[bdhawk]

i have been the proud owner of my own shootin' range since about july of '92. the range area as appx. 3000 sq. feet. it is designed to be primarily a pistol range. as nice and convenient as it is, having my own range, there are drawbacks. the biggest one is unwanted vegetation. as you know, a .380 acp or 9MM brass can successfully hide beneath a blade of grass. i am retired and not as energetic as i once was. the cost and time consumption of mowing and spraying are taking their toll on this grumpy ole fart. a few years back i bought a load of caleche and spread it about 2" thick with a friends kabota. that mitigated the unwanted growth for about two years. if i do not stay on top of it, it starts to look like cambodia. i have found 6 japanese that didn't know the war was over. there are even problems with mowing and spraying. mowing still leaves behind a stubble which leaves ample places for brass to hide. spraying is a good solution, but you are not supposed to spray if it is over a certain mph on the wind, and it should not be sprayed over a certain temperature. here in texas, we have no shortage of wind or high temperatures, during the warmer months. the temperature and wind causes the chemical solution to 'flash off', rendering the solution ineffective or at least less effective. not to mention the time and expense.
being retired, and of limited means, i cannot afford to have it paved or cemented.

does anyone have any ideas how i can pretty much permanently kill the ground to prevent unwanted vegetation? i want to spend more time and money on shootin' and reloading and less time and money fighting unwanted vegitation.

i will attempt to submit a pic of my range. my range is constantly changing, so the pic does not depict what it looks like today.

 

[Bozz48]

A large tarp laid over the vegetation will kill it. Might take a few weeks, but meanwhile, the tarp makes a nice brass catcher.

 

[rmichael63]

Well hell you "grumpy ole fart", the solution is easy hire me to be care taker and I get to shoot anything anytime I want ... just joking, instead of paving what about building a wood platform?

Nice range oh by the way ... I'm envious of the range not the weeds ...

 

[maddmatter1970]

A large tarp laid over the vegetation will kill it. Might take a few weeks, but meanwhile, the tarp makes a nice brass catcher.

I use an ac unit base for prone shooting on my own range. Wife hates it cause every where i lay, it kills the grass under it. So I have a 3'×4' rectangle burned out in 20 yard incrimants in a line from my berm.🤣

 

[Mark204]

i have found 6 japanese that didn't know the war was over.

What happened to these guys and how do they fit in the story?

 

[Phreddie]

A large tarp laid over the vegetation will kill it. Might take a few weeks, but meanwhile, the tarp makes a nice brass catcher.

Cheap black plastic works pretty good.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[ngashooter]

Part of the reason I love my revolvers so much is the time wasted searching for brass ejected from my semi-auto's. I feel your pain. I love your range setup though. I'm thinking mowing and using a tarp w/ sandbags to catch brass might be the best option. Did the Japanese ever surrender?

 

[Phrede]

My experience is glyphosate works well as long as the daytime temp is less than 90 and night time greater than 50. Around here the breezes calm down at dawn and dusk. Small quantity (5 gallon) price is best at Tractor Supply here. I mix 3oz/gallon when spraying fence lines and driveways.

In the alternative use salt. Cheap and effective. Don't worry about the vinegar mixes you see online. Either spray stiff salt water or hand cast rock salt. There are mountains of the stuff here but I expect not so much in TX depending on where. If your spreading anything on top be shure to put down a ground cloth first.

Have you considered sheep?

 

[SR-22 DRUM]

My experience is glyphosate works well as long as the daytime temp is less than 90 and night time greater than 50. Around here the breezes calm down at dawn and dusk. Small quantity (5 gallon) price is best at Tractor Supply here. I mix 3oz/gallon when spraying fence lines and driveways.

In the alternative use salt. Cheap and effective. Don't worry about the vinegar mixes you see online. Either spray stiff salt water or hand cast rock salt. There are mountains of the stuff here but I expect not so much in TX depending on where. If your spreading anything on top be shure to put down a ground cloth first.

Have you considered sheep?

Sheep don't chew brass hidden in the grass very well. I've been using a brass catcher in my back yard.

 

[bdhawk]

What happened to these guys and how do they fit in the story?

just obviously joking, referring to the potential jungle like conditions.

 

[bdhawk]

My experience is glyphosate works well as long as the daytime temp is less than 90 and night time greater than 50. Around here the breezes calm down at dawn and dusk. Small quantity (5 gallon) price is best at Tractor Supply here. I mix 3oz/gallon when spraying fence lines and driveways.

In the alternative use salt. Cheap and effective. Don't worry about the vinegar mixes you see online. Either spray stiff salt water or hand cast rock salt. There are mountains of the stuff here but I expect not so much in TX depending on where. If your spreading anything on top be shure to put down a ground cloth first.

Have you considered sheep?

i tried 400 pounds softner salt, kinda like the old ice cream salt, spread with a modified fertilizer spreader. did not help. i only did about 1000 sq feet, where the highest concentration of brass lands.

 

[bdhawk]

Part of the reason I love my revolvers so much is the time wasted searching for brass ejected from my semi-auto's. I feel your pain. I love your range setup though. I'm thinking mowing and using a tarp w/ sandbags to catch brass might be the best option. Did the Japanese ever surrender?

big revolver fan, as well. but i need to keep up my skills with my carry weapon, which tosses brass.

 

[bdhawk]

A large tarp laid over the vegetation will kill it. Might take a few weeks, but meanwhile, the tarp makes a nice brass catcher.

i have been looking for some large thick tarps. there used to be a company called 'range tarps' that sold thick large tarps in various colors. i would like to leave them down all the time, they said they were up to the task. the pricing was not to bad, but i was afraid of how well i could anchor them down due to the wind. they had heavy grommets about every 18 inches. I was not kidding, frequent wind here, frequently high winds. also, i was worried about creating a trip hazzard where the tarps meet. on occasion, i like to shoot while moving, to simulate real world contitions, while training.

 

[bdhawk]

A large tarp laid over the vegetation will kill it. Might take a few weeks, but meanwhile, the tarp makes a nice brass catcher.

i do use a large mesh tarp, weighted at each grommet by a roughly one pound lead ingot. works well, but do to the not so big size, my shooting has to be where i remain static.

Well hell you "grumpy ole fart", the solution is easy hire me to be care taker and I get to shoot anything anytime I want ... just joking, instead of paving what about building a wood platform?

Nice range oh by the way ... I'm envious of the range not the weeds ...

too bad you are joking, i could pay you with cheap beer, and spamburgers cooked out on the grill. you would be welcome to shoot as long as you are safe, and don't outshoot me all the time.

 

[bdhawk]

further info.., i do, when conditions allow, use a ground kill called RM43 it also works like round up with a 6oz to one gallon ratio. and RM 43 is not anywhere near as spendy as round up. i use a battery powered sprayer that has a spray wand, or sprays in a 'bout 36 inch swath. it works as well as round up, but slower, two hours rain safe, below 90 degrees, and less than 15 mph wind. behind the target array, and on the berm, use a pump backpack sprayer. it kills weeds just fine, but it has not proven to be up to speed as far as a ground kill.

 

[Series6]

Concrete or asphalt?

 

[bdhawk]

Concrete or asphalt?

about three years ago, i priced concrete. it was about $4.00 a square foot. that would be $12000.00. i a bit too much for a poor ole country boy. neighbors have asphalt driveways. they end up with pot holes and cracks with weeds/grass growing through them. that would still be a better option, than what i currently have, but i fear it would still cost a bunch.

 

[rmichael63]

i do use a large mesh tarp, weighted at each grommet by a roughly one pound lead ingot. works well, but do to the not so big size, my shooting has to be where i remain static.

too bad you are joking, i could pay you with cheap beer, and spamburgers cooked out on the grill. you would be welcome to shoot as long as you are safe, and don't outshoot me all the time.

Well, I guess it was tongue in cheek comment. You in Texas and me in Ohio makes for a long commute.

 

[smlueds]

Have you tried a pre-emergent herbicide? You can look up "ground sterilizer" too. Many brands out there that will control weeds. You have to remember that some seeds can remain viable in the soil for a very long time, 5 years or more for some, so even with a complete kill you'll need a few seasons to get things under control.

I've never had to worry about regular contact with treated soil but you're going to be picking up shells so I would call the manufacturer about any handling treated soil.

Buy a revolver and double barrel????? Just kiddin'.......good luck!

PS. I've used GRK lags for holding down mats and tarps for years. Easy in, easy out as long as it's not rock......LOL.

 

[Jack Ruger]

My first thought would be a propane tank w a weed burner wand, but it sounds like this would only work in cooler times of the year w damp windless conditions to keep down the potential for brush fires, so that won't work.

I like the tarp idea. Can the tarp(s) lay in an area where you don't train for a period then you move it / them systematically.

No grandkids to help out? 🤩