Practice Range at Home - What would you want? [Archive]

MeanStreaker

12-23-14, 09:37

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/ (http://www.moatargets.com/index.php?route=common/home)

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

12-23-14, 18:20

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

12-23-14, 21:25

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

30591

JBecker 72

12-23-14, 22:01

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

Leaveammoforme

12-24-14, 00:13

Deleted

JohnVassilakos

12-24-14, 00:18

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

12-24-14, 01:01

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

12-24-14, 07:19

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

12-24-14, 09:43

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

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.

http://ssequine.net/shooting bench 2.jpg

MBtech

12-24-14, 09:49

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.

http://ssequine.net/shooting bench 2.jpg

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

TAZ

12-24-14, 11:31

Aside from researching the type pf targets and such make sure you look into any restrictions on minimum acreage for ranges in your AO. Id offer a variety of targets that re easily movable. You can have a few round plates and silhouettes that you can reposition quick for practice stages close in. Sameness for distance. Set up things you can practice getting hits on, but also have a place where you can stick paper and focus on fundamentals.

BuzzinSATX

12-24-14, 12:26

If your area has lots of potential and/or options, I'd suggest building it out incrementally as you might find as you use it that you'd like to change things. Might save you some cost or buttpain later.

BuzzinSATX

12-24-14, 12:29

The place I shoot at has a "tactics" range, with large wooden spools, plastic barrels, movable target stands, and other misc. cover/concealment type stuff. Everything is fairly easy to relocate and it makes for some good training.

Hmac

12-24-14, 12:35

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

We have a few steel plates made from 1/2 inch AR500. Shooting M193 even from inside 50 yards has barely fazed the surface - negligible pitting over at least 3 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtpGrPpxIEA

MBtech

12-24-14, 13:32

We have a few steel plates made from 1/2 inch AR500. Shooting M193 even from inside 50 yards has barely fazed the surface - negligible pitting over at least 3 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtpGrPpxIEA

AR500 is the way to go, I need something that is going to hold up to 308 also. A friend of mine has a silhouette we have shot with two SCAR 17s and 556 it is holding up great.

Bayern

12-24-14, 13:56

If you have a lo of trees in that 100 yds., try to have a lot of trees to shoot thru. Shooting thru (between) trees is a lot more fun and educational then shooting down clear lanes.

Hmac

12-24-14, 13:58

AR500 is the way to go, I need something that is going to hold up to 308 also. A friend of mine has a silhouette we have shot with two SCAR 17s and 556 it is holding up great.

.223/.556 is much harder on steel plate than .308. I prefer 1/2 inch so that the gong doesn't react quite as violently, but I've seen 3/8 inch AR500 gongs stand up pretty well. I'd sure stay away from M855. That does tend to pocket even AR500 which potentially leads to dangerous ricochets.

MBtech

12-24-14, 14:18

.223/.556 is much harder on steel plate than .308. I prefer 1/2 inch so that the gong doesn't react quite as violently, but I've seen 3/8 inch AR500 gongs stand up pretty well. I'd sure stay away from M855. That does tend to pocket even AR500 which potentially leads to dangerous ricochets.

1/2" is what I'm going to use, and thanks for the heads up on the M855.

MBtech

12-24-14, 14:33

If you have a lo of trees in that 100 yds., try to have a lot of trees to shoot thru. Shooting thru (between) trees is a lot more fun and educational then shooting down clear lanes.

I agree with you here, when I practice from a tree stand with my bow I place the targets in spots to make the "tough shots" as much if not more than wide open. Also use trees as natural props to shoot around if possible.

zombiescometh

12-24-14, 14:51

I have always liked Hickok45's range setup.

Hmac

12-24-14, 15:13

1/2" is what I'm going to use, and thanks for the heads up on the M855.

With AR500, make sure to find targets that have been cut either with a water jet or underwater plasma. Standard plasma cutting, which is what some of the cheaper mfgrs do, will de-temper the edge of the gong and hits there will ding it up bad. We tend to shoot well inside the 50 yard mark so we're very attentive to anything that might cause an unpredictable ricochet.

MBtech

12-24-14, 15:57

With AR500, make sure to find targets that have been cut either with a water jet or underwater plasma. Standard plasma cutting, which is what some of the cheaper mfgrs do, will de-temper the edge of the gong and hits there will ding it up bad. We tend to shoot well inside the 50 yard mark so we're very attentive to anything that might cause an unpredictable ricochet.

Do you have any links on some?

How do you tell how they have been cut if not stated? My reason for asking is there is a local shop that sells steel targets but are all just set out plain with a price tag on them. I have been looking at some from lvsteeltargets.com I hunt pigs and I really like the boar targets they have, not sure what process they use.

MeanStreaker

12-25-14, 10:24

Great tips and data points on the AR500. Thanks. Have to admit I've never shot 5.56 into steel. Are all your carbine targets tilted down?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hmac

12-25-14, 12:46

Great tips and data points on the AR500. Thanks. Have to admit I've never shot 5.56 into steel. Are all your carbine targets tilted down?

Yes. They hang from some stand-off bolts, so they tilt downward about 15 degrees. We also try to shoot off-angle a little. High velocity bullets like .223/5.56 tend to disintegrate to some degree, but you might get the jacket or maybe other fragments being kicked back.

Ultra high-speed video of bullet hitting AR500

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgn7MUp6UxA