Elevated shooting platform

[PaganSnake]

Hey Hide,

I'm looking to build a 12'x12'x5' elevated shooting platform, basically an elevated deck. I've been hitting the google pretty hard trying to find a design I believe would be strong and stable enough to accommodate 3 - 2 man shooter teams without moving around. I've not found anything I'm crazy about yet. Looking for plans or advice, thanks in advance!

 

[Clob McStrunk]

I built a 7x7 shooting tower over the winter. I can strongly suggest that 6 people, with gear, will likely not comfortably fit on a 12x12.

 

[THEIS]

Hi,

Build on top of a used shipping container.
They are relatively cheap and you can get them in 10, 20, 40 or 45 feet in length.
All you have to do is put plywood or decking boards down and some sort of guard rail system if you wanted it.

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[Mike Casselton]

And you can make an air conditioned clubhouse/bar inside the container.

 

[SupressYourself]

Sounds like you just need a shorter version of what we did here: https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/elevated-shooting-platform.6893843/#post-7130517

Shipping containers are a great idea, but not exactly common in the midwest. Other ideas include finding an old gravity wagon removing the running gear, filling it full of gravel or rocks, and building a platform on top of that.

 

[PaganSnake]

Hi,

Build on top of a used shipping container.
They are relatively cheap and you can get them in 10, 20, 40 or 45 feet in length.
All you have to do is put plywood or decking boards down and some sort of guard rail system if you wanted it.

Sincerely,
Theis

I liked the idea of a shipping container, but my only hesitation there is that its going in a flood plane.. Doesn't flood often but the water can get up to 4' every now and then. Wondering if a shipping container would stay put? I guess I could always just anchor it down.. Hmm.

 

[THEIS]

Hi,

Connect it to a 6' chain and let it rise with the water because they float when sealed properly.
Or
Put "spud" post on each end and let the box raise and lower itself with the water flow.

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[PaganSnake]

Sounds like you just need a shorter version of what we did here: https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/elevated-shooting-platform.6893843/#post-7130517

Shipping containers are a great idea, but not exactly common in the midwest. Other ideas include finding an old gravity wagon removing the running gear, filling it full of gravel or rocks, and building a platform on top of that.

Looks great! Anything you would do different if you were to do it again? how deep did you burry your 6x6 supports?

 

[665.0coupe]

I liked the idea of a shipping container, but my only hesitation there is that its going in a flood plane.. Doesn't flood often but the water can get up to 4' every now and then. Wondering if a shipping container would stay put? I guess I could always just anchor it down.. Hmm.

Do you want it to stay dry inside? Cut holes in the floor and let the water rise and drain inside.

Two ranges I shoot at have structures built from shipping containers. They both have a deck built on the top of the containers. The deck is maybe 4-6 feet wider than the containers. The containers get pretty narrow if you are trying to lay prone and shoot off the side vs the end.

 

[buffalowinter]

I liked the idea of a shipping container, but my only hesitation there is that its going in a flood plane.. Doesn't flood often but the water can get up to 4' every now and then. Wondering if a shipping container would stay put? I guess I could always just anchor it down.. Hmm.

Just drill holes in it to drain. It's also probably cheaper since 2x4's are $8 each where I live and I couldn't even guess what they want for a 6x6.

 

[PaganSnake]

Do you want it to stay dry inside? Cut holes in the floor and let the water rise and drain inside.

Two ranges I shoot at have structures built from shipping containers. They both have a deck built on the top of the containers. The deck is maybe 4-6 feet wider than the containers. The containers get pretty narrow if you are trying to lay prone and shoot off the side vs the end.

You dont happen to have a picture of their set up do ya?

 

[Charger442]

im doing one ASAP thats got two scaffolds tied together and will have purlin decking on top. it will overhang the scaffold in all directions and at the 4 corners ill put a 3" pipe post concreted into the ground that will have horizontal pipe on all 4 sides for the purlin decking to extend across. these posts will also extend high enough to allow me to build a roof and skin it with old tin to keep the heat off.

i did something similar with a deer blind but i used 2x12" treated boards for the decking across both scaffolds, and set the blind on top of that.


edit: on second thought, i dont think im even going to mess with the scaffold. ill just weld in some X-bracing and lay the purlin on 2" pipe runners spaced at 3 or 4 feet and call it good. obviously, this is fine if you can weld and have access to used oil field pipe. the pipe isnt cheap, but its now cheaper than wood these days.

 

[SupressYourself]

Looks great! Anything you would do different if you were to do it again? how deep did you burry your 6x6 supports?

Yeah, a few things...
I would have built the shelf right away instead of as an afterthought. That way we could have designed the roof to fully cover it.
I also would have built a staircase for it right away. We still don't have one, and now with lumber price retardation, it's probably going to keep getting pushed out.
Like a pole barn or a deck, you just need your 6x6s below the frost line. Ours are 5' in the ground. We need that up here in SD. Additional stability can be achieved with a wider hole and more concrete.

 

[665.0coupe]

You dont happen to have a picture of their set up do ya?

This is looking from down range back toward the structure. The upper conex has holes in the wall you can shoot from and is open on both ends to act as a bridge between the two decks. I think they have added more holes in the wall now. You can kind of see how the upper decks are wider than the conex. Also note how the railing doesn't go all the way down to allow for prone shots. The stairs have also been redone and are a lot nicer now. The second range is the same as this, but they only have one upper deck at this point and the bridge is only open at one end. They just built it over the winter so I'm sure they will add a second deck in the future.

I'll see if I can find some other pictures.

 

[GUNNER75]

Built this 5 years ago. If I were to do it again I'd start with a 10'x10' container.

 

[GUNNER75]

 

[Maggot]

I liked the idea of a shipping container, but my only hesitation there is that its going in a flood plane.. Doesn't flood often but the water can get up to 4' every now and then. Wondering if a shipping container would stay put? I guess I could always just anchor it down.. Hmm.

Ad solar panels and turn it into a hot tub for after shooting.

 

[hollowoutadime]

6"x6" in concrete. It won't rock and it will be dead level. Church it up with a nice design so it won't look like an eyesore. Easy, fun project.

 

[Mr.BR]

Mobile one



and one for the poors

 

[tnichols]

There used to be an entire thread about this stuff, however, it may have been lost or deleted during one of the forum changes. I believe it was entitled “Where You Shoot” or something like that. There was a lot of good platform ideas to be stolen from that thread.

 

[Charger442]

so whats the minimum deck measurement in the direction of fire? at least 12'? that would give shooter in prone at 6', another 3' for gun and 3 feet for walking behind shooter feet?

 

[Northfl]

I liked the idea of a shipping container, but my only hesitation there is that its going in a flood plane.. Doesn't flood often but the water can get up to 4' every now and then. Wondering if a shipping container would stay put? I guess I could always just anchor it down.. Hmm.

Build and pour some solid concrete footers in the ground with some eyes for tying down the container.
knock a few prone position holes in the container and throw a couple of smaller ones on top of the base one and have multiple levels and many more opportunities to shoot from different positions. Cut some windows at different heights and frame them out with some 2x4’s. Narrow windows tall skinny windows some prone windows at different elevations. Hell slam a couple of solar panels on top and insulate and air conditioning in one of them or all of them. Containers are the way to go and also let your mind go wild

 

[Northfl]

Arena training facility in blakely ga. Middle has prone and benches

 

[Charger442]

So 12' then would be good? I'll need about 24 purlins then

 

[Charger442]

bumping this up again.

trying to get an idea of a typical deck space. 12' in direction of shooter, how many feet long if you have 3 shooters laying prone?

would 16' long x 12' make it?

 

[PaganSnake]

I imagine that 12' in the direction of fire would be plenty of room, but I've not built mine yet so I can only give my hypothetical opinion!