Project Appleseed

I'm working on the range here at West Baden, just wondered what everyones feeling are on this subject.

Sometimes location will help dictate, due to availability, and budget.
In S.Fla, a covered concrete pad is Ideal due to weather and creatures and such, But have never said I won't work that venue due to no cover or dirt line or whatever adds to the real difficulties,and situation.
Build it and hopefully they will come.Whatever you decide good luck!

Although grass is nice for those naturalists out there, gravel or even a concrete slab would be better. It all depends on how much money you want to spend, brah.....

Properly laid gravel drains very well for wet weather.  Grass is comfy.  I tolerate concrete but don't really like it.  Mulch could be nice but requires lots of upkeep.  Overall do what works best for you, your workload and your budget.  We'll shoot on it no matter what it is.

As a shooter, I prefer grass.

But, from an event perspective, a concrete slab is by far the easiest. So, for my vote, I chose gravel. Nice middle of the road with nothing to mow, water doesn't gather too badly, easy to clean up/pick up brass, and somewhat soft to lay on. Yep. Gravel it is!

If you look at the pictures at After Action Reports (AAR's) you will see that Appleseeds are held on everything from from cow pastures to covered concrete pads.

Throw in some weather and people have persisted shooting in puddles and mud holes.

Shooting pads and carpet scraps will make any surface functional. Ez-ups and portable shelters work wonders for the sun.

Contact some of your local shoot bosses and they can provide some recommendations.

An aggregate gravel base covered with small pea gravel would be option to consider. Remember brass cleanup afterwards.

Since i know what the location looks like I would suggest that if you really want to get fancy gravel would suit you best.  If it gets wet youa re going to have mud back there anyway.  If you let it stay grass we are going to get muddy.  If you put down small gravel, like 8s or 11s, you might have something that will drain that won't wash away hopefully.  Isn't concrete a step farther than you want to go back there anyway?  I am just seeing how much trouble you would have to go through to get the truck back there and wondering if it is going to be worth it for you.

SPQR and others, you are correct, I don't really feel like pouring concrete back there (range is WAAYYYY off the road.  Although the road has been driven on by full loaded timber semi's.  But I think small gravel is what I'm going to go with. Thinking about some treated lumber to build a big box out of to contain the gravel, but I'm not sure about that yet.
Thanks for everyone's input.

Let me know when you are going to do the work and I'll help you spread it around! I've got a shovel or too laying around at the house. My parents just live a stone's throw away to the south anyway.

I saw a really nice setup before, that worked exceptionally well.

Start by digging 4" of the surface soil out, creating a rectangular shaped hole in the ground.  8' wide by however long you want your firing line.
Line the perimeter of the firing line with railroad ties, so that they are a few inches above the surrounding earth.   Fill in the hole with small pea gravel, and you've got a firing line that is comfortable, easy to maintain, won't hold water, and won't wash away. 

Quote from: ItsanSKS on August 03, 2011, 03:14:02 AM
I saw a really nice setup before, that worked exceptionally well.

Start by digging 4" of the surface soil out, creating a rectangular shaped hole in the ground.  8' wide by however long you want your firing line.
Line the perimeter of the firing line with railroad ties, so that they are a few inches above the surrounding earth.   Fill in the hole with small pea gravel, and you've got a firing line that is comfortable, easy to maintain, won't hold water, and won't wash away. 

This is exactly, with the exception of the pea gravel for #11's, what I was planning on doing.

I like grass to shoot on second would be small #11 stone like you are talking about. To work a shoot it doesn't matter unless it is mud.

I'd choose gravel for the same reasons stated above. 
However, there's something I've pondered, but haven't seen at a shooting range.
That rubber rock type stuff - Made from recycled tires. 
Just ran a quick seach.  Preliminary results are it costs 50% more per ton, but the density is about 25% of that of gravel.  So, perhaps half the cost in the long-run.   The drainage of gravel, and probably more comfortable than grass...   

...On second thought, that's probably too much luxiory!

For a Rifleman's firing line, consider:
Broken glass
hot coals
molten lava
thistles
fire ants
pungee sticks
dry ice
chalkboard(w/fingernail elbow pads)
razor-blades
marshmallows

You've got to keep things interesting....

Even with gravel and a weed barrier you will need to keep the line sprayed with roundup or you will wind up with tall grass over gravel in a couple of years if you don't keep up with it.

    I'd be cautious about pea gravel. It tends to never "settle down" and is always loose and shifting under you as a shooter.

    "Crusher run" is mixed sizes and usually compacts down pretty nicely, offering a solid base to shoot from.

Thanks everyone.