Underground Pistol Shooting Range

[TRodney]

Main effort is done! And you are wondering "What is it?".



Well, a friend digs up fiberglass fuel tanks from Circle K stores. They are 1/2 inch fiberglass, 8 feet diameter and 35 feet long.



With my friends help, we dug a 11 ft wide, 15 ft deep, and 85 ft long trench with a CAT track-hoe.



We then layed three tanks end-to-end, with all attached together. I put a 1700lb I-beam (3ft wide and 9ft long) in on one end at a 45 degree angle to direct the lead into the sand at the floor.



Entrance is a 4ft diameter corragated metal pipe on end, at one of the man-hole accesses. I let the pipe stick up 1 foot above the ground and built a small shed over the entrance. I currently have an extension ladder for the entrance.



Next will be putting in a crushed granite floor, ventilation, and lights.



Later,

Tim

 

[Straight6Jeff]

SWEETOo. Oo. Oo.

 

[NVR FNSH]

How did you get rid of the fuel smell/residue?



Brian

 

[illflem]

I knew a guy who did much the same thing with 4' diameter culvert pipe. He attached it to his basement though. Used a pulley system for the target. Slick setup.

 

[jodog]

Man I've thought about a under ground shooting range for years. Never talked about it, was scared people would think I was a nut.

 

[Rammin On]

Sure hope you have good ventilation down there in dat der hole! Cause ya just may wind up with lead poisoning ...

 

[JConley]

That is great! Be sure to use a big fan to suck out the powder smoke.



We just had a dozer make a new fenceline on our property, and I now have a 1000 yard shoting range of my own. We have some lumber to harvest, and that will clear things out even more in the next week. I have a 20 foot berm created by a creek that makes a natural backstop. I plan on putting a concrete pad down, and a tower to shoot off. I also want to put steel targets every 100 yards. Nothing like having a place of your own.

 

[TRodney]

There are no fumes, because the inside is coated with some kind of epoxy paint and the EPA required them to be cleaned before they would allow them to be taken off the original property. My buddy had them cleaned twice, just to make sure.



I plummed in a six inch PVC pipe connected in three places at the opposite end of the entrance. I than ran this pipe underground back near the building that I have over the entrance. The plan is to have a 4000 cfm blower (sucking air from far end) to provide lots of ventilation. Clean air will be sucked in through the entrance that will be just behind the person when shooting. Also, only one person can shoot at a time, therefore, it won't be producing a huge amount of lethal stuff. It should produce enough air flow that it will be noticable. I have never noticed any air flow at the indoor shooting ranges that I have been at, so I should be better than them.



Later,

Tim

 

[The patriot]

AWESOME!!

Man, you guys are living my dream.

Eric

 

[Alaskaskiff]

1000 yd shooting range

1000 yard shooting range... An indication you might have enough land, and a clear sign you are living in the right place!!!



This state (Rhode Island) isn't big enough for a 1000 yd range. Gotta get back to Alaska!

 

[BV]

Sounds neat

Do you think the neighbor would mind if I ended up under his bedroom .

Someday I will have the room for something like that - tell then I will continue to sneak over to Mom's back yard to plink.

 

[LarryB]

Re: Sounds neat

Originally posted by BV

Do you think the neighbor would mind if I ended up under his bedroom .

Not if you dig quietly.