Semi portable backstop?

N

nonliberal

Guest
My current range at my house is on a down hill slope and I feel it is hurting my technique because I had to build my bench at the same angle as the hill to work properly.

I could shoot in the other direction were it is flat but there really isnt a proper backstop in that direction. I really dont want to bring in a load of dirt or sand because my wife said "it would ugly up the place", so instead of getting a new wife I was thinking about building something that would stop bullets but I could move it on rare occasions if necessary.

I had thought about making basicly a box with a steel plate angled in the rear to deflect the bullets into the ground but have NO idea how thick the steel would need to be?

Im guessing the angle would be around 45-degrees (unless you guys have a better idea).
The largest caliber I will shoot at it will be .308.
The range will be 100 yards.

If you have any other ideas I would love to hear them.

Thanks.
 
backstops

A .308 will hurt it but...
1/2" plate on the main part and 1/4" plate on the sides.
It may be cheaper to dump the bride....:eek:
metal is REAL expensive now. I just went through this. Ask around and see if somebody you know has any metal or has a line on some.
 
Steel bullet trap is very loud...

Bullets striking steel has a very pronounced sound. My neighbors complained more about the bullet strike than the bang.

Rustystud
 
Backstop

After noticing that 6mm bullets @ 3400 fps did not penetrate more than 3" into compacted sand in my RR tie backstop, I rebuilt it with bags of wet sand wrapped in sheet rubber (pond liner). The sheet rubber contains the sand and holds up to UV very well. I've got the bags standing up, and 2 deep. The impact area is 36"x30". Total cost: $50.00 The bags weight 50# each, and can be moved or added to if needed. It works! ...Dave
 
sandbox

I use a box of sand to stop 6ppc, 308 and 223 bullets. This is for use only with a bench and good front and rear rest. Basicaly a plywood box 15" wide by 18" high and 24" deep. Plan on cleaning out the old bullets on a regular basis. MY box has 3 internal sections and all well aimed shots have stayed in the box. I am planning a new box using a rubber truck mud-flap top to flex with the impact. Do not expect this to be maintainance free!! You will shoot a hole in the front that will require constant repair to keep the sand in the box. The advantage is small size that can be moved. The disadvantage is small size that can be missed, definitely not for use sighting in a new scope! If you can shoot 1 MOA give this a try. My safety rule is to never chamber a round until the gun is back on target. The box sits in front of a 5' high wall of railroad ties, but I have never had a bullet leave th box.
 
Are we mice or men? Go ahead and build a good berm,plant lots of flowers on it,take your wife out for shopping,dinner.dancing and romance.

Chuck.

P.S. Diamonds. that will shut her up.
 
Thanks guys. Due to the current price of steel and the sound, the sand idea is sounding pretty good. Now I guess my question would be, if I made a box and filled it with sand bags, wouldnt the sand start pouring out after the first shot and then drop to the level of the group on the target after a couple relays?

I realize the rubber will help by "healing" itself, but does it help that much? (I've never tried is why I ask).

Would it be a good idea or a waste of time to make about a 2" compartment in the front of the box that is filled with that "rubber mulch" that is made from old tires? I was just thinking it might not pour out very easy.

This will be used off a covered concrete bench (hidden behind the house for the wifey) and only be shot at with sub .5 MOA guns. Sight in will be done from the other bench that has a 100' tall hill as a back stop.

Thanks again.
 
Here's what I did.

What I did was use a 55 gallon drum with top. Took the top off and cut a square in it. Also, cut a hole 12 x 12 or so in the side that will become the top. Save the metal from the holes cut. On the top (while it's off) I cut and screwed a piece of wood on the inside, then glued a a piece of 2 inch styrofoam to that. On the outside, I affixed a piece of thin rubber, some 1.5 inch spacers around the edge to hole the target board. Build a skid to holed the drum on it's side with the hole facing up. Fill with sand. I shot thousands of rounds into it before I had to dump the sand and refill and replace the board and styrofoam. The two inch foam, board and rubber keeps all the sand inside pluss you have over a 3ft catch. Take the leftover cutouts and weld the flat piece to the cutout curved side piece and use it for a lid on top. I shot more than a hundred 30-06 ball rounds into it at 50yds without any escape. I no longer have it or use it since I bought my farm and built a 600yd range but It was very effective. I had about 20.00 in it since I had metal for the skid. Hook the four wheeler up and pull away.

Hovis
 
Let's not winmp out here

Φliberal, Go to Savage Arms and look up the Snail traps.
www.snailtraps.com
Pick the model you would like. As you will see you can move it into the garage with a little help from the wife.
She'll love the color. And when your not using it it will be out of sight and out of mind. Should last 2 or 3 lifetimes.:)
Centerfire
 
Sandbox

Nonliberal, Good idea to use a layer of rubbermulch. I have tried a thick layer of plastic yard signs that crop up all over during elections, but the center just gets shot out and the sand gets blasted out a little with each shot. Maybe a coffecan sitting on top of the box, with a hole in the bottom that would let sand fall into the box as needed would help.
 
These are some great ideas!! You guys are pretty creative.

I looked into the snail traps and they are very nice, I decided I could get by with the small 24" but then I saw 1200lbs and the $15,125 price tag and decided I could by a lot of sand, bullets, powder, and still have enough money for a landscape crew to make me something real pretty. :)

I would love to have one but cant justify at this time.
 
"...wouldnt the sand start pouring out after the first shot and then drop to the level of the group on the target after a couple relays?"

Probably not - not much sand should leak out and it's easy to throw some more in once and a while. Get back and let us know how it woiks for you.
 
Ok guys, I did a little research into how deep a box of sand would need to be for 100% reliability. Even though the most powerful gun I own is a .300 Weatherby, I looked up the specs on a 50 BMG, so it overkill to say the least.

Shooting out of a 45" barrel an AP (armor piercing) 50 BMG round is only capable of penetrating 14" of dry sand.

Drawing from your ideas I had already planed on making a 24"X24" cube with thick rubber on insides front and rear to contain the sand and a 2" foward compartment of rubber mulch with 1x1s around the front part to screw on a target board.

I would say if it is 10" more than whats required to stop a BMG round it should not have any problems with my little short action guns that will be used on it.

One reference at bottom of this page..... http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/infantry/mg/50_ammo.html

Thanks for the help guys!!
 
When being shot at with .50 AP rounds from a 45" barrel you go ahead and hide behind 14" of sand...

I'd like just a little bit more :eek:
 
:O I agree, I would feel better with 14 feet of sand!! The 24" should serve me fine for what im needing though. ;) Even if the bullet was to escape there is really no danger of hitting anything besides trees and then a hillside about 1000 yards away. I just didnt like the idea of uncontrolled bullets flying around.
 
"I just didn't like the idea of uncontrolled bullets flying around."

Hmmm, guess you could never work for the military.
 
Here's what I was going to do for .22lr at 50yds but the cops shot me down because I wasn't at least 300ft from nearest house; but the concept is the same for .308 cal. I experimented with how thick wood would stop the little .22lr, a 3/4" plywood and a 2X stopped the bullet. I was gonna sink two 4x4's for a frame and build a stop using a 2X6's backed by a 4X8 sheet of plywood, then I could easily replace or move 2X6's as required.

Why couldn't you do the same thing for .308, only use something like railroad ties? I don't know what thickness you'd need to stop the bullet, I'm thinking two railroad ties might do it. You're prolly going to shoot out a tie, but you could move it around as required.

Thanks, Douglas
 
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