Setting up a Private shooting range.

[Topshot]

I am developing a shooting range on my farm for load developement work etc.
I can shoot from 100 to 450 yards. Have a basic solid timber bench etc.

I would be interested to hear from anyone who has a private range.

How is it set up?
What is your shooting bench like?
Is it under cover?
Back stop?
Distance you shoot over?
Type of rest?
Noise suppression?
Does the range align North-South or East - West?
How do you keep the cows off it? lol.

Any tips you could give me would be great.

[jmason]

I set up a range at my place a while back. I have 2 wooden benches made of treated lumber. I don't have a shelter over them but want too put one up soon. I have target backers made up of 6x6 posts and 4x4 sheets of plywood. I used 6x6 treated lumber because it was free. I have targets at 50, 100, 200, and 300 yards. That's all I have room for. I don't have anything in place to suppress noise but my two nearest neighbors are gun owners as well so to get around the noise issue I gave them permission to use the range as well if they wanted too. My benches face a hill so all the targets have earth behind them. I also dug ditches behind the 200 and 300 yard targets and piled the dirt high and about 10 feet left and right of the targets. The 50 and 100 yard targets are on a flat before the hill so no ditches needed there. I don't have any live stock to contend with . The range is set up west to east and that was the only way form me to do it and get maximum distance to the targets.