Comments on: Build a 75 Foot TARGET RANGE in Your Basement http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/02/build-a-75-foot-target-range-in-your-basement/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:40:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ernunnos http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/02/build-a-75-foot-target-range-in-your-basement/#comment-1047712 Ernunnos Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:13:58 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/02/build-a-75-foot-target-range-in-your-basement/#comment-1047712 Not a bad little range for shooting .22 target pistols and rifles. The earth would muffle the shot a lot, and some baffles at the shooting position would cut it down even more. (Some people with private outdoor ranges set a row of old tires up and shoot through them to muffle the noise.) My biggest concern would be lead inhalation. The bullets are safe, but the lead in the primers turns gaseous. It's still an issue for people who do a lot of indoor shooting or work on shooting ranges. One of my friends shoots competitively and had to take a break when his lead levels got too high. Some newer ammunition uses lead-free primers, but that wasn't an option in the '30s. Simple solution to that though: put a big ventilation fan in the top of the target house, wired into the same circuit as the lights. Probably get better airflow than you would on a larger range. Beyond that, make sure it drains away from the house, and you've got a locking door to foil thieves and vermin. Oh, and make sure the first 10 feet or so can be entered and swept regularly. Small flecks of unburned powder can collect over the years and flash up. There was an indoor range in California that had a similar tunnel setup, and burned down a year or two ago on account of that. Not a bad little range for shooting .22 target pistols and rifles. The earth would muffle the shot a lot, and some baffles at the shooting position would cut it down even more. (Some people with private outdoor ranges set a row of old tires up and shoot through them to muffle the noise.)

My biggest concern would be lead inhalation. The bullets are safe, but the lead in the primers turns gaseous. It’s still an issue for people who do a lot of indoor shooting or work on shooting ranges. One of my friends shoots competitively and had to take a break when his lead levels got too high. Some newer ammunition uses lead-free primers, but that wasn’t an option in the ’30s. Simple solution to that though: put a big ventilation fan in the top of the target house, wired into the same circuit as the lights. Probably get better airflow than you would on a larger range.

Beyond that, make sure it drains away from the house, and you’ve got a locking door to foil thieves and vermin. Oh, and make sure the first 10 feet or so can be entered and swept regularly. Small flecks of unburned powder can collect over the years and flash up. There was an indoor range in California that had a similar tunnel setup, and burned down a year or two ago on account of that.

]]> By: Neil Russell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/02/build-a-75-foot-target-range-in-your-basement/#comment-1047700 Neil Russell Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:16:51 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/02/build-a-75-foot-target-range-in-your-basement/#comment-1047700 While it would be really cool to have a target range in the basement, I'm thinking the 75 foot part would slow down a lot of people these days, and of course the laws prohibiting shooting in residential areas in a lot of communities, and here in south Georgia; no basements. Unless I missed it, there's not much provision to cut down on noise, which might cause some unease upstairs when you go to test out your 300 H&H :) While it would be really cool to have a target range in the basement, I’m thinking the 75 foot part would slow down a lot of people these days, and of course the laws prohibiting shooting in residential areas in a lot of communities, and here in south Georgia; no basements.
Unless I missed it, there’s not much provision to cut down on noise, which might cause some unease upstairs when you go to test out your 300 H&H :)

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