Sound moderating shed: Noise abatement

Arnolt · Mar 18, 2021

Folks. I live in an area that is semi-rural and it is legal to shoot where you are 500 feet from an occupied dwelling that isn’t the landowners.

I have a couple safe and legal places to shoot at short ranges on my property. I am respectful of my neighbors and (unlike my neighbor across the road) limit my shooting to half an hour or so on weekend days.

Despite this, I have an anti neighbor who complains any time I shoot anything other than the currently unobtainium quiet 22. I guess he has my number not our friend across the road.

so, I’d like to construct a shed that moderates the sound level.

My understanding is that NFA rules would not apply because a “silencer” applies to a device attached to the muzzle, not a non portable structure— any legal experts care to opine?

Does anyone have any experience with building such a shed? designs, ideas, plans?
My concept is a linear 4x8 shed with progressively smaller angled plywood baffles covered with sound deadening blankets to the exit aperture (the kind used for generator covers) going end to end, and the shooting chamber insulated with egg crate acoustic foam. Basically a shed sized Maxim design using sound deadening blankets.

ideas and thoughts welcome.

st1650 · Mar 18, 2021

Shoot through a row of used tires.

Shooting through a row of tires = silencer? -

Snuby642 · Mar 18, 2021

Sounds, (lol) like that will work.

You could also add a one finger salute on the side of the anti naibor .

346ci · Mar 18, 2021

Are you not in a suppressor legal state?

264win · Mar 18, 2021

Even shooting out of a small window/aperture will greatly reduce the noise.
it will also Greatly increase the noise and fumes inside.
you will want very good air flow and very good hearing protection

PinesAndProjectiles · Mar 18, 2021

A few years back, I had a Browning A-Bolt with the BOSS brake on it.

I took a deer from an enclosed plastic deer stand.

Even with the brake out the window, my ears rang for a few days.

I sold that gun a few weeks later and vowed to never shoot within the confines of a stand again.

Block the neighbors phone number and carry on.

Mike Casselton · Mar 18, 2021

Plastic 55 gallon drums and egg crate lining.
Open both ends and stuff them with the foam.
The rifle (shooter) side of the first drum can have a much smaller opening.

davsco · Mar 18, 2021

yeah i try to shoot out of my garage. at least 3 sides have some sort of sound attenuation.

sinister · Mar 18, 2021

The USAMU Test Shed has all kinds of attenuation built into the structure, much like what you're looking at: baffles, egg-crate type foam, test stand built inside the building (garage aperture secured with a rolling-type door when not in use) with raised earth berms on either side of the shooting lane and nice, stagger-planted tall white pines atop the berms.

It still sounds like you're shooting a rifle from inside a structure.

Animal357 · Mar 18, 2021

Arnolt said:
I have an anti neighbor who complains any time I shoot anything other than the currently unobtainium quiet 22. I guess he has my number not our friend across the road.

Sounds like you should sound mitigate your neighbor instead

gunsnjeeps · Mar 18, 2021

I think your idea would work but your neighbor will still be an anti gun dick and whine about your shooting.

As far as noise abatment, the roof over my clubs firing lines are lined to absorb sound and we have berms around our range. Some of the neighbors complain even though we are in the approach path to the local airport. The county and state say that the neighbors might have a point if the airport closes.

Arnolt · Mar 18, 2021

346ci said:
Are you not in a suppressor legal state?

DPRNYS so suppressor = not an option

kl3309 · Mar 18, 2021

Put muzzle brakes on everything and fuck that dude.

RTH1800 · Mar 18, 2021

I shot from inside a barn for years. Middle of my parents large, rural farm. Shot to 600 yards. Out a small door. No one around. One day I was sitting at bench fooling with my rifle between strings. A friend looking for me walked past the door. I was very surprised. It was a tragedy waiting to happen. I never shot from inside again. Be very careful.

skl1 · Mar 18, 2021

st1650 said:
Shoot through a row of used tires.

Shooting through a row of tires = silencer? -

This. You don't need to be inside the (loud) shed. Just putting the front of the muzzle into 5 or 6 tires stacked in a row will significantly reduce the report.

Blutarsky · Mar 18, 2021

Query the interwebs for Swiss Schiess Tunnels (no joke): "They are called Schallschutztunnel, are some 2.5 meters long and aborb most of the muzzle blast noise of a shooting range with some 20 db maximum."

I've seen them like small A-frame structures of acoustic dampening foam/rubber. I've also seen them built from a 6' cross section of concrete culvert pipe and then covered in earth - likely need to dampen the inside too.

There are commercially available solutions for those with deeper pockets, https://bullettrapusa.com/SoundAbatementRoom.html

Personally, I'd tell the neighbor to GFY and block the number.

nutation · Mar 21, 2021

264win said:
Even shooting out of a small window/aperture will greatly reduce the noise.
it will also Greatly increase the noise and fumes inside.
you will want very good air flow and very good hearing protection

Bruce Willis is partially deaf in his left ear from shooting blanks under a table.

Biopace · Mar 21, 2021

If the rest of the neighborhood is fine with it, and it's legal, put the neighbor on mute and carry on.

It will never be enough, and once you've set the precedent, it won't move back from there.

GH41 · Mar 21, 2021

rth1800 said:
I shot from inside a barn for years. Middle of my parents large, rural farm. Shot to 600 yards. Out a small door. No one around. One day I was sitting at bench fooling with my rifle between strings. A friend looking for me walked past the door. I was very surprised. It was a tragedy waiting to happen. I never shot from inside again. Be very careful.

Listen to this man^^^^ I have seen many examples of people shooting out of houses that invite accidents.

Greg Langelius * · Mar 21, 2021

Anechoic Panels. These can be used to partially/completely line the inside of your shooting structure.

Alternatively, build a shooting box. Two 12'x4' Plywood panels can be built into a longish square tube, 2'x12', and lined with the above panels. Support it at bench height and shoot through it.

A problem with all such structures, including the rubber tire stacks, is that they tend to attract stinging insects which use them to build their nests inside. It can get pretty gnarly after that first shot.

Something I also always do is inspect beneath my shooting bench for ticks before setting up to shoot.

People also like to claim that your bullets are hitting objects on their property. By shooting through the shooting box, physical evidence exists that such claims are false and malicious.

I'm setting up to try a Linear Compensator to see what, if any, benefit they offer. They are supposed to direct sound forward, which may have some benefit if used in conjunction with the shooting box.

As for the neighbor, they will eventually be pestering LE to remove the problem. Remind the officer that, as long as local noise/firearms discharge restrictions are met with, their presence on your land constitutes harassment.

Greg

sirhrmechanic · Apr 10, 2022

So a year later, I'm reviving this thread as I'm wondering if the OP or anyone else actually 'built' one of these structures.

My wonderful rural farm is now surrounded by McMansions and Connecticut Douchebags who complain with every shot. I tend to tell them to f-Off... But it's a pita for my buddies on the PD to get endless calls. And sooner or later, these assholes will do something like petition the town to ban shooting anywhere and stuff like that. It's what douchebags do when they move to the country and want to screw it up.

One neighbor in particular built his house right on the property line and when I shoot... fires fireworks at my property. He did that one day when a couple of off duty officers were here with their kids... shooting .22's on my range. He hasn't done it since. But he is an asswipe.

So thinking about doing a shed or structure to use my 300 yard steel. And the 'only' realistic place puts the muzzle blast cone right near his roof. So... I'm trying to make an effort.

Had not thought of the tires... but I like it. And anechoic tiles is a great idea. It would also be a good place to 'store' stuff, have a spotting scope bench, etc. Not guns. Just a nice way to keep gear 'handy' and ready to go in the summer. Most of this would not be for shooting all afternoon or hundreds of rounds. But for things like load development at short ranges. And convenience. Is the scope sighted? Fireforming a few cases, etc.

So... anyone follow through with shed? Have plans. Feedback on how did it work? Photos?

Sirhr

PS. I do have suppressors. But on .308's, .338's and .300 WM... they don't do that much good. And I just ordered a .338 suppressor, too.

cas6969 · Apr 10, 2022

I have a buddy that has used one for years shooting in his yard. IIRC it was several car tires together with insulation in them and maybe a plastic barrel or two at the end with some sort of, maybe plywood baffles. Though he was mostly shooting older, slower stuff, lots of subsonic level stuff so it worked better obviously.

MrSmith · Apr 10, 2022

LGS had the "tires lined up concept" to test his gunsmith work. The store was inside the east end of town. Worked for him. Big enough to aim through, open enough to see around.

Thank you,
MrSmith

Average guy · Apr 10, 2022

I’m thinking a shed building with a small door to access the sound abatement tunnel. That would keep the bench and associated space weather proof. Open say a 4’ square door to shoot spot. On the tire idea, a smaller diameter tire might be feasible. Like a 14” car tire, versus a 17-20” light truck tire. I would definitely make the entrance to the tunnel smaller than the exit. Should help keep fumes and such lower.

Snuby642 · Apr 10, 2022

Shooting through a tire tunnel will drive you insane.

viking78 · Apr 10, 2022

In Finland, some shooting ranges have these car tires build tunnels.
They do work, but huge on size and only one direction to shoot, if you dont do some kind of rack for it.
And it blows back some pressure, specially if you shooting with muzzle brake on

Average guy · Apr 10, 2022

Maybe a plywood baffled box with eggshell foam lining.

mtwarych · Apr 10, 2022

Back in my skunk slaughtering days the stinky pussies would run into the culvert on the end of our driveway thinking they were safe in there.

I used my 870 with a 3 inch heavy turkey load to grease the little bastard in the pipe and my son said he hardly heard the shotgun go off and he was standing right next to me when I cracked the primer. I was laying in the ditch and had about 3 inches of my barrel in the culvert. All I heard was a "pongggg" come out of the culvert. I guess I should add that it was a 12 inch culvert.

Maybe you can get away with a length of plastic culvert to quiet your shooting. Not one of my neighbors heard me grease the seven skunks.

sirhrmechanic · Apr 10, 2022

mtwarych said:
Back in my skunk slaughtering days the stinky pussies would run into the culvert on the end of our driveway thinking they were safe in there.

I used my 870 with a 3 inch heavy turkey load to grease the little bastard in the pipe and my son said he hardly heard the shotgun go off and he was standing right next to me when I cracked the primer. I was laying in the ditch and had about 3 inches of my barrel in the culvert. All I heard was a "pongggg" come out of the culvert. I guess I should add that it was a 12 inch culvert.

Maybe you can get away with a length of plastic culvert to quiet your shooting. Not one of my neighbors heard me grease the seven skunks.

Interesting idea....

And my 300 yard range here at the farm needs only a fairly narrow field of view.

I have some interesting ideas formulating to do something for prone shooting. Would look like, basically, like landscaping but would be able to redirect sound upwards, I think, pretty effectively. Think of it like a revetment...

I remember when I used to drive into the facilities at Crane years ago, there were all these huge ammo storage 'bunkers' that were built into the ground, but had berms, etc. between them so that if a bunker went up, it would direct the blast upwards and not cause a chain reaction. I am thinking something like that, but on a small scale. My shooting 'area' is on high ground. So if I can direct sound up, it really attenuates what the 'neighbors' hear.

Hummmmmm.... off to look at overheads of Crane ;-)

Cheers,

Sirhr

cas6969 · Apr 10, 2022

mtwarych said:
All I heard was a "pongggg" come out of the culvert.

I made the "terrible turret", a prop at my club for various matches. A six foot or so long length of maybe 18" wide corrugated plastic pipe on a swivel, that sits of one of those big wooden wire spools.

It's first use was for a knock down steel shotgun match. An 170 degree arc of about 18-20 targets you engaged through the tube as fast as you could. "Boing! Boing! Boing!" Loud and concussive! 3/4 of the way through the tube would be filled with smoke making it harder to see, your eyes started to burn, you were breathing in the fumes.... "Boing! Boing! Boing! Boing! Boing!" Good times.

chevy_man · Apr 11, 2022

Our rifle range is in a coulee. Pistol bays have berms 18' tall.

One of the neighbors is friendly and not only uses the range but runs his tractor over and does some snow removal to keep it usable in the winter.

Only thing he notices is the sporting clays range, as it's the only one without any berm to direct the noise up. Can barely hear anything outside his house, and he's about 300 yards from the pistol bays.

308pirate · Apr 11, 2022

sirhrmechanic said:
And sooner or later, these assholes will do something like petition the town to ban shooting anywhere and stuff like that.

Pre-empt them now. They are going to try no matter what you do regarding muzzle blast, so may as well get ahead of them.

And fuck trying to please them. They will never be pleased no matter what you do but you will never be able to walk back any abatement that you do now without being questioned.

hlee · Apr 11, 2022

Anyone forced to shoot a braked rifle though a culvert at a competition would not do so voluntarily....

If not in violation of any ordnance, carry on.

vinniedelpino · Apr 11, 2022

308pirate said:
Pre-empt them now. They are going to try no matter what you do regarding muzzle blast, so may as well get ahead of them.

And fuck trying to please them. They will never be pleased no matter what you do but you will never be able to walk back any abatement that you do now without being questioned.

This.

It’s probably not the noise, it’s that someone is firing a “weapon of war” nearby.

Let the cops come, keep shooting after they leave and have an attorney write up a strongly worded letter and call it a day.

sirhrmechanic · Aug 24, 2024

sirhrmechanic said:
Interesting idea....

And my 300 yard range here at the farm needs only a fairly narrow field of view.

I have some interesting ideas formulating to do something for prone shooting. Would look like, basically, like landscaping but would be able to redirect sound upwards, I think, pretty effectively. Think of it like a revetment...

I remember when I used to drive into the facilities at Crane years ago, there were all these huge ammo storage 'bunkers' that were built into the ground, but had berms, etc. between them so that if a bunker went up, it would direct the blast upwards and not cause a chain reaction. I am thinking something like that, but on a small scale. My shooting 'area' is on high ground. So if I can direct sound up, it really attenuates what the 'neighbors' hear.

Hummmmmm.... off to look at overheads of Crane ;-)

Cheers,

Sirhr

As things sometimes take time…. I finally got my project “off the ground” so to speak. In part because I am putting in a generator shed. So will be getting a concrete delivery. But also because all the new power lines the town I running across my farm have left me with about 40 yards of beautiful topsoil to do… stuff… with.

I actually came up with a design when visiting a part of the Gettysburg battlefield that no one visits… and still has its cannon revetments intact. These were not the “out in the open” field guns of Picketts Charge, but well-emplaced guns at one end of the field.

As a bonus, it will give me a cool place to park nd display cannons!

I tested a mockup using tires and it seems to help a lot. So the permanent structure is going in now. Did the footers today and doing the stone work tomorrow.

Pictures coming…. Quite simple setup.

Cheers!

Sirhr

vh20 · Aug 24, 2024

sirhrmechanic said:
As things sometimes take time…. I finally got my project “off the ground” so to speak. In part because I am putting in a generator shed. So will be getting a concrete delivery. But also because all the new power lines the town I running across my farm have left me with about 40 yards of beautiful topsoil to do… stuff… with.

I actually came up with a design when visiting a part of the Gettysburg battlefield that no one visits… and still has its cannon revetments intact. These were not the “out in the open” field guns of Picketts Charge, but well-emplaced guns at one end of the field.

As a bonus, it will give me a cool place to park nd display cannons!

I tested a mockup using tires and it seems to help a lot. So the permanent structure is going in now. Did the footers today and doing the stone work tomorrow.

Pictures coming…. Quite simple setup.

Cheers!

Sirhr

SWEET! Can’t wait to see it!

LRShooter101 · Aug 24, 2024

Check out the work that Cal (Precision Rifle Blog) did building his indoor/underground 100 yard rifle range.
https://precisionrifleblog.com/2024/02/12/finish-out-of-prbs-100-yard-underground-range/
Cal is supper smart, and super helpful, so I am sure that if you had questions about what he learned through his process he would be willing to share.

sirhrmechanic · Aug 25, 2024

So working on sort of a noise abatement idea so I can ring my 300 yard steel without the douche-pickle neighbors getting their ghey-ass tampons all wet....

This overloos my 300 yard steel. To get out to 300 in my AP I have to drive 45 miles. So being able to shoot here on the Schloss matters. This is the top of the plateau and the steel is over my pond. Using the design for the revetments at Gettysburg to create a sound wall that channels sound up and back into the woods about 3 feet behind me. Nice sandy soil. Put in footings first.

Then using retaining wall bricks from Home Depot... Dirt Cheap... Building up wall. In Colonial/Civil War times, they used rocks. I can get cheap concrete blocks from Home Depot. $2.05 each. Had most left over from retaining wall project. Only had to get about 30 more. Built up to create a wall I can shoot in... but also landscape/pull soil around it. So it disappers into the lawn overlooking driveway and range.

Looking downrange... Once I have the walls backfilled, I'll finish the 'ground' and pour a slab that connects the wall. So I'll have a nice smooth surface for shooting mat. The 'front' will get final leveled and sculpted so it's wide open. Right now, the front is a bit high, but I'll re-sculpt the front slope to be perfect to shoot into steel.

Probably hard to see... but the steel is inside the red. That's 300. I'm going to add a couple of pieces. But to get to 300 in my AO is a 45 mile drive. If I can shoot out my back door, so to speak, and attenuate noise... it's a big deal! This will focus sound up and back and my idiot neighbor (over a 90 foot bank and at 340 degrees left) won't hear much. Plus it's an excellent display area for a cannon. Gettysburg style revetment!

Going to let all the concrete/morter set up this week and will finish next weekend right down to the grass seed! But going to work great.

Cost.... about 80 bricks from Home Depot at $2.05 each. About 40 of which were left over from retaining wall. 6 bags Sakrete cement at c. $6 each. 2 bags Sakrete Morter at $8 each. Ish. But still have to pour slab (which will be 'leftovers' from generator shed I am building. So looking at about $300 to build this. At most. And one weekend.

Who doesn't want a revetment overlooking the entry road anyway? Just 'sayin!

Cheers,

Sirhr

PS. about 65 blocks (already had 48 left over from retaining wall) 6 bags Sakrete concrete. 2 bags Morter. And I'll pour the 'slab' when truck comes to do my generator shed. Minimum 4 yard delivery. And will need 2 - 3 for the shed. So the range revetment/noise abatement will be pretty much free. Figure I have about $300-350 and one weekend invested by the time it's done. Already have lots of dirt.

Halfnutz · Aug 25, 2024

These pics are from a range in Monterrey MX. That is pretty much in the middle of town. Rifle went to 600 or 800 if I recall. Bigger scale then most need.

sirhrmechanic · Sep 3, 2024

Filled in and just waiting to pour slab with leftover concrete from my generator shed Project

300 yards to close steel. Can get another 350 to right if I want.

Sirhr

hlee · Sep 3, 2024

With all of this sound abatement for the neighbors, does this mean no more signal cannon on the 4th?

sirhrmechanic · Sep 3, 2024

hlee said:
With all of this sound abatement for the neighbors, does this mean no more signal cannon on the 4th?

If you notice how I designed it, it will fit a civil work cannon perfectly, and the bricks aren’t going to abate that one bit!

MK20 · Sep 3, 2024

I have done some decent testing concerning shooting out of buildings and even a good shed does not mitigate the noise that much if the weapon is supersonic.

I recommend you don't worry about building such things.

Animal357 · Sep 3, 2024

sirhrmechanic said:
Filled in and just waiting to pour slab with leftover concrete from my generator shed Project

View attachment 8493493

View attachment 8493494

300 yards to close steel. Can get another 350 to right if I want.

Sirhr

Looks like a great echo chamber. Triple up on ear pro

sirhrmechanic · Sep 3, 2024

Animal357 said:
Looks like a great echo chamber. Tripple up on ear pro

Yup. But mostly will be shooting suppressed. I’ll let You know how it works!

A Barrett with a tank brake will definitely be noisy!

Sirhr

sirhrmechanic · Sep 9, 2024

No points for style on my pour... hard to get a screed board or a float in there. So just did some trowel work and there ya go.

But the whole cost was about $400. And at least I have a nice place to lie when plinking at 300+-. And I'll let you know if it keeps the noise down.

Oh and cannon parking for those beauty shots! ;-)

First gun that I'll test will be my TacOps... finally got suppressor out of jail. Will be dialing it in and having some fun with it (Finally) next weekend!!!

Sirhr

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