Rubber Tires Appropriate Rifle/Pistol Backstop?
Hello:
We have a large dirt embankment where we routinely site in rifles and pistols. Occasionally we'll get a flyer that clears or catches the embankment on the high side. The field of vision behind the bank is open, and the bullet lands on the same private property. Even a bullet landing harmlessly out in an open field makes me uncomfortable, even when it rarely happens. Appreciate that we are in the country, and the open field has a larger hill (behind it)that no stray bullets can clear. I'd prefer to have no flyers, and want to improve the safety factor. We're talking about raising the high side of the bank with dirt filled discarded tires (set flat stacked & staggered). Any chance of a ricochet off the rubber tires . . . is there a more appropriate backstop, short of bulldozing in more dirt? I've seen tires used as a backstop in the past, and questioned whether there would be a ricochet effect. I'm not talking about tires & rims; just filling the stacked tires with dirt to raise the back stop another 3' or so.
Thanks in advance for replies.
We have a large dirt embankment where we routinely site in rifles and pistols. Occasionally we'll get a flyer that clears or catches the embankment on the high side. The field of vision behind the bank is open, and the bullet lands on the same private property. Even a bullet landing harmlessly out in an open field makes me uncomfortable, even when it rarely happens. Appreciate that we are in the country, and the open field has a larger hill (behind it)that no stray bullets can clear. I'd prefer to have no flyers, and want to improve the safety factor. We're talking about raising the high side of the bank with dirt filled discarded tires (set flat stacked & staggered). Any chance of a ricochet off the rubber tires . . . is there a more appropriate backstop, short of bulldozing in more dirt? I've seen tires used as a backstop in the past, and questioned whether there would be a ricochet effect. I'm not talking about tires & rims; just filling the stacked tires with dirt to raise the back stop another 3' or so.
Thanks in advance for replies.
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i really cant comment about whole tires being used,although it would seem there would be some ricochet factor!!! in alot of shooting ranges, {indoors], the means they use alot is a slanted steel wall and then a large mound of chopped up used tire parts in front of it. that maybe very difficult for you to do, i would advise the building up of the dirt burm another three feet!!! good luck---safety 1st!!! 0 -
As a kid we set up a rubber tire backstop made up of old truck and tractor tires, some of the old tires may have been made of natural rubber they were that old.
On several occasions we got some bounce back near misses of pistol rounds. Luckily no one got hit. The bounce back were from 32 S&W and 38 spl rounds and wizzed back over 50 feet. As 10 and 12 yearold kids it only took few of these bounce back ricochets to realize that it was not a good idea.
We could have shot an eye out.[:0]
Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.0 -
GunPaq:
That's good enough for me! I'm pushing for safer not more dangerous. I'll haul a loader tractor out over the weekend and do some major dirt moving. No need for further replies. I just thought I'd run it past you folks for the benefit/education of the shooters in our group. I was leery to begin with . . . just one warning is all I need. Thanks again.
quote:Originally posted by gunpaq
As a kid we set up a rubber tire backstop made up of old truck and tractor tires, some of the old tires may have been made of natural rubber they were that old.
On several occasions we got some bounce back near misses of pistol rounds. Luckily no one got hit. The bounce back were from 32 S&W and 38 spl rounds and wizzed back over 50 feet. As 10 and 12 yearold kids it only took few of these bounce back ricochets to realize that it was not a good idea.
We could have shot an eye out.[:0]
Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.0 -
Hi Drewto,
I am not trying to throw a monkey wrench into the works here, but the range I frequent (Wisconsin DNR operated) has just such a backstop and I have seen/heard of no problems of this nature at all. I have fired everything from hot 45-70 loads to 22 rimfire at 100 yds and never gotten a single bounceback or buzzer richochet!?!? I think perhaps checking the NRA website would be a good idea as I know they have topics that adress this issue; "how to construct a rifle range" info is I am sure available. Perhaps the method of filling the tires with dirt is the culprit for ricochets? At any rate, I would chech with the NRA site to be sure! Have fun, keep it safe!
"When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
"Power corrupts...Absolute power corrupts absolutely"(Descartes?)
"History is written by winners"(Patton)
"You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
"There is nothing lower than the human race...except the French" (Samuel Clemens)0 -
Drewto, Just wanted to add one thought. In the case of high velocity ammo that is FMJ you wouldn't have a problem. However in the case of Jacketed Hollowpoint pistol ammo you may not only have ricochet but also jacket separation. Which means the projectile will continue forward as the tire grabs the jacket and throws it back. Use caution!
AC Tactical0 -
There is an indoor range in my town that uses ground up tires for its backstop. However, they banned ak rifles that shoot the 7.62x39 round as they said that many bullets made in that round can create sparks and set the whole thing a blaze. You may just want to consider raising the mound with sand or more dirt or just aim lower
Anybody comes through that door, you put two in the chest and one in the head!0 -
Growing up I worked at a summer camp in Wisconsin that had a Rifle range using old tires with sand in them, worked well as far as I could tell.
Regards,
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Just a work of constrint in using old tires, I don't believe the EPA allows you to use this material underground. While they may never know, if you go to sell the property the buyer can come back for recovery and you could also be fined.
I'm not positive of this in all areas, but that's the law on our range according to the local authorities. You should check it out before doing it.
Best of luck on the project.0 -
Here's an article written by an NRA technical advisor that addresses, among other things, backstop construction.
www.rangeinfo.org/resource_library/facility_mngmnt/design/baffles_berms.htm0 -
I have used truck tires stacked around posts and filled with sand. I used a lumber target butt that stopped any bounce back from handgun bullets. The tires started leaking sand after about 5 years. I added a heavier butt of old railroad ties 3 layers thick in front of the tires and now don't really need the tires except for an occasional fmj that finds it's way through the cracks in the ties.
Mobuck0 -
Don't know if this'll help much, but the CF range control guys keep a very close track of how many rounds get fired into the earth back stops. When it reaches a certain number, don't know how many, they dig it out and, I think, remove the spent bullets. A great big sifter, I think. 0
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