Grotto

I would like to build an underground indoor range.

I don't have an ideal place to shoot. The public ranges are crowded, aren't always open when I would like them to be, and have rules that sometimes irk me. And many of them are expensive. I would like to have my own private range.

By being underground, I don't need to worry about weather, neighbors, daylight, or wind. It will also be naturally cooled/heated. Also, it can be built on a smaller piece of land, because it needs no buffer zone.

I could also build a small cabin on the same land.

Location

I don't know where I will build this. It depends, somewhat, on where I am living at the time I have the resources to begin work on it. For now, it should be near the St. Louis area.

If I relocate to Denver, then my plans will move with me. In that case, I will be looking for property on which to build the family complex.

• Reasonably close: a 45 minute drive from I-270
• Drainage, low water table

Building an underground range in southern Arkansas wouldn't work, because of the high water table. The land is too flat and marshy.

Facilities

I envision a shooting area that connects two shooting lanes. One lane will be 100 yards, and the other will be 15 yards. Depending on the lay of the land, the two lanes can be 180° of each other, or 90°. The shooting area should have a smooth concrete floor and a bench. It should connect to an above-ground entry building via a spiral staircase.

The backstop should be sandbags. At the far end of the 100 yard lane, there should be a ladder and an escape hatch.

Sound Dampening

Concrete tunnels are likely to reverberate gunshots quite badly. I need to think about how to dampen the sound. Sound absorbing materials on the walls might be one option. It would be really cool if I could design some kind of contour that reflects sound away from the shooter.