Does anyone here build bullet traps?

[GeauxLSU]

I want to build one for my son for air rifle but knowing me... Despite being cheap I'll still overbuild it and wind up spending three times as much on something that I could have simply bought.

Lots of DIY plans out there and I like the concept of the silent traps but they seem like they might be more trouble than they are worth. I'd be happy with a "doesn't sound like a hammer on a gong" design.

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

air rifle?
With lead pellets?
A 3/16" steel plate will work.
No need to tip it at an angle.
Pellets will flatten out thin as dimes and just fall to the floor.
Have a collection pan below.

 

[palmettomoon]

I use stacks of old, useless NRA magazines and requests for funds stood up on end in a wooden crate.

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

I've had good results with big cardboard boxes stuffed this way:

FRONT 2/3: wadded-up crumpled newspaper (packed as tight as you can stuff it in, by hand.)
or, front 1/2 of box filled with loose scrap cloth. Old clothes, bleach-stained towels and torn bed sheets, etc.

BACK half or 1/3 of box: Bundled, stacked paper. Or scrap wood. OSB board is cheap and easy to cut to fit box.

Vary the location of your targets on this backstop. It will last longer that way.

Change paper wadding every 1000 shots.
Shake-out and reposition cloth / rags after 5000 hits.
Stacked / bundled psper or wood will last just about forever. It shouldn't even take any hits, unless somebody tries a .22 on it.

 

[fattboyzz]

I'd build it out of pressure treated . Use plywod for the backstop so it can be easily replaced with 4 screws :0)

You could cut out pigs & yotes ,etc . Stake them in front on the ground .

 

[C'mon man!]

Fill a homer bucket up with rubber mulch, cut a 8” diameter hole in the lid for your target. Put a sheet of plastic foam on the underside of the lid, the stuff used for packaging, not styrofoam. The foam will act as a self sealing barrier to contain the rubber mulch. Tape your targets to the lid or mount a clip.

This will stop a 22lr and 9mm pretty well. They usually come to a stop at 8-12” deep. I would recommend making it a lot bigger though, especially for someone that can’t be precise. I use a 30 gallon drum.

 

[GeauxLSU]

Yeah I've read about using the rubber mulch, grocery bags etc. But I want clean, clean up. Meaning, I want to easily get just the pellets and give them to someone who still pours bullets, and I have an added issue. He shoots on the air rifle team so it's 3 position shooting. It would be ideal (but not mandatory) if I could design something easily height adjustable.
Again, while silent is preferred, it's not mandatory.

 

[C'mon man!]

Yeah I've read about using the rubber mulch, grocery bags etc. But I want clean, clean up. Meaning, I want to easily get just the pellets and give them to someone who still pours bullets, and I have an added issue. He shoots on the air rifle team so it's 3 position shooting. It would be ideal (but not mandatory) if I could design something easily height adjustable.
Again, while silent is preferred, it's not mandatory.

I clean out my trap with a shop vac, the rubber gets sucked up while the lead is too heavy and doesn't. Empty the rubber back into the trap when done.

 

[Old_School]

Yeah I've read about using the rubber mulch, grocery bags etc. But I want clean, clean up. Meaning, I want to easily get just the pellets and give them to someone who still pours bullets, and I have an added issue. He shoots on the air rifle team so it's 3 position shooting. It would be ideal (but not mandatory) if I could design something easily height adjustable.
Again, while silent is preferred, it's not mandatory.

JeffroJ's suggestion for a rubber mulch Homer bucket is great for high-powered air rifles. If you're shooting below 1000 fps (target air rifle/pistol), you might want to consider building a frame and putting in a 5# or 10# block of duct seal putty (I think it's available at the big box stores, Amazon, etc)...comes in 1# and 5# blocks. A 5# block is about 5"x10"x1". The ductseal will trap the pellets in a large lead mass that can be removed from the duct seal and the duct seal can be re-formed to continue as a backstop. It's silent, too.

Another idea is to build a plywood box and hang a sheet of old conveyor belt or carpeting across the face of it. You just want to make sure the air rifle will penetrate the sheeting, preventing pellet bounce-back.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

 

[MuleShoe]

IVE GOT ONE THAT WAS MADE IN 40S THAT WILL STOP UP TO 38-55 LEAD BULLET ,HAS 18 IN FUNNEL, MOUTH CENTER ADJUSTS 24 TO 48 INCH ABOVE FLOOR . MADE OF HIGH CARBON STEEL . IF INTERESTED.