If you could build an outdoor range..........

[Guest DavTN]

I am beginning plans to purchase land and build a cabin and a few shooting ranges. I have searched on here and a number of other sites and have some good ideas, but want to know your thoughts.

Details

• As close to Nashville as possible depending on price and neighbors
  
• No more than 1.5 hour drive from Nashville
  
• Need space for a 2 separate 50 yard handgun ranges and a 200-400 yard rifle range. 1 of the handgun ranges would be a standard range, the other would be a walk through the woods with hidden and popup targets and non-targets surrounded by berms.
  
• This will be a private site (also used for family retreats) and not for commercial use. I would consider allowing qualified groups and instructors but would need to limit my risk.
  

If you were going to do this:

1. What is the bare minimum acres you would purchase for safety and noise reasons (I will be building berms with heavy equipment)
   
2. What about land dimensions? (Thinking long and narrow, to limit cost but want a safety net of distance)
   
3. Where would you buy land (within the details above)
   
4. Suggestions on where to source cheap building supplies, scrap lumber, fencing, etc.
   
5. Please also share any opinions, range pictures, target choices, suggestions, warnings, etc.
   

Also, if any of you own land with a private range please include pictures of your setup and land details.

Thanks!

[HOGNUT]

Good Luck with the venture. I am also doing the same thing but it will be setup as a business in the late spring early summer.

[Guest DavTN]

Good luck to you as well. I am just beginning plans for a future project, plan on buying the land and building the cabin first, then water, then range and other buildings.

How big is the property you are using and what are the dimensions of the range?

[skwirl]

Geographically Nashville sits in a basin. Around that basin is a land feature called the Highland Rim. I would look for 20 to 100 acres of property along the transition from the basin to the rim. This kind of land can be difficult to develop for large housing projects which tends to keep the neighbors who would more likely complain at some distance.

Flat to rolling valleys with hills or bluffs on each side. The hills would help contain both noise and projectiles. A narrow entrance to the valley would also make it easier to control human access. The biggest obstacle would be the need to control water runoff from the hillsides through the property.

Good luck with your search.

[Jonnin]

I would get the better part of a square mile, if you can afford it.

I know that back when I was with my parents (out in the boonies of N ga), a neighbor that was roughly 3/4 a mile away would often come to check up (looking for illegal hunters) on us when we were target shooting, so clearly he could hear it from that range and through his home walls. That was nothing exotic either, nothing larger than a 44 mag or 12 ga, and often just .22 or 9mm. So if you are within a mile of a home or business etc, they are going to hear it.

Safety net depends on your backstops and allowed weaponry. Here again, a mile of thick woods is pretty safe, while an open field you might want closer to 2 miles. At a 45 degree angle, a .50 BMG can probably carry 2 miles with enough force to be of some danger; I do not know the upper limit on a round like this but 2 miles seems like a low-end guess for its maximum dangerous range, and it may be closer to 3 miles (look it up, I am just educated guessing here).

Long and narrow is fine but it will mean the folks on the long sides can hear all the noise. If you want to reduce the noise, you need either a lot of cheap land or sound walls. IMHO its probably cheaper to buy more land than to build a 3000 foot long 20 foot tall sound wall. Being out away from it all helps but eventually something will move into the area and be offended by the noise: long term a long skinny strip is not your best bet.

Thats all I have for random thoughts. You might call a range for a tour or some ideas and tips. There are a lot of private/public ranges out there, and if you call one outside your area and you might find someone who is willing to offer advice. The ones in your area may see you as competition, however.

[bigwakes]

Just he sure to check with neighbors. I think they can protest a range up to 1 year from the time it opens. There was a range in Millersville that was having lots of problems with neighbors. I'm not sure if they are still operating.

[mr.ak47]

I've partially setup a shooting range at my house here in east tennessee and here it's a lot easier to find lands with 100 foot hills as back stop which eliminates the need to have sand as a back stop or steel plating but with that said slanted 1/8th steel hung over head i believe there call louvers? might want to check are a good addition for safety eliminates the threat of rounds going up and flying where they shouldn't, Also I'm sitting on about 50 acres with one neighbor on top of the ridge which i would literally have to shoot straight up with a high powered rifle to hit there house, but there good people so they don't mind the booming on the weekends and what not, but as far as acres goes it's really hard to say, It honestly depends on how the property is laid out since acres are considered square if you will you could have an acre that's 12 yards wide but 100 yards long my math probably isn't right on that but you get what I'm saying, So with that said if you can find land that is flat or flat with a hill toward the end of it or just away from people 10-15 acres should be more then plenty to do what all you described, if you can find flat land you can always invest in some fill dirt to setup as bullet traps hope this helps

Edited January 18, 2011 by mr.ak47

[Guest DavTN]

Thanks for all the comments. It won't be competition for another range as it will be used for my family and close friends and mainly on the weekends. It will be a rural retreat primarily and was thinking of land near or on Center Hill Lake, but would have to find just the right property so any future neighbors are far enough away. Any other places within an hour or so from nashville could support a fishing/ski boat and land is relatively inexpensive?

[Jax970]

Contact the NRA. Once upon a time they had a huge book (and price to match) full of range development resources.

[mikegideon]

If your trolling for ideas on the finer points of building the rifle side, I would take a camera to Stones River. There has been a lot of debate about the strict rules, but they have the best facilities I've seen.

[Lumber_Jack]

As far as acreage i would agree that you should get at least 20, but would look more in the 50 range. For a 400 yard range 50 yards wide that's 4 acres right there, not counting a safe zone for backstop. If you want to add a woods course, pistol range, cabin, etc I would think 20 should be the min. I would plan for a decent buffer between your range and the property line as well just to prevent conflicts with neighbors. Even if the existing neighbors don't mind you never know who will own that land in the future.

[Guest ibavol]

DavTN, If I were looking for land for this project and also wanted to fish/ski, I would look around the Cordell Hull Lake area. There is a lot of land around there and the price should be a lot more reasonable than Center Hill. On the selfish side, I would like something like you're decribing in the Center Hill Lake area since I live here. We would be neighbors... that's almost like family, right?

Best of luck with your endeavor!!

[GLOCKMEISTER]

Just he sure to check with neighbors. I think they can protest a range up to 1 year from the time it opens. There was a range in Millersville that was having lots of problems with neighbors. I'm not sure if they are still operating.

that was a range we built for the landowner back in 94... got permission from the city, in writting... jumped thru all the hoops and everything, then before we knew it the landowner was letting everyone and their mom go out and shoot all hors of the day and even late into the evening. It honestly got way out of control. Basically we had a few neighbors file suit against us... in 2004 and we beat them, but then the city filed against us too. Basically we could have fought it and won but it would have cost more then buying another property for the range and moving it. So thats what we did. The most important thing you need to consider is the lead thats being added to the land. All it takes is someone calling the EPA on you and ... well... your soooo screwed!! Thus the reason your real professional facilitys make ther people shoot lead free rounds. Good luck, need any help or advice holla. We have been there and done that.

[dlm37015]

the davidson county sportsmens club has a very nice range.its small but nice the club meeting is tomorrow night if you can come out and take a look .its about 270 yards long and in davidson county.membership is closed but if you want to join you could get on the waiting list

[kieefer]

the davidson county sportsmens club has a very nice range.its small but nice the club meeting is tomorrow night if you can come out and take a look .its about 270 yards long and in davidson county.membership is closed but if you want to join you could get on the waiting list

Davidson County Sportsman's Club

[dlm37015]

if its an outdoor range its not waste until you close it down. as long as the range is active lead is ok but once you close it down then it becomes a haz waste site and must be cleaned up. with todays lead prices you should have a way in place to reclaim the lead and jacket metal .most trap and skeet ranges do that now