[TxShooter]

I am going to start construction of a backstop and looking for inexpensive material to make it out of.

We have no soil so I am going to have to get a dump truck to bring some dirt, however seems like it will drop in height over time if there is not something to hold it up more.

 

[BersaOwner]

At my local range they put down old tires first then filled them with sand & dirt.
Then put a dirt bank behind them, it has worked good so far.

 

[SHOOTER13]

You can use pressure treated lumber, railroad ties, and or old telephone poles to hold the dirt berm in place TXS...

Old tires are also a good idea...and can be gotten for next to nothing if you approach a new tire dealer and strike a deal.

 

[TxShooter]

At my local range they put down old tires first then filled them with sand & dirt.
Then put a dirt bank behind them, it has worked good so far.

So behind the targets are visble tires?

 

[hobbles]

I always have firewood around the habitat.
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[snakedog]

I always have firewood around the habitat.
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Yep. I shoot out in a hayfield on a friend's place and just find the biggest log around, dragging it into the field. Works great for 22's and handgun calibers. Backdrop is a gentle slope with no buildings beyond it.

 

[hobbles]

 

[Shooter]

Do you have anything you're shooting towards?

Something to slow it down ought to be enough. A few bales of hay stacked up should work. Maybe design a box to load them up into?

 

[BersaOwner]

So behind the targets are visble tires?

Yes the tires are the backstop, you can put a plywood target board in front of that. You could put some dirt over the front of the tires but it won't stay there long.
Or you can use a rack of hanging steel gongs of different sizes if you want something more permanent.
The best thing would be to find a hill or dirt bank to dig into then you could build a good backstop.

 

[Pancho_Villa]

I live out on a small rancho-type location. Lotta brush, so we shoot large rifles and such. F in law had an old freezer and we set it up a couple of hundred yards down the field. Filled it with dirt and he had a backhoe guy dump dirt behind it. Worked o.k. for some years till we shot it full of holes. The dirt started to come out. Put railroad ties in front of it and filled it again.

Got another closer to the house now. 2 rows of old tires, about 4 wide and 2 deep filled with dirt. Wood frame in front for targets.

 

[zekest]

The range I shoot at uses "Ballistic Sand" and not "Soil" or "Clean Fill" dirt.
A quick Google of "Ballistic Sand" turns up more info than you would ever want to know...