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Re: No Silhouette Targets Allowed...
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 11:29 am
by JJVP
MoJo wrote:PBratton wrote:Hmm.. Sounds like they need to raise the berm.
Easier said than done. On established ranges raising a berm a few feet is a major undertaking that will cost thousands.
And how much will it cost them if one of the shotgunners gets shot/killed by a stray bullet from the rifle range? Poor design if the shotgunners can be on the line of fire from the rifle range, IMHO.

Re: No Silhouette Targets Allowed...
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 12:06 pm
by MoJo
JJVP wrote:MoJo wrote:PBratton wrote:Hmm.. Sounds like they need to raise the berm.
Easier said than done. On established ranges raising a berm a few feet is a major undertaking that will cost thousands.
And how much will it cost them if one of the shotgunners gets shot/killed by a stray bullet from the rifle range? Poor design if the shotgunners can be on the line of fire from the rifle range, IMHO.

I don't know how anyone can afford to start a new range facility. Design specifications call for berms to be 15 to 20 feet high a berm's footprint is a ratio of 2:1 to 4:1 Assuming a 4:1 ratio (the best) and a height of 20 feet a berm 300 feet long will take up just a little more than 1/2 acre. Allowing for a buffer area of at least 100 feet from the back of the berm you've used up a little over an acre of land. Factor in parking for 30-40 vehicles and a range house a 10 acre plot starts to become a little cramped. If you are trying to put in rifle, pistol, and shotgun something's got to give - - - what gets cut? You've got it the berms!
Range insurance is high but you can't do business without it.
Re: No Silhouette Targets Allowed...
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:08 pm
by wgoforth
MoJo wrote:JJVP wrote:MoJo wrote:PBratton wrote:Hmm.. Sounds like they need to raise the berm.
Easier said than done. On established ranges raising a berm a few feet is a major undertaking that will cost thousands.
And how much will it cost them if one of the shotgunners gets shot/killed by a stray bullet from the rifle range? Poor design if the shotgunners can be on the line of fire from the rifle range, IMHO.

I don't know how anyone can afford to start a new range facility. Design specifications call for berms to be 15 to 20 feet high a berm's footprint is a ratio of 2:1 to 4:1 Assuming a 4:1 ratio (the best) and a height of 20 feet a berm 300 feet long will take up just a little more than 1/2 acre. Allowing for a buffer area of at least 100 feet from the back of the berm you've used up a little over an acre of land. Factor in parking for 30-40 vehicles and a range house a 10 acre plot starts to become a little cramped. If you are trying to put in rifle, pistol, and shotgun something's got to give - - - what gets cut? You've got it the berms!
Range insurance is high but you can't do business without it.
I won't give the names, but the ones I go to have never even had insurance.... and burms sure don't meet the requirement. Your supposed to stop shooting when the train passes by, and the benches have "Houses this way" written on them by home owners.
Re: No Silhouette Targets Allowed...
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 3:33 pm
by PBratton
MoJo wrote:PBratton wrote:Hmm.. Sounds like they need to raise the berm.
Easier said than done. On established ranges raising a berm a few feet is a major undertaking that will cost thousands.
Yeah, I know...
Re: No Silhouette Targets Allowed...
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:06 pm
by mikeintexas
USA1 wrote:Yep, there's an outdoor range near me that doesn't allow silhouettes. Must be too traumatizing for the children I guess.
I'm not buying th trauma thing. My 9 year old grandson has his first silhouette target on his wall with the "X" ring missing from .45ACP and 9mm.

Re: No Silhouette Targets Allowed...
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:23 pm
by apostate
AndyC wrote:The issue is when, for example, some Charlie's Angel fan gets on the line with the muzzle up and their finger on the trigger and has an ND at that radical angle. There's nothing that's going to catch that bullet, and most outdoor ranges face that same challenge.
True but I'm missing how that's prevented by banning silhouette targets.
Re: No Silhouette Targets Allowed...
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 9:08 pm
by Heartland Patriot
AndyC wrote:
The issue is when, for example, some Charlie's Angel fan gets on the line with the muzzle up and their finger on the trigger and has an ND at that radical angle. There's nothing that's going to catch that bullet, and most outdoor ranges face that same challenge.
Thanks Andy, I got a good chuckle out of the "Charlie's Angels" thing...I
instantly got the mental picture...though I know you meant it as something serious.
Re: No Silhouette Targets Allowed...
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 10:40 pm
by steveincowtown
As long as they don't outlaw "Zombie Chris" at my range...
"OK, so he doesn’t amble and stumble towards you slowly, but this dude actually “bleeds” when you shoot him. Chris is a life-sized, 3-dimensional zombie target that makes perfect practice for when your training for the apocalypse. He stands 33.5” tall and comes with a mounting stake. Even better, Chris isn’t an alien zombie, he was “born” in the United States.
Zombie Industries fills their zombie target with biodegradable material, so clean up is a cinch. It can withstand 1,000 of rounds of various calibers, so shoot away! Even if you are not into the whole zombie apocalypse thing, Chris makes a fun and different target to shoot at."
Realistic silhouettes were banned at a private range I used to belong to due to the racial and ethnic nature of some of them.
Re: No Silhouette Targets Allowed...
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 3:50 pm
by Katygunnut
wgoforth wrote:I think it is New Jersey that state law forbids human shaped targets of any form.
Do they outlaw circle shaped targets? A cricle is pretty close to the silhouette of alot of the US population.
Re: No Silhouette Targets Allowed...
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 3:52 pm
by wgoforth
Katygunnut wrote:wgoforth wrote:I think it is New Jersey that state law forbids human shaped targets of any form.
Do they outlaw circle shaped targets? A cricle is pretty close to the silhouette of alot of the US population.
Well don't remind them or they might!
Re: No Silhouette Targets Allowed...
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 6:59 pm
by terryg
Katygunnut wrote:wgoforth wrote:I think it is New Jersey that state law forbids human shaped targets of any form.
Do they outlaw circle shaped targets? A cricle is pretty close to the silhouette of alot of the US population.

Re: No Silhouette Targets Allowed...
Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 12:24 pm
by SewTexas
hmmm, is that why there are no pear shaped targets?

Re: No Silhouette Targets Allowed...
Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 6:31 pm
by tbrown
SewTexas wrote:hmmm, is that why there are no pear shaped targets?

How about actual pears?
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