The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: MikeBjerum on July 29, 2011, 08:57:04 AM
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I was over on Facebook, and watched a handgun demo video. Now I have a question about backstops:
Are old tires acceptable as backstops for shooting?
He had stacks of tires behind paper targets and as with his barrels. I was always under the understanding that bullets could bounce back off tires.
Any experienced advice on this one?
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We use shredded tires as backstop material on our shooting range.
Another local outdoor range uses whole tires laying horizontal presenting the tread to the shooter and filled with dirt as facing materials for all of the berms. I have not heard anything about ricochets on that range, but then at that range, it is the shooters you need to watch out for. You can see some of them on YouTube showing their skinny girlfriends how to shoot a Moisin 91/30!
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the prob with ttires is its not consistant, and there are gaps. now several layers deep fill with earth would be ok.
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the prob with ttires is its not consistant, and there are gaps. now several layers deep fill with earth would be ok.
A double row staggered will give pleanty of protection from pass through. My issue is bounce back from an intact tire face.
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I'd be concerned shooting rimfire into it. :-\
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The range here uses old tractor tire pieces stacked behind the target board. And, of course, a ginormous berm behind the tires.
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One of the clubs I used to shoot at had tires (single layer) covering the berms and backs of the shooting bays. It was less than ideal. There was quite a bit of bounce back off the tires with handgun rounds, especially some of the lower power rounds of some competitors. I think they would have been better off with a bare earth backstop.
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I've seen tires used, and it depends on the caliber and load as to what might splash back. Remember that there are steel wires interwoven within the rubber.
I have seen portable back-stops made from old mud-flaps from tractor-trailers. They were layered alternately with old carpet remnants and suspended from an old swing frame.
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Before it was forced to close, out range had car, truck and heavy equipment tires for backstop and side berms. All were filled with dirt. Except for occational bounce back it was great.
Richard
PS: Glad someone else has to deal with the cleanup!!!!! LOL
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The military has made shoot houses out of them for years (multi-layered of course). I don't know about bounce back, but I've never heard of an incident. The carpet/truck bed liner on a swing frame ought to work as well.
FQ13