sand back stop

bigtim6656 · 07-31-2010, 07:36 PM

I am lucky enough to have access to some property we run our business out of and I am going to put up a 200+ yard shooting range

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I am tired of loosing my arrows which run 10 bucks a piece then figure 10 for the broad head so I am thinking a nice sand mound to put behind my 3d target. Right now I am running the glendale full rut and plan on a block 4x4 next season. nothing wrong with the glendale but the block would be easier to haul around should I run out to the public gun range for some reason.
I am thinking 15 feet wide maybe and ohh I would guess 6 tall. Any idea how deep I should go to stop the arrows and hopefully not sink it till my fleatches get trashed? Also I know bow forum but how deep would it need to be to stop a 308 and a .50 cal muzzleloader?

Also any idea on how many tons I would need. I have a 1 ton truck a dually dump trailer and gravel yard down the road and one just up the drive from the property so hauling the sand is not a issue.

MO Archer · 07-31-2010, 08:20 PM

I shot at a guys house last weekend and we used an old sand pile as a back stop. I missed target on one of the shots and hit the sand. I was aiming at one of the top dots on my target and pulled it high and shot just over it and into the sand. I ruined my fletchings. They are all scared up and brown and wavy. I don't think it is a great backstop unless you are able to re-fletch your own arrows at home. It did a great job at stopping the arrow though.

bigtim6656 · 07-31-2010, 09:28 PM

Ya can't have that, From what I looked at it would cost more for the sand then a high end fabric stop

Quote:

Originally Posted by MO Archer

I shot at a guys house last weekend and we used an old sand pile as a back stop. I missed target on one of the shots and hit the sand. I was aiming at one of the top dots on my target and pulled it high and shot just over it and into the sand. I ruined my fletchings. They are all scared up and brown and wavy. I don't think it is a great backstop unless you are able to re-fletch your own arrows at home. It did a great job at stopping the arrow though.

Bernie P. · 08-01-2010, 07:12 AM

I got my sand pile from the town workers some years back.Every spring they go around cleaning up all the sand they spread over the winter.I asked and they backed in and dumped a full load at the end of the driveway.I would guess it's about 10' diameter and 4 1/2' tall $0 cost.Dirt cheap you might say.

halfbakedi420 · 08-01-2010, 07:59 AM

well, shooting down at the sand, it only goes in 4"-6" from my roof, which is about 16' off the ground..but i think shooting at a pile, it would go deeper, cause the sand is not as dense? if that makes sense...i dont have a sand wall to shoot at, and the sand i do have had a pool on it last year, so its packed. 18 tons of water surely compacted it.