Personal Underground Shooting Range

[Chris M]

Not very helpful to the OP, but I remember when I was a kid, my dad had his own makeshift indoor range in the basement of our house (in CT). He had setup a bunch of old mattresses, plywood, and such as a backstop.

[berg]

Should you be interested I have designs for an underground range that would be cost effective, safe, and no trouble to your surrounding area. I designed it for a tactical training facility so they could save space. If you are interested, send me your email and I will send you the details on receiving the design package.

Holy necro-post! Check the date of the original post: 04-17-2006, 09:42 PM

[Kid Stanislaus]

If you use the range much you will be at a severe risk for lead poisoning.

Documentation please. There's a TREMENDOUS amount of hysterical FUD going around about lead contamination.

[ilbob]

Documentation please. There's a TREMENDOUS amount of hysterical FUD going around about lead contamination.

thats true.

most of the lead that is a real problem comes from the primer. unfortunately it is near your face when you shoot so you can easily inhale it.

for most adults, a small amount of lead ingestion is not a huge deal. it can be a huge problem for infants and very young children though, as it has demonstrated effects on brain development.

you really need to have air flow past the shooter at sufficent velocity to pull the lead dust away from the shooter.

there are also issues with cleaning the range. obviously a broom just stirs it up. so, use a dust mop and sweeping compound with the ventilation on. or use a swiffer type product so you don't just stir up the dust. or buy a hepa vacuum cleaner.

keep in mind it is possible to get some lead contamination even if you have good air flow so maybe changing your clothes and showering after a shooting session is in order, especially if you have children in the home.

clothing can be deleaded using special high phosphate detergents made for that purpose.

blowing your nose after a shooting session is also an important lead hygiene issue with indoor shooting.

sticky mats at the entrance/exit of your range will reduce the amount of lead you track in off the range.

[berto]

Holy necro-post! Check the date of the original post: 04-17-2006, 09:42 PM

Two weeks, three years, same diff.

[odysseus]

Two weeks, three years, same diff.

What's a trip is you see the thread up and that you posted to it, and wonder what??? Then see you did 3 years ago.

.

[RogueSniper]

Old post but a good one, nevertheless.

There are lots of discussion on this subject, but who cares. It's like reading an American Rifleman or Popular Mechanics magazine that's 10 years old. It's still good reading.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=138993

[Defense Shooter]

i have heard of one. From what i remember he got permits to build a detached garage, built his long hallway under the the pour area then used some foam square over the opening to the hallway to close it up. After every thing was built and passed inspection he broke out the area over the opening. Voila off the books underground range. I dunno if the guys were just pulling my leg about it but it seemed possible and i trust their word. As far a noise they said with the range door open and the garage door closed it sounded like some one using an impact wrench or something.

[Salty]

With real estate the way it is right now, I bet it would be cheaper just to buy a few empty acres outside of town, rent a little tractor to build up a dirt mound backstop, and you've got a range, not to mention private campgrounds. Later on you could build a house on the land, and your tenants can pay your range mortgage for you.

[Salty]

By the way, most muni codes have a provision for obtaining a range permit. I know of a couple indoor ranges that are right across the street from homes.

[Librarian]

State doesn't care.

Contact your city/county planning agency.

[stevenkong1976]

I an aware that this thread is almost six years old, but I have a question.
As we have "lead-free" primers, cleaner powder, and non lead bullets today, is ventilation still a big problem for people who wanted to built their ranges in homes?

[nothing4u]

Ever hear of reloading?

If I could have my own range with 100lb of alloy lead I'd have a lifetime supply of lead bullets. Recycling has its merits

[haole_50]

I've always thought about a container; seal it from water damage, and bury it; create an access hole into the "range"; sound proof with foam - no noise, but circulation is still the issue.

[MRH]

I know personally of a 25 yard under house/underground range in the San Gabriel Valley. About 12 feet of it is under the house then it extends the rest of the 25 yards under the back yard. it starts out at around 6'x6' then scales down to 4'x4' to the end. Reinforced concrete all the way down. Back stop is fine dirt and sand. A rope and pulley target system is installed. The owner said it was built in the late 40's when most of the land was orchards around his house. over the years its been sound proofed better and ventilated better. The current owner for the longest time was too scared to shoot anything larger than a pellet gun in it. Then got the courage to shoot a .22. No noise at all can be heard from the out side but the ventilation could take some re engineering.He's thinks anything larger wood have noticeable noise. He's not a gun guy so its rarely used.. too sad. If I owned it Id be in there every night.