stage for private range

[MemHeli]

I've shot in one competition so far, and really liked it, but didn't like the air conditions indoor.  Really poor.  Now that I have some land, i want to setup my own course that would be somewhat permanent.  Can you guys point me to a good basic course that would be a template for my setup?   I also need to research building some target stands - I do have a friend that welds to I have a head start on that at least.

[tanks]

Rather than permanently make a stage I'd build up your range to facilitate versatility in making different stages based on what you wish to practice. Basically you need to build a backstop and side berms (if necessary). Get a few barrels and Bianchi barricades and you are good to go.

 

You do not need to weld to make target stands. Search how to make wooden target stands on YouTube. They are sturdy and cost about $4 each to make. All you need is miter saw and a nail gun.

 

 

[Mcfoto]

I agree with tanks, if I had the means to build a private stage, it would be for practice only. The beauty of going to matches is I'm solving the puzzle that someone else had designed. If I just shot my own stages, I'd probably be inclined to design them to my known strengths and abilities rather than challenging them to stretch. Almost all my practice sessions involve a couple of barrels and three target stands. That would be a good start. A standard stage I set up to gauge speed is El Presidente. Pretty sure the googles will provide the exact set up.

[MemHeli]

Thanks guys.  I'll look up the El Presidente...and take the advice of keeping the range flexible.   I just thought a few bases to hold the wood but at 4$ a piece who cares right.

[MemphisMechanic]

A couple of cheap walls made of PVC along with 6 or so wooden target stands so you can move everything around would go a LONG way.

 

Scoot them around and design things you need to work on: for example, coming into one position and drilling a really hard target. Then a second position and engaging two really easy targets very quickly.

 

Edited January 26, 2018 by MemphisMechanic

[Part_time_redneck]

I have 8 target stands and no wall sections. To simulate a wall I use no shoots for the ends and a length of yellow rope between. Not optimal I know but gets the job done. Like the guys above said, versatility is the key. With just a few stands & targets there's almost no limit as to what you can do. 

 

As far as setups, Ben Stoegers book Skills & Drills has a wealth of information. Not just setup, but the how's & why's. What to focus on and what to watch out for. 

 

[BeerBaron]

I would strongly suggest avoid permanent target placements.

 

I would consider getting/making:

 

12 target stands (that's plenty)

2 pieces of steel

vision barriers (barrels are good for this, but small wall sections that are just an outline then covered with flyscreen type mesh work well, use star pickets to mount them)

something for fault lines (but vision barriers I would priorities over fault lines).

 

If you start to do more then you can consider adding some activated targets (swinger, max trap etc) and some more wall sections with high and low ports.

 

[Sliv2]

Once you have a range set up with the necessary equipment, here is a compilation of some short courses: http://www.speedslide.com/category/short/ 

 

All of this assuming you choose to set up actual stages rather than drills. 

[orangeman711]

If you have enough acreage build yourself  a bay. Make it at least 50yds. long and 25-30yrds wide. That way you can set-up different stages and have enough room to change them as your needs arise. Also make the berms at least 10ft. preferably 12ft. high.

[jkrispies]

A suggestion I’d make is to pull the stage dimensions for the Steel Challenge stages Speed Option and Outer Limits.  Make that your minimum size of bay, and you’ll be able to set up any SC stage you want, in case you decide to take up that sport in the future.  MGM and Action Target (and others) sell plate sets that would allow you to accurately set up any SC stage.  With a bay that size and a full set of SC plates (plus paper targets, barrels, temp walls, etc.) you could set up pretty amazing USPSA stages in addition to all 8 SC stages.  

Edited February 22, 2018 by jkrispies

[scroadkill]

I started working on my private range about two years ago.. I started with 3 pieces of  12"x20" ar500 steel and set them out at 8 yards,  1 yard apart at the shoulders -  perfect for el presidente and enos' transition drill and any draw, shoot reload shoot type thing. I then added steel further out and invited friends for some outlaw type steel challenge. I mounted the steel fairly permanently, and used easy to move no-shoots to block targets to change the course of fire. moving steel ain't that easy. I then built a wall in front of it with a few doors and sliding ports. We ran outlaw steel challenge type stuff for about a year, and then I started back (after a 20 year break) with uspsa.

That 1 bay grew into 4 with a mixture of fixed and movable walls and target arrays - c. 50% cardboard -  50% steel.

the one thing that has remained is the 3 steel target array. great for leaving set up, and  I can just walk down to the range and  have a little practice session w/o having to set up, tear down or think to much.  Great for a little friday - pre-match warm up exercise. Ditto when guests come over for some unplanned, unstructured plinking.

 

[waktasz]

2 walls, 2 barricades or 4 barrels are enough to set up your practice bay with enough possibilities to do pretty much everything. If you have extra stands but no walls you can use no shoots as vision barriers. 

I'm lazy so I never use more than that for my practices even though our club has pretty much everything possible available to us.

 

[BoyGlock]

Shoot more matches then you can build stages by your experience. It should evolve as you develop as a shooter. Be creative.