Best home firing range backstop?

[RCB]

We typically shoot in a ravine (using the same one ever since I was a kid), but in a renewed effort to preserve our trees and to prevent ricochets from small caliber bullets (had a 22 come back and hit my shoe one time no idea what caused it) I want to install a backstop.

Anyone have experience with good energy absorbing materials. I was thinking of an earthen dam, but have seen tracers glance off some pretty steep hills.

We shoot everything from black power to 22s to high powered rifles.

 

[Jack Ryan]

dirt and sand, I think thick grass on top of the dirt is a help as well.

 

[VUPDblue]

Sand FTW. Just make sure it has some sort of retention, as it likes to wash-out...

 

[RCB]

Would sandbags work ok? Obviously, they would need to be replaced/repaired from time to time, or is there a better retention method?

 

[VUPDblue]

It depends of the terrain. If you were able to build something into a hillside, you'd need it to be boxed-in at the bottom to avoid the sand being washed down the hill. Sandbags would actually do pretty good, IMHO, if your volume of fire wasn't super high.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Would sandbags work ok? Obviously, they would need to be replaced/repaired from time to time, or is there a better retention method?

PLant something in it to make it keep it up. I've got the remnants of a dirt dam I shoot in to and the dog digs up bullets so he damages it a thousand times more than the bullets do and it's not been touched after years of shooting in to it.

 

[6birds]

Buffalo or Holsteins work good, then you can grill them after shooting.

 

[MyGlockRocks19]

dirt and sand, I think thick grass on top of the dirt is a help as well.

This is a good idea. I've been told that planting grass on top of your berm helps hold the soil in place.

 

[Yamaha]

I was going to say a vertical section of clay, sloped front of sand, rear of just dirt, think sod over the top on both sides.....

or, you could just do one layer of cardboard.....phail

 

[mkbar80]

About hunderd 10' railroad ties....God knows how much sand. Weeds and Grass have grown in know and it just needs topped of once and a while. Nothing but woods behind the back stop, when corn is down we can get out about 200 yards.

 

[bft131]

We have a tree trunk from a huge maple we dropped last year, to big to burn or bury, its 15 feet long and 5 feet high from ground to top..Have not shot through it yet...

 

[55spartan]

Big round haybale(s)

 

[agentl074]

Big round hay bale(s)

This would work!

 

[RCB]

Ha bales we have. Might give those a try I will probably build a sandbox eventually though. Looking to put something semi permanent in.

 

[jblomenberg16]

Here's the link to a thread about some target stands I made out of 2x6's and 2x8's that can be filled with sand. They can be semi permanent, or very portable.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ssion/17365-target_holder_bullet_stopper.html

In short, you build a 2' x 2' box out of either 2x6's or 2x8's, with two of the sides 4' long. You enclose the box on either side with plywood or MDF, put a hole in the top to fill with sand, and in the bottom to drain the sand.

6 to 8" of sand is going to stop just about anything you throw at it up to most of the common high powered rifles. Rumor has it that it may even stop a .50 cal round, but I'd guess that it would destroy the box in the process.

Something that I'd recommend is getting some spare sheets of 1/8" hardboard to regularly replace as a media to staple too. They will also help patch andy holes you might accumulate from shooting the same spot over and over and over again. I've replaced the main MDF 2x on each now, and have added some rubber matting behind to help keep the sand inside once a hole does begin to open up.

 

[OneBadV8]

speaking of backstops... anyone know the laws about shooting close to city limits? I have a buddy looking to build a backstop so we finally have a place to shoot but he's within about 5 miles of city limits.

 

[gglass]

I prefer the old-fashioned style backstops like the ones grandpa used:

YouTube - Woman Holds Bullet Proof Glass While Shot

 

[esrice]

We use an old fashioned backstop. Its a layer of grass, then 15-30 feet of earth, then a million gallons of water.

We also call it a "dam".

Works great!