Thought I'd ask you folks for some advice on this subject. My friend owns 500 plus acres here near Fair Grove, MO and he's looking for a way to make a little money. He is considering building a shooting range and neither he nor I have ever built one befor and I figured you folks would have some good ideas as to what to do, what not to do, who to contact, and the obvious things that you forget about when your doing something like this. He's got room for a 600 yard line and maybe one a tad longer. Just need any ideas and advice that you guys have. Thanks a bunch and letter rip, tater chip!!

If you are building it for yourself have fun. If you are building it as a public range to charge money for profit, in this day and time you cannot buy enough insurance. There are all kind of environmental laws and regs due to the build up of lead over time.

Beware the Wicked Witch of the West hailed as Pelosi!!

Ditto 30378

I'm jealous!

I am jealous!!!



Good luck on your friend's adventure!

Cobrajet, assuming it's for ya'll or folks you like, I'll leave business pontificating for a different post, but....I've helped build several ranges, having 600 yards as a max is AWESOME.

Here's some stuff, some we forgot that would have been easier from jump street, like certain drainage pipes! So.....

1. Having power is a huge plus--with it you can go to, lighting of course, fans, maybe even enclosed shooting house with HVAC. Hard to put too many outlets, especially if you're gonna load in there. Down range lights can be cool if evening shooting could be in the cards.

2. Water is a great feature, toilets man! Also definitely consider a water fountain/tap sink whatever, if you have power, of course a Fridge with whatever bottled water or non-alcohol you like to drink....(alcohol should be a VERY jurisdicious choice around any shooting IMO)

3. Pay attention to the direction of the sun when building your shooting station, it should be roofed for shade at a minimum, and you want your firing position always shaded.

4. Think about how you want your various shooting frames at different yardages set up so you don't obscure one with another, e.g. don't set up your 100 yard frame where it will cover your shots at 200 etc.

5. We set up our frames where clips hold the target backers, don't need staples---handy. In wind we have clip on weights that hold em steady, and we do have backboards you can use the old fashioned way if you want, don't use em much.

6. Pay attention to the grading of the site, keep water moving away from you. You want to use something like a carpet grass or whatever stays low and covers well to keep weeds out, so that you don't have to mow all the damn time to keep the target faces clear, especially shorter range ones.

7. Like most projects involving some grading work, think about how you will stabilize the site and provide crossings of drainage areas, unless you are so lucky that you got an appropriate area that is grassed and flat enough already.

8. Think about how you get trash in and out, could be real simple to really a pain depending on your needs and location of facilities.

9. Being able to get vehicles in and out later is a real plus, even if it's just an ATV or whatever. It's necessary IMO before and during construction.

10. If you’re looking to get really PIMP style, think about downrange target monitoring, and running the appropriate electrical/wiring conduits. It's always appropriate to do plans, and don't forget about planning on sleeves (pipes or conduits buried to facilitate running wire smaller pipes or whatever later) in places you know, and a few extras here and there probably won't hurt you!

11. If pour a concrete floor, it's worth a machine finish for sure, with SMALL expansion joints, we built a couple with shooting houses with the indoor/outdoor type carpet, and that stuff is actually pretty good, but you do need a industrial vac for that stuff, it's tuff to broom it up, but it is nice in that tools and little stuff like primers don't go bouncing off everywhere. If you build a shooting house, make sure there are doors that you can get stuff you want in the house in and out, like a BIG trash can. A lot of folks build a house like that with a gorge door, which is good and bad, it is easy let's in or out a lot of air, which is the good and bad of it mostly, the two we built with HVAC we put flip out panels that you anchor to the ceiling with a simple latch, and they don't let out all the heat or air, and the muzzle being outside of the house really reduces sound a lot in our experience. We also did one other pretty cool thing in these two house, we put a 'flip up' 2x6 hinged to the outer wall, made of trex (fake wood basically) so it handles the weather and you fold it up, a leg props it up, and it is the perfect height with a 1/4 x 20 wing headed bolt that let's you pop the chrono right on there, we leave the QD thingy on the boards all the time. There is an electrical outlet nearby too.

12. And confirmed from recent activities, one MORE time, put a first aid kit in there, tape and gauze and sterilizing stuff plus butterfly Band-Aids were really nice to have last time

Let us know how it goes, If I remember anything else, I'll make another (shorter I promise) post.

Good Luck--Don

Having built 2 or 3 NRA type ranges, the first question has to be, (1) how many targets, (2) do you want the facility to have markers spotting the individual shots from behind a protective butt, (3) do you want to have a fixed shooting area and the targets at differing ranges, or a fixed target area and different range mounds to shoot from, (4)Fish above, noted the range alignment, check the Sun position - all through the year, (5) you may need a backstop or impact area to collect the projectiles and stop ricochets, (6) you may also have to figure on placing signs on areas that people may walk/drive along that may be in your line of fire. (7) What is the safety template for the calibres that may be fired ?. Here in NZ, the template stretches at 10 degrees each side of the left and righthand shooting positions and extends 2 kilometers behind the impact area - your State NRA will have details.

Frankly, the best thing you can do is to sit down and decide what you want. That will decide how and what you do for the range. Mention was made of making money - check with your local government office as to legal requirements and a lawyer as to Liability insurance. The next best thing to do is to contact the State NRA, who will have a booklet on range construction.

Good Luck.

Agree with Kim, "your" NRA is the source you are looking for. Our NRA has everything you need to answer all the questions and local requirements.

Best of luck to you.

Personally I would also consider setting this out as a classic "sporting clays" layout so that those that want to shoot other than just skeet can be accommodated.

The problem with any rifle range is not the space in front of the targets but the danger area behind! And unless it is shaped like a rectangle 500 acres isn't that much!

Again he might make more money setting it out as a pistol range and a simple 100/150/200 yard zero range with a simple two or three covered firing point for rifles.

Or a tactical walk range with a walk down lane with mock up houses, shell holes, trenches, barricades etc., etc., (at distances from 5 to 10 to 25 to 50 yards to 75 yards as you go along, for doing a walk down with a self-loading rifle.

The British Army also used to have a four position firing point. Simple prone made in the shape of a shell scrape, a foxhole, a window and last a post (to represent the edge of a wall for firing round cover).

Rons got a CDrom from the NRA called the range source book. I'm sure it will have lots of info. One spot were looking at is in a draw or hollow that widens out into a river bottom and its pretty much flat as a pancake. It should be shaded most of the time just by the big oaks and other trees but we will definately think about making sure its covered. One question, which is the best direction to shoot in relation to the sun other then the obvious of straight into? The site we're considering we would be shooting almost due north,maybe slightly NE. The site has power all ready and water so thats two pluses for sure. And one guy mentioned remote monitering, Ron had suggested to me yesterday that wouldn't it be cool if you could place small cameras at each target and have a monitor back at each bench and then you could see your shots with the click of a mouse and also print the target as well!! We will definately have to check into the environmental concerns but I would think that a peson could install some type of an underground barrier to handle the lead problem. I also suggested a reloading room in the clubhouse for obvious reasons and with water already on site, bathrooms would be a cinch. I really hope this is a doable project and that it would turn into a money making one as well, otherwise he wont do it. He's invested in this land for the last 8 or 9 years and its a beautiful place with lots of deer and turks. And he's got dozers, dumptrucks and backhoes and other equipment which will keep construction cost way down and he's retired so time is not too much of a problem. Super nice guy who is a one in a million in that he is a stage 4 lung cancer of the worst type survivor. Just 4 years or so ago he was diagnosed and was given just a few months. Well he's been cancer free now for the last two. Lots of prayers and some very good doctors and he's alive and kicken' Anyway, sorry for the rant. Keep the ideas coming, they're great!!!

Carbon County, Utah just built a new range which is fantastic. They might be able to give suggestions.

Here is their link.

http://www.carbon.utah.gov/north_spring/index.htm

Thanks for the link GSSP!!

quote:

Originally posted by cobrajet:
...One question, which is the best direction to shoot in relation to the sun other then the obvious of straight into? The site we're considering we would be shooting almost due north,maybe slightly NE....

Where I come from we always try to have the shooting from the South to the North. That way the sun just passes over without being in your eyes at any time. AND it is good to keep the Bullets flying in the right direction just in case the YANKEES get a bit too frisky.

Canadian range design & specifications:

http://www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca/info...Design/RDCG/RDCG.htm

If you get the "this page cannot be found" message, then navigate using the index.

quote:

Originally posted by KimW9:
Having built 2 or 3 NRA type ranges, the first question has to be, (1) how many targets, (2) do you want the facility to have markers spotting the individual shots from behind a protective butt, (3) do you want to have a fixed shooting area and the targets at differing ranges, or a fixed target area and different range mounds to shoot from, (4)Fish above, noted the range alignment, check the Sun position - all through the year, (5) you may need a backstop or impact area to collect the projectiles and stop ricochets, (6) you may also have to figure on placing signs on areas that people may walk/drive along that may be in your line of fire. (7) What is the safety template for the calibres that may be fired ?. Here in NZ, the template stretches at 10 degrees each side of the left and righthand shooting positions and extends 2 kilometers behind the impact area - your State NRA will have details.

Frankly, the best thing you can do is to sit down and decide what you want. That will decide how and what you do for the range. Mention was made of making money - check with your local government office as to legal requirements and a lawyer as to Liability insurance. The next best thing to do is to contact the State NRA, who will have a booklet on range construction.

Good Luck.

Thanks for the imput Kim. I think what is best is having the shooting line at a fixed point and the targets placed at various distances. The one area we are considering is in a somewhat protected draw or small hollow that opens up into a nice fairly long and wide bottom land. The clubhouse would be located just a few yards or so from the firing line for convienence sake. Not sure of the number of shooting stations but I'm guessing at least 8.