
We dug a backstop and shoot into a large log. We have a place to shoot 100 yards and zero our rifles, which means a constant ability to chronograph ammunition and zero rifles, no matter the weather or lighting. If you say, use railroad ties and dirt, you can still use a log for holding the targets, and save the wear and tear on your railroad ties. Ensuring that you have a great backstop or berm is necessary. The firearm that you want to practice the most diligence with when creating a home range is the rifle simply because the projectiles can travel further and carry more energy. Whatever target you use, set a safe distance to shoot it from. Sometimes it’s fun to get soda bottles from a dollar store or leftover garden produce that didn’t make the cut for consumption. To mount paper targets, simple stands can be purchased or a permanent mounting solution like a wooden frame can be used. This also helps contain any debris that could otherwise travel into the wall of our barn or outside of the contained “bay” that the berm creates.įor pistol targets, we have everything from steel to paper. This means that we can shoot at targets without worrying about “splatter” from projectiles breaking apart when they impact steel. We also turned it into a U-shaped berm by adding earth to the sides of the back berm.


Our shooting area was a natural hill, and over time, we built the berm higher to create a very safe shooting location. One of the simplest ways to shoot a pistol on your home range is to find a location with a natural hill or berm behind it. You can use a berm or backstop, or even bullet trap – see, bullet trap. Pistol is going to be the next simplest firearm to set up a home range for. Shotguns with slugs or buckshot = treat them like pistols and rifles. To sum up, shotguns with birdshot = very easy to shoot without lots of acreage. It just does not travel as far as a rifle round - this is why slugs are used in many hunting areas that have people close by. It’s a large diameter with a lot of power. A shotgun slug is a very powerful projectile that you want to treat like a close-range rifle round. For comparison’s sake, a 00 buckshot pellet will make a hole about the size of a 9mm. You don’t need a special backstop or berm, unless you decide to shoot Buckshot or slugs - and those should be treated like pistol and rifle rounds. Your trap field or clay area can literally be the side of a yard or field without any houses, roads, etc.

If you look at your local trap or sporting clay range, you will understand that shotgun shooting with birdshot has fewer concerns about the safety of others.

The grassy field even means any missed clays are potentially recoverable, and we can try again. We use the top of a hill on our land for shotgun clays because we can get a great field of shooting as targets fly out from the thrower. Birdshot pellets do not travel as far as a bullet, making a shotgun shooting area easier to implement on your own property. Shotgun shooting might be the most easily accessible for those on the edges of civilization - you just need a field or the side of a large lot with space to shoot. Simple home ranges that the entire family or your friends and firearms family network can enjoy means more learning and opportunities for all. If you don’t have property, friends and family who do are great friendships to foster. Your physical safety, that of others around you, and following applicable laws related to shooting firearms is the very first set of details you need to consider.Ĭountry life often means that you can shoot on your own property. Appropriate backstops or berms are a must. Building a home range is a viable alternative! We’re going to look at home range ideas and concepts to help you get you more time on the range. If your local range is often closed, or travel is cumbersome, there are options. Ideas for Setting a Shooting Range Near Your Home At some point as a gun owner, you are going to need a range.
