# Same field course, two directions?



## tmorelli (Jul 31, 2005)

We are gearing up to move back to our farm in TN. I have about 45 acres of wooded hillside and ridge top and I'm going to build a 14 target course. I also have access to the machinery for initial lane clearing and then for maintenance. I keep playing with the idea of building my butts so that they can rotate on a center axis (think- Lazy Susan) for the purpose of being able to play the course in either direction. On paper, it doesn't seem that hard. This will primarily be for my own enjoyment and training but would love to be able to host some small groups or tournaments so safety is of more concern than if it were just me.

Have you ever seen a range done this way? I want to be able to shoot full rounds and utilize the varying terrain that I have but would rather not buy, build and maintain 28 lanes/butts/trails, etc.... 14 sounds much better from that perspective. I understand that it will take more work than a traditional 14 but I'm reasonably convinced I can come up with a good, safe layout that gets me 28 unique looking targets without double the cost or double the work.

Any thoughts?


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## tmorelli (Jul 31, 2005)

Rough sketch to help communicate my thoughts.....

The red blobs are my house (to be) and shop building (starting now). The blue lines are driveway and past the shop is just an old farm/logging road bed....glorified 4 wheeler trail now. The perimeter is my property line. The top of the picture is east and is the top of the ridge. The bottom of the picture is a small creek...so everything slopes that way. The top of the ridge has highs and lows along it too.


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## Lazarus (Sep 19, 2005)

Sounds very innovative. Let me know, will provide labor for a few trips through the course on occasion.


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## tmorelli (Jul 31, 2005)

Lazarus said:


> Sounds very innovative. Let me know, will provide labor for a few trips through the course on occasion.


LOL. Thanks for the offer. I enjoy the work and providing a little get-away for my friends. I have several regulars that come practice 3d with me now... They always offer help and money but I don't allow it (other than moving targets occasionally). I figure I'm going to have this stuff, and maintain this stuff for myself anyway.... When I have friends over, I want to enjoy it with them...not work! I'd be glad to have you.

My shop is 40'*72'....so I'll have a little indoor as well.... Mostly just tuning and training, maybe 4 lanes.

And at least a couple ranges to move my 3d targets around... For my own practice.... And hopefully to host a shoot or two each year.


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## wolf44 (Mar 31, 2009)

so the stake for the next target will be at the target from the previous?

My initial though is just to use fiber board and have your supports from the outside edges. that way you can shoot from both sides and not have to rotate anything. would be a full 28 target course worth of paper faces...but thats the cheap part


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

But where will you hang a stand???


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## fmoss3 (Apr 20, 2003)

I think you need to figure out a "safety" lane down the middle. to be able to leave the range without back pedaling through the range.
Look forward to shooting there someday. Contact James Maze. (731) 422-5529, the TNN president and I'm sure he would offer advice.


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## tmorelli (Jul 31, 2005)

wolf44 said:


> so the stake for the next target will be at the target from the previous?
> 
> My initial though is just to use fiber board and have your supports from the outside edges. that way you can shoot from both sides and not have to rotate anything. would be a full 28 target course worth of paper faces...but thats the cheap part


The stake for the next target would be behind and to the side of the last. This is the reason I ran the loop and am trying to angle the trail after each. 


RatherBArchery said:


> But where will you hang a stand???


Lots of places. 












fmoss3 said:


> I think you need to figure out a "safety" lane down the middle. to be able to leave the range without back pedaling through the range.
> Look forward to shooting there someday. Contact James Maze. (731) 422-5529, the TNN president and I'm sure he would offer advice.


Thanks for the info.... What is TNN though? I thought TN's NFAA was TAA?


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## tmorelli (Jul 31, 2005)

No one else? I was hoping this wasn't an original idea....perhaps confirming that there isn't something major that I'm missing.


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## bigHUN (Feb 5, 2006)

I am building a Field course in my 500+ members club (nomore then 10 people are kind of interested shooting year around, I am the only one permanent resident at the Field range ;()
For many years there were permanent stands, and a new president stripp all down freeing up a space to trad and 3d (imagine a full set of targets for trad folks and 3 sets for 3d !!!! ). I had a long lasting political battle to get a right and moved the Field to remote corners of a property.
You know what happened? A guy came back to the board saying he lost 2 x10's (!!!) because right after the rain the leaves and branches were wet and hanging lower, off course the trajectory on a 80 yard shot from a #50 bow is...hard to calculate in these situations. Next couple days after the the nearby trail walkers brought to the front office couple more x-10's they've found on the trail - about maybe 60 yard behind that 80 yard target. I went there immediatelly to see *** happened now. The bush behind the target is soo dense no fricking way the arrows could penetrate through the branches in a single piece. The arrows to reach that total distance must have been lost through a skydrawing!!!! The Mr.President shot down the Field course immediately do to a reason anybody got hurt the Insurance would take the entire property.
I told you this story just FYI.
Now this year the board assigned me a committee to trace the new Field layout on the map, and they forcing me to place the targets where they want ..not where these would be more comfortable or more challenging to play the games...
I am not sure what are the state laws at your place, if you have a land and you can afford, please do not save on space and definitely pay max attention to safety....even if you own the land and inviting the most closest friends...
Oh, and I forgot. I built last summer portable stands what are relatively easy to drag around, Sunday morning I am doing some work at the club I can make you some pictures, the design is very easy and the cost from HD. Similar as these I've found on the net when I was looking for solutions:


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## NoDeerInIowa (Mar 5, 2012)

We have a club here that has a similar layout for 3d. When can I come out and play? Lol


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## TNMAN (Oct 6, 2009)

I wouldn't do it just because of the umpteen jillion stakes/cylinders I would have to set and maintain. Hoping you have a engineer/surveyor type buddy with an EDM.

Also, you would not be able to have any scenic, winding walking trails---since the exit paths and clear distances have to suddenly become shooting lanes whenever the target butts are rotated and the loop is shot backwards---. Basically, you'd have angled shooting lanes the entire loop. Some of them might look good planted in a clover mix from Sept to Jan.


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