Practice Range at Home - What would you want?

[MeanStreaker]

I have a very large (tall and wide) natural hillside backstop on my property. I'd like your advice for what you would set up to help me noodle through my plans - especially what size, shape, and number of steel targets I should acquire. It's pretty easy to haul paper down to the woods. Since this will be steel focused, it will primarily be for pistol practice, although if I do my research and can find the right steel, I'll use it for 5.56 too occasionally.

I'm just beginning to research manufacturers, but this place seems cost effective: www.moatargets.com/

25 yards and in is easily doable. 40 yards is doable if I cross the creek, and I could probably get 100 yards if I chainsaw out some rifle shooting lanes.

1) What different steel targets (size, shape, quantity) should I keep out there permanently?

2) In what configuration would you want those steel targets? Why (meaning what drills would you focus on)?

3) Anything else helpful I should consider? I think it would be pretty easy to rig up some cable and pulleys and maybe have cardboard come moving down the hillside...

[MBtech]

I'm kind of in exactly the same boat as you are, I have 100+ yards out back and I am wanting to do the same thing. I have an old swingset frame of my kids I plan on hanging targets from, maybe a larger target in the center with smaller ones on the sides I can use with both pistol and rifle. I would want other targets set out spaced apart and at several different distances to transition from. As far as spacing and drills I'm not sure about, I'll check with a couple of my instructors for advice on that. I know I plan on buying quality steel targets that will last me. I have been looking at some of these...

http://lvsteeltargets.com/

I plan on leaving a silhouette and 2 10-12" circle targets on the frame and have several pistol targets that are easily moved and set up. Maybe 5 or 6 mobile targets. I wouldn't set them in a permanant location, be able to switch it up.

[MBtech]

If you get out the chainsaw and make shooting lanes for longer distance consider a shooting bench.
I made this one for around $100

Attachment 30591

[JBecker 72]

Must haves would be a dueling tree, a plate rack, a few poppers, and a gong. And that shooting bench is great.

[Leaveammoforme]

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[JohnVassilakos]

With that kinda room I would set up a cheap shoot house that mimics my own house. Then tear it down and set it up like an office I may work in. Then tear it down and set it up like the station I may get fuel at. You get the idea. Cheap plastic construction safety fence will tear down and set up easy. Quick search found 164ft for $50. Play with the layout and target set ups to get fired rounds in your berm. Make it dynamic and it will never get boring.

THIS^...that's a fantastic idea.

I'm interested to hear some more responses as this is something I plan to do someday down the line at my place.

I definitely want a dueling tree, some poppers, and maybe someday a Texas Star...because they're just fun to shoot.

[nate89]

If you are wanting to test accuracy at all, maybe (in addition to the steel) you could add a sturdy target stand to attach paper targets for shooting groups at set distances (maybe 25, 50, and/or 100 yds). This would be useful in working up loads, testing ammo in new guns, or finding what your particular rifle or pistol likes. You could also have some props that will stand up to the weather to use as barricades. I like the 55 gallon barrels as props.

[MBtech]

Getting some pallets to set up is another option, my neighbors have a pretty cool set up they made with them for playing paintball.

[Hmac]

If you get out the chainsaw and make shooting lanes for longer distance consider a shooting bench.
I made this one for around $100

Attachment 30591

Shooting bench is a must-have for any outdoor range, as is a storage shed. Very convenient to keep targets, tannerite, scopes etc close to the range.

My buddy and I modified that same bench, adding a rifle rack on the front, wheels on the front legs (so it can be moved around easily) and sockets to mount a bracket to hold a spotting scope. The range itself has a 15 foot berm. We have a dueling tree for pistols we made out of 1/4 inch mild steel, several poppers and flop-downs, a rack of hanging gongs of various sizes, some little steel platforms for tannerite, and several rings for holding clay pigeons for shotgun. If I was making that bench again, I'd change it by making the table top wider so that a right-handed shooter could shoot from the right side and vice versa. I might also put up a bracket on the front to hold the sky screens for my chrono.

You can see the storage shed in the background left. Also, the canopy is a really nice touch in both the drizzle and the sun.

[MBtech]

Shooting bench is a must-have for any outdoor range, as is a storage shed. Very convenient to keep targets, tannerite, scopes etc close to the range.

My buddy and I modified that same bench, adding a rifle rack on the front, wheels on the front legs (so it can be moved around easily) and sockets to mount a bracket to hold a spotting scope. The range itself has a 15 foot berm. We have a dueling tree for pistols we made out of 1/4 inch mild steel, several poppers and flop-downs, a rack of hanging gongs of various sizes, some little steel platforms for tannerite, and several rings for holding clay pigeons for shotgun. If I was making that bench again, I'd change it by making the table top wider so that a right-handed shooter could shoot from the right side and vice versa. I might also put up a bracket on the front to hold the sky screens for my chrono.

You can see the storage shed in the background left. Also, the canopy is a really nice touch in both the drizzle and the sun.

Nice, I'm going to have to add wheels to mine I like that idea.