I'm moving away from my hillbilly type shooting range which mostly consists of stumps and logs as a lead catcher and backdrop.

My primary goal and reason for the change is to contain most of my lead and debris for easy clean up. I'm building my home on the property and need to keep things in order and as much lead off the ground and off the property as I can.

I would like to build a steel trap for most of my calibers including my shotguns. I'll be shooting random objects and paper targets.

I'm not looking at spending a lot of cash if any. I have two, 3/8"x3'x5' steel plates, tons of pine logs up to 30" diameter and that's about it. I'm considering logs as a secondary catch or backing if needed, but would like to stay away from anything that holds the lead like logs would. Size isn't an issue other than the cost to go bigger. I'm hoping to incorporate these steel plate as a means to channel the shot if it's safe. Like I said, money is a concern, but I'll spend some cash so I don't have a turd sitting close to my house.

I've never been to a "real" range, so I don't have a clue what's being used other that what I see on the internet. I have a few ideas, but would like to hear yours. So let me know what you're doing or seeing for traps and give me some of your ideas on the matter. Send or post some pictures if you could too.

Thanks

Hello,
If I were going to spend the money, and I was worried about reclaiming the lead, I'd build a slanted steel trap with a sand filled trough at the base to trap the lead, I'll try to make a piss poor rendering below.


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If your going to shoot much rifle, or slugs you will probably have to go with at least 1/2" plate. with 22s, pistols, bird shot, and buckshot you could easily use 3/8" plate, I suppose you could set the plate up for a trial run and see how it works. You will want more angle than I have shown in the rendering above, at least 45 degrees, the idea being that the bullet never hits the plate straight on, it hits the angle and deflects into the sand. You could sift the sand and reclaim the lead every couple years. To be a total capture you would probably want steel on the sides as well, but it could be light stuff, since it will only catch splatter and not take straight on shots, 1/4" would probably suffice (stacked pine logs would work well for this too, a couple gallons of water seal and they would last about forever). A guy could replace the sand in the trough with water, then you could just drain the water out and scoop-up the lead, probably wouldn't work in the winter though. We decided to go with a dirt berm here on our range(check the link in my sig line), there is no water running anywhere near so run-off wasn't an issue, we shoot mostly steel plates, I would like to build a trap for shooting paper though.

I don't have a whole lot of good to say, I would however like to point out that local bowling locals support my habbit by providing me with highly durable targets. Go ahead and try it! every so often bowling alleys change out thier pins and they are laminated hardwood encased by rubber. They practicly absorb soft point and full metal jacket rounds. only hollow point and slugs do any real damage from what i've seen.

i have zero experiance with this, but from a buddy of mine a few counties north of me he said he contacted the local government which needed a place to dump dirt from a county construction project, so they gave him free dirt mounds which he's got steel traps in front of, so all he really had to pay for was the steel and the dirt was county provided

I'll never be that lucky.

I second that. My parents are having a house built, and the city dumped "clean fill" on the lot, for free. It worked in everyones favor. They city got rid of the dirt, right near where it started out, and my parents got crap-tons of fill to level out some uneven parts on the lot.

Make the call.

ML Roak.
Very helpful. Gave me some good ideas. I didn't check you site yet, but will right now.


Nailbomb
Bowling pins where on my mine the entire time I was writing.


Vultite & 22_shooter
I actually manage a local government office and we do give 99% of our removed fill away free. Plus my in laws are excavators, so I have fill sitting right now but I'm hoping to just use the structure for catching and topography for safety.

So Nailbomb, just ask. Most of the time you'll get it delivered right to you. Sometimes it takes a case of beer.



Here's some more on what I'm doing.
I considered the dirt, but I'm hoping to have a none invasive structure in the woods behind the house. It will actually be shootable from the back porch(<maybe). I'm fortunate to have natural topography that will act as the final safety catch if a failure occurs on the trap systems. Plus, the land has a very steep mountain range right against the back of it and about 4.5 miles to the next dwelling in the direction I'll be shooting. The future may hold a "Rails to Trails be hide me, but thats a long way off. The dirt is still a possibility, but I think it will most likely be bunkered in with the grade change in the land.




Thanks and keep it coming.

I guess my only question is WHY do you need to worry about the bullets being on the land??

Is it an ordinance that restricts your leaving lead from shooting on the property?

Do you WANT to reclaim the lead to use it again?

Are you just having "happy bunny-hugger" type thoughts and think its the right thing to do??

I too am working on a similar project... I have two runs right out my back porch... ( all enclosed with windows that open)

The left run ends in a dirt pile about 75 yards out... the other run, after a couple limbs are taken down will give me a straight 200 yard shot into the ground/woods.

I plan to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING as far as reclaiming lead.

It came from the earth originally, I just figure that I am putting it back there! LOL

My local trap field at my shooting club has MULTIPLE POUNDS of lead shot into the ground every year... we test the soil and its fine every time.. and we have been doing it for DECADES... no problem there, I cant imagine my few rounds of shooting will make one where I live...

Thanks guys.

I have a put together a crude range on my buddies 400 Acre property in the hills. I rented a bobcat and trailer for a couple hundred $ and made some nice dirt burms as a backstop and on the sides for richochet protection. I also used the bobcat to clear out all vegitation / combustables within the bermed off area. Made some target stands out of 2x4s and plywood and a couple of crude benchrests. Make sure there are no roads or houses for some distance in front of your range (meaning miles) for shots that go over your berm. I have a 1000 ft hill in front of my range, which I set up painted steel gongs at 200 and 300 yards.

Watch out with steel plates, these are the cause of most range accidents. I have been hit by pistol ricochet at 25 yards. I would never shoot at steel with a rifle under 100 yards - never!

Look and heed my warning;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOHz1suFc8U

This one comes back hard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4boyGVmOJbw...feature=related

ABSOLUTELY!!! P.M. me for my address I expect it to arrive UPS in a prompt fashion!!! LOL no, seriously.. I want some plutonium!!


Ok... now to the real business at hand... your shooting range...


Heres a GREAT idea for target hangers...

Get two long pieces of 1" rebar. about 6 feet long... Get a buddy with a sledghammer...

Pound them into the ground about 2 feet deep so 4' sticks up... do them about 6 to 8 feet apart...

Get some CHEAP plastic SNOW FENCE either orange or black... ( we use orange at our range...)

Span it between the rebar, and use scissors to trim it about 6 inches longer than the posts on each end...

Wrap one side around the rebar, and use either flexible steel wire or zipties to secure it about every 8 to 10 inches along the rebar stake... do the same on the other side, pulling the fence SNUG between the poles... secure that side...

Now you can hang all manner of paper targets from it with clothespins ( available in BULK packs at ANY dollar store) or you can ziptie or use bread bag ties to secure heavier things to it... or you can lean stuff against it, and it wont just fall over... It will hold up to a LOT of shooting before needing to be replaced... and when you do have to replace it... just another 6 or 8 feet of snow fence is all it takes. and the old can be burned or just thrown in the trash... and your lead will STILL pass through for reclaiming if you go that route. Since YOU are the one shooting at it, you dont have to worry about morons shooting at the rebar and making ricochets... keep the targets to the center and a bullet will NEVER come near the rebar posts... Even if a bullet DOES hit the rebar... the chances of a ricochet back at you are VERY SLIM!! the rebar is very tough, so it wont get holes in it from bullets hitting it!

we use this method at the local gun club, and we replace the 50 yard berm fence only about twice a year... the rest about annually... we have over a thousand members... so you can get an idea of how long it will last for just you and your friends shooting now and then!!!

Personally I think the rebar and snow fence is one of the BEST range target hanger ideas EVER!

The only other thing I need to do is get some planking to span the creek down by my 200 yard range... so I can drive my lawn tractor down there to it... when I want to hang up or change out targets... LOL

Lazy??? YOU BET!!!

I prefer to think of it more as COMFORT oriented efficiency! LOL

Don't you have any kids to do the running?

Yeah... but you know how it is...

TEMPTATION...

The twitch of the itchy trigger finger... a real moving target at 200 yards...

The recollection of the night before when they wouldnt do the dishes, or sweep the stairs, and got mouthy... Just not worth it...





























( I really do LOVE my children!! Everything above is JUST KIDDING, so that no idiots get stupid about it... )

I thought I would link to this post here....cause down near the bottom when the topic changes... it is almost relevant to a private range.

Just shows the view off my back porch, where my private range will be when I get things set up in the spring... and the grass regrown in there... Also a few limbs need to come down before the full 200 range is ready to use... but it gives you an idea of what I am doing....

http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?showto...mp;#entry287802

Nice, but you have to get those deer out off the way if you expect to hit the target.

This gave me a good laugh.