Don't know if this topic fits in this section, it does have some HP silhouette practice applicability, so here goes (long post, you might as well get a drink and sandwich now):

My local shooting club (Factoryville Sportsman's club in NE Pa.) has a range 200m to 385 (218y-421y) that has been neglected for 15+ years, and has mostly been forgotten about since they stopped having HP silhouette matches.

so i started trimming some brush, cutting some trees, spraying weeds in a limited area where a few silhouette target swingers were located.

10 feet wide for personal use became 30, then 50, then more. then i approached the club's board to hold a long range event (this is considered long range at the club) which happened on sept 29th.

the board approved of it with extreme caution, as the way the club ranges are setup, the other ranges would have to be shut down for the day for safety reasons.



there were many other concerns. they also restricted it to members only for this first time, just to see what the response would be. if it was positive, future events (if approved) are to be opened to the public.

as all of this was as at first to be out of my own pocket, i asked long and hard for donations of materials.

so i had some 3/8 steel and 1/4 steel plate donated by one guy.

i thought of alot of target designs, and came up with sizes of most NRA, CMP, benchrest, F class, silhouette, etc. target sizes used to simulate the black scoring area and 10 rings of the thargets used in those disciplines, along with game animal body sizes (elk, bear, dear, turkey, coyote, small game, critters and varmints:

Round gongs are to simulate 10 rings / black scoring areas of paper targets used in NRA or CMP competitions at 200M & 300M: International, High power, F class, Benchrest, National match, President’s rifle, Service rifle, Vintage sniper and to simulate game animal body sizes for ranging.

i figure if you hit a particular gong size at a certain distance, you at least know that you are in the higher scoring rings or 10 ring for the compeition the sized gong represents.

there was 18", 12", 8", 6", 4", 3" gongs, along with an 18" square plate and 8" round plate hung above it at 421Y to simulate a human silhouette target. some paper targets where also thrown in.

after a few attempts to make racks "on the cheap", the final rack design was nicer than i thought, all pieces can be interchanged (legs, crossbars, etc are 5' high / wide 1.5" square perforated stock and fit into the braacket (1.75" square perforated stock to hold them together. minimal welding and abilility to repair any destructive hits within minutes.

i thought windflags would be useful and give a "professional" look to the range, so i used a red bed sheet cut to the shape of range wind flags, hose clamped to aluminum rods that i found from a covered patio swing dumped on the mountain. next year (if there is another event) i'll have red and yellow, just like the world class ranges. The flags double as red "hot range caution" flags visible from all the other ranges in the event someone didn't notice the "closed today" signage posted.

targets were afixed with chain (conveyor belt material in the future) @ 14" & 25" lengths and 5/16 nuts, bolts, and washers for ease of replacement and standardization. basically the only tools needed at the range once built is 1/2" ratchet, 1/2" box wrench, 2 pairs of plieers, and bolt cutters.

here are a few of the building of the targets & racks pictures:





this is what the backstop looked like to the left and right of the single silhouette swinger



with only a machete, bowsaw, shovel, weedwacker and my two best friends left and right (hand) and some blood sweat and tears, started to do what i can, and finally the day of the shoot:

the shooting stations:



the shooting line still has to have some work done, but is still ahuge improvement from what it was just a month or two ago. some benches (some where actually picnic tables for the time being) and some open pad for offhand / prone / sitting / kneeling positions - shooters choice.

due to limited bench space, i had a rotation going - 10- 15 min per station, move to the next distance to alow athers hooters to get in the rotation. you can get back in when all stations are shot.

the way the range looked on shoot day:





the day was successful, no complaints, everyone left with bigger smiles than what they came with and the same amount of holes , fo damage to any property or incidents.

i attached a survey to the range "program / flyer / rules" as to get some feedback so i can get some idea how i can get it better and what i need to do in the future to make a more attractive event to members and non members alike.

I went to the board meeting last night, I'm approved for 6 events next year.

The end cost was $520.00, and the club gave me a check for the expenses. This took a load off my mind as mentioned before, it originally was coming out of pocket. I know better quality targets will have to be purchased, as .3006 mad swiss cheese out of 1/4" steel and dimpled the heck out of 3/8 at 200m (mild steel, again it was donated and "expendable"). AR500 in the future, able to handle just about anything. 50 cal (if allowed by the club) could use the paper targets.

so now that i'm approved, a better wider groomed backstop and shooting line will be established, possibly more silhouette swingers added.

i figure a $15 fee for non members, $7.00 for members.

any other input is welcome. as far as i know, this is the longest range in my area in a controlled environment that will be opened to the public. hopefully some of the CMP guys at the club will join in and have a full distance sanctioned match, and with some nudgeing other sanctioned "real shoots" may happen. but as it goes now, it's mostly a "fun" or practice range day. maybe a few $ games implemented to win for the day, but that's something to think about for the future.

also they have a kitchen that has one heck of a good menu, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Getting back from the club board meeting, they said I'm approved for 6 dates for 2013 (4th Saturday of the month) 8:00 a.m. to noon:

April 27
May 25
June 22
July 27
August 24
Sept 28

I'd like to have seen a more frequent opening of the range, but I have to take what is offered. All of below subject to change to be finalized in the future, hopefully to be set by February 2013:

COF will probably be changed a half of dozen times before the final COF as alot of it will be put together being put into the matches, better benches and wider groomed backstops are a must along with additional targets to be added, along with keeping open spaces for position and silhouette shooters.

Should be a mixture of round gongs (18", 12", 8", 6", 4", 3"), steel "zombie silhouettes" (18" square torso, 8" round heads), some steel varmints, and paper targets with backerboards, and a full size chicken, pig, turkey swinger.

thinking about it today a simple out of the box COF for the tactical style match:

1. set up a point system for the gongs and the other targets, starting at 200M / 218Y and working your way out.
2. take 2 shots per gong - if you hit on your first shot, move on. if you miss, you get 1 more crack at it. (potentially 32 rnds on 16 gongs at 200, 300, 385 meters)
3. 2 shots to the body and 1 to the head on the zombie at 385M / 421Y. (potentially 35 rnds)
4. i've had the suggestion of a barricade, maybe a shaving cream filled balloon "peeking around" the barricade on either the left or right 1 shot per ballon, 2 balloons (1 at 300M / 328Y, 1 at 385M / 421Y (that's 37 rounds)
5. use another barricade at the 300M / 328Y shooting line...1 shot over, 1 shot under, 1 shot around it on the l and r side (thats 42 rounds)on a 12" gong. that'll throw in a kneeling or sitting shot, a prone shot, and a support side shot.
6. 1 shot at a groundhog target at each distance (thats potentially 45 rounds being used).
7. get bonus points for 1 shot 1 hits by getting extra points for ammo unused

score the hits, and then the tactical flavor match could have their match within the match. then the month after switch up the COF alittle bit to make it different like a n ever channging IDPA scenario. a portion of the fee to be put in for prize money. the ore shooters, the more the prize. then you can get back in the rotation for plinking if you wanted to.

for the silhouette guys and gals - could do the same on the swingers at the same time, and have their match within the match. any of the CMP guys could do their thing, and so on. i hope that the CMP guys at the club jump on board and have a full sized match at the 300M instead of reduced target at 100Y. joining forces could benefit both outfits.

theres alot that can be thought up, i figure i have till february to lock a COF into place that's fun and interesting, again taking suggestions and implementing them. though i'm not thinking of having any type of sanctioned NRA, CMP, benchrest or silhouette match at this time, the potential is now there if someone wanted to run with it.

maybe it'll be too much happening at the same time, but a 3 way or more "match within a match" and some plinking may just be the way to satisfy the masses and different shooting styles. i'll analyze the crap out of it and see what happens on paper.

i would like to keep (if i can) the fee to 15.00 for at least the first year to keep it economical. if i'm still in "the black" keep it at 15.00, if in the red maybe a few bucks more.

again, now i've gone from crawling to walking, teetering on jogging. if it works out in 2013, i'll be sucking wind in 2014 and maybe will have to expand to a full day rather than till noon. i think a full day will help to get folks in that can't make it in the morning, and less of a crammed in morning crowd. i just have to take what time slots they are offering me now.

I'd like to get AR500 3/8" or 1/2" plating to handle magnum calibers, if anyone knows where a few sources of supply of plating that I can get to cut later, I'd appreciate it. Will also get already made to shoot steel targets from the 3-4 vendors here on the site. Without that, magnums may have to be retricted to the paper targets.

Thanks for all the forth coming suggestions, I can certainly use your help for popular COF suggestions and any places to get proper material.

More to come when everything, including your suggestions, is taken into account.

Top Predator, I shot on that range many times back in the day. Even though they were just practice matches we always had a good time and it was valuable line time. You have a great club, and I made many friends there.
I see one major problem. The dates you set are the same days we shoot HP and Cowboy silhouette at CSLC here at Montoursville. All your local HP shooters will be here shooting the real game, and you really need them to assist any new shooters who might want to try the game. I would most likely come and shoot, and lend my expertise, but I can't be in two places at once.
I hope everything works out after you put so much time and effort into this.

Al Foust

Looks great Walt!! To bad I'm moving

darn, i keep meaning to make it to montoursville and up to the NY guys range.

it's my 3rd or 4th year in silhouette, finally getting consistant enough to fell confident that i actually developed some skills along the way, so i gotta hit your ranges next year.

i'm trying to set up the match for all types of LR shooting to be "melted together" at the same time. as we have a whole bunch of silhouette guys around, even though not a sanctioned match, i'm sure they'd like the practice. but in their shoes, i'd probably be in montoursville that day too!

i wanted to check around the area to see if anything else is going on, and then schedule appropriately, but i had to take whatever they were going to give me.

thanks bob, you still in the east or AZ?