I restarted work on my pistol range today. I had previously cleared some small trees.



Today, I installed the target rack and some Shepard hooks for the discs.



This is as close as I get to 25 yds without standing in the creek.



The pallets bridge a wet weather stream, very soft and soggy. Yes I stuck the gator.

A very cool start! Guess you got the gator unstuck. Maybe you can have a GA Sig shoot this summer? (Hint, hint)

Now, THAT’S what I call “livin’ The dream”

The site is a small “floodplain”, a flat area that ends in a sloping bank. There are a few small trees still to be removed for a clear shooting lane. It is a work in progress and may evolve as it gets used.

Lookin' good, JWF. Coincidentally, I'll be helping a buddy with his pistol range this weekend. I already contributed a target stand for paper targets. (Metal "H" base that accepts 2x2's to which to staple cardboard to which to staple targets.) This time I'm bringing up 4", 6" and 8" round steel plates, shepherd's hooks and hanging hardware. (I just hope people will avoid shooting the shepherd's hooks.)

Very nice; I can only dream of having my own range. Just curious what is the acreage of your property?

I live in the hell which is suburbia so I am quite jealous of your range.

Ensigmatic, I have used those hooks on another impromptu range I made. It was short, 12- 15 yds max with 8” discs but I never hit the hooks. With reasonable target size and distance you should not have a problem, Murphy will show up on occasion but that is to be expected.

Paper target frames are next.

Good start! It’s gonna take a lot of trips with that gator to get a nice back berm though.

quote:

Originally posted by BuddyChryst:
Good start! It’s gonna take a lot of trips with that gator to get a nice back berm though.

There is an existing slope behind the targets that is about 12- 15 ft high. Hard to tell in the picture due to the vegetation.

Nice, i really like lee and pauldings range kits for steel. I am up to 20 or so now on my own range.

https://www.ar-mortargets.com/pages/retailer

quote:

Originally posted by DSgrouse:
Nice, i really like lee and pauldings range kits for steel. I am up to 20 or so now on my own range.

https://www.ar-mortargets.com/pages/retailer

I followed and was inspired by your range development thread. My site is limited by the amount of slope bank I have for a stop so I will not have as big a target rack as yours. There is space to the right that may be set for paper targets.

My steel, 3/8x12x20 torso and 8” disc in AR500 steel, all came from Amazon. The torso were $48 each and prime so shipping was included.

quote:

Originally posted by randyman:
A very cool start! Guess you got the gator unstuck. Maybe you can have a GA Sig shoot this summer? (Hint, hint)

Sounds like a good time to do a re-do of the cockatoo ranch Bullets & Buns we did several years ago. We had enough BBQ to feed the whole county.

Good looking range there.

quote:

Originally posted by JWF:

quote:

Originally posted by DSgrouse:
Nice, i really like lee and pauldings range kits for steel. I am up to 20 or so now on my own range.

https://www.ar-mortargets.com/pages/retailer

I followed and was inspired by your range development thread. My site is limited by the amount of slope bank I have for a stop so I will not have as big a target rack as yours. There is space to the right that may be set for paper targets.

My steel, 3/8x12x20 torso and 8” disc in AR500 steel, all came from Amazon. The torso were $48 each and prime so shipping was included.

That is understandable. I originally tried t posts as frames and they just didn't hold up. His 2x4 chain and hangers have done well for me. Also check out his poppers.

I used 8’ t-posts driven substantially into the ground, will see how they hold. They come loose, I still have some length to drive deeper.

Also found on Amazon were t-post brackets to support the cross bar of the rack.

https://smile.amazon.com/Shoot...9EKMNCGDKQ7C26HN4D79

quote:

Originally posted by JWF:
I used 8’ t-posts driven substantially into the ground, will see how they hold. They come loose, I still have some length to drive deeper.

Also found on Amazon were t-post hangers the support the cross bar of the rack.

https://smile.amazon.com/Shoot...9EKMNCGDKQ7C26HN4D79

mine sagged over time. It is great tonsee another range go up. With the ammount of public and club ranges decreasing i think this will become more popular.

I honestly find my self shooting paper about 90% of the time for rime fire, and 40% for center fire pistol, 95% for center fire rifle.

When i draw from the holster and practice defensive shooting that changes a bit.

I also like that yours is more covered in trees than mine. Helps keep the direct sun off you. I wish i had a nicely covered spot to put my bench under.

quote:

Originally posted by JWF:
Ensigmatic, I have used those hooks on another impromptu range I made. It was short, 12- 15 yds max with 8” discs but I never hit the hooks. With reasonable target size and distance you should not have a problem, ...

That's the problem: I bought 4, 6 and 8" discs. I took one look at the 4" disc on a hook and thought "Yeah, that's gonna fly right offa there."

Had some really heavy chain in the garage. Cut off a couple pieces and got the hardware to hang the 4" disc from chain. Have a 2nd set ready to go in case the 6" disc needs it, too. Otherwise: It's a spare.

Now won't find out for a couple more weeks. We had to cancel this weekend because one of our cats got sick

In the meantime I may just decide to buy a 10" or 12" disc. I think first I'll hang the 8" and 6" from the same shepherd's hook to see if it'll handle it. If not: I'll have to come up with a New Plan. Maybe also buy one of those T-post hangers and a couple T-posts.

My thinking was to put the 4" disc at 7 yards, the 6" disc at about 10 yards, and the 8" at 14 yards. (Each would have the same apparent size.) A 10" or 12" further out would be cool.

Meanwhile my buddy says he's got left-over wood from a pole barn build he'll use to build a table for the range à la hickok45.