Gun range surfaces

[Scratch]

What should I do for the walking surface of my range?

As some of you may know... I have a small range on my property. It's about 80 yards wide, and about 50 yards deep. I plan on extending it to 100 yards deep this summer. I also have two more areas on my property that are longer ranges setup for rifle shooting, but they are single lanes cut through the trees, and are fine the way they are. I'm more concerned with the 80 X 100 yard short range.

This gets used right now for pistol and short range rifle work. Mostly shooting under 20 yards, but like I said earlier, I'd like to stretch it out to 100 yards to do some more rifle work at longer ranges.
In the past, I've laid down a big tarp that covered an area from about 5 yards to 20 yards and it worked great for that. Yes, at first the tarp would stick up in some spots and there was a tripping hazard, but after a week or so, it laid down nice and flat, there were no concerns from anyone about tripping once it settled down. Most of the people that shoot here, including me... reload, so saving brass is a must.

There were no weeds, no mud, and it was super easy to find and pick up brass. I've even thought about getting a leaf blower to blow off all the leaves right before a shooting session to make it even easier. I now found one at a garage sale, but haven't brought it down yet.

I love the tarp idea, but if I open up the range... That's a lot of tarps and I don't want it looking like a multicolored patch quilt or something. I've thought about planting grass seed since the soil is very black and I think it would grow great, and I wouldn't mind bringing the mower down there every couple of weeks or so. Plus it would make it look so much better, all one color, soft on your knees, I'd spray it for weeds, and a nicely cut lawn just looks inviting. But I'm worried about finding brass, and keeping up on the grass cutting. I know finding gold colored brass in green grass isn't that easy since I've shot from my backyard before.

I'd love to get a bunch of loads of gravel but there's no possible way to get much more than a small off road vehicle to the range. It's a huge down hill angle to get to the range. I've had to pull a small trailer filed with firewood down there once, and I lost 10 years of my life in fear, from that experience. Not gonna try it with rock.

So the choices I can think of are tarps or grass.

TARP PROS:
Super easy brass pickup
Zero weeds
Pretty much no maintenance

TARP CONS:
Might look "ghetto" with different colors
Could get expensive
Sometimes holds puddles of water



GRASS PROS:
Nice uniform look
Softer on knees

GRASS CONS:
More maintenance (spray for weeds, mowing)
Hard to find brass
Need to get mower to range (could be difficult...)


Anyone have any input?

[mmcnx2]

I'd go with grass on the range itself but tarp or mats in the shooting area. The grass in the shooting area makes it really hard to find brass and the bugs can be an issue. You know they do have power wheel barrows that can carry almost a yard of material that you could drive stuff in in small batches.

[870TC]

I would avoid the tarps if you "open the range" to other people. To much of a fall, trip, slip, sue you to the poor house hazard. I would go with grass in the longer range area and use gravel with a weed guard under it, in the pistol/short range area that you currently tarp.

[Scratch]

. You know they do have power wheel barrows that can carry almost a yard of material that you could drive stuff in in small batches.

My brother next door has a larger sized skid loader. It will barely make it up the hill with the tracks on, and only when empty. Driving down with anything in the bucket is possible but very sketchy. Not going to go the gravel route.

[Grandpa Rex]

What about landscape fabric?
Permeable but little or no plant growth.
Molds to the shape of the ground.
Could be swept off to keep clean.
Easy brass pickup.

I don't have much experience with it but I keep digging it out of my flower beds at the house.

[jshuberg]

Tree to Tree carpeting!!


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[Nougat]

I'm so helpful I googled tarps for you!
http://www.tarpsplus.com/poly-tarps.html
maybe the prices on the discounted blue and brown are actually helpful?

[MXGreg]

How about this stuff?

http://www.menards.com/main/flooringest ... c-6542.htm

[Deputyhiro]

Get a Coonan, then you'll have to make that fabric about 100ft square... .And you'll still loose brass.

[PhilaBOR]

If I recall correctly, I helped cut trees on your range a year or two ago.
If there are still a lot of trees around it will be tough to get a good growth of grass because of the shade.

[andrewP]

How about this stuff?

http://www.menards.com/main/flooringest ... c-6542.htm

Covering an 80x100 foot area with that would cost $12000. Not exactly a cheap option.

[Scratch]

If I recall correctly, I helped cut trees on your range a year or two ago.
If there are still a lot of trees around it will be tough to get a good growth of grass because of the shade.

Yes you did, but it's getting more and more open. It's getting sunny enough that I even have an awning down there setup for shade!

[farmerj]

green painted concrete....

[Jackpine Savage]

My rifle range is in an old pasture, pretty heavy soil, no trees. Around the bench I just mow really short. Start at the bench and blow all the clippings out and away. I'll try and get some pics this weekend.

My biggest problems are gophers that seem to think under the shooting bench is the best place in 40 acres, and skunks digging for grubs.

[dupa]

fleetfarm sells the horse stall pads. they're about the size of a bedliner for a pickup. they are also nice to hang from a post. and staple targets too