Movin' on Up!

grandpaul

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Looks like we have a buyer for the 4-acre ranch with my shop/garage, and the NEXT step up will be 10 acres with a BRAND NEW "Barndo" (Barn / Condominium).

With the influx of frustrated blue-state residents coming to Texas and the land of opportunity, prices near Austin are thru the roof. So, I can "cash out", and buy a much bigger place a few miles further out (the ONE disadvantage), and start from scratch with an ALL NEW even more spacious building with creature comforts like a water well, septic tank, livable space that even the wyfe won't mind "camping" in, etc.

If all goes to plan, the garage will be kinda like the nicer ones you see in pictures with checkerboard floor, neat, tidy built-in cabinets, and a nice kitchen for hosting BBQ dinners, etc.

In Texas, 10 acres means we can shoot high-powered rifles, and actually hunt without undue concern for stray bullets (within reason). "Room for a pony" (as the Bucket Woman might say), PLENTY of room to fly the ultrailight, and even carve out a nice dirt track for a couple of 4-wheelers!

What a blessing to think it all started with my parents giving me a .8 acre lot for my mobile home back in 1979; if all the pieces fall into place, it will mean even-trade all the way up that ladder...
 
Sounds great, Paul. I'm jealous of the private shooting range and dirt track possibilities. I'm happy with the shop I have, but the only kind of track I could build on my 5 acres would be a hill climb. Except for the acre or so we actually live on, it's pretty vertical. And the two shooting ranges where I'm a member are each a little over 100 mile round trip drive from here.

Please keep us updated on your progress.

Ken
 
I live on 14 acres, and 10 acres isnt quite big enough not to worry about stray bullets, especially from high powered rounds, unless you are shooting into a hill. Shotguns? No problem.

A circular 10 acre plot has a radius of ~3700 ft.

General gravitational acceleration is 9.8 m/s2 or roughly 32ft/s. So, we get 0.638 seconds for it to fall 2 meters (roughly 6').

An average muzzle velocity of a .223 is about 3300ft/s. So 3300x0.638 = 2105.4 feet before striking the ground. Assuming you fired absolutely level.

So, I would think you have to be firing from < 25% inside inside the periphery towards the center if you want to be safe.
 
Good news Paul. I hope this doesn’t put that rather bigger project of yours behind you?
 
Good news Paul. I hope this doesn’t put that rather bigger project of yours behind you?
Yes, my piece-by-piece-built hangar / garage / shop will be emptied of most of the contents and I'll build an ALL NEW place (contracted, turn-key).

I'm leaving behind a couple of stick-built heavy workbenches, a bunch of heavy lumber shelves, and several mismatched drawers and cabinets, and will go with ALL NEW build-outs in the Barndo. FINALLY, when I'm gray and not needing it anywhere near as much, I'll have a real nice shop/garage to show off my remaining bikes (Just sold the Honda trike today).
 
Congrats! Moving further into the Hill Country?
It's not for a residence, it's a shop/garage/hangar. But it's more "up-state", parallel with the distance to nice hill country riding. It's called the Upper Lakes region, near Lake Buchanan (north of Bertram).

My present 4-acre place is exactly 10 miles from the house, the new place is 34 miles out.
 
Because I love AutoCAD, and I'm funny that way, I already adjusted my previous plans for the new place (I had been looking at an odd-shaped place last year).

Something like this for the ranch layout... (the smaller cluster with red outline is a shed roof for the RVs & boat, tractor, etc.
Movin' on Up!


And a really basic sketch of the barndo; it would be 2 stories in the divided section with an upstairs 2nd bedroom & bath, clear up to 20' inside the hangar...
Movin' on Up!
 
Beautiful area was in that area 2 years ago No close neighbors! Thought it odd Colorado River!
 
Congrats GP.
Now you get to correct or do different the things you wished on the first one.
There's always improvements. Nice how things work out sometimes..
 
I live on 14 acres, and 10 acres isnt quite big enough not to worry about stray bullets, especially from high powered rounds, unless you are shooting into a hill. Shotguns? No problem.

A circular 10 acre plot has a radius of ~3700 ft.

General gravitational acceleration is 9.8 m/s2 or roughly 32ft/s. So, we get 0.638 seconds for it to fall 2 meters (roughly 6').

An average muzzle velocity of a .223 is about 3300ft/s. So 3300x0.638 = 2105.4 feet before striking the ground. Assuming you fired absolutely level.

So, I would think you have to be firing from < 25% inside inside the periphery towards the center if you want to be safe.
.223 is NOT an example of a long range centerfire cartridge. The ballistic coefficient of .223 bullets is way too low for that. Now, once you get into > 6.5mm bullets (.264") then you have what can be considered long range capabilities.

Here is the shooting range on the 74 acre farm I just sold to the AMISH.

Movin' on Up!


Movin' on Up!


Movin' on Up!


You can plainly see the 25 and 50yd ribbons/stakes. Look closely below and to the left of the 50yd ribbon and you can make out the 100yd ribbon. Way at the back is the 200yd ribbon/stake. It can barely be seen at the crosshair intersection.

Portable target stand.

Movin' on Up!
 
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I got to chatting with some people and remembered I have a cousin that had an Ag Exemption on his property by keeping bee hives.

Sounds like I got connected to a couple of local groups that will get me all set up and I might even be able to slide the existing Ag Exemption over and not have to wait 5 years, if I take all the legit steps to establish a full minimum colony. WELL worth the investment, and mostly hands-off as long as I let the groups harvest and keep the honeyI

This is much more fun than the 4-acre place with the horrid Cedar I had to 'doze...
 
Here's the perspective sketch of the new digs; I'm waiting on steel pricing which should come in today.

The "box" in the center is 40' x 50', covered aprons either end are 25' x 40', and 20' x 40'. Eave height is 15' to accommodate a 2nd floor with bedroom, bathroom & storage. Downstairs is similar to my existing hangar, plus a bedroom & kitchen.

Movin' on Up!
 
Could always build a flat track and start the Paul Zuniga racing school. Might be a little competition from the Texas Tornado Colin Edwards.
 
Building a Road Racecourse would be better for old British iron, but really expensive. Call it the Little Circuit of the Americas.

Invite Colin over for some lessons. Maybe Al could stop by and show him how to go through turn 2 at Winton.
Movin' on Up!
 
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Building a Road Racecourse would be better for old British iron, but really expensive.
Well, the airfield, and the far section that has a dry creekbed, will be used for dirt bikes, four wheelers, etc.

No paving, thank you. It would never be worth the expense on 10 acres.
 
I like the flat track idea! Everything a motor head needs! Make the track big enough for a dune buggy or quad! Have you met the neighbors?
There are no neighbors for 1/2 mile in any direction. I'm buying the first of 15 lots out of a former 150-acre ranch. No neighbor buildings I can see for at least that far, and very few fences. Wide open territory.

The airfield will DEFINITELY see flat tracking on dirt bikes & quads. Dune buggies need a lot more acreage to open up...
 
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