XD Talk

ryr8828 · 02-21-2009, 04:10 PM

I'm planning on joining a range eventually, but I have some room here out in the country. I'm wondering how much of a thickness of dirt or sand it would take to stop a bullet?
I shoot 9mm, .38, .357, .45, 5.56, and soon to be shooting 7.62x39.

From my patio to the edge of my property (the cornfield) where I'd put this backstop is 45 yards. If you think that a reasonable backstop can't be built for my bushmaster or saiga for a 45 yard shot, then just limit your response to the pistol calibers.

I've got 125 8 inch concrete blocks left over from a remodeling project. No one wants to buy them because the labor in loading them is more than they're worth. I was thinking about laying up a wall in a U shape, wider parallel to me with shorter wing walls facing me. Slushing the block cavities with quickrete.

Then containing the dirt or sand in there some way and putting my target stand in front of that.

Of course if you think that this is just an idiot idea I came up with while sitting here bored on a bad weather Saturday and there's no way it would work, feel free to say that too.

redmax_1988 · 02-21-2009, 04:15 PM

bad idea on the cement blocks unless u want a ricochet in u but a 7-8 foot high mound will b sufficent

ryr8828 · 02-21-2009, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redmax_1988

bad idea on the cement blocks unless u want a ricochet in u but a 7-8 foot high mound will b sufficent

The blocks will be behind the dirt, I'm wanting to know how much dirt it will take to stop the bullets. Thickness wise.

**GunnBugg** · 02-21-2009, 07:54 PM

12' in height is what NRA says. Doesn't specify a thickness, but if you get that high, it will stop. It probably takes just a couple of feet.

"All ranges shall have a berm. This is an embankment for preventing bullets to continue in flight and stopped by penetrating and being trapped in a **** or ridge (as of earth). The maintained minimum height after settling of twelve (12) feet with a thickness to prevent bullets from exiting. The berm shall not exceed ten (10) yards from the rear of the target. The base of the berm shall be a minimum of five (5) feet from the center of mass of the target. "

ryr8828 · 02-22-2009, 08:32 AM

It turns out the as usual google is my friend, I just had to enter the correct search words. I'm not too silly since I'm not the first person to want to do this.

03mossy · 02-22-2009, 08:38 AM

ur idea is just fine. i am doing the same thing but instead of blocks in the back i am useing logs. as far as thickness goes it usually only takes a couple feet of dirt to stop a bullet. (i dig out rifle and muzzleloader bullets to look at expansion/penitration.)

**cooks128** · 02-22-2009, 08:43 AM

not sure about thickness, but be sure to seed the mound with some good high traffic or field grass seed.....it'll help control erosion

LTSRAPCON · 02-22-2009, 08:44 AM

When the guys at theboxotruth.com did it I dont think they got much of anything to go past 6in. I would go to the 12 foot mark mentioned in an earlier post and any base thick enough to support a 12' wall should be thick enough to stop ANY small arms fire.

mousegun380 · 03-25-2009, 06:52 AM

I have an indoor trap I use to stop up to .45. It's 1/4" steel, but filled with sandbags. One thickness of sandbags will stop a .45 and lower. I know we're talking apples and oranges, but just fyi.