Design details of small range on a farm

[shotgun sam]

Has anyone made a small range on a farm if so can you tell me what you used to create one and if possible post some pictures.

 

Sam

[al4x]

we just use a big hill as backstop

[shotgun sam]

al4x

 

The problem is we do not have a big hill as a backstop

[al4x]

in that case I would look towards a decent pile of soil created somewhere appropriate couple of minutes with a JCB somewhere with a decent vantage point and job done

[Dead-Eyed Duck]

We have made a 75 yard range suitable for 'most' rifles.

Safety has to be of absolute paramount.

 

1) Ensure that the ground behind the range is totally 'safe', in case of a bullet straying etc

 

2) We have a 3/8" steel backplate at the back of the range (but be aware that a cf bullet can easily get through this). Ideally the thicker the better....

 

3) In front of the steel backplate we pile horizontal logs, three deep to absorb bullet strikes. We inspect and replace these on a regular basis. Ideally use hardwoods, or lengths of telegraph poles cut to suit.

 

4) The logs are retained in place by vertical poles hammered into the ground.

 

5) Ensure that there is plenty of 'free' areas on either side of the range so that in the unlikely event of any livestock/persons coming into view they can be clearly be seen in plenty of time.

Edited May 9, 2013 by Dead-Eyed Duck

[JonathanL]

_{The NRA publish a range construction manual. It's basically the one the MoD use with bits redacted. Building a range, especially for centre-fire rifles, isn't as staright forward as many people think. Unless it's indoors, or you have a mountian directly behind it (so can build a no danger area range) then you need quite a lot of land beyond the butts, usually well over 1,000 yards. This is a limited danger area range. The danger area is intended to catch bullets which either get thrown out of the bullet catcher or, morely likely, hit the ground before the bullet catcher and ricochet over the top of it. The danger area also needs to extend out at a particular angle from the firing points. You also need to make sure that people cannot wander into the danger area when the range is in use.}

 

_{On top of that you need to put in place safe firing procedures to ensure that a bullet does not miss the bullet catcher entirely as if it does it will land outside the danger area.}

 

_{I think the manual is about £15 from the NRA.}

 

_J.

[goodo123]

Build a tunnel range... On a serious note if you built seating etc at ground level then cut in downwards so you have say 6ft below ground level at target then surely this would be a sufficient backstop? I know the gradient would be restricted by how long it's gonna be and type of land, you could even use what you dig to sit at the top on the back... In effect you would be shooting into the ground... Only a idea tho so don't blame me if you build it like this and it goes wrong...

 

Pretty sure the earth would stop pretty much anything...

[BlaserF3]

Who inspects ranges in Scotland?

[HDAV]

Is it a "range" for people to use or a place for you to zero your rifles?

[Dougy]

why not just use a high seat, or just elevate your firing position so your firing into the earth it does not have to be that high. That to me seems the simplest of options

[JonathanL]

Who inspects ranges in Scotland?

 

No one inspects ranges anywhere. The military insopect their own but there isn't any requirement for a non military range to be inspected and legally required standard that it has to be built to.

 

J.

[Muddy Funker]

Not an answer to the op's question, but I was shooting 7.62 at Pirbright a couple of weeks ago.

 

I'm fairly certain the range officer said that for that calibre they needed a 3 mile safe area beyond the target area, there was also a large earth mound behind targets.

 

I know that at Lydd the safe area extends about a mile out to sea.

 

I guess it depends on what you want to shoot?

[BlaserF3]

No one inspects ranges anywhere. The military insopect their own but there isn't any requirement for a non military range to be inspected and legally required standard that it has to be built to.

 

J.

 

The M.O.D. used to inspect our range and the N.S.R.A. used to inspect our small bore range.

 

http://www.stourportonsevernpistolnrifleclub.co.uk/Health & Safety.htm

 

I have nothing to do with the range in the link but the information is there.

Edited May 11, 2013 by BlaserF3

[alendil]

so if you shoot from elevation but angle is only 5 degre bulet to ground. is bullet going to bounce off or burry itself under ground.

( for example 100m .22 hornet 45 grains.)

[JonathanL]

Not an answer to the op's question, but I was shooting 7.62 at Pirbright a couple of weeks ago.

 

I'm fairly certain the range officer said that for that calibre they needed a 3 mile safe area beyond the target area, there was also a large earth mound behind targets.

 

I know that at Lydd the safe area extends about a mile out to sea.

 

I guess it depends on what you want to shoot?

 

Don't know about Pirbright but it all depends on the design of the range. From the description it sounds like a 'full energy' range where a free flying bullet cannot leave the danger area. Most gallery ranges are 'limited danger area' ranges. On these a bullet which flies clean over the bullet catcher will leave the danger area which is why you cannot elevate the muzzle beyond a certain angle. A bullet which impacts the ground and ricochets off from the ground in front of the bullet catcher will remain in the danger area if it clears the bullet catcher.

 

J.

[station]

 

No one inspects ranges anywhere. The military insopect their own but there isn't any requirement for a non military range to be inspected and legally required standard that it has to be built to.

 

J.

Apart from the likes of the NSRA and NRA if you want valid insurance !

As for build specs there is a large book of guidelines produced jointly by the NSRA and NRA (no doubt with MOD influence)

Again the 'guidelines' must be followed for insurance purposes.

[Vince Green]

Yes you can only insure a range through NRA/NSRA as far as I know. I don't know of anybody else who insures ranges and they come and inspect it and issue limitations according to their specifications. You would be mad to use a range without insurance.

 

For a Range to have Home Office approval which is a necessity for virtually all target shooters FACs (only to be used on H.O. approved ranges) and for clubs to have Home Office approval you have to have a safety certificate which used to be issued by MOD Warminster but has now handed over to the NRA.

[BlaserF3]

Yes you can only insure a range through NRA/NSRA as far as I know. I don't know of anybody else who insures ranges and they come and inspect it and issue limitations according to their specifications. You would be mad to use a range without insurance.

 

For a Range to have Home Office approval which is a necessity for virtually all target shooters FACs (only to be used on H.O. approved ranges) and for clubs to have Home Office approval you have to have a safety certificate which used to be issued by MOD Warminster but has now handed over to the NRA.

 

 

I'm out of touch nowadays on the relevant information as I have not shot for years on a range but I knew they had to be approved.

[JonathanL]

Apart from the likes of the NSRA and NRA if you want valid insurance !

No they don't.

 

 

As for build specs there is a large book of guidelines produced jointly by the NSRA and NRA (no doubt with MOD influence)

It appears to be simply the military range design manual with bits redacted.

 

Again the 'guidelines' must be followed for insurance purposes.

 

They don't. I'm involved with two clubs and have never been asked about our range design nor ever inspected by the NRA or NSRA.

 

J.

[JonathanL]

Yes you can only insure a range through NRA/NSRA as far as I know. I don't know of anybody else who insures ranges and they come and inspect it and issue limitations according to their specifications. You would be mad to use a range without insurance.

This isn't correct. The NRA say in their documentation that you do not have to take their insurance if you are arranging it elsewhere. When you take the NRA insurance you don't pay them, they give you the number of the brokers who handle it and you pay them. There is no mention of having the range inspected.

 

For a Range to have Home Office approval which is a necessity for virtually all target shooters FACs (only to be used on H.O. approved ranges) and for clubs to have Home Office approval you have to have a safety certificate which used to be issued by MOD Warminster but has now handed over to the NRA.

 

The Home Office do not approve ranges and never have. They approve clubs. The certificate condition does not mention HO approved ranges either. The club has to show that they have access to a suitable range but the HO do not inspect it, approve it or anything else. As I say, we have a private range which has been in existence for over thirty years and no one from the HO has ever visited it and probably never will. They don't even visit when the club applies for approval.

 

The NRA do not issue safety certificates and never have done. When the MoD stopped doing non military ranges the FAC condition was amended to remove reference to using the guns on a range with a valid MoD safety certificate and now makes no reference to the range having to be certified by anyone. It has to be 'suitable' but that's it and is quite sufficient.

 

The NSRA issue a certificate relating to exempt miniature rifle ranges but that isn't legally binding and is not required in order to operate a miniature rifle range.

 

J.

Edited May 12, 2013 by JonathanL

[station]

No they don't.

Yes they do - as one of the clubs that I am connected to had ours just a month ago.

 

 

It appears to be simply the military range design manual with bits redacted.

So in other words you are saying that they are built to spec ?

 

 

They don't. I'm involved with two clubs and have never been asked about our range design nor ever inspected by the NRA or NSRA.

Just because you have never, does not mean you won't ever.

 

 

Edited May 12, 2013 by station

[JonathanL]

 

Yes they do - as one of the clubs that I am connected to had ours just a month ago.

 

To clarify. The NRA, or NSRA, sent someone out to check the design of your range? They issued a certificate of some kind?

 

So in other words you are saying that they are built to spec ?

 

I didn't say that there weren't specifications for range designs. I said that they NRA don't inspect them.

 

 

 

Just because you have never, does not mean you won't ever.

 

 

I've never heard of any range, anywhere being inspected by the NRA, NSRA.or the Home Office. Certainly none that have ever had certificates issued by either of these organisations.

 

The NRA sometimes does an audit of clubs affiliated to them to check that they are keeping records correctly but they don't certify ranges. If they did, and it was an insurance criteria, then how come they've never done it with any range I've ever been on yet they were all insured? Surely everyone who shoots on these ranges has been shooting uninsured (and, hence, illegally because their certificate condition requires insurance) all these years.

 

J.

Edited May 12, 2013 by JonathanL

[scotslad]

If it is just for zeroing ur own rifle or matesand not for the general public, i would just be getting a digger in like someone said and putting a soil heap in a corner of a field.

The FC ranges tht i have done shooting test's on have been a plywood built box filled with sand in front of a banking. Dare say u could slide a steel plate in midway to sand would really take energy out of the bullet while still in the sand

Or build a elevated shooting platform/high seat (have to be 100% steady) to give u some elevation as well. Really i'd just say common sense as long as for occasional personal use

[station]

To clarify. The NRA, or NSRA, sent someone out to check the design of your range? They issued a certificate of some kind?

Yes -

We arranged a visit by a chap called Ali Aitken (NSRA Range Safety Manager) to inspect some range changes and he issued our new Range Saftey Certificate after the work was completed.

Our previous Certificate was an old (30 years plus) MOD one, but as from 2006 when the MOD stopped inspecting and issuing Certificates these are now done by the NRA / NSRA.

 

 

I didn't say that there weren't specifications for range designs. I said that they NRA don't inspect them.

If no one inspects Ranges then who says that they are safe ?

 

 

I've never heard of any range, anywhere being inspected by the NRA, NSRA.or the Home Office. Certainly none that have ever had certificates issued by either of these organisations.

Well you have now and I assume the HO goes off their paperwork to give us our HO Approved Range No.

If I am wrong on any of this then apologies, but i can only go off my personal experience.

Edited May 12, 2013 by station

[scotslad]

Just thinking a local estate i know has put big soil heaps in its new forestry plantins now for deer control so u can lie on top to give some elevation for spotting and to aid safe shooting.

So if getting a digger in possibly dig 2 soil heaps up a field edge 1 for backstop and 1 for shooting off