Bullet trap ideas for recycling lead

[thx997303]

I tested my wood mulch backstop.

45/70, stopped them, but I couldn't find a few. Phantom boolits I guess.

They were smashed as they went through the mulch and hit the plate pretty hard.

7.62 x 54 stopped em all, but could only find tiny pieces of lead from them.

9mm, well, what did you expect?

[geargnasher]

geargnasher, are you going to include something that'll sort of self heal itself, on the order of thick rubber sheet material, to keep that sand from trickling out?

The other point I wanted to make, is that I don't understand why allowing your sand to get damp is a bad thing...?

Please explain, if you don't mind...?

I've used 30# felt paper behind the front layer of OSB before, but it really isn't necessary if the sand is processed often enough. Depending upon how much use the thing gets the sand tends to settle in and block the boolit holes to a point, although some filters out. If you had some mastic rubber sheet handy or a good source of elastomeric rubber roof sheeting it would be worth a try.

Dampness is desireable to a point, but drier sand flows better into the "wound channels" keeping the stopping media consistent and prevents small groups from eventually blowing out the back. I sometimes add sand to the top as it settles/runs out to keep up. Also, the first one of these I built used regular lumber and OSB which I wanted to keep as dry as possible to stave off rot/adhesive failure. Dry sand works very well at stopping boolits if it is contained somehow, I've run everything from .44 Magnum and .30-'06 to .22 rimfire into it and the only exits were near the top when the sand got low. All the boolits/bullets were recoved whole in a short time and smelted down quite easily.

Gear

[Jim_Fleming]

Thanks, geargnasher, I appreciate the courtesy.

[markinalpine]

After cleaning my target backstop/trap yesterday, I think I'll quit buying the expensive rubber mulch for the barrel traps and just use sand. I get used blasting sand for free from the business next door and it worked great in the backstop.

Based on reading from "The Box 'O Truth.com" I built a 4' square target stand on legs with 2x8 yellow pine and 7/16" osb front and back with a partition in the middle dividing it into two vertical 2'x4' chambers 7-1/2" deep. I filled these with sand and screwed a 4' square piece of asphalt sheathing across the front layer of osb to make a contrasting background and a good surface for pushpins. I also put a piece of galvanized ridge cap over the top as a roof to keep rain from washing sand out of the boolit holes in the front panel. I harvested 42 pounds of boolits in an hour with a 1/4" screen and two wheelbarrows doing one side at a time from the front. Two new front panels, a fresh half-sheet of asphalt sheathing, dump the sand back in, and we're ready for another year of shooting! This design worked so well and was so easy to mine that I'm going to build another one out of pressure-treated lumber and possibly bolt steel shelves protruding in front of it to set cans/plastic bottles/whatever on for live-action shooting.
I'll post pics when I get the next one built.

Gear

I've used 30# felt paper behind the front layer of OSB before, but it really isn't necessary if the sand is processed often enough. Depending upon how much use the thing gets the sand tends to settle in and block the boolit holes to a point, although some filters out. If you had some mastic rubber sheet handy or a good source of elastomeric rubber roof sheeting it would be worth a try.

Dampness is desireable to a point, but drier sand flows better into the "wound channels" keeping the stopping media consistent and prevents small groups from eventually blowing out the back. I sometimes add sand to the top as it settles/runs out to keep up. Also, the first one of these I built used regular lumber and OSB which I wanted to keep as dry as possible to stave off rot/adhesive failure. Dry sand works very well at stopping boolits if it is contained somehow, I've run everything from .44 Magnum and .30-'06 to .22 rimfire into it and the only exits were near the top when the sand got low. All the boolits/bullets were recoved whole in a short time and smelted down quite easily.

Gear

Good idea for your permanent setup. Just a thought, though. Why not make some sort of way to empty the sand from the bottom through screens so you can empty/sort the sand/boolits when you're ready? Kind of like the way railroad hopper cars can be emptied.

Mark

[Jim_Fleming]

The problem is the sheer volume of the sand. A wheel barrow might hold 3 cubic feet.
A barrel holds about 10., yeah sure if there were a bottom 'dump' gate, you might be able to shut off the sand, but it's going to take about 4 wheel barrows to hold that sand.

Then the support assembly for the barrels is going to be in the way of the passage of the wheel barrow, or what ever.

Personally, I've been thinking about this aspect of the problem and will continue to "fill the barrel" while I think it out... For now the only method I know of that will work for sure, is unload the barrel a shovelful at a time sifting thru a 1/4x1/4 screen, but I still haven't figured out how to get all that sand in a single wheel barrow... ugh!

We (where I work, I mean) do exactly that, unload railcars full of sand via bottom hoppers. But the sand is emptied into underground conveyors. I, for one, am not all that interested in building such a contraption... But while I'm filling the barrel, it's a good idea to kick around...

Good idea for your permanent setup. Just a thought, though. Why not make some sort of way to empty the sand from the bottom through screens so you can empty/sort the sand/boolits when you're ready? Kind of like the way railroad hopper cars can be emptied.

Mark

[geargnasher]

Thanks, geargnasher, I appreciate the courtesy.

....and I appreciate your SERVICE to all of us, Jim.

Mark, the front has to be replaced anyway because it's all shot up, and I start taking screws out of the bottom, working my way up and letting the sand gradually slough into the first wheelbarrow. The legs are just the 2x8 side boards extended to the ground with 2x8x4' boards running perpendicular to them like a "tee" for stability, which leaves a 4'x4' gap under the target board for the barrow to sit. Like I said, the front is divided in two, so I only peel off one side at a time (2' wide) when I change it. If I put a screen and cover panel at the bottom it wouldn't work because the sand compacts too much under it's own weight and is being smacked pretty hard thousands of times with bullet impacts. Also, the screen would clog with boolits pretty quickly and would have to be removed anyway to clear them.

I'll post some pics of the new one when I make it, should make the process a bit clearer.

Gear

[DeepSouth]

Ya'll every try a chest type freezer,thats what I use and it works real well.I live in south Mississippi and if you dig down about 2 to 3 ft you hit this purple and white clay layer.I had my dad dig up some of this with his backhoe.While he filled I would stomp down each layer to pack it real tight.The freezer is about 3ft by 3ft.I 've shot 30-30,45-70,44 mag and full metal jacket 30-06 into it and never had any go through.Some of these shots were from 25yds.Now no of these were cast they were all factory rounds.The 44's were winchester white box and they would penetrate about 5 to 6 inches.After awhile you get a hole in the clay where you shoot a lot,makes sorta like a cave.You can leave the top of the freezer open and let it rain and the clay will sorta of cave in and then you just pack more in the hole form the top.I have not tried to get any bullets out yet but it shouldn't be to hard to dig out that small amount of clay.I would like to get one of the big chest type freezer and fill it,but the wife already doesn't li8ke seeing the small one.

[deerslayer]

I liked the idea for the sand filled boolit trap. So I began a couple of hours ago on mine.

Mine is a free standing version and the rimfire spinner and shelf boards are removable. It was built from used 2x8 treated that I had around the house. the only thing I bought for this was 1 sheet of 7/16 osb for $8. Because it is OSB I used some 30# felt and wrapped the whole thing for weather resistance.

The pic below is looking up at the bottom at a plywood cover over an 1.5"x5" hole for draining the sand when necessary. Trap is 7' tall to the top with 3' of clearance underneath for my wheelbarrow when emptying.

My plan is in the morning to go to the pit and get 15 buckets of sand to fill this monster. I can stand in the bed of my truck and dump the buckets straight in. I hope I have enough bracing to support the weight of the sand. Which should be between 1000 and 1300 pounds depending on moisture content.

If interested this took. 2- 16' 2"x8"s, 1-14' 2"x8", 1 sheet of OSB, one 10' 2"x6" (for shelf brace so optional) and 23' of heavy felt as well as misc. nails and screws and for the shelf I used 2 pieces of 1x12 oak i had laying around.

[Jim_Fleming]

Deerslayer...

What are you planning on using to shoot this target assembly with...? I mean what caliber(s)?

The reason I ask is that on my "barrel trap" I've discovered that .22 Rim Fire doesn't have quite enough energy to pierce my end panels that cover the 'business' end of the barrels.

My end panels are made from the same materials as yours is... 7/16 OSB.

The reason I specifically ask about .22 RF is that I notice you've got what look like some .22 RF spinners on your target shelf.

[deerslayer]

Jim, that is a rimfire spinner. I was not sure if a .22 would have the force to penetrate but my thoughts were if it will not penetrate at least it is off the ground for mowing purposes. Although now there is a big bullet trap there.

[deerslayer]

Update: filled with sand today required 16 five gallon buckets at a cost of $2 at the local gravel pit. The weight of the sand was right at a thousand pounds. It holds the weight just fine no problems. It will be interesting to see how much it sinks with that kind of weight on it.

[geargnasher]

Deerslayer, that backstop looks really good, (kinda like mine ) and I assure you that if the sand is tamped in pretty well it will stop anything a pistol can throw at it and most rifles using cast. A .22 high velocity round will penetrate the OSB no problem, going about an inch into the sand.

I'm curious, did you build it with one or more vertical partition boards to divide it into compartments like a stud wall, or is the whole sand chamber open? I found that the OSB bulges dramatically after a while as the sand compacts, so I build mine now with no more than 16"-wide chambers. That gives me extra places to screw the front and back. The partition boards to take a beating, but should hold up to several front board changes.

One other thing, if you make the front (or back) out of several panels and attach them with drywall screws, you can just take off the panels one at a time to dump the sand in more manageable amounts when you clean the trap. IME the front is shot to heck by the time it needs cleaning anyway and needs replacing. I'm not sure your drain openings will work like you were hoping, that sand gets really compacted over time and you might have a time getting it to pour out. Maybe jab it with a long screwdriver or something if it doesn't start pouring out when you remove the panel.

Let us know how it works for you,

Gear

[deerslayer]

Gear, I only put one vertical partition at 24" on center. I did put screws 8" on center maybe that will help. Time will tell. I did not tamp it yet but i plan to do that with my .45 real soon. I still have three more buckets of sand in case it settles a bunch. Gear, I am curious do you weatherproof yours? As you can see mine is wrapped and I put a flap over the top to help keep out the weather the top flap is domed a little to allow some air movement. You may be right about it being to compacted to drain i used fine mason sand and it really packs tight. I wondered about that although a piece of rebar should cure it when the time comes.
The important thing is when my friends come to shoot I get their brass and their lead now. If we could just recycle the powder and primer I could shoot for nothing. LOL Thanks Nate

[geargnasher]

Gear, I only put one vertical partition at 24" on center. I did put screws 8" on center maybe that will help. That should be fine for a while, just keep adding sand as it bulges.Time will tell. I did not tamp it yet but i plan to do that with my .45 real soon. Good choice! It will do a fine job of tamping for you. I still have three more buckets of sand in case it settles a bunch. Gear, I am curious do you weatherproof yours? As you can see mine is wrapped and I put a flap over the top to help keep out the weather the top flap is domed a little to allow some air movement. I put a 4'x4' piece of asphalt sheathing over the OSB on the front with screws on 12" center (just enough to hold it on) which acts as a weather shield and convenient surface to attach paper targets with pushpins. On the back I used a couple courses of lapped felt paper stapled on. On the top, I made a peak roof from a 5' piece of ridge tin held on with screws in each corner of the top, this gives ventilation and sheds rain/leaves. You may be right about it being to compacted to drain i used fine mason sand and it really packs tight. Stops boolits really well, too. The finer the better. I wondered about that although a piece of rebar should cure it when the time comes. If it doesn't, just put a sheet of OSB or a tarp under it, unscrew the front panel and dump the whole thing. Then scoop it up with a flat-nosed shovel and dump it over a 1/4" screen suspended over the wheelbarrow, this will catch just about all the lead in the trap, there won't be many fragments and .22s mushroom enough to be caught in 1/4" mesh hardware cloth or diamond-pattern plaster lathe (what I use). Make a rectangular box out of 2x6 boards that will span your wheelbarrow (2'x3' or so), use screws and washers to attach the mesh to the bottom, and sift away!
The important thing is when my friends come to shoot I get their brass and their lead now. If we could just recycle the powder and primer I could shoot for nothing. LOL Thanks Nate

If you have your own range and recycle your own lead, I can't think of a better or easier to manage backstop. I built my last one with all new materials for less than $60 (sand was free). You can put live-action targets in front of it (like platic bottles/soda cans full of water), saltine crackers held with clothspins, balloons, self-healing urathane swinging targets, whatever you can dream up (except steel), and of course paper targets. The only thing I've found that might be cheaper is an old 55-gallon drum on it's side filled with as much sand as it will hold without sliding out the front.

I like and have made traps based on JimInPHX's research on this thread, it works great, is portable if you have to go to a public range to shoot, and helps with the forensics when troubleshooting your loads.

Gear

[deerslayer]

Ok tryed the new bullet trap yesterday(pics above) we put 200 9mm and 200 45acp into it. It stopped all but one round I got lucky and put two in one hole. Atleast that is my story two in the same hole. LOL We were shooting at ten yards and it caught 399 rounds easy enough.

On a side note one of the guys from the fire department that is an "expert shot" came over to shoot. Now I am far far from an expert but when I could get most in a 4 inch circle at ten yards and all on the target he was amazed. And when the "expert shot" started shooting I think he missed the 4x4 sheet of plywood a few times. LOL

[geargnasher]

DISCLAIMER: Deerslayer, that comment about the "expert shot" got me to thinking that I should mention to those to whom it may not be obvious that one should have a berm or equivalent behind the trap, sooner or later you're going to defeat the trap or miss it entirely. So don't anybody try to set one of these up in their living room and shoot toward the neighbor's trailer house, ok? (was that tacky?)

Gear

[pmeisel]

So don't anybody try to set one of these up in their living room and shoot toward the neighbor's trailer house, ok?

How'd you know I was thinking about that?

[JKH]

ha ha ha! Where I live thats about every third house! But yes, a good disclaimer even for us folks out in the country, ALWAYS be mindful of WHERE that boolit will end up.

Jeff

[deerslayer]

Yeah mine has a pretty good hill behind it.

[grumman581]

I live in the city limits and like a lot of cities, they have ordinances prohibiting the discharge of firearms within the city limits. I don't want to fire a lot of rounds, but I would like to be able to fire a couple every once in awhile to test a new load that I'm developing. The ordinance says that the discharge of a firearm is prohibited, but it is a "defense to prosecution" if the discharge is on a "public or private gun range". The only definition of "gun range" is "any public or private facility at which firearm, bow or crossbow training or practice, or both, is regularly conducted under controlled circumstances".

Section 3-173:
http://library7.municode.com/default...0/30#0-0-0-559

What I have proposed to them is a mound of sand as a backstop with a concrete culvert that I fire through while sitting at a shooting bench on one end of the culvert and with my chronograph between the other end of the culvert and the mound of sand. I have even suggested that I could dig a depression in the ground at one end so that the culvert was angled towards the ground and as such, the ground and the sand mound would be acting as my backstop. As such, I think that I can guarantee that there is no way that any of the handguns that I will be developing a load for will ever be able to shoot through *that* barrier. Each person I contact eventually passes it along to someone else. I think that they are going to a lot of effort to ensure that nothing gets done. No one wants to say put their name on either an approval or a disapproval and by prolonging it, they probably think that I will give up on it.