304 



Popular Science Monthly 



of the butts sees the flag go down, he im- 

 mediately orders his target half masted and 

 the red flags placed on each one until the 

 lookout runs his big flag up to the top of the 

 mast, signifying that the coast is clear. 

 However, when this method cannot be used, 



Roof 



^.zxe spacers 



Spacefilled 

 with crushed 

 stone or gravel 



F19.3 



Cne of the most popular pits. Also a 

 target pit for pistol or small caliber rifles 



a bullet stop, similar to the one shown in 

 Fig. 3, should be built. 



This stop should be about 30 ft. in height, 

 with a slope of about 45 deg. and should be 

 built up of earth, logs, wood and similar soft 

 materials which will not cause the bullets to 

 ricochet. The face of the stop should be 

 covered with sod and it should be free from 

 stones. A natural hill can sometimes be 

 used for' this purpose, by cutting steps into 

 its face and grading the space between these 

 -steps to the 45 deg. When a natural hill is 

 used as a stop, the pit may be sunk down so 

 that the appearance of the completed butts 

 is similar to that shown in Fig. 4. In any 

 event, the bullet stop should extend from 

 five to ten yards beyond the last target at 

 either end of the butts. 



In Fig. 1 we have a concrete retaining 

 wall over which the earth is piled, tamped 

 and covered with sod. This type is desirable 

 where stone is scarce or transportation 

 difficult, although the stone wall shown in 

 Fig. 2 seems to be the most popular, when 

 the material can be readily obtained. As 

 mentioned before, the wall shown in Fig. 3 is 

 used only for pistol or small-caliber rifle 

 work, as it would hardly afford protection 

 enough against bullets fired from a high pow- 

 ered army or sporting rifle. In this type of 

 wall, 2 by 8-in. planks are stood on end, 3 to 

 4 ft. from center to center, and 2-inch planks 

 are bolted to them on each edge. This 

 leaves an air space between the two walls 

 which may be filled with crushed stone or 

 coarse gravel. The earth should be piled at 

 least 2 ft. deep over this type of wall so as to 



remove any chance of a bullet ploughing 

 through it, even though someone should 

 inadvertently fire a high power bullet into it. 

 The cost of this type of wall would nearly 

 equal that of concrete wall so it will be 

 seen that it would be foolish to use this 

 wooden wall except when the cost of trans- 

 porting cement, gravel or stone would be 

 much above normal. In Fig. 4 is shown the 

 submerged type of pit. When drainage 

 facilities are available, this is a good type, 

 although a pit which is half way between 

 Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, that is, a pit which is half 

 excavated and half built up, is, to my mind, 

 the best and most satisfactory as well as the 

 cheapest in the long run. 



In Fig. 5 is shown the details of the roof 

 construction. This roof is covered with 

 earth and sod. It is not absolutely neces- 

 sary to cover the boards, as the only duty 

 devolving upon them is to prevent the dust, 

 dirt and small stones from falling on the men 

 in the pits when a low shot knocks the top 

 off the parapet. The sod does improve the 

 appearance, however, and for that reason it 

 is generally used on club ranges. In Fig. 6 

 is shown the platform construction, which 

 consists merely of 4 by 6-in. sleepers, on 

 which are placed 2 by 10-in. planks about 



51 ope to be 



45° and 

 sodded 



Where a natural hill is used for a stop, a 

 pit for the signal man is dug in front 



3 in. apart. These platforms should be 

 placed well above the bottom of the pit so 

 that the sun and wind may get underneath 

 them and keep the bottom of the pit dry 

 and sweet. 



The length of the butts are naturally, 

 governed by the number of targets it is de- 



