains (.114lbs), with 12,000lbs of energy at the muzzle! When one of those pops-up off the berm, it can travel for miles and do some serious damage, maybe even cause death.
PM me if you'd like to learn more about some fairly easy and cheap ways to keep the berm face at almost a 90 degree (straight up) angle.
Pat
Had you thought of using explosives to make that pond? Granted you don't have as much control over the depth, but ditching dynamite is super-cheap compared to the cost of running heavy-equipment...
Of course I don't need to tell you how quickly you'll want to get some greenage growing on that berm face, before it washes itself back into your freshly excavated pond!
The key to a good/effective impact berm is the slope of the face. The closer you can keep it at a minimum 1:1 (45 degree) angle the more effective it will be. Steeper than 45 is even better, but it will take a mechanical means to help maintain that of course. Being a 50BMG shooter, I've helped a couple of places design impact berms to allow for the EXTREME energy of the rounds that we fire so that there are no ricochets. Surprisingly, even a "rocky" soil mix will prevent a .50BMG ricochet, IF the berm face's slope is steep enough. I've even fired .50cal rounds into a solid sandstone berm-face in central Pennsylvania and not one ricochet was recorded at that venue over a weekend long match which probably included at least two thousand .50cal rounds fired.
Granted, .22 rimfires, even if they pop up off the berm face, will not go too far or do any significant damage to what they hit. But with .50's, we are launching projos weighing 800 grains (.114lbs), with 12,000lbs of energy at the muzzle! When one of those pops-up off the berm, it can travel for miles and do some serious damage, maybe even cause death.
PM me if you'd like to learn more about some fairly easy and cheap ways to keep the berm face at almost a 90 degree (straight up) angle.
Pat
JJEH
Member
Cool stuff...
Safe Backstop. Car/Truck Tires. Many years ago, I had a 'bank' to shoot into, I did not like after a every couple of years, had to re dig it, to make it more 90 degree. SO, I built one of used car/truck tires. Lay down a row of tires, then another row behind it, (nestled in). Then dump a bucket or two/three/four, on top, use your hands, push the dirt into the tires so they are completely filled., Then do it again. As long as you want, as high as you want. Used tires, you can get them for FREE, if you are smart, you may even be able to get someone, to Pay, YOU, to take them. (Racecar places, the big slicks work really nice) Now, after you have your back, 'STOP', done, put one row of un-filled tires in front. Plant posts, with cross members to hang targets, (or place your steel ones). And it will be 20+ years, before you will EVER have to worry about fixing it. It works, I know, mine have been in now 15 years, and their their are probably 300,000 rounds in it. from .22 to 12g slugs.
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RedNeck Jim
Member
For those interested in the pond, we had a 5 1/4" rain Friday. That put a lot of water in the pond and it only needs about 3 more feet.
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