Blast shield

[Photobug]

My gun range used to have a rimfire area shielded by a significant wall. It had been taken over by a private company that provides lessons to tourists, locals etc.. While it sucks for me this company has brought in nearly 6 figures to the range that is looking to spend on upgrades. Rimfire is now relegated to the far right of the normal shooting range. At the last gun range annual meeting I suggested the need for a blast wall or blast break to separate the rimfire shooters from the high powered muzzle break shooters who may set up right next door to me trying to precision shoot.

I offered to build it if the range paid for the supplies. I am just looking for ideas of how to build hopefully a portable wall to wheel into place or slide from above on rails. The blast wall needs to be either acrylic or lexan so the rangemaster can see down to this area to see what is happening there during 'Range Cold' operations.

Any suggestions on how build a blast shield like this?

Does it have to go above or way in front of the protected shooter to limit the affect of larger calibers next door?

Is there a better place to look for answers to this question?

 

[Cowpokey]

I don't have any answers to your inquiry. The "local" outdoor range (State Park) doesn't have any kind of walls between the benches, and having the tacticool guys shooting AR-10s in 308 with muzzle breaks is a PITA...not only a distraction to precision shooting, they blew my hat off my head a few times.

 

[Cowpokey]

The indoor range isn't much better, even though there are walls between each position...the percussion is enough to rattle my sight picture around...so I just pack up and head back to the house.

 

[Photobug]

I don't have any answers to your inquiry. The "local" outdoor range (State Park) doesn't have any kind of walls between the benches, and having the tacticool guys shooting AR-10s in 308 with muzzle breaks is a PITA...not only a distraction to precision shooting, they blew my hat off my head a few times.

Last time I shot precision was next to a guy with a 308 shooting a secret metal plate way up the hill. I did not even know it was there until I was getting blasted by his muzzle brake. I have been shooting more pistols since then.

 

[Photobug]

the easiest way to make this would be to use 80/20 aluminum

Amazon product ASIN B001F0F112

make a square using 90 degree brackets

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cunhFl1bL._SL1055_.jpg

clad each side in lexan, you want both sides covered to give the best insulation you can

attach the lexan using t slot nuts


Amazon product ASIN B00TG0QVWG


and then bolt on some casters.


you should end up with something like this
View attachment 7871268



make it as large as you can for best effect.

I will propose this. I am a carpenter and had planned on just building it out of wood, but this would be fun to work with.

 

[ZG47A]

I would go for a ‘hit and miss’ approach, provided that it does not involve too much hardware. A picket fence uses the ‘hit and miss’ system i.e., if you use 45x20mm (ex 50x25) palings as we do here in NZ; and use same size palings as 45mm spacers, you can disrupt the wind currents to create ‘still air’ conditions below the height of the fence. It also works with railway wind fences, although those palings are probably closer to 1800x75x25mm. Impulse noise can be mitigated in a similar fashion. You might recall that anechoic chambers use complicated surface geometry, in conjunction with special materials, to break up sound waves.
A hit and miss sound wall would break up the sound waves which transmit the impulse noise and be less likely to blow over; thus reducing the number of stabiliser legs to be attached to the frame.
Best of luck with whatever solution you choose.