If You Could Design Your Own Shooting Range...

[Rock Home Isle]

I read a post just a moment ago and it got me to thinking...I like to ponder things these days.

If you had a piece of property, or were going to buy a piece of property, and build out your own shooting range; what would you want to include?

How would you layout the range?

What would you include as additions, ie woods walks, smoothbore only walks (BP Sporting Clays) etc?

Close friends and family only, use it as a foundation to form a club?

Would you include Rendezvous at the site?

If it included hunting options, would that be attractive?

 

[Bighorserider]

I always dreamed of having a small log cabin in the woods to hold get togethers and shoots. Set up for a woods walk and open area for 25, 50, and 100 yard ranges.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Mine would face north and run out to 1000 yards. And own the land for a mile beyond that. Need plenty of room for cannon shooting. As long as we’re dreaming a fair sized clear water stream behind the line and tall timber on both sides.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

A Woodwalk ... around in a big loop or horseshoe, with many targets! Add in a hawk and/or knife throwing block every 6 to 8 stations.

 

[Ponderosaman]

I would set it up a lot like the Usery Mountain Archery range, but for firearms, and probably archery too, since this is a wish list. The range has a standard range with several buttes at standard yardages, then there is a hunter course, a 3D course, and a burlap animal course. On my rifle range, I might have metallic silhouette targets, cowboy action, long range (maybe to 500yds.). A sporting clays course, a wobble trap, and maybe skeet. What would be pretty cool is to have an old west looking façade town that you could have shoot outs with air soft. That's about all, not too big a deal right?

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

That's about all, not too big a deal right?

Can I move in with you? Errrr, separate rooms of course ...

 

[Elkhorse]

Good size sandpit.

 

[Rawhide67]

I would be the only one on my shooting range. Well, maybe a few of my friends. After we get back from my other creation, the ice cream anti-social.

 

[MAPMFF]

I've probably put way to much thought into this, something that probably will never happen, but one can dream right?

In a wooded (somewhat shaded area),I would cut down trees and carve out a range 100 yards/150 maybe, probably 40 or 50' "wide" or so (want enough room to have my friends over for volley fire) with a good berm behind, plant a species of grass in the range area that could do well in a mixed sunny/shaded area. Steel plates at various distances, and a small cabin, perhaps even one of those larger pre-fab sheds that I could work to make look a little believable for 18th/19th century, with period correct appointments and build on a brick or stone fireplace. Would love it.

not to scale

 

[1950DAVE]

I own a gravel pit!

 

[Sean E Bug]

in a forest with a good canopy to provide shade since I am a red head. I would want a 100 yard range with a backstop that hangs paper and metal targets. shooting benches at 25,50,100 and a shed for storing targets, range maintenance items and ammo supplies, a trap or skeet field, and a old fashioned shooting gallery for 22s, handguns, and squirrel rifles. have a well and firepit so you have water for cleaning and drinking, and a firepit to cook over and warm up in the winter months.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I would be very hesitant to open a private property range to general public use even for Muzzleloaders only. It opens up a whole new level of liability and possibly expensive design issues because of liability. Having said that a private range for friends and family is a wonderful thought and to include a trap setup.

 

[sheriff john]

Already have the range, 200 acres, creek with half-mile of water. What's missing are the old friends who made this place happy. Enjoy what you create and make some memories. Too soon, memories will be all you have left.

 

[Roy L. Oak]

Already have my own range. Works out pretty good using old fence and trellis posts for a backstop about 3 deep with topsoil piled behind them.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

There’s a big concern about letting strangers on the range. In today’s lawsuit happy society, yeah big concern and would rightfully shut down most of our desires to share what we have with others.

I’ve thought about the liability aspects for having people on the property. The key is liability, you need to separate liability in such a fashion that you are able to share with others, but not open yourself to legal liability that could take away what you’ve accomplished.

My solution would be to form a separate nonprofit organization, that would lease the right to use the land. That organization (blackpowder club) would be responsible for maintenance and would need to be insured. The annual insurance would be covered by the fees for the club members. And the organization would assume all liability.

If there was enough land to support huntable populations of small game or even stocking upland game…then another approach would be a private blackpowder hunting club as an LLC, where members are vetted, similar fashion to the AMM, invitation only. Then if the property would support it, open it up to Rendezvous held 2 or 3 times per year, and that could generate enough to cover insurance costs, stocking & maintenance fees…and Rendezvous would allow the members to meet and possibly recruit new prospective club members. The Rendezvous would serve as a way of “advertising” what membership offers to an avid blackpowder shooter and outdoorsman; looking for a place to shoot, enjoy the company of others and experience hunting with traditional blackpowder firearms.

I believe that either of those approaches would legally separate the liability of the land owner from any mishaps that occur on the property.

What am I overlooking?

 

[Roy L. Oak]

There’s a big concern about letting strangers on the range. In today’s lawsuit happy society, yeah big concern and would rightfully shut down most of our desires to share what we have with others.

I’ve thought about the liability aspects for having people on the property. The key is liability, you need to separate liability in such a fashion that you are able to share with others, but not open yourself to legal liability that could take away what you’ve accomplished.

My solution would be to form a separate nonprofit organization, that would lease the right to use the land. That organization (blackpowder club) would be responsible for maintenance and would need to be insured. The annual insurance would be covered by the fees for the club members. And the organization would assume all liability.

If there was enough land to support huntable populations of small game or even stocking upland game…then another approach would be a private blackpowder hunting club as an LLC, where members are vetted, similar fashion to the AMM, invitation only. Then if the property would support it, open it up to Rendezvous held 2 or 3 times per year, and that could generate enough to cover insurance costs, stocking & maintenance fees…and Rendezvous would allow the members to meet and possibly recruit new prospective club members. The Rendezvous would serve as a way of “advertising” what membership offers to an avid blackpowder shooter and outdoorsman; looking for a place to shoot, enjoy the company of others and experience hunting with traditional blackpowder firearms.

I believe that either of those approaches would legally separate the liability of the land owner from any mishaps that occur on the property.

What am I overlooking?

One of the first things one must do is check with the state and local authorities to make sure you can have a private range based on your location and what is involved in it becoming public. Here is Illinois, land of the FOID card, the state allows for private ranges and an "owner or operator of a firearm range is not subject to any action for public or private nuisance or trespass and no court in this State shall enjoin the use or operation of a firearm range on the basis of noise or sound emissions resulting from the normal use of the firearm range. Then I had to check with the county and "The discharge of firearms in any residential area where such discharge is likely to subject residents or passersby to the risk of injury is prohibited within unincorporated areas of McHenry County, unless such discharge of firearms complies with the following standards:
a. The shooting area shall be arranged and provide a safety area and lateral and backstop
berms in accordance with National Rifle Association standards.
b. The discharge of firearms shall occur only between sunrise and sunset."

So there's that! But in my case, I am friends with the second in command at our sheriff's department and he shoots with me..... so there's that too. Point being is to check with both state and local authorities before putting up your own range so you don't get a surprise later.

 

[Doc]

Purchased 41 acres in the 80s. My next door neighbor had 18,000 acres. Set up a bench rest at 50 and 100 yards for smokeless. At the 50 yard position we had steel targets for ML pistol and rifle from 30 to long gongs at 100 and 150. At the 50 my wife and I also had an oscillating auto clay thrower. 2017 we moved to a small town because of the work needed to keep up 41 acres overwhelmed a couple of 70+ youngsters. The people that purchased it were very happy.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

You are much further down the road on this than I am…your information is very thought provoking.

If I did this…it would be somewhere in Wyoming, after I retire…so yeah, the local laws and restrictions are hard copied into a file…and on a flash drive.

I’m not a lawyer…so that’s my grey area.

The liability aspects of setting up a dream shooting range and allowing others to enjoy the fruits of my labors, really concern me, and it looks like others share that same concern

 

[Doc]

You are much further down the road on this than I am…your information is very thought provoking.

If I did this…it would be somewhere in Wyoming, after I retire…so yeah, the local laws and restrictions are hard copied into a file…and on a flash drive.

I’m not a lawyer…so that’s my grey area.

The liability aspects of setting up a dream shooting range and allowing others to enjoy the fruits of my labors, really concern me, and it looks like others share that same concern

Mostly I only had over a few ML friends. But being a NRA instructor and range officer I did some instruction mostly for women and kids. Always done one on one. The money I earned from that paid for the NRA insurance on our range. It was a win win.
Doc,

 

[SamTex1949]

just had to post it !