Following on from an invite to go Red Deer stalking i was also invited to hav a few rounds down a newly installed and finished 100m rifle range which is set under ground
How cool is that
so as i set off on thursday evening not really knowing what to expect i reached my destination set in the beautifull Peak District
i arrived about 8:30 pm to my surprise there were several cars unknown to me on site , in a well lit building i spotted my host for that night and the following day, a head appeared from around the door from a building that when i last saw was just a run down shack
beckoning me in with the promise of a brew
I just had to accept
Well rude not to
On entry my surprise and look of sheer shock of this transformation said it all, but more so the people inside had just arrived to use the range, but it was 8:30pm for christ sake, no matter i was told as this was a 24 hour booking scheme, so enough of you book i will open it at any time
whilst they were trying the range i sat chewing the fat with Dweeb who worked for Mike
with out realising it the chaps and Mike appeared back in the classroom now 10:30 pm

soon it was lights out and await the early morning alarm
that came sooner than i thought, quick brew and we were off
Mike being Mike gave me the low down on what we were expecting to acheive and more so as we were to split up and stalk different sections , as i knew the ground well and the need to put a beast in his larder was a sought of must, a plan was made just at that a Red hind and stag calf were spotted about 800 yards away , but boy did they look jumpy, an increase of poaching in the area does that
but atleast they were on my section to stalk , easy i thought to myself but how wrong could a man be
2 hours and several valleys later they had vanished, so back to plan B
BREAKFAST
venison sausages wrapped in fresh dough washed down with a warm strong Mug of coffee made the whole trip worth it
but know more to come this time i exchaged my rifle for the camera as i was told it would be worth it
the classroom with facilites for both sexes and quite good disabled access
a few pics for those interested
the car park attendant

the class room

Mike on coffe duty








fully functional loading bench on site

the range outside view and target shed






the range itself

Entrance




veiw of targets at other end of tunnel ( damn i like my new camera)

CCTV screen for close up of targets at shooters end

Having a play


i can only say i enjoyed my evening and day out with the gang at Mike's
where else can you go where you can get a eve/morn stalk on deer, play in a tunnel testing load developements with your mates under full proffessional guidance with an RFD to boot, if you were lucky and did well on the stalk there is a fully prep and loaded larder on site for courses and help on butchery ,aswell as Mike being an AW,
just make sure he throws in a breakfast
what more can you ask for
i can only purvey my many thanks to Mike for his generous hospitality as always and wish him well for the future
Cheers

That looks like the kind of shooting setup we should all have access to!! I particularly like: the way the targets are lowered in front of the shooting lanes, and the monitors showing the targets to the shooters! How good does it get??

- mike

Fantastic shooting range!
I've been dreaming of constructing an indoor range in my basement.. I might be able to get 30 meters if digging a tunnel.. I don't think it will happen though..

Looks like a great place.

That looks fun but I'd not want to share it with anyone shooting unmoderated!!

quote:

Originally posted by 1894mk2:
That looks fun but I'd not want to share it with anyone shooting unmoderated!!

It must be like being in a concrete drum!

There also doesn't look to be a great deal of ventilation.

quote:

Originally posted by Tophand:

quote:

Originally posted by 1894mk2:
That looks fun but I'd not want to share it with anyone shooting unmoderated!!

It must be like being in a concrete drum!

There also doesn't look to be a great deal of ventilation.

Tophand
i believe there are several ventilation shafts or fans installed
don't ask me why or where as i don't hav a clue
but i know they were installed but made discreet
if that makes sense

quote:

Originally posted by Anders:
Fantastic shooting range!
I've been dreaming of constructing an indoor range in my basement.. I might be able to get 30 meters if digging a tunnel.. I don't think it will happen though..

30 meters of digging, one heck of an airgun range....lol

just see they hav been to the range to do a bit of filming

www.fieldsportschannel.tv

It really dose look good i hope it dose well for the owner what a great idea put into practice.

Seems a hell of a lot of work and expenditure for what is after all only a 2 lane 100 range.

A berm made from a double row of railway sleepers stood on end and set into concrete, backed up with 10ft of rock and dirt would have been a lot easier and cheaper. You could even put some side wings on it to cut down on the wind.

A friends range consists of the 900t of earth excavated for the base of his new grain store, bulldozed into 10' high banks to form a 3 sides box. It worked out cheaper than having the muck carted away off the site. A bit of top soil, few cwt of cheap grass seed and you would have thought it had been there for years. Clever lads these farmers.

A traditional earth berm is ok, but for a commercial venture which includes planning permission ect, you have to think about danger zones which is a major issue in many places, and is something a tunnel range avoids completely.

A tunnel range is also a much less of a noise issue if your land doesn't happen to be in a remote spot.

Finally, its a very "low profile" way of having a range which means you're less likely to stir up the local Anties and Nimby's.

So while I agree a tunnel range is far more costly and complex, sometimes cicumstances dictate they are the best option...

Below is another solution to down range safety:





These are German military ranges and are designed so they don't need a danager zone behind the targets..Not sure where this one is as its a net pic, but I've seen similar ranges in German and Austria.

Taking of tunnel rifle ranges.

Does anyone know how the one being developed at Charmouth tunnel is getting on? I recall they managed to get planning permission despite the local opposition.

quote:

Originally posted by Tophand:
Seems a hell of a lot of work and expenditure for what is after all only a 2 lane 100 range.

A berm made from a double row of railway sleepers stood on end and set into concrete, backed up with 10ft of rock and dirt would have been a lot easier and cheaper. You could even put some side wings on it to cut down on the wind.

A friends range consists of the 900t of earth excavated for the base of his new grain store, bulldozed into 10' high banks to form a 3 sides box. It worked out cheaper than having the muck carted away off the site. A bit of top soil, few cwt of cheap grass seed and you would have thought it had been there for years. Clever lads these farmers.

Sleepers are an expensive way to convert wood to chips - not very resistant to bullets. 10' of earth isn't enough for commercial purposes. Steve Bowes had a huge amount of earth and had severe tunneling issues (no puns please!)

Bear in mind this is a semicommercial enterprise with all the HSE/insurance issues that entails.

My own range is much on the lines you describe (a mates swimming pool excavations) but it sees 22rf use only.

quote:

Originally posted by Tophand:
Seems a hell of a lot of work and expenditure for what is after all only a 2 lane 100 range..

yes a lot of work
but when you think about your hobby or retirement plans
things
like this take time, money and effort
biut often pay the divedends in the end

quote:

Originally posted by Tophand:

A friends range consists of the 900t of earth excavated for the base of his new grain store, bulldozed into 10' high banks to form a 3 sides box. It worked out cheaper than having the muck carted away off the site. A bit of top soil, few cwt of cheap grass seed and you would have thought it had been there for years. Clever lads these farmers.

i see this range created by the farmer is open 24 hours if they use a torch, definately clever

quote:

Originally posted by 1894mk2:

quote:

Originally posted by Tophand:
Seems a hell of a lot of work and expenditure for what is after all only a 2 lane 100 range.

A berm made from a double row of railway sleepers stood on end and set into concrete, backed up with 10ft of rock and dirt would have been a lot easier and cheaper. You could even put some side wings on it to cut down on the wind.

A friends range consists of the 900t of earth excavated for the base of his new grain store, bulldozed into 10' high banks to form a 3 sides box. It worked out cheaper than having the muck carted away off the site. A bit of top soil, few cwt of cheap grass seed and you would have thought it had been there for years. Clever lads these farmers.

Sleepers are an expensive way to convert wood to chips - not very resistant to bullets. 10' of earth isn't enough for commercial purposes. Steve Bowes had a huge amount of earth and had severe tunneling issues (no puns please!)

Bear in mind this is a semicommercial enterprise with all the HSE/insurance issues that entails.

My own range is much on the lines you describe (a mates swimming pool excavations) but it sees 22rf use only.

Depend upon how you come by the sleepers 16" of well seasoned timber and 10' of hard packed banking stops everything you'd want to use in the UK and a good bit more besides. The trick is to rotate your target points.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard E:
i see this range created by the farmer is open 24 hours if they use a torch, definately clever

Who needs or wants 24hr usage?

Insomniacs perhaps?

Portable arc lighting in neither expensive nor costly to run, but is extremely proficient, if you feel an over whelming desire to work your bolt 24hrs a day.

unfortunately in this country we hav a problem
it called work
get's in the way and work hours are normally based on what day light hours are available
so in the winter months it become more apparent
nowt to do with being an insomniacs but more about being flexible