442 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Firing Line—Indoor Range. 
this reason, though clubs are strongly advised to make 
such arrangements at the beginning that they can 
eventually provide sufficient target accommodation for 
a large membership and expand their range to ioo 
yards, many will prefer to start with an indoor range 
of 75 ft. or less, for, be it observed, very good prac¬ 
tice can be had on a range as short as 40 feet. 75 
feet is generally recognized as the standard distance 
for indoor ranges. 
INDOOR RANGE. 
Assuming some room of reasonable length is avail¬ 
able, to adapt it for shooting is not very difficult. 
Something to which to attach the targets that will 
also effectively stop the bullets, some protection for 
the wall for several feet around the targets, a good 
light to illuminate them at night, and some mats to 
lie* on (for prone shooting) at the firing point, is 
about minimum. 
CHEAP AND SUBSTANTIAL BULLET CATCHER. 
A very simple form of bullet catcher is shown in 
Figure I. One bullet catcher will be necessary for 
each target. 
It is a stout wooden box with a 54 inch iron or 
steel lining at the back where the bullets hit, and a 
thinner sheet iron lining around the top, bottom and 
sides to catch the splashes from the bullets which 
break up when they strike the back. The front is 
large enough (viz. 14 x 11 inches) to take a double 
6 inch target held in place by tacks and the whole 
arrangement is just hung on a nail driven into the 
wall (eighteen inches above the floor for prone shoot¬ 
ing or suitable distance above floor for offhand shoot¬ 
ing.) They cost about $3 each to make and will last 
for years if the wood front is renewed occasionally; 
moreover they catch and save all lead, which can be 
sold. 
When it is desired to protect the wall against which 
they are hung, from damage by stray bullets, sheet 
iron or steel J4 inch thick and 4 feet wide fixed to 
the wall behind the bullet catchers will generally 
suffice. 
The next step, and one which makes for convenience 
as well as small expense, is the target frame for carry¬ 
ing the targets to and from butt to firing point. One 
of the most simple, cheap and efficient arrangements 
is shown in Figure 2. Two or three of these frames 
should be made up of light strips of wood about four 
inches wide and one-half inch thick. When you 
desire to change targets it is a simple matter to stop 
firing for a moment and replace the frame at the 
butt with a new frame of fresh targets. 
You will readily see that such an equipment will 
permit of changing a number of targets expeditiously. 
Below we show a drawing of an ideal indoor range 
equipped with trolley system for six targets. Detailed 
plans of such a range can be obtained upon request 
from the du Pont Powder Company, Wilmington, Del.. 
Military Division. Such an equipment, however, would 
cost about $150. 
THE IDEAL SMALL BORE RANGE. 
While at first sight it may seem easier to start an 
indoor than an outdoor range it is always difficult 
to obtain at a reasonable cost a room large enough to 
admit of the use of a sufficient number of targets 
simultaneously, hence the earnings of an indoor range 
are small, the size of the club is restricted, the ex¬ 
pense to members is greater and less variety in the 
shooting is possible. 
For this reason the ideal is an outdoor range per¬ 
mitting of shooting at three distances simultaneously, 
with a covered firing point, and illuminated butts. 
Such a range will admit of shooting by day or night 
in summer and winter the year around. 
Though in a sparsely populated country it is often 
a simple matter to improvise an outdoor rifle range 
suitable for .22 ammunition, improvised ranges almost 
invariably lack that comfort and convenience so es¬ 
sential to the permanent prosperity of a rifle club and 
of course can only be used for a few months in the 
year. The fact is that while the present clubs con¬ 
sist mainly of enthusiasts prepared to submit to almost 
any inconveniences in the pursuit of their hobby, the 
generality of mankind neither possess exceptional 
enthusiasm for anything, nor can be induced for very 
long to tolerate even a moderate amount of discom¬ 
fort and inconvenience, yet it is mainly upon its suc¬ 
cess in attracting these that the future development of 
the rifle club movement depends. 
Consequently the first consideration is the choice of 
a range site upon which shooting can be conducted 
with due regard to the safety of the public, is con¬ 
veniently accessible and served if possible by train or 
trolley car. Financial considerations demand that the 
ground should be as inexpensive as possible, also its 
surroundings should be pleasant and if possible should 
have such natural features as will dispense with the 
erection of large costly butts and firing points. 
ADDS VARIETY TO SHOOTING. 
This site should be wide enough to admit of firing, 
at three butts 25 yards, 50 yards, and 100 yards dis¬ 
tance, simultaneously from one firing point, and each 
butt must be large enough to accommodate an ample 
number of targets. 
Members do not like waiting and moreover as the 
earning capacity of the range upon which the in¬ 
come of the club is largely dependent is exactly pro¬ 
portioned to the number of targets multiplied by the 
number of hours in which they are available for use, 
target accommodation sufficient for at least 10 per 
cent, of the club to shoot at one time will never be 
found too much nor add materially to the cost of the 
range. 
NIGHT AND DAY SHOOTING UNDER COMFORT¬ 
ABLE CONDITIONS. 
Target shooters have not as a rule too much spare 
time during daylight even in summer and none in 
winter, moreover, it has been found exceedingly diffi¬ 
cult to maintain a prosperous self-supporting club 
where the continuity of shooting is broken by total 
suspension during either the summer or winter months. 
While in summer baseball, trips to the woods, etc., 
constitute counter attractions, in winter the want of 
something with which to employ the idle hour is often 
strongly felt, hence the club will be wise that con¬ 
structs its range so as to enable shooting by night 
as well as by day. and in winter as well as in summer. 
This implies illuminated targets and a sheltered 
firing point, of which at least a portion can be warmed 
in winter. While the whole firing point should be 
roofed so as to afford shelter from sun and wet, as the 
attendance of members is usually less in winter than 
summer, it will not be necessary to entirely enclose 
the whole, but a portion sufficient to allow of say 5 
per cent, of the members shooting at one time should 
be so constructed that it can be warmed and the en¬ 
closing medium should be removable in summer. 
CLUB HOUSE OR PAVILION. 
The most successful club is generally that which 
while steadily prosecuting its primary objects does not 
entirely ignore the social aspect. For this reason it is 
impossible to too strongly emphasize the desirability 
of a comfortable attractive pavilion in conjunction with 
a comfortable, pleasant and easily accessible range. 
FIRING POINT. 
I he firing point at least 6 ft. in width and of a 
length which allows one yard per man for the number 
of men it is desired to accommodate simultaneously 
will be constructed . 100 yards from the furthest butt. 
Assuming it is required to accommodate 12 men it will 
be at least 36 ft. long and raised above ground suf¬ 
ficiently to enable a man in the prone position to 
command a view of the lowest target, allowing for the 
summer height of vegetation and any undulation of 
the ground. It may be roofed with corrugated iron 
or wood and felt, with gutters and pipe to carry rain 
water away. The floor may be of wood, covered with 
matting during shooting. The central portion of the 
firing point may be fitted with detachable wood walls, 
and port holes closed by sliding shutters in 'the front 
with a stove and chimney for winter shooting, all of 
which are easily removable in summer. 
BUILD THE FIRING POINT FIRST. 
Fig. 4 is a plan and perspective of a suggestion for 
the construction of such a firing point combined with 
a pavilion suitable for both summer and winter shoot¬ 
ing and capable of accommodating about 12 men shoot¬ 
ing simultaneously in summer or 6 in winter. The 
pavilion is 18 x 12 feet with two small rooms which 
may be used for store room, or other purposes. This 
will cost about $1,200, according to the finish and is 
designed so that a commencement can be made with 
the covered firing point only and subsequently the 
pavilion may be added as funds become available. 
BUTTS. 
Figure 5, is a plan and section of a butt intended 
to take 12 targets, each a foot square, in two rows of 
six with' intervals of a foot between targets. Butts 
may be as low as 6 ft., 7 ft. and 8 ft. at 25 yards, 50 
yards and 100 yards, respectively, but when there are 
houses or roads in the vicinity must be about double 
these heights, respectively. Such a butt is constructed 
of two skins of wood about i l A ins. thick and 3 ins. 
apart nailed to a substantial framing with the space 
between the skins filled in with broken stone, earth 
or concrete and braces in rear to prevent it from be¬ 
ing blown down. The main structure of the butt is 
protected, and the frames carrying the targets are sup¬ 
ported, by the bullet catcher shown in section view. 
TARGET FRAMES. 
The card targets are tacked 6 to a frame and to ex¬ 
pedite changing two or three spare target frames are 
useful. If some such bullet catching device as that 
shown in Fig. 5 is not used, not only is much valu¬ 
able lead wasted but the butt will speedily be shot to 
pieces. 
Fig. 6 is the photograph of a range with illuminated 
butts on the above principle which has been in use for 
ten years. It is situated right in the heart of a city, 
but though some 'two and one-half million cartridges 
have been fired, mostly at night, no bullets have got 
out of the range and no accidents have occurred. The 
whole of the 48 targets can be changed by one man 
in three minutes and the whole arrangement has 
worked most satisfactorily. 
Fig. 7 shows a very cheap and simple target frame 
for use on improvised outdoor ranges where nature 
has provided rocks for a stop butt. Even with this ar¬ 
rangement it will pay to combine a bullet catcher as 
shown in Fig. 5 if more than 50,000 cartridges are fired 
in a year. 
The extreme range of the .22 Long Rifle Bullet is 
about 1.300 yards and though the cartridges will shoot 
well to 200 yards, it is, on the whole better to limit 
the club range to 100 yards, mainly tor the reason 
that 100 yards is about the limit of exact spotting 
with a telescope and beyond this distance, human 
marking and larger and more expensive butts and 
targets would be required. 
bullet proof iron reflector, mounted above and as close 
NIGHT SHOOTING. 
Shooting at night is quite possible and as good as 
daylight shooting when the' targets are well illumin¬ 
ated. 
Incandescent gas or electric lights protected by a 
(Continued on page 444.) 
