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My basement indoor range

I got into air guns in October 2018. My sole purpose was to be able to shoot in my basement in the winter. I used to shoot outside all winter. Often I made the first tracks in the snow out to the 200 yard berm. The cold and snow never bothered me much. Now at 67 I have developed arthritic hips and knees and I also take a blood thinner .Even a half hour on the range in the winter just about cripples me. Also my hands and feet go numb in a heartbeat. But l just love to shoot. So I picked up a collapsible shooting table, a pellet trap and one of those Gamo Fusion .22 rifle and scope combos. I figured it would keep me shooting through the winter until I could hit the range with a "real" gun. Boy, has my perspective changed .I am still craving the warm weather, but now it is so I can shoot my new air rifles at longer ranges. Just about every morning I go down to the basement before work and shoot about 50 - 100 rounds. What a pleasure. It is only 10 yards, but it is still great fun and can be made challenging .Seems like a great way to work on trigger and breath control . So as my wife and I approach retirement we think about moving. She would never move far enough out into the country where I could shoot powder burners on my own land, but finding a place with a secluded back yard for a 50 or 75 yard air rifle range seems possible. Below is a photo of my table (with Hatsun .25 Bullboss) and my range.
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I know what you mean about having a range in the basement. It is really convenient. I set up a range in my basement with a chronograph about five years ago when I was repairing and testing the Schimel CO2 pistols. One word of caution. I found lead dust all over my shooting table and chronograph stand after a couple of years so I switched to lead free pellets.
 
There are a couple houses here in Kalifornia that have basements. Thery were built a very very long time ago. Earthquakes, you know? But I grew up in Baltimore in the 50s. Back then, in Maryland, it was common practice to finish the basement with a nice floor and knotty pine wood walls. We only had a two bedroom house so the folks slept in one room and the girls in the other. Me? In the winter I slept in the attic and in the summer, the basement. Both locations had BB gun ranges where the Model 25 was used regularly. The attic had a window and faced my partner’s house and we used our flashlights to communicate at night (no walkie talkies back then that we could afford). I miss my basement..
 
TheGoose,

That is so great. I have seen myself do that in my basement. But between the kids and the cats I can't take the risk.
That is a nice setup you have here. enjoy the worm indoor temps.



I know what you mean about having a range in the basement. It is really convenient. I set up a range in my basement with a chronograph about five years ago when I was repairing and testing the Schimel CO2 pistols. One word of caution. I found lead dust all over my shooting table and chronograph stand after a couple of years so I switched to lead free pellets.

Was it lead or graphite dust? As most pellets are covered of graphites to avoir oxidation of the lead who would become white without that protection.


 
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That’s awesome Goose!

It started to rain here in SoCal and I was bored as hell so I made a little shooting range as well. I shoot from my garage to the basement. My range is a little over 12 yards. I’m shooting an HW97 in .177 cal I just bought used and tuned it with JM parts. I’m super stoked because I did not plan to make a range at all. You know that old saying necessity is the mother of invention, that’s happened to me. I now have a spot to shoot at night after work. 

Pics attached 

thanks for starting this thread!



Gabe


 
Home shooting is fantastic. I am lucky enough to have the land to shoot PB guns out back. I find myself shooting in the basement and just out of the garage more often with the air guns. My indoor range is 20-ish feet. Long enough for you to do the kind of practice you talk about, breathing trigger, stance....even prone, but that is a bit rough on me with my medical issues....but I keep trying. The thing is I really think shooting air guns are going to make you a better shooter all the way around....all the same lessons you learn transfer over to "real" guns very well. Plus like you said it is just flat fun.

One thing however be sure to check the laws in the city you are thinking about moving to, in many cities shooting a red ryder is no different from shooting a 50 BMG. Silly I know.
 
I’m wanting to shoot in my basement, but I would like to keep it quiet. I agree with Cherokee140, want to hone my skills, and I think small amounts of practice more often is better than practicing seldom but for longer times.

What would be a very quiet, accurate basement rifle for under $1000?

Im looking at only 25 ft, but that has to be enough to practice hold, breathing, trigger control and calling shots?



Thanks, 

Trevor