I had an idea a few months ago that I have been kicking around off and on. I have enough space on the property where I live to build a enclosed shooting tunnel. I have a row of trees that would hide it and a field to act as a backstop and it's only a few steps from my front door. I could actually make it 200 yards, if I wanted to, but I would keep it a 100 yards. It's a perfect site. My first idea was to use reject concrete pipe a foot to two feet diameter. Howver, the closest manufacturer is 75 miles and transporting the pipe could be a problem.

My next idea was a plywood box a hundred yards long with a built in bench at one end.

I'm open to ideas and suggestions.

I've never done it, but if I was going to go to the trouble, I would certainly consider using the concrete pipe, it won't rot and could likely be reused in the future if you needed to move or dismantle it for some reason.

Its been a long winter up in ND, huh.

I don't believe you would ever be able to get 1' pipe aligned sufficiently to shoot. I really doubt if 2' would do it, particularly at 200 yds. All the tunnels I have seen, except for pistol ranges, are 3-4'.

You might consider heavy plastic drain pipe. Its available in large sizes. This is presuming it is going to be underground. I can't imagine getting an above ground system aligned and maintained.

I am guessing that sound is the reason that you want to do it enclosed? Too bad your neighbors aren't more understanding :-)

If it is because of sound the cement will also help with that. Kind of expensive I woult think, to do that for 100 yards. I will try to talk to my gunsmiths when I stop by there, they have a tunnel they use for test firing that isn't long at all, maybe you could build something long enough to absorb sound and then leave the rest of the 100yards open. That would sure cut down on your cost. I would think as long as you can stifle the muzzle blast and the sound barrier splitting then it would be sufficient.

Red

Anyone not living in the nortern tier of states probably have no knowledge of why you are thinking of this project. Being from Montana, I understand perfectly. Good luck, I hope it works out. A good cat skinner should be able to lay you a trench to level out a two foot culvert at a hundred.

Beeman, the winter actually wasn;t that bad.

Sound isn't a problem. I have great neighbors who are also friends, the closest to the west being 3 miles away, south 2 miles, north, 4 miles, east, a mile. They can't hear me shoot in the open, and if they do, they don't object. I hear the neighbor to the south shoot, but conditions have to be just right. I mean a dead calm.

I won't need a cat. The tree row where I would build the tunnel is almost flat. It has a slight tilt east to west. Just enought to drain.

I'm just kicking around an idea and hoping planting it here will generate new ideas on how to do it.

Roger,
I know exactly what you're talking about.
They have one out at the range I go to. The tunnel is a pretty simple set-up actually, 4X4 posts and 2X4 framed with corigated aluminum for walls and roof, a pully system for the targets. At the business end they have a Small 10X15 hut-like building, directly above the shooting bench is a sliding glass window that opens to the tunnel, the Chronograph is permantly fixed in place and connected directly to a computer with printer. It also sports a little heater for winter and air-conditioner for summer. Also inside is a full reloading set-up! No matter what's going on outside weatherwise, no problem everything you need is right there!