Building a barbed wire fence

[lonegunman]

I have a chunk of property that I use for a rifle range and eventually it will have two miles of fence to keep the wandering heathens away.

I have started the fence project and have the 1/2 mile that faces a public roadway fenced well enough to discourage wandering heathens.

So now I'm working on the south end and back side fences and have been wondering exactly how tight to make the barbed wire?

It tightened one strand and it is pulling the 6"x6" inch corner posts a bit more than expected. It has a wooden post every 150 yds and is a 1/4 mile leg. But it came out a bit tighter than expected.

There is also a 250 yd section that has a lot of rocky ground and pounding a T-post more than 6 inches in to the ground is all but impossible. What would work best to make a presentable fence there?

I think there are a few spots where I can put in a wooden post so I have something to tighten the fence to, but the T-posts are going to be a pain in the rear.

The idea is to build a presentable fence and discourage the very few neighbors from stealing my steel targets and/or inviting themselves to shoot and dump garbage on my place.

[Tuffdawg]

Tension springs. They will be your best friend.

[dawg2]

150 yards is too far apart if they are pulling your posts out. On uneven ground you will need more terminal posts closer. Get on google there are some good guidelines for barbed wire fence installation.

ALSO: Keep in mind, if you pull that wire too tight and stretch the wire it cracks the galvanizing and allows the wire to rust quicker.

[jimbo4116]

Originally Posted by lonegunman

I have a chunk of property that I use for a rifle range and eventually it will have two miles of fence to keep the wandering heathens away.

I have started the fence project and have the 1/2 mile that faces a public roadway fenced well enough to discourage wandering heathens.

So now I'm working on the south end and back side fences and have been wondering exactly how tight to make the barbed wire?

It tightened one strand and it is pulling the 6"x6" inch corner posts a bit more than expected. It has a wooden post every 150 yds and is a 1/4 mile leg. But it came out a bit tighter than expected.

There is also a 250 yd section that has a lot of rocky ground and pounding a T-post more than 6 inches in to the ground is all but impossible. What would work best to make a presentable fence there?

I think there are a few spots where I can put in a wooden post so I have something to tighten the fence to, but the T-posts are going to be a pain in the rear.

The idea is to build a presentable fence and discourage the very few neighbors from stealing my steel targets and/or inviting themselves to shoot and dump garbage on my place.

Did you do a crossbuck brace at the corners and you need to do another in the line every 150 to 200 yards. The line post other than supporting the weight have little to do with the tension in the wire. The corners do.

[Ole Fuzzy]

You definitely need bracing in both directions on the corner.

I think Jimbo is telling you to put a braced set of posts every 100 yards or so. I'd agree based on experience and miles of built and repaired fences. Two round posts vertical one post length apart; the round posts are easier to work with for that than split locust posts.

[jimbo4116]

Originally Posted by Ole Fuzzy

You definitely need bracing in both directions on the corner.

I think Jimbo is telling you to put a braced set of posts every 100 yards or so. I'd agree based on experience and miles of built and repaired fences. Two round posts vertical one post length apart; the round posts are easier to work with for that than split locust posts.

Also Round or square post will twist in the hole. Remember tie off the wire to the endpost and do not staple. On the post used in line braces, we alway took a chainsaw and cut a groove on the bottom end and drove in a 12" 1x4 plank edge ways to prevent the round posts from twisting in the hole once they were packed in.