Screen shot from Range Systems webinar on building the home indoor shooting range.
I had the opportunity to sit in on a "webinar," an online information exchange, about building a personal indoor shooting range. Initiated by Range Systems, I feared it would amount to an "informercial."
My fear was unfounded.
While there were aspects of Range Systems products that were discussed, the focus of the information seminar was more on potential issues: space, costs, local restrictions, cleanliness-maintenance-lead mitigation and location.
My take on the issue is a point they made early: don't put the range in the building in which you live – if you can avoid it. Take that stroll across the property to another structure and keep the ventilation debris, lead particulate and noise apart from your immediate home life.
Randall Mendenhall of Range Systems, moderated the webinar. He was joined by Joe Bricko, a Commercial and Home Sales Representative for Range Systems. Joe has worked in Residential Construction and has dozens of range projects completed.
The webinar was recorded and will be posted at some point. In the meantime, I'll give a precis of the material that was covered.
First, you need to know where you're going to put the range and get some idea of the space available. There are a range of issues attendant with space and location. People have used storage buildings and gone under garages or in residential basements. If building new, get the architect of the new construction with the range provider.
Ideally, you want a 'box within the box.' The best is concrete construction – for the deck, ceiling/cap, and four walls. The objective is (1) keeping all rounds fired within the enclosure and (2) mitigating the leakage of noise. That's not always possible.
A question was raised during Q&A about the shipping container as a basis for an indoor range. This example is at Crimson Trace and seems to work quite well.
Consider the area from which shots will be fired and space to pass through behind the firing points. Then consider the depth of the backstop. Finally, at what distance your shooting will take place – the maximum distance? If you have no less than 3 feet behind the firing points and the depth of the backstop is three feet, your usable shooting distance has been cut by six feet: that 50 feet of space you had has now dwindled.
Consider local ordinances regarding zoning, construction permits, and noise abatement laws. Doing the due diligence is necessary.
What is your budget? Ranges can be anything from a single small bullet trap (where do the misses go?) all the way to a 3-lane premium range with turning/facing targets, target retrieval, ballistic partitions between firing points, etc.
It was said that home indoor ranges had cost from $10,000 to $100,000. Consider that, at the upper end of that range, simply doing without a new luxury car or not paying health insurance premiums for five years would buy the range.
Ventilation is a huge concern. We're not talking one of the large shop fans from an industrial supply blowing contaminated air around, but a dedicated range air exhaust system. Consider the responsibility to keep all rounds fired within the shooting enclosure. Consider the need for cleaning products made for lead removal: from skin, hair, clothing. A "sticky mat" at the range entrance can remove some lead from the soles of shoes worn on the range.
Maintenance of the backstop is also an issue.
Having your own range can be handy, but it can also be pricey. For more information and for recorded webinars, see the Range Systems https://www.range-systems.com/>website. For a list of providers and information sources, see the https://www.nssf.org/ranges/>NSSF Range Suppliers and Consultants website.
- - Rich Grassi