Want to build a berm

2893 Views 23 Replies 13 Participants Last post by Beladran, Feb 16, 2011

shoeshooter

Discussion Starter · Feb 13, 2011

For several months I've been toying with the idea of putting a little range here on my 1 1/2 acres. I've located a spot that will give me 75 yards, maybe a little more. The natural terrain gives me better than a 8' rise to the property line, about 15' to the horizon in my neighbors dormant pasture. I google-mapped the line of fire, and there's nothing but the occasional road for miles. I think I'd be very comfortable with a berm about 9' tall by 8' wide, considering the existing grade. I'm going to have a backhoe out here shortly to rebuild my septic system, so if that bid comes in low enough I may piggyback this project onto it.

One question is how much dirt do I need? Earlier I did some research and came up with 20 - 24 yards. Sound about right? How many yards in your average dump truck? Any ballpark on the price?

Should I get any certain type of material, being concerned about angle of repose among other things? How much compaction? Any other thoughts, ideas, concerns I should consider?

Save

1 - 1 of 24 Posts

jakeg823

· #9 · Feb 14, 2011

SubGunFan said:
Say a berm 8' tall and 9' wide (better wider than tall) I calculate about 34 yards of dirt.

However, another suggestion. If only you and your wife are shooting there (very controlled shooting), how about 1 or 2 of those large round hay bales. Much cheaper than dirt and no EPA issues later on (haul the bales away and replace then). If you are worried about the possibility of a 30-06 going through a bale, place 2 bales back to back. I would think hay bales would last at least 2 years before time to replace. Round hay bales are big and should give plenty of target area.............

.

That's how we used to do it on my grandparents land outside of Puckett, about 300 acres though and behind the bale was nothing but woods for miles and miles, so missing the bale was no issue, unless someone or something was on the land that wasn't supposed to be.

Save

1 - 1 of 24 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month