Range Report - Improving the Pistol Range

[BrokenolMarine]

The pistol range setup I originally conceived hasn't worked as well as we had hoped. We used some steel L shaped corner posts for pipe fencing, popular in Texas and Oklahoma, and reinforced the spaces with Cattle Panels and then heavy Tarp thinking that would hold back the dirt long enough for it to take a set. I had orginally planned to put layers of tires in place to add to the stability, but didn't get a chance to pick up a trailer load before we started moving dirt, and then forgot. Short memory. As you can see in the pic below, after a year or so, the settling dirt pushed thru the sides and back of the weak idea I had to retain the dirt berm and I knew I was going to have to come up with another plan.

03 Downrange.jpg (546.53 KiB) Viewed 85 times

Fate tossed a solution in my lap in the way of the rural electric co-op a couple months ago. They decided to replace the wooden poles in the area. Boom. Rather than haul all the old poles back to the lot in the main city about half hour away, I told them they could drop them in the ditch line beside my pasture and I'd use them on my range. There were FOUR on my road frontage. "We have a dozen in this area, how many do you want?"
"Ah, all you are willing to drop."
Over the next week, they dropped a dozen or so.
Hooked a chain to each pole and pulled it into the pasture and lined them up alongside a treeline to wait for time to redo the pistol range. I'd need someone to cut the poles to length. I would also need to remove the dirt, the cattle panels, and tarps from the frame.

A friend of my daughter wanted some kayaks we were selling and would trade the labor for the poles for the kayaks and trailer. Deal. We waited for her Ferrier work to die down. I needed to use the tractor to remove the dirt and prep the range.

[BrokenolMarine]

Over the last week, I have moved the dirt, panels, and tarps. The dirt I piled close by so it will be quick to move BACK inside the frame when the new project is done. The scraps of tarp and the panels went to the dumpster.

02 Dirt moved.jpeg (485.17 KiB) Viewed 84 times

The frame is now cleared and standing ready to receive the cut sections of phone pole, stacked across the back and sides like lincoln logs. They will be secured to the poles by rope until the dirt goes in, then it will hold them against the poles. Every other layer will have a section of rebar inserted into the top of the pole, and bent around the frame. More to come as the project moves forward. MY potions are done from the seat of the tractor... work smarter

[DsGrouse]

nice. I need to get out and shoot more.

[BrokenolMarine]

Me too, it's why I'm redoing the pistol range. The cost? Labor for the cutting of the poles, or a half dozen chain saw chains. A couple cans of diesel. I still have the rifle range to shoot on while the pistol range is under restoration. I would love to shoot a lot more.

[CT_Shooter]

[Sir Henry]

[Hatchdog]

That is going to be a heave duty bullet trap. Great to have the power company leave to old posts for you. Gotta love the barter system for getting them cut up.

[BrokenolMarine]

I started by moving the bulk of the dirt with the bucket and piling it to the side.

Next I hooked a heavy chain to the cattle panel, feeding it thru and down and out to avoid just tearing out a couple wires. Backing slowly, I pulled the section of panel, some dirt, and pieces of tarp out of the frame. Repeat for exposed panels.

Back to moving dirt with the bucket... Sometimes "easing" the bucket between those back posts to pull dirt thru in order to then load it to move it to the pile. The gap is only about six inches more than the width of the bucket.

At the end, I had only the last of the dirt, bound up in the last of the tarps. Not just ANY tarps. These are special heavy tarps Tina orders online. They start as billboards. Yup, heavy vinyl with ads painted on the faces, that live on a billboard for a period, are then sold on the internet. The heavy weather resistant vinyl is great for covering equipment, stall fronts, or coop runs.

I would twist an exposed section of the tarp, wrap the chain, fold the tarp over, a couple more wraps of chain and hook it to itself. Back slowly away and pull the tarp and dirt apart. Tarp sections to the dumpster, dirt now free to be moved to the pile.

This took about three days. Hot, humid work for an old guy.
I know Dave could have made short work of it with that new tractor with that backhoe and bucket combo.