Bullet Traps & Target Rack

[TDM]

After years of shooting round balls down my range never to be seen again, I finally spent the last two days building a bullet trap at 25 and 50 yards. Used T post, red cedar at the base, and dead fall pine logs stacked staggered. The pine logs are still relatively sound. If these work well I’ll eventually put one at 100 yards. Also cut some saplings and made a sturdy rack to hang steel targets on. Need to clean the plates up a bit and weld on a few links of chain, then get the hung and painted. Probably put 5 on the new rack and add the rest to my woods walk course. Only have 10 targets on it now so a few more will be nice.

[snapper]

So what is the plan for getting the lead once it is shot?   Burn the logs and sift through the ashes?   Let them decompose and dig through the dirt?

Fleener

[TDM]

So what is the plan for getting the lead once it is shot?   Burn the logs and sift through the ashes?   Let them decompose and dig through the dirt?

Fleener

They’re dead fall pine logs, the process of decay has already started. I’ll let nature take her course, once the logs break down or fail to stop a ball the log can removed and easily broken up at that point and the lead recovered. I expect the current logs to last 2 seasons. I have 170 acres, so finding replacement logs isn’t much of a problem. Any old pieces of wood will be at the punk wood stage and turned into punk wood char if I needed some.

[smylee grouch]

  I was lucky when I built mine as I had these two 4 ft. x 12 ft sheets of steel. I got them in place, one at 25 yds and one at 50. Propped them up and used a portable welder to make legs and braces.  All the bullets slide down the sheet and I can dig them out of the dirt on the back side. The steel is 3/8 inch thick. Scrap piece of 2x6 attached to the top hanging down lets me staple card board sheets to the sheets and staple targets to cardboard

[TDM]

  I was lucky when I built mine as I had these two 4 ft. x 12 ft sheets of steel. I got them in place, one at 25 yds and one at 50. Propped them up and used a portable welder to make legs and braces.  All the bullets slide down the sheet and I can dig them out of the dirt on the back side. The steel is 3/8 inch thick. Scrap piece of 2x6 attached to the top hanging down lets me staple card board sheets to the sheets and staple targets to cardboard

I really like that set up, instant gratification to recoup your lead! Now you’ve got me thinking, while I don’t have any sheet steel that size (wish I did) I do have a piece of 1/4” sheet that’s @4’x5’. I might try rigging that up at angle behind my 100 yard target stand and see if it’s a big enough sheet to work.

[smylee grouch]

I tested my trap with just about every type of gun and ammo. Big bore dangerous game loads, super duper geewiz loudenboomer hot shot loads and muzzle loaders. That angle I think is the KEY . So far nothing has dented it.

[TDM]

I tested my trap with just about every type of gun and ammo. Big bore dangerous game loads, super duper geewiz loudenboomer hot shot loads and muzzle loaders. That angle I think is the KEY . So far nothing has dented it.

Certainly agree, at that angle it would be almost like shooting 1” place. I’m trying to brainstorm something I can weld up with what I have on hand now. My scrap steel pile has dwindled. Thanks for the idea.

[Ted Kramer]

TDM-
Nice looking area you have there for shooting.
Ever consider bolting the chains to the plates? Sooner or later, after being pounded on by lead balls, either a weld or a chain link will break. If bolted on you can quickly/easily make a repair.
Ted K

[smylee grouch]

I was thinking that if you think your steel is too thin you could  let the bottom of the steel swing just a bit  an it might give it just enuf flexability . 

[TDM]

TDM-
Nice looking area you have there for shooting.
Ever consider bolting the chains to the plates? Sooner or later, after being pounded on by lead balls, either a weld or a chain link will break. If bolted on you can quickly/easily make a repair.
Ted K

That’s another good method for your reason given. I have 2 portable stands that I move around, both of those have bolted plates. Mainly because when my grandkids come they shoots through them with a 30-30 or 30.06, then I have to switch them out! But I can get my little plasma cutter going just as quick as my mig welder so I might do that. Thanks.

[TDM]

I was thinking that if you think your steel is too thin you could  let the bottom of the steel swing just a bit  an it might give it just enuf flexability . 

Another good idea to try, thanks!

[Daryl]

This is my air rifle backstop. The steel is 3/16" and 19" x 18" and on about a 45 degree angle.
There is a 2" angle iron base that the bottom of the plate sits on. This not only protects the wood,
but collects the pellets in huge chunks of welded together projectiles.
So far, the largest thing I've shot at it are .45 cal bullets from my big bore air rifle and highest speed
are pellets running just over 1,100fps.
The design is what I am showing and a thicker plate could be used.
I like the 2 designs above. I used a wooden one at Lester Hawkes "diggins" back in the 70's. He just burned the wood
and the lead would melt out and puddle on the concrete floor of his shop. It was easily retrieved in the morning before the
stove was fired up again.

[TDM]

That’s a nice setup too Daryl.

[Daryl]

I staple a cardboard sheet over the front. Lead removal/recovery is very simple.

[TDM]

I staple a cardboard sheet over the front. Lead removal/recovery is very simple.

That would be a great setup for shooting my Cap & Ball revolvers.

[TDM]

Got the steel plates cleaned up. And thanks to Ted K’s suggestion I cut the holes with my plasma cutter and bolted the chain link on. It was faster than my mediocre welding skills would have allowed. Then got them hung and painted. At the current location there’s room for 25 yard offhand shooting or pistol shooting, but it could be moved by 2 men further down the range. Now it’s time to clean up the shop.

[Daryl]

Good set-up. The holes and the manner of bolting, should hang them at a slight angle, important for deflecting bouncing lead downwards.
It the holds were slightly lower, the angle would be somewhat increased.

[TDM]

Good set-up. The holes and the manner of bolting, should hang them at a slight angle, important for deflecting bouncing lead downwards.
It the holds were slightly lower, the angle would be somewhat increased.

Good point. Luckily all the bolts were a little longer than needed so the chain links aren’t tight on the steel. This gave me a slight backwards angle.

[smylee grouch]

When the ball hits it,, it will swing back some what too. Also if you place the frame at a slight angle balls will deflect to the side some what.

[TDM]

When the ball hits it,, it will swing back some what too. Also if you place the frame at a slight angle balls will deflect to the side some what.

Agree, shooting from slightly left or right of center deflects the balls accordingly. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I shoot by myself 98% of the time. So there’s limited soft targets in the area.

[retired fella]

Nice rigs one and all. Years ago our gun club (now defunked) used piles of old auto tires to stop our lead.  When your lead reserve was diminished you just stuck your hand in the tires and came away with as much lead as you could carry.  Snakes and other critters could become a problem if you were not careful.

[J.M.Browning]

My range on my property bullet trap is a snap design will handle 30.06,270 ,45/70 also a enclosed shooting station I shoot daily .

[Daryl]

Here's the "Old Man Blind" I tested and used up in Fort St. John at a friend's farm. It is set up on a field roughly 100yards square. Normally oats is planted, sometimes peas.
The targets are set at 50, 75 and 100yards.
It is insulated and has a propane heater. It also has a camo-cloth screen to pull across the front of the 'blind' to prevent animals from seeing into it. With the windowless back door
closed, it's pitch black inside.

[TDM]

Here's the "Old Man Blind" I tested and used up in Fort St. John at a friend's farm. It is set up on a field roughly 100yards square. Normally oats is planted, sometimes peas.
The targets are set at 50, 75 and 100yards.
It is insulated and has a propane heater. It also has a camo-cloth screen to pull across the front of the 'blind' to prevent animals from seeing into it. With the windowless back door
closed, it's pitch black inside.

Daryl I’d forgotten about your shooting house, that is one nice setup.

[TDM]

Nice rigs one and all. Years ago our gun club (now defunked) used piles of old auto tires to stop our lead.  When your lead reserve was diminished you just stuck your hand in the tires and came away with as much lead as you could carry.  Snakes and other critters could become a problem if you were not careful.

I’ve seen setups with tires and a steel plate at the back, they work very well.