indoor/outdoor shooting range

[IMR]

I played hookey from work today and modified my workshop to shoot from inside it. Basically, I cut a small hole in the back wall of the shop that I can shoot through. I installed a shelf above and to the right with a smaller hole for the spotting scope. Now I can shoot just over a hundred yds. into the pasture behind the house in the comfort of my shop. Next project is to figure out how to dampen the report heard outside. Shooting from inside the shop is a lot better than shooting from outside, but it's still a bit loud outside. My wife said "It sounded like something exploded out there." I said "Yeah, something DID explode. I lit off a .223!"

[floodgate]

IMR:

An old trucker / shooter buddy told me to get a big old truck muffler - big enough to sight through - and shoot through it. Never tried it, but it oughta work.

Doug

[IMR]

I'm not so sure that would work. I might be mistaken, but as I understand it, automotive mufflers have baffles inside that prevent a see-though shot.

[Johnch]

I saw a guy shooting thru 7 or 8 car tires bolted together .
The ends had carpet atached with a hole in it to shoot thru .
Seamed to cut the blast down a lot .

FYI clean out any blast reducer every once in a while .
Unburnt powder colects in it .

Johnch

[KCSO]

Bolt together about 4 foot of car tires and shoot with the muzzle just inside the car tires. It helps if you have some insulation inside the tires and held in with chicken wire. The Speer manual of 1970 has a good picture of the baffle arrangment used at that time in their indoor range.

[IMR]

Thanks, fellas. I had forgotten about using old tires. The portal in the shop wall is 3" wide and 12" high. I'm gonna see if I can find some old 14" tires and make a baffle with that.

[IMR]

I brought home a tent size bag of scrap insulation from work today. Soon as I get a chance, I'm going into town to hit a coupla them hole in the wall tire shops for some 14" tires to make my baffle. I'm on my way to shooting in relative silence.

[IMR]

I got some more work done on the indoor/outdoor range. I got 5 old tires and they are bolted together and packed full of fiberglass insulation. I have the bundle hanging in place by means of a chain fall suspended from the overhead. I got hold of 6 pieces of 6" X 1.5" channel iron 46.5" long to be used as a bullet stop. They are all welded together, sided by side.
The next step is to build a triangular frame for for the backstop that will prop it up at about a 40 degree angle. There will be a slot on either side of the backstop to drop a piece of plywood in to staple the targets to. The stop will be located 100 yds. into the pasture behind the shop.
Long range plans(not too long, I hope) include a small table beside the shooting table or an extension on which I can mount 2 light duty presses for on the spot load development.