Backyard Shooting Setup

[SkunkedAgain]

Howdy All,

Just bought a place south of Denver with 5 acres. There are other houses around on 5 acres lots as well. I'm trying to get a setup for shooting where I can shoot pistols and rifles. The rifle shots would just be to Chrono loads and get velocity numbers, so nothing outside of pistol range.

We are on a hill with the land sloping down away from the house on one side. There are features around that would work as a backstop. I want to make a specific area that I shoot into and remove all chances of ricochets.

Anyone have experience doing this at their place? I'm thinking railroad ties and then having sand as a backstop. Is there something that I could use to hold the sand up in parts to prevent just having a massive sloping sand hill?

 

[SeboCreek]

Built this a few years ago with railroad ties and ballistic blocks. Prevents anything from escaping.

 

[TRnCO]

I'd be curious if there is an HOA. Not many pieces of land that small that aren't included in some sort of HOA, if it's residential currently. IF there's HOA, I highly doubt they allow any center fire shooting, pistol or rifle.

 

[M1A1ABRAMS]

On the cheap side, but easy to do. Used car/tractor tires filled with sand or dirt. And easy enough to hide with dirt. If you're concerned with it, looking a little bit to redneck.

 

[QuietTexan]

I lived there for long enough that I should know this, but in Texas if you have less than 10 acres the county can restrict you from shooting on it. Does CO have something similar?


Back on topic - I basically did what Sebo did - railroad ties to make a backstop, but then I piled dirt up. Sides would make it even better. Yes it slopes but it's not like it's a huge pile of dirt. Whenever it looks like it's washing out after a big rain I pile another bucket on top. No need for sand really, you can scoop up what washed down and pile it back on even. You could maybe put a bunch of rubber mulch over the dirt and it would last longer, similar to the ground up tires at an indoor range. I like the ballistic bock idea though, it's definitely much cleaner, and safer.

But seeing as how I don't miss.... (I kid I kid) I'm more worried about where they land after they hit the target. All my targets there angle forward hanging off bolts instead of just by chains. I haven't had anything come back at me, seems like they deflect almost straight down.

 

[SkunkedAgain]

I'd be curious if there is an HOA. Not many pieces of land that small that aren't included in some sort of HOA, if it's residential currently. IF there's HOA, I highly doubt they allow any center fire shooting, pistol or rifle.

We are part of an HOA, but it only handles snow plowing. The HOA president was talking about shooting his pistols in his yard. That and 22 are the most I would do. Load development for rifles would be less often. Last thing I want to do is **** off neighbors, so any rifle would be done suppressed

 

[SkunkedAgain]

I lived there for long enough that I should know this, but in Texas if you have less than 10 acres the county can restrict you from shooting on it. Does CO have something similar?


Back on topic - I basically did what Sebo did - railroad ties to make a backstop, but then I piled dirt up. Sides would make it even better. Yes it slopes but it's not like it's a huge pile of dirt. Whenever it looks like it's washing out after a big rain I pile another bucket on top. No need for sand really, you can scoop up what washed down and pile it back on even. You could maybe put a bunch of rubber mulch over the dirt and it would last longer, similar to the ground up tires at an indoor range. I like the ballistic bock idea though, it's definitely much cleaner, and safer.

But seeing as how I don't miss.... (I kid I kid) I'm more worried about where they land after they hit the target. All my targets there angle forward hanging off bolts instead of just by chains. I haven't had anything come back at me, seems like they deflect almost straight down.

The county doesn't have any minimum acreage restrictions for either shooting or hunting. So all good there. I like the idea of targets angled down also..

 

[steel2]

I'm out in the country so plenty of space for me so I use a big skidder tire for my target holder then a stump pile behind that but in your situation my thoughts would lean toward car tires laced together filled with dirt n the tires holds the dirt n looks decent…..sorry I don't have pictures to show what I mean

 

[Justice1327]

Built these all the way out to 500yds. After that to 1400 is angled steel targets.
Problem is that not even halfway through the year I blew through the railroad ties and blasted all the dirt off. Looking for more permanent solution I was thinking the tires filled with sand would work, but didn't know if the bullets would ricochet off the tires. in the background, you can see the 200 yard target on the left the 300 yard target on the right and then from my shooting position there's the four and 500 yard Targets.

 

[QuietTexan]

Tires will eat bullets. There's a range south of Dallas built entirely out of baled tires. The tac bays are dirt, b ut I'm pretty sure it's dirt overtop of tire bales. The long range and city street was just tire bales. You can look up the court case where the EPA sued them for "burying tires" but lost because the judge had a brainstem and understood he wasn't illegally dumping tires by building out of them.

For yours could you add sides, dump in fill dirt on the backside , and move the targets down closer to the ground?

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[Justice1327]

For mine, I move my targets around and plan to move it down closer to the ground now since the grass is down and I don't have to cut it as often and then once I blow through those road ties I'll probably go the tire route.

For the Op… what sebo did and using tires filled with sand for the back stop would work well for you.