Impenetrable shooting berm?

[PaganSnake]

Good Morning all.

I'm looking into purchasing an ~20 acre property. One of my main motivators for buying land is to shoot on it. I've found a great plot and have mapped out a 300yd range on it. The only issue is that there is a road that runs just behind where I would set my berm up, I would set it up in another direction but there are houses surrounding the property on other sides. There is nothing on the other side of the road but land. Obviously best case scenario would be not to have any roads or buildings behind my berm, but I'm looking into the best possible solutions. The road is ~100' behind where I would be setting my berm.

Looking for berm building advice. I'm thinking about starting out by dumping a shit ton of dirt, then digging out a U shape and stacking rail road ties tip to tip which will give me a width of 16' then butting up more ties on the ends make a 3 sided box. The box would have rail road ties tip to tip with a width of 16' and a height of 10'. The dirt surrounding the outside of the ties would be ~10' ish deep. Additionally I'm thinking about building a shooting platform ~5' off of the ground to shoot off of to ensure a downward trajectory on impact of targets.

Does this sound like it would work? Or should I just look for another piece of property?

 

[GrandpaDeadLegs]

Doesn't seem like the best spot... I back up to an abandoned gravel pit and still get nervous some dipshit might be back there trespassing... All those cars on that road would dampen my mood entirely. Ask the LEO that's gonna get called on you if you have to know.

 

[ForgeValley]

Personally, I'd look for something else... Too many structures to the east and west, and those look like major roads, maybe not much traffic though.

I'm doing the same search for land right now, good luck!

Edited to add - I always ask myself what is going to happen to the round when it get's launched outside the confines of the berm, because sooner or later, it will happen. The risk is just to great in that location of hitting a structure, for me.

 

[Fig]

I'd say you need another candidate. Engineering a solution that would actually be effective to make that safe will be cost prohibitive.

 

[rrflyer]

Penetration isn’t a big deal, dirt drops bullets pretty damn quick.

But a U-shape of tires filled with earth and a dirt berm in front would do the trick.


Big thing would be making it tall enough and wide enough any bullets won’t sneak around.

 

[Fongman]

Looks like you have a lot of neighbors with expensive homes close by. If in city limits you will need a specific amount of acres. I think in TX it's 50 ac and even then you can expect to have a lot of trouble with LEO. I'd look elsewhere. I think your neighbors are going to give you hell and it could end up being a very costly mistake.

Having said that, I have several berms on my private range. 10' thick and 6' tall and it stops nice and quick. You just CAN'T miss the berm.

 

[EXTREMEPREJUDICE]

Yeah, I'll swim upstream..........................your plan for the backstop will absolutely work if you shoot into the berm. I have almost the exact same setup for my range except no road behind but none the less I'm responsible for the rounds fired to remain on my property. As mentioned, you certainly would want to confer with authorities regarding ordinances and regulations prior to. It's a great thing to have your own range, especially in areas with no BLM land to use.

 

[PaganSnake]

Great feedback all, thanks for the input. I'm in contact with local LEO right now and waiting on a no or no go from them. The land is in OK and it is on unincorporated property, so it's really up to local jurisdiction on whether I am taking the proper precautions or not. If they give me the greenlight I will more than likely put an offer in and err on the side of caution and over build the crap out of the berm.

 

[Fongman]

Get it in writing.

 

[Prebanpaul]

There is nothing safe about this layout. Your asking for trouble. You will imply all liability of anyone person shooting on this property. There is so much land out there find another one. The accident is not worth the consequence. They are call accidents for a reason, and this one would be extremely costly.

 

[TIMMYTOY]

If you decide and buy the property I would fence the entire property and on top of the berm I would put railroad tie wall above berm and lots of signs also would look into liability insurance.

 

[DarinC]

At one of the ranges nearby, you have to shoot through culverts. These are places in their own berm of sorts, right in front of the shooter. If a bullet makes it through the culvert, it’s going to hit the berm, unless you shank it off the ground in front or the berm

It’s not ideal, but it would be another level of safety

 

[VVhoisJohnGalt]

You will be open to anyone within a mile saying “had a round impact my house” type crap.
Our local range had to call in some specialist on our dime to prove a .45 auto slug couldn’t have impacted the back berm and ricocheted over 1100 yards and went through the guys garage.
But he was an anti-gunner trying to get us shut down.
Just building a berm establishes you as a “shooting range” to those people...it’s sad.

 

[niteshooter]

Only 20 acres! Not even worth it for shooting. I’d look elsewhere. Neighbors = problems.
Get land “80-150 acres” in the middle of bfe that borders large multi thousand acre shitty looking brush sections where nobody wants to live.

 

[footsteps]

Noise could be an issue as well..

 

[MK20]

If you absolutely have to have that property, I would find some of the largest corrugated pipe you can lay your hands on, a bunch of gravel, contractor screening (the black cloth stuff), and an excavator. Dig a big trench, lay down contractor screening, lay gravel, more contractor screening, and then the pipe. you can make it as long as you want. Max ord shouldn't be an issue with the big pipe. put some AR 500 at the other end and rig up a good vent fan on that end. Then cover it all over with the dirt again and you have a shooting range that is safe, quiet for the neighbors, and doesn't take up any of your yard.
A little more costly than just a berm but totally safe and not weather dependent.

I would look for another property though. SERIOUSLY. Just looking at the nearby houses I suspect that they are not necessarily the type of folks who would like to have a shooting range next door.

 

[PaganSnake]

If you absolutely have to have that property, I would find some of the largest corrugated pipe you can lay your hands on, a bunch of gravel, contractor screening (the black cloth stuff), and an excavator. Dig a big trench, lay down contractor screening, lay gravel, more contractor screening, and then the pipe. you can make it as long as you want. Max ord shouldn't be an issue with the big pipe. put some AR 500 at the other end and rig up a good vent fan on that end. Then cover it all over with the dirt again and you have a shooting range that is safe, quiet for the neighbors, and doesn't take up any of your yard.
A little more costly than just a berm but totally safe and not weather dependent.

I would look for another property though. SERIOUSLY. Just looking at the nearby houses I suspect that they are not necessarily the type of folks who would like to have a shooting range next door.

Now that is a creative idea.

I’ve opted to continue my search. But still keeping an open mind regarding all shooting berm ideas. Regardless of where we end up, we’re going to need a berm.

 

[VVhoisJohnGalt]

Good idea. Plus cost of land will decrease further away from houses and roads. Maybe a win win for you. Good luck

 

[serevince]

Keep the unsupressed mag dumps and full auto to a absolute minimum to play nice. The only shots not hitting the berm are NDs while the weapon is not pointed in a safe direction. Don't do that, no problem. Shoot supressed if possible. Talk to your neighbors, find out best times, e.g. when their not trying to put a baby down for a nap or something. Invite a few over etc. Start inexperienced folks close to the berm and make it "L" or "U" shaped as needed so even ND won't matter (except for a 180 which would screw almost any range). You could add additional berms for warm fuzzy feelings and to block noise as needed.

 

[riverside jeep]

I was working for a guy that had to much $$ and we were going to put in an underground shooting lane with 6' culvert, 20 yard pistol range. Concrete block end house with stairs and an exhaust fan, lights at the end. Great plan until the guys wife shot the funding!

 

[Decoy]

On the board for the County who is building a gun range in the wrong location and the same issue presented itself. After research it was determined that the berm was required to protect at a minuim of 14' due to oversized loads and other commercial equipment that could possiblity be running behind it. Seeing the hoops that the county has got through (3 years and still no opening) I would recommend looking for a better site.

 

[RTH1800]

This site is just looking for trouble. Legal fees alone make it unwise. Even prior to the accident.

 

[brianf]

most states have at least a 500' dead zone when shooting around streets. not to sure about homes, prob a whole different story.
there was a thread a few days ago (not sure if it was new or resurrected, but the military has a 4300 meter ricochet zone behind targets.
not many people shoot with 2 miles behind the target but all it takes is one slip up and its your ass.

 

[brianf]

stat shooting your 22lr more lol. prob the best option