Range Report: new berm

[Sir Henry]

I got up early today and shot as soon as it was light enough. This picture was taken a few minutes before sunrise.

0C05EEB4-E8C1-40CD-AFAB-B6F05D8F66DC.jpeg (384.01 KiB) Viewed 1244 times

I waited about an hour and then shot at the frying pans on the furthest hanger. They are at 25 yards and now have the berm to stop any miss. Prior to the berm I would hear an occasional richochet. It’s quite rural here and I wasn’t too concerned but still wanted to eliminate them.

3B7B955C-9E62-498B-9CA6-DCDA12C72431.jpeg (310.34 KiB) Viewed 1244 times

This is the view from the road and will give you a better idea how the range is set up. I was shooting from the left of the house behind the motor home. It’s 50 yards from the house edge of the driveway to the base of the backstop. The yellow wheel barrel in the top picture is the light dot at the left berm.

AEC7264B-1B6D-4F8C-AAAB-BD8AD5429DD5.jpeg (308.65 KiB) Viewed 1244 times

[North Country Gal]

That berm is huge. Looks like you could tuck your house in it.

[Sir Henry]

That berm is huge. Looks like you could tuck your house in it.

It is about the same size. My house is quite small so that’s not saying the range is big. I’m also looking to shoot more crosswise like on the first picture. If I get further than 30 yards it’s too far over the hump and I can’t see the berm. To solve that problem I’m thinking of building a deer stand. For one it would look in place and second it would be very functional for target shooting.

The range where the wheel barrel is faces north and in the spring/winter/fall the targets are in the shade. The tree stand would be to the east of the berm and the targets would be in sunshine mornings till noon. I’m a morning shooter.

[North Country Gal]

An elevated stand should be easy to construct for a handyman like you. I shoot from our raised deck a lot. That gives me a 25 yard shot to our backstop as the crow flies.

[fortyshooter]

Wow that is one nice berm Gene! Very good range layout!

[Sir Henry]

An elevated stand should be easy to construct for a handyman like you. I shoot from our raised deck a lot. That gives me a 25 yard shot to our backstop as the crow flies.

My biggest issue is getting it built before the snow flies.

Wow that is one nice berm Gene! Very good range layout!

Thanks Forty. It’s all slowly coming together.

[North Country Gal]

Before the snow flies could be any time, now. We typically have snow covering the ground first week of November or so, but we've already had some wet snow overnight this last week, just enough on our raised deck to show that it had snowed.

[RanchRoper]

Good looking range ya got there!

[Rifletom]

Very nice set up you have there Gene. Nice to be able to walk out the back door, sit and take a few shots. Nice indeed!

[fortyshooter]

Not just a range.... a resort range for very relaxed shooting!

[Sir Henry]

Not just a range.... a resort range for very relaxed shooting!

Home home on the range! I found a slice of heaven in Wisconsin.

[BrokenolMarine]

You could shoot from the upstairs window on the side of the house facing the range when the snow gets deep. Put you some steel plates on swinging mounts halfway up that berm and paint them orange... Good to go.

[Sir Henry]

You could shoot from the upstairs window on the side of the house facing the range when the snow gets deep. Put you some steel plates on swinging mounts halfway up that berm and paint them orange... Good to go.

Believe me I’ve thought of it. I have a custom built-in cabinet and desk coming which will not interfere with me shooting out the window. Plus I can close the door to the rest of the house.

2E980FB6-EA34-4A44-8256-0E9B35C0CA0A.jpeg (216.96 KiB) Viewed 1115 times

I will need to suspend the targets high above the ground as I get high drifts. With six inches of fresh powder I can have four foot drifts.

CDDF3B27-926B-4935-AF3F-40B0388D656F.jpeg (428.58 KiB) Viewed 1115 times

[BrokenolMarine]

I designed and had some plates welded that slot on rebar. They work wherever I can drive the rebar in. I used them to simulate falling plate racks. Later for teaching. Paint them different colors, call out a color for students to shoot, or... They shoot everything but thst color.

So, in your case, I'd drive the rebar in halfway up that slope, put up two plates, be good all winter.

[BrokenolMarine]

Let me find the pics, they are really handy.

[Sir Henry]

Let me find the pics, they are really handy.

Thanks. I’m searching the web now for gongs.

[BrokenolMarine]

Here are some pics of the plates. The design was simple. The plates were 8" in diameter, with slots on the back to take 1/2" rebar. You cut the rebar to the length you want, drive it into the ground properly spaced, leaning slightly forward to deflect the rounds into the ground. The hits make the plates ring and wobble but they never fall. You don't have to walk down and reset plates. Every now and then you walk down and repaint the white paint with dollar store white paint.

plate idea nicely executed.jpg (226.84 KiB) Viewed 1105 times

So we set up the plate rack mockup to practice for a GSSF match coming up, and started running thru the drills. We quickly improved our skill levels, learning that you had to actually, STOP on the plate for a fraction of a second to shoot, like the ticking second hand.

plates mounted.jpg (416.3 KiB) Viewed 1105 times

Set up later for a Tactical Shooting Class, I used the different colored plates for shoot/no shoot drills as outlined above. Again, no going downrange to reset. You see the splatter of lead, hear the ring and see the wobble. Instant feedback. Every now and then, dollar store paint.

plates comp.jpg (111.8 KiB) Viewed 1105 times

[Sir Henry]

I like them. They are perfect for what I need.

[BrokenolMarine]

I like them. They are perfect for what I need.

You should be able to take the pics to any welder and have them duplicated, with the proper steel, in the size and shape you want.

[BrokenolMarine]

I found the easiest way to get proper spacing is put both rods in the slots, place them on the ground where I want them at the proper angle and with a wooden block on the shelf on the back as a spacer, tap with the mallet to start the rebar.

I remove the plate, drive both rebar rods in about a foot, then remount the plate. Repeat until they are all set. In VA I also mounted the plates down along the creek bed painted orange as a walking course. I designed them to mount on the rebar rods For Flexibility.