Shooting in round hay bales?

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True Grit Farms

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We're thinking about using round hay bales as a back stop at our rifle range, just wondering if anyone has tried it? I caught a glimpse of a truck driving behind my range on the adjacent property, and I'd hate to shoot someone by accident.
 
I tink you would be surprised at how few bullets it would take to stop doing much back stopping.
 
Stand behind the bale, let someone shoot into it, then decide how confident you are the hay will stop the bullet.
 
I used some big tight last year's hay for Father's day. So dad could let em fly from his back porch. The way I set up we had a 3/4 mile of our ground behind them. I did have cows down range.
I just expected the hay to slow down the bullets. A soft backstop
Center-fire rifle bullets clearly passed through. Seemed to stop hand gun.
I fed the hay just rolled it out
 
a 22lr will go clear through seasoned 2 1/2" fir board

What might help is if you have a piece of heavy plywood in front to get the bullet to mushroom before it enters the bale.. I don't think hay will get anything to mushroom so it'll keep going through it.

and I certainly wouldn't be feeding that bale out!
 
The rolls are fairly tight 4x5 rolls. I'm going to shoot at the side of one and place a second plastic wrapped bale behind the first bale just to see if a bullet can go through 5' of hay.
 
True Grit Farms":23fim1ol said:
The rolls are fairly tight 4x5 rolls. I'm going to shoot at the side of one and place a second plastic wrapped bale behind the first bale just to see if a bullet can go through 5' of hay.

It'll work fine for a few rounds but like Dun said you'll end up putting a big hole in the bale if you are shooting the same spot and before long you will be able to stick your arm through it.
 
Aint no plank wall gonna stop no 50 caliber bullet--------Lonesome Dove I believe.
 
I wouldn't do it. I use them for targets with my archery, my arrows go a couple feet in, especially with broadheads. Would be worse shooting bullets through that. Better idea would be to dig a long sloping hole angling down, and shoot from an elevated platform or hill so the rounds go into the ground. I sight mine in at 100 yards with the target facing a hill or down into a ravine, that hunters education course they make you take where they explain a 22lr can travel over a mile makes me think about how far that bullet can actually go. Years ago had a site knocked crooked on a rifle, didn't see it and the rifle shot completely over the target with a tracer round. That one instance made me reevaluate my gun range locations, luckily it was a tracer and we saw it. It's better to be completely sure then have to someone's family sue you for everything you own the way I see it.
 
Won't be a problem on a 5ft round bale. Done it for years.


I shoot into the flat side. Immediately behind my round bale is a large lake. Never once had a round go through it. Never had a splash. On my own land.

Be safe, assume you could miss the bale and hit what is behind it, so have a safe background.
 
Ready.Fire.Aim":kbleleme said:
Won't be a problem on a 5ft round bale. Done it for years.


I shoot into the flat side. Immediately behind my round bale is a large lake. Never once had a round go through it. Never had a splash. On my own land.

Be safe, assume you could miss the bale and hit what is behind it, so have a safe background.

:welcome:

Hope you stick around.
 

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