One of the ultimate dreams any hunter or shooter has is to build their own personal shooting range at home. After all, who wouldn’t want to have a place to enjoy as they shoot away without the disturbance? But of course, building your own shooting range is easier said than done, with more things to learn about besides preparing your materials.
So if you want to know how to build a shooting range on your property, then read on! I’ll show you all the necessary tips to follow to help you make your shooting dreams a reality.
How to Build a Shooting Range On Your Property
People tend to think that building a shooting range is such an expensive and tedious task. It’s actually pretty easy as long as you prepare well and know your stuff! So check out these tips to start building your shooting range at home:
1. Where to Build It
The first thing to figure out is where exactly you want to build the shooting range in your home. I highly recommend that you build your personal shooting range in rural areas, or in places in the house that are less heard by neighbors. With fewer neighbors, you won’t have to worry about noise and safety that can disrupt someone else’s household.
Furthermore, consider the amount of space you can allocate for the property. It should be big enough for you to be safe and comfortable as you shoot, also in an area that won’t annoy or disturb anyone.
A typical range (for a handgun) can measure about 25-75 feet, with regular target practice being about 7-15 feet long. Others can go for longer ranges for training and sports-shooting. It can go even longer, depending on your type of gun used, may it be a handgun, caliber, or a rifle.
2. Safety Equipment and Optics
Next up to prioritize is your safety, ensuring that you invest in the proper equipment to secure your shooting range. Equip yourself with the right eye and ear protection, especially when training with young shooters. This will help keep healthy hearing and protect your eye from recoil, which is known to injure you!
Your two safety priorities here is to be able to see and stop when shooting. You need to see the entire range to your target without any obstructions which can deflect your shot. It should also have a clear path to obviously see any passersby, maybe even signs to restrict people from entering the area. Furthermore, you should stop your ammunition in a safe manner, meaning you should have the effective barriers to stop bullets in case you miss your target area. With that being said, invest in backstops or earthen berms around and behind your target area.
You should also have a good pair of binoculars to see the areas you want to target. This is also a great way to train your eye, especially when you go hunting!
3. Your Shooting Bench
After safety, you have to focus on comfort as well, since you won’t be able to shoot well without being in proper position! With that being said, look into your shooting bench and other items which increase your comfort as you train.
The shooting bench you use has to be both comfortable and solid since no one can shoot properly with a wobbling platform. If you’re a beginner or average shooter, go for treated lumber, which is strong and stable. Advanced shooters who want something stable and permanent might appreciate steel or concrete.
As for the height, I recommend something between 36-40 inches for most shooters, depending on your height. Go for L-shaped benches, which allow you to rest your elbow and steady your positioning. However, you can find other types of shooting benches, either portable or temporary, which suit your style and preference.
4. The Target Frame and Screen Mount
Your target frame can be made of anything, either metal or plastic, or even plywood for strength and permanence. Whichever you choose is up to you, as long as you’re able to attach your target to it before training. That way, you have something to shoot at and know where you’re shooting.
I recommend robust frames that are lightweight, so you’re able to place the targets at varying distances and areas. You should also have to strong clips, stables, or tapes to keep the target mounted without it moving upon shooting.
Also consider investing in a screen mount, which can catch any ejected brass, making it even easier to clean up after your training. Other extra useful equipments are solid rests for the firearm, adjustable shooting vices, even with buckets that have snap-on lifts to clean up efficiently.
5. Know Your Local Laws
Last but not least, acquaint yourself with the local laws in building a shooting range in the area. After all, shooting is quite controversial, depending on where you’re from, from the noise to safety.
So review all the public ordinances regarding shooting ranges in your property before even making the investment, then design your range according to the regulations to avoid breaking any law. It’s best to discuss your plans with neighbors as well.
For a more visual presentation on building a shooting range, check out this helpful video:
Wrapping It Up
A personal shooting range is such a luxury for many avid shooters and hunters, and you can actually build one on your own at home! Building your own shooting range doesn’t need to take up so much money or effort. So long as you have the right materials and know how to utilize your space, you can start enjoying your shooting range for fun and training, whether you’re using the top 20 best air pistols or any other weapon of your choice!
Hopefully, this article on how to build a shooting range on your property helped you out. So don’t wait any longer and look into any of these tips now.
If you have any questions or want to share your tips and experiences, then comment below. Your thoughts are much appreciated!