Building your own outdoor shooting range allows you to practice and enjoy shooting sports in a safe, controlled environment. With proper planning and preparation, you can create a professional-grade range on your property that meets all safety regulations. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know to build a code-compliant, well-designed shooting range from start to finish.
Choosing a Location
Choosing the right location is crucial when planning your outdoor range. Consider these factors when selecting a site:
Space Requirements
The size of range you can build depends on the amount of land you have available. Most outdoor ranges require at least 10 acres to safely accommodate rifle and handgun shooting at various distances. The largest public shooting ranges can span over 100 acres. Evaluate your property’s dimensions and topology to ensure you have adequate space.
Surrounding Land Use
Your range should be situated away from other buildings, roads, or areas with human activity. Check zoning regulations to ensure a shooting range is allowed in your area. Ideally locate your range at least half a mile from the nearest neighbor to minimize noise complaints.
Natural Backstop
Choose a site with a natural hillside or ridge behind the firing lines to safely stop bullets. The backstop should extend at least 50 yards behind the longest shooting position. Inspect the terrain to ensure no gaps or ricochet risks exist.
Bullet Containment
Your range must prevent fired bullets from leaving the controlled area. Natural dirt berms combined with thick wood backstops effectively stop bullets. On flat ground, you may need to build high berms from soil or other materials.
Firing Direction
Orient firing lanes so shooters aim away from roads, populated areas, livestock, or other buildings whenever possible. Prevent shooting over hills or uneven terrain that can obscure the full downrange view.
Access and Utilities
Choose a site with good road access to simplify construction and accommodate regular usage. While not essential, electrical power, water, and internet utilities are ideal if available nearby.
Designing Your Range
A proper shooting range design maximizes safety and functionality for your intended use. Work with a qualified range designer if possible, keeping these factors in mind:
Firing Distances
Include firing lines at suitable distances for the types of shooting you wish to perform. For multi-purpose ranges, standard firing lines are positioned at 25, 50, 100 and 200 yards for rifles. Pistol stations can be located at 7, 10, 15, and 25 yards.
Number of Shooting Lanes
Public ranges often provide 15 or more separate firing points, while private ranges may only need 5 or 10 lanes. Having more lanes allows more shooters, reduces wait times, and provides flexibility.
Firing Lane Width
Individual lanes should be 10-12 feet wide to comfortably accommodate a shooter, spotting scope, and gear. For organized competitions, wider 15-foot lanes are preferred.
Target Placement
Target carriers or frames should be permanently installed at precise distances for each firing lane. Place steel reactive targets to angle fragments downward. Allow space behind targets to prevent splashback.
Berms and Walls
Berms constructed from soil, crushed stone, or aggregate must be high and thick enough to fully block bullets. For added safety, install angled steel bullet-proof plates or baffles within berms.
Overhead Baffles
Install overhead steel baffles, screens, or roofs between lanes to deflect any stray high shots. This prevents bullets from escaping the firing zone laterally.
Firing Line Cover
A covered shelter protects shooters from sun and rain and helps contain noise. The firing line roof can attach to the baffle structure. Leave the downrange area open.
Parking and Roads
Ample parking spaced well behind the firing lines prevents congestion. Allow enough room for vehicles with trailers. Access roads should enable one-way range traffic flow.
Support Facilities
Design your range to support the planned activities. Facilities like target storage, restrooms, equipment locker rooms, concessions, classrooms, or gunsmithing shops may be warranted.
Constructing Your Range
With design plans finalized, you’re ready to begin range construction. Safety and quality are critical – adhere to all codes and build robustly.
Permits and Approvals
Acquire all necessary building permits, complete environmental assessments, and have your plans approved by zoning officials before starting work. This ensures compliance.
Site Preparation
Clear and grade the site to create stable flat shooting lanes. Remove vegetation only where essential, preserving as many existing trees as possible for sound abatement.
Road Building
Construct access roads from durable materials like crushed gravel. Provide adequate drainage ditches and culverts to prevent flooding.
Power and Lighting
If available, bring grid power to your range site. Install lighting along the firing line and target lines as desired. Ensure lighting does not produce glare.
Structures
Retain qualified contractors to build covered firing line shelters, classrooms, gunsmithing shops, target storage sheds, or other permanent structures you require.
Berm Construction
Use heavy machinery to excavate earthen berms, piling soil at least 15 feet high. Pack soil tightly and mound steeper on the range side. Install bullet-resistant reinforcing if warranted.
Baffles and Overheads
Anchor thick steel baffle plates into berms or erect overhead baffle frameworks. Plate steel of AR500 or greater hardness stops bullets. Mount baffles at precise heights and angles.
Firing Benches
Install stable covered firing benches with shooting tables. Sandbags, lead sleds, or other rests aid stability. Benches should withstand years of regular use.
Target Systems
Mount permanent target stands at each firing distance, with heights adjusted for the firing position. Durable AR500 steel targets handle repeated high-power bullet strikes.
Final Landscaping
Add crushed gravel firing pads, landscape vegetation, berm topsoiling, and range beautification touches. Install drainage, runoff controls, and permanent signage.
Safety, Administration and Operation
With your shooting range built, establish operating practices to ensure ongoing safety:
Range Officers
Designate qualified range safety officers to monitor all shooting activities. Officers enforce rules, control access, ensure proper eye and ear protection, and manage range behavior.
Rules and Policies
Post clear safety rules signage and define administrative policies for members and visitors. Include emergency procedures. Require liability waivers. Prohibit drugs and alcohol.
Shooting Hours
Establish allowable shooting hours that comply with local noise ordinances. Avoid starting too early or shooting after dark. Occasional exceptions can accommodate special events.
Scheduling and Reservations
For private ranges, allow members to reserve firing lanes online for dedicated use. This prevents overcrowding and coordinates maintenance downtime.
Equipment Storage and Sales
Secure guns, ammunition, targets, and other gear when not in use. If allowed, on-site pro shops generate added revenue from equipment sales, rentals, or repairs.
Cleanup and Maintenance
Keep the range clean by providing trash receptacles and recycling bins. Perform maintenance and repairs promptly. Periodically groom berms and targets to preserve effectiveness.
Best Practices and Expert Tips
Follow this collection of professional recommendations to enhance functionality, safety, and enjoyment of your custom-built shooting range:
- Incorporate internal angled berms between shooting lanes to prevent cross-lane bullet impacts. This adds a degree of compartmentalization and safety redundancy.
- Test bullet penetration annually in strategic locations to confirm berms and baffles are working optimally. Record results to identify issues over time.
- Plant fast-growing shrubs and trees around the range perimeter to generate noise-reducing foliage. Evergreen varieties provide year-round sound dampening.
- Utilize native soil whenever possible during berm and baffle construction to minimize environmental impact and hauling costs.
- Consult geotechnical experts to assess soil suitability and drainage for your site. This influences foundation and road construction techniques.
- Position steel reactive targets to deflect bullets downward at safe angles. Impacts should hit the berm just below kneecap height.
- Design baffle overhangs to fully block high muzzle rise when shooting uphill and account for shooter height. Enclose lanes fully.
- Include classroom space to facilitate hunter safety courses, concealed carry classes, youth shooting programs, and other instruction.
- Build shooting benches extra wide to accommodate wheelchairs if aiming to accommodate disabled shooters. Provide ADA accessible parking.
- Incorporate redundancy everywhere possible – construct backup berms, extra-thick baffles, double runoff ditches, redundant power, dual access roads.
- Obtain insurance policies tailored specifically for shooting range operation. Coverage protects against accidents, property damage, liability claims and lead remediation.
Conclusion
Constructing a fully functional, safely designed outdoor shooting range requires careful planning, quality construction, and persistent attention to detail. Respecting the recommendations in this guide will help your custom range operate smoothly for years while providing an unmatched shooting sports experience. Pay particular attention to bullet containment and backstop materials, and don’t cut corners. With proper placement, design, maintenance and use by educated shooters, your private shooting range can provide endless hours of safe recreation.