# Homemade shooting range



## 19 Delta (Apr 16, 2012)

I am looking for some suggestions here...
I have about 1.5 acres in a semi-rural area where shooting is legal. In one corner of my property I have a 40yd wide by 60yd+ deep of space on a slight hill descending to a 30 acre sod field.
I would like to set up my own shooting range, and I am looking for ideas for a "permanent" target array and varying shooting positions and various yardages.
I have already started making a bow stand out of PVC from some of the great plans I have seen here.
What type of target stands have people come up with? Need they be covered? What about various shooting positions?

Thank you,
Tim


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## PNWhunter (Oct 15, 2011)

Here's a link to my buddies thread on the target he made for his little range.

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1636539

Roby


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## Bamabow (May 21, 2003)

I finished my range last week. I browsed through a lot of DIY threads here and came up with this. 
These are the target butts / stands. The posts are set 4' apart. Everything else I just sort of made up as I went. I like the end result.








The finished range. the butts are ten yards apart so I have 20, 30 and 40 yards from the normal shooting line. I can back up the line 10 yards to extend the distances. 








I also built a PVC bow stand based on some plans I saw here.








I've wanted to do this for several years and am pretty excited to be finished. Total cost of materials for the stand is around $125.00. Total cost of materials for the range (excluding targets) is around $200.00.


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## SpiritArcher (Aug 18, 2011)

WOW Bamabow!!!!! I am absolutely jealous. I thought my 40 yard lane, complete with bag target stand was impressive. You have me beat! :77::greenwithenvy:


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## Meat (Oct 3, 2003)

Bamabow, that is awesome! 

Meat


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## 19 Delta (Apr 16, 2012)

D-A-N-G Bamabow...that is what I am talking about! Very nice!!!

Tim


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## gun278 (Apr 12, 2003)

Very nice range Sir.


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## redyak3 (Nov 5, 2011)

That looks great!


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## flynh97 (Feb 6, 2012)

Lookin' sweet!


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## elkbow69 (May 7, 2010)

I went out last year and weed whacked a few lanes and now have 9 lanes, 20-80 yards, side hilled, or up, or down hill. And a sight in range with perma target that I can shoot to about 130 yards along the side of my property. 
Need to get out there again soon and clear them up again for the spring and summer preparations. Currently in the process of building a 3x4 bale for in the garage and have enough wood to build a few 3x4 bale more targets. I build them with a pink insulation board foam backs and 12-16" thick with shrink wrap stuffed to the gills and an office wool type carpet or mesh front. They work great. Best of all I can get all the stuffin I can handle at the local feed supply stores.

Will build a broadhead target out of layered carpet padding all sanniched up and squished down with 2x4's and ratchet straps.


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## brownstonebear (Apr 10, 2006)

View attachment 1344711

Got 4 bags hanging, still have to make tops. Can shoot just about any distance. Have some broadhead targets to put out as well. 
Great job on yours Bamabow.


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## bowtechlx (Sep 11, 2011)

Very nice


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## kdog23 (Jan 30, 2012)

Wow awesome!


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## Rembrandt1 (Mar 6, 2005)

Here's a practice range we built for our club....."V" shaped so all the arrows head to a central back stop. Sisal bales are banded to anchors in concrete walkways, elevated stainless steel platform allows for downward shots.


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## daltongang (Jul 29, 2009)

Rembrandt1 said:


> Here's a practice range we built for our club....."V" shaped so all the arrows head to a central back stop. Sisal bales are banded to anchors in concrete walkways, elevated stainless steel platform allows for downward shots.


Nice range!


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## BUDDYBAGS (Dec 13, 2009)

very nice!


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## oldschoolcj5 (Jun 8, 2009)

nice work everyone!


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## rdtj (Jun 16, 2010)

Nice ranges!


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## mrjeffro (Jul 25, 2007)

Nice ranges guys. I want to build one like Bamabo's set-up. Very nice :thumbs_up


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## reckless (Jul 8, 2006)

hears mine.
still aways to go.
but the targets are box frame and stuffed with old plastic.
works great and costs next to nothing also just leave them out there.
very light weight and easy to move if so inclined.
am set up for uphill downhill slanting.
and targets go from 10 to 70 yards.





































put in this one just because i like it so much..
winter is coming.


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## buckman2591 (Feb 6, 2011)

Third hand archery offers a DIY target cover with spots already screened on it


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## iluvgear1 (May 9, 2011)

I cannot leave targets out on my backyard range. Also, to simplify mowing and by executive decree of the head of the aesthetics committee, there will be no posts, platforms, sheds, lean-to's, shanties, or the like erected, installed, or allowed to magically appear on the lawn. Seriously, I live on a large, well manicured property and targets are taken out, used, and put away. I am just thankful to be able to shoot right outside my back door.

Since the targets go in and out I got tired of constantly pacing off the yardage to place targets. Oh yeah, I do not have a rangefinder. Also in the interest of full disclosure I saw this idea somewhere but cannot remember where to give credit. Anyway...Went to the HD and bought 2 inch Schedule 40 PVC and a hand full of 2 inch PVC caps. Cut the PVC into lengths of about 8 to 10 inches. You want a square cut on one end and a sharp angle, 45 degrees or more, on the other end. Glue the caps to the square cut end of the pieces of pipe to make a small post. Use one post as a shooting line and set the rest at your chosen distances. Place a folded towel over the cap and use a large framing hammer or small sledge to drive the post into the ground until they are blow the level of the cut grass. Get a fat Sharpie and write the distance on the cap. I have a shooting line marked and distances out to 50 yards. You can place your targets at the correct distances and the markers are not visible unless you are standing right on top of them.

One more thing. I went to the HD planning to get 4 inch pipe and caps but the 4 inch caps were $8 each.......Checked the 3 inch caps...$5 each.....grabbed the 2inch caps because they were $1 each. The key is to keep them just below the cut level of the grass and they are easy to find but not visible from a distance.


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## buckman2591 (Feb 6, 2011)

This target would be easily movable with one person


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## SeeMont (Jan 18, 2011)

I would love to post pictures of my range when I figure that out. description: I have a 10'deep, 9 ' high and 16 'long wood shed next to my shop, I hung a 3' x 4' x 12" carpet target from chains, under the roof end of the shed, (to protect the target from rain and snow) In back of that are four layers of hanging carpet. I used concrete patio slabs to make out distances every 10 yards out to 70. I could go out to about a 100 yards with the neighbors permission. The hanging carpet will stop any arrow from 10 yards to 70 yards with 70lbs pull. I have neighbors and friends using this range all the time.


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## Martin_Shooter1 (Jan 25, 2012)

Guys those are some fantastic looking ranges! I wish I had room like that. I got one target against my rotten old shed and I can shoot out to 30 yards max. But I am very happy to at least have that.


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## Krennen (Oct 5, 2011)

A friend and I just finished putting this up, you can shoot out to 100 yards if you are good enough. We measured off with a laser range finder and marked the ground at given yardage. It is set in PVC in the ground so it can be lifted out and stored if needed, allthough it is considerably heavy.


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## fobbinhood (Nov 1, 2011)

Heres mine...all I have left is to build the platform to shoot off of! ranges anywhere from 10-45 yards


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## awilkins (May 22, 2012)

my homemade range consist of the classic block target and a rope taped at 5 to 30 yards in 5 yard incriments. On-post housing would not be pleased if i built a range he though. but now i have some awesome ideas


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## dallas1966 (Aug 19, 2010)

*thanks for all these great ideas guys.*


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## Marine96 (Jul 16, 2010)

Krennen said:


> A friend and I just finished putting this up, you can shoot out to 100 yards if you are good enough. We measured off with a laser range finder and marked the ground at given yardage. It is set in PVC in the ground so it can be lifted out and stored if needed, allthough it is considerably heavy.
> View attachment 1367433


The black mat, is that a rubber truck bed mat? How well does it stop arrows if one pass through the bag?


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## gutpilz (Oct 3, 2008)

Bama 

Thanks for the inspiration. I built my 1st target stand. I am in the process of building an 8ft high shooting platform 6'x8.

I will post when I am done


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## rand_98201 (Sep 24, 2008)

Marine96 said:


> The black mat, is that a rubber truck bed mat? How well does it stop arrows if one pass through the bag?


you can go to your local feed store and buy stall mats which are very thick rubber and are really heavy.they work great for a backstop.


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## slowen (Jun 27, 2006)

Nice ranges!


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## Jason Jurgenson (Jan 6, 2010)

Here is my target setup, I have driveway markers right inside the tree line marking out 20-60 yards in 10 yard increments and have room to go back to 75 yards.


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

Here is mine. 20,30, and 40 yards now. The tree behind the 40 yard bag has a stand in it that I shot an 8 pt from :darkbeer:


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