Help with rebuilding firing line

Been given the task of rebuilding a new rifle firing line at my local club in S.C.
Its small with only 150 members and has a 100-300 yard range that is over 20years old and starting to fall apart. Its deep in a forrest that is trying to take back the land. We have 5 shooting stations and an intrest in 300 yard shooting has increased. Need blueprints or designs of just the firing lines as we already had NRA design the range and we are happy with that.

Has anyone tried the aluminum car ports for this application? Noise was brought up about shooting under them and afraid this might make it louder.

Should the firing line be elevated a couple of feet to shoot down at the target as opposed to flat elevation? Its raised now and difficult for older shooters to walk up steps. Me included.

Would appreciate any responses or suggestions that would help our cause, for the more input will only make the range a better place. Thanks wolf

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Originally Posted by wolfganggross

Been given the task of rebuilding a new rifle firing line at my local club in S.C.
Its small with only 150 members and has a 100-300 yard range that is over 20years old and starting to fall apart. Its deep in a forrest that is trying to take back the land. We have 5 shooting stations and an intrest in 300 yard shooting has increased. Need blueprints or designs of just the firing lines as we already had NRA design the range and we are happy with that.

Has anyone tried the aluminum car ports for this application? Noise was brought up about shooting under them and afraid this might make it louder.

Should the firing line be elevated a couple of feet to shoot down at the target as opposed to flat elevation? Its raised now and difficult for older shooters to walk up steps. Me included.

Would appreciate any responses or suggestions that would help our cause, for the more input will only make the range a better place. Thanks wolf

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At my club the floor of the shooting shelter is about 18" above grade. The tops of the benches are about level with the tops of the target boards, thus anyone shooting off the benches (accounts for about 99.99% of all shooting) or offhand is pointing his barrel below level. (The topography of the overall range is nearly is nearly level) Only when firing from the knelling, sitting or prone positions might the barrel be elevated to some extent. Those positions are commonly used only during the various rifle matches that we have. We eliminated the need for steps by merely bringing in enough fill to create a low angle apron out maybe 20' in all directions. This is merely a mowed grass surface , no need to clear steps during the winter or worry about anyone falling on such a grade. We do have gravel paths leading from the shooting shelter and going out in the "popular" directions that the shooters might take (ie. forward to the targets, rearward to the parking area) so as to avoid possible mud conditions from too much wear on the grass.
We have a wooden shed type roof over the bench area. There's an 8' clearance between the roof joists and the floor; the rafters are 8" (at the rear end of the shelter) to about 2.5' or so above that at the front . TO BE CERTAIN, such a cover does increase noise at the shooting positions, however the advantages of protectiing the shooters from the elements more than compensates for that. Of course we mandate that ALL shooters wear suitable hearing protection whenever the line is "hot".

I would think that level firing would be more desirable. It probably makes little difference but some shooters may have the impression that it makes a difference.

Consider a single-angle roofline that doesn't reflect the sound back onto the firing line. Lower at the rear, higher at the front and a tendency to reflect the sound out onto the range as opposed to a peaked roof which just refects the sound back down on the firing line.

Elevated firing points are more desirable because the compounded mirage close to gound level is impossible to see through with even the very best of optics.
Being a walk and pace range, there will be no feedback of shot placements. Any change in conditions after the sighters cannot be confirmed by shot placements until the string is completed and scoring begins.
Having just a six foot elevation of the firing line above the floor of the range makes a big difference. The target frames could be made so that they can be lowered for scoring, and raised for shooting. The 200 yrd firing line should not be made into a 100 yrd berm. Slope it gradually so that the shooters can access, and to facilitate mowing. A seperate 100 yrd range with its own berm is ideal and will be used more than the rest of the range.
Your club range sounds like mine. We removed the 200 yrd elevated firing line, so now it is flat all the way down. It was better for match shooting the way it was. Because they cannot get grass to grow now, it was decided to cut down on mud by putting a layer of crushed granite dust on the line.
Nothing like getting some granite dust in your favorite rifle to make your day.
Grow grass. It is the only option.

Tagged for later

Wow, some good thread. I like the Idea about the single angle roof. So simple that it was over looked. Makes so much sense too. My dad sent pictures of his club, Central Jersey Rifle and Pistol, and it looks just like what everyone has mentioned. The members really want to keep the elevation up, which does seem better as account of the heat wave mirage here in SC. Thanks for the feed back, and you guys can visit our club when were done.( You too 45 caliber) Just tell them the wolf sent you. Wolfie

Where in SC ? I am in Spartanburg.

If you are worried about overshooting the target berm and bullets getting away. contact someone at the Il State Rife Assoc. Their range, near Kankakee has that problem solved with a series of baffles on the range. Heavy steel supports hold these baffles overhead so you are shooting thru a "window" like effect. There may be 3-4 in 200yds. Baffles are several inchs thick filled with gravel. You would need to hold barrel up 45 degrees or more to go over them.

Before range was rebluit they were gettin complaints from people several miles away, even tho it is a rual area.

at the American Legion range I was at they had carpet hanging from the roof which helps break up the sound going out in different directions too.
HTH
Bob

Sorry fick, don't look at this forum on regular basis. The clubs name in Dos Lupes Gun Club. We are located 30 miles north of Savannah GA, and 10 miles west of Paris Island SC, in a town called Ridgeland SC. Almost every sat. we have a free day so you can see the club. Its in the middle of a 60,000 acres of private hunting land. We are not allowed to hunt, though. Come and shoot a few rounds. wolf