Backyard Range Ideas

[flagmanahead]

I will try to ask this question without sounding like a hippy

Anyone have suggestions for managing the impact of shooting lead ammo in a backyard range? I have a "hollow" about 100 yds deep and want todo some training but am a little worried about contaminating my spring since the watershed seems to be in that direction. Lead free ammo is ridiculously priced and hard to find so are there alternatives or ways to "catch" the lead and dispose of it?

 

[Strickland]

Re: Backyard Range Ideas

One time I was looking at building an indoor bullet trap and came across some rubber mats that absorb the rounds. They are sold to lots of police academies. They will take up to a 30-06 on the larger ones. They are rated for 1000's and 1000's of rounds.

Try to google rubber bullet trap or indoor range supplies, something like that. If I find it, I'll post it.

They were reasonably priced also. You just built a simple frame for them.

 

[KHOOKS]

Re: Backyard Range Ideas

You could build a cross-tie back stop (3) sides to it and fill with dirt. Before putting the dirt line it with some heavy plastic or multi-layers of poly type drop for painting. Turn it up on the cross-tie back stop and fell with dirt then turn it up at the front and layer it under the dirt. This will catch the water seeping thur the dirt with lead in it. You will need to change out the dirt and the plastic ever so often dipening on how much you shoot.

This may not keep it all contained if you get a lot of rain the plastic may fill up and the contaminated water spill over.

But maybe this will jog your brain. You may be able to put in a concrete water catch or something and pump the water off away from your spring but more than likely it will find it's way into the spring unless you pump it way away from your place or pump it to a water run off.

You can all look at a back stop that catchs the bullets. The backstop will have a spirl typ baffel inside a box that the bullets hit and spin and drop into the backstop. This is a no miss type soluation. You will have to open one end and collect the lead and have it deposed of.

 

[Strickland]

Re: Backyard Range Ideas

Here seems to be a few examples of what I was referring too.

Bullet Block

Range Systems

 

[KHOOKS]

Re: Backyard Range Ideas

Strickland,

Sounds good for indoor ranges put outdoor the rain will seep into and out of the bullet holes and be comtaminated with the lead. Not sure if it's what he's looking for. Unless he was going to set it up and bring it in after each use. So the rain water wouldn't be able to get to it.

 

[Strickland]

Re: Backyard Range Ideas

It's easy to build a simple shed roof over the thing with about $50 worth of lumber.

 

[KHOOKS]

Re: Backyard Range Ideas

Yeah, you could do that!

 

[KHOOKS]

Re: Backyard Range Ideas

That's alot different that I was thinking. That may be the best way to go. Looks like they would be easy to move if need be. I'll be looking more at this stops. I havn't seen them until now. Great idea.

 

[Hellbender]

Re: Backyard Range Ideas

Unless you are going to shoot several hundred thousand rounds a year there you are worrying about nothing.

The earth does a pretty good job of filtering itself.

Do you know how many millions of tons of lead pipe and solder joints supply the drinking water to millions of people in this country?

How many lead poisoning cases do you hear of each year, that isn't in an industrial setting in a third world country?

Kind of like when someone breaks a mercury thermometer and they cordon off half the town. All the people I know used to play with the stuff in science class for hours with our bare hands.

Anyway, just my opinion, and you know what that's worth.

 

[flagmanahead]

Re: Backyard Range Ideas

All good ideas. One update, I did find this thread on a homemade solution using cheap rubber mulch...not bad

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=23551

 

[flagmanahead]

Re: Backyard Range Ideas

Based on the above I'm considering just a trash can full of rubber mulch on its side for pistol and .22. For rifle I will need to make other plans but I don't shoot very much rifle so I may just let that go into the dirt for now.

 

[mattja99]

Re: Backyard Range Ideas

I used old tires filled with sand, tires were free, sand was from a river bottom and free also, just required the labor. An average sized tire filled with sand will easily suck up .300 win mag. I have sent hundreds of .30, and .223 rounds into two stacks of three tires filled with sand, all holding the bullets in the sand. You could easily clean these out and refill them over time, runoff could be managed with the shelter mentioned above.