Home range construction

[G-ManBart]

The wifey and I may be buying some land, or a house with enough land, that I can have a personal range (nothing fancy). That got me wondering what the best surface would be from both a practice and grass building perspective. Regular old compacted soil with a layer of pea gravel? Something different? Thoughts?

Edited September 21, 2010 by G-ManBart

[Brads1911]

I tried gravel at my range and all I did was waste money by giving the grass something expensive to grow in. If it is for personal use drop some decent topsoil, till it, and throw some contractors blend seed. Plus your brass doesn't get hurt as bad if you step on it in grass.

[SLM]

For a surface I'd suggest something that kinda packs down. I shoot at a range that dumped a bunch of nice gravel/rock on all the bays but after over two years it's still loose. It's like running in sand. If that's what most of the ranges you shoot on are like putting the same thing on your home range would be a great idea. It would give you practice under the same conditions... Which brings me to my point. I'd try to go with something that would closely mimic the conditions you shoot under the most. If that's dirt, go dirt, if it's packed gravel, go with the same, etc, etc.

[Reinholt]

Does the budget allow for compacting and gravel? Due note that your climate will suck a layer of pea gravel down quickly into the dirt. Layered gravel (larger on bottom and then topped off with pea) is more ideal. Talk to a quarry guy and they will have good info. This can get costly.

I grew up on a range in Northern Indiana and lived in your area for 10 years. I have seen it all. The next question is mowing or spraying. PM me if you want a lifetime of range building experience, things that worked and those that didn't.

[Bigpops]

I have the big three....Gravel, Grass and Dirt.(mud when it rains) I wanted all grass but our range is surrounded by woods and the light is not quite good enough. Plus it has been a dry year and things just don't want to grow.

The grass is nice. Easy to care for (mow) and looks nice. Gravel (recycled cement) is nice as it is easy to care for but does make picking brass a pain sometimes. Footing wise it has packed down pretty well.

Dirt? Well....it just sucks.

I originally had the shooting line area covered with a fine mulch. That was really nice but again being surrounded by woods made it a problem to blow off leaves, pine needles, etc.

I am striving for a grass range with gravel/crushed cement in the shooters area.

[davidwiz]

Beach sand will work the best if it rains. Pine chips/bark on top of beach sand would probably be the best surface, as the ground won't be sandy, but there is place for the water to go.

[juan]

Astro turf

[sperman]

If you were ever going to have a low target, gravel will skip bullets, potentially over the berm. Dirt may skip also, but at least you have the option of digging a hole behind the target as a bullet trap.

[Flexmoney]

PM me if you want a lifetime of range building experience, things that worked and those that didn't.

Sounds good. Post it here?

[G-ManBart]

Thanks guys...this helps. Keep 'em coming! R,

[PJ BAD]

PM me if you want a lifetime of range building experience, things that worked and those that didn't.

I agree with Flexmoney. Post that information on the forum. A lot of us are interested.

[Bill Nesbitt]

I have mostly grass with a few bare spots. I mow it with the rest of the yard. It also makes a nice place for the grand kids to play. They love to roll my barrels around. I like it better than the pea gravel, etc. that I see at some shooting ranges. Because of the grass it has multiple uses.

[Bigpops]

Something else I was looking at for the shooters area, but just wasn't right for our location, was the fine rubber mulch people use for kid's playgrounds. It packs nice and does well in rain. It is a little pricey though.

[Bigpops]

I have mostly grass with a few bare spots. I mow it with the rest of the yard. It also makes a nice place for the grand kids to play. They love to roll my barrels around. I like it better than the pea gravel, etc. that I see at some shooting ranges. Because of the grass it has multiple uses.

Looks like a nice setup Bill...complete with aerial photography! Whats your GPS coordinates?

[Bill Nesbitt]

[quote name='Bigpops' timestamp='1285077602' post='1294586'

Looks like a nice setup Bill...complete with aerial photography! Whats your GPS coordinates?

Thanks. Every few years they (forget who) go around taking aerial photos of farms and sell them to the landowners. That photo is several years old. I have more grass now. GPS is a super secret.

[DWFAN]

What about asphalt shavings ? find a road project that they arent reusing the material and pay the dump truckers to drop it off at your place. After some grading, rain and a little compaction, you'll have a firm nice surface to work from and be able to pick up your brass. Probably cheaper than a few tons of new gravel also.

[Flexmoney]

G,

I imagine you will run into a base of that sandy dirt that is in the area?

If so, that is what you will see at many of the ranges in that part of the country.

Those brass (nut) pickers work really well in that stuff. And, it seems to drain well.

[22 shooter]

Rock dust is the best

[Sam]

Bart, gravel is nice for the areas "under foot" where we stand and move. I have some permanet walls, gravel is nice around those.(We get a lot of winter here.) Pea sized gravel hides in cases and breaks de-priming pins.

The impact area is all dirt and even though I live in a fairly remote area, the berms are very high. Sand or loose dirt in a steep backstop stops bullets better than almost anything. But, carefully consider the direction and distance that bullets will travel when they skip out over the berms. Rule #4! Always be sure of your target and what lies beyond it. I repeat, bullets will eventually skip out of the berms!

A good clear half mile downrange, behind a tall sandy berm would be a minimum for me.

[GrumpyOne]

Bart, I used recycled crushed concrete in my drive way, sprinkled some Portland cement over the top of it, it's almost like concrete now (not that it would be good for the target area!). Real easy to blow leaves off of it, everything just lays right on top, no more getting mashed down into it.