[fmj]

I would like to hear ideas on building a better bullet trap.

**Back ground**

I was out to the bowyers today with my youngest. (the boys getting a VERY nice bow (nicer than mine) for Christmas) My bowyer was going over stance, form, release, follow thru and everything with the kid, letting him shoot different bows and basically getting the info he needs to set up the kids bow so it will be ready to shoot X-mas morning. Telling the boy the whole time he was setting up a couple bows for other kids and that he was his lab rat.

ANYWHO: in our conversations over the past few years we have been doing buisness together, we have come to realize we are both BIG into teaching our youth...hes an accomplished archery coach, i am not to terrible at coaching kids in firearms safety and marksmanship.

Well, hes looking to build a good bullet trap and maybe getting into doing some indoor .22 shooting (with my help ) to go with the indoor archery range/weekend youth shoots.

I have an idea of how to build the trap...

Set a sheet of SOB up to hold targets, behind that a sheet of 1/4 plate hot rolled steel ( high carbon) set on a 30 degree downward angle, deflecting the bullets down into a bed of saw dust.

Any better ideas?

[tigman]

I would check to see about getting some 3/8" ar for the top and back. You should have a trap that will last a life time. Check with any metal shops that do work for mining or concrete industries, they may be willing to help with a project to aid young shooters.

[c3shooter]

To hold targets- wood will get shot up pretty quickly. Try chicken wire. Attach target with clothes pins. You can use light rebar to form a U shaped frame, wrap chicken wire around it. Wire will eventually get shot up- wrap another piece over it. Rather than sawdust- sand. Sawdust does not have teh mass to slow the bullet fragments that will hit it.

You can also talk to the NRA- they have a section that deals with setting up ranges.

[00possum]

i would put one big plyboard up and put a 2" sheet of rubber over it and set the targets over that. I would only use 22 ammo because andthing else would go through. if the rubber aint tough enough get a torch and blaze it so the outer layer would be pretty tough

[gwk4667]

I own a gravel pit so I have access to used conveyor belting. These start out 1/2" thick with 3 rubber plies and 2 nylon plies.

I drape a belt over a 4X4 so that it has a 4" spacing between plies and the 4X4 is held up at each end by used power poles. Another 4X4 on the back side ( about 8” thick pole ) with belting draped over it as well.

Now you have 4 layers of belting ( loose at the bottom ) with spacing between. The only problem I had was on cold days 22s would bounce back at you. With NRA consultation I angled ( took more work, angled shims ) the belts 15 degrees toward the center now if a 22 does not penetrate it will deflect behind the next belt. I keep a tarp on the ground under the belting and collect the lead that drops onto it.

Belting would be available at most any quarry free or very cheap as they normally have to pay to get rid of it.

With handguns at 100 yards to the backstop ( targets move up to as close as 5 yards but the shooting line and backstop stay the same ) and most rifles no rounds pass thru to the earthen backstop and the lead is recovered at a profit.

When I first built it I fastened the bottom of the belts and 357s would go thru - - -leave the bottoms loose to move and eat up the energy! It is amassing how many rounds you can put thru before you need to replace the front two belts. Then just hang them over the back two and you will never wear out the back ones!

With hand guns you will discover most of the lead penetrates the first 2 belts with a 4" spacing but will not penetrate the third belt after the 8" spacing and will drop right on the tarp.

With rifles I keep them on the line where we have already doubled the back drapes and they still get stopped. Even 12 gauge deer slugs!

Remember working with youth lead poisoning is a major hidden danger! If indoors you need great ventilation and on any range do not allow eating, drinking, smoking, application of lipstick or Chap Stick.

With the new OSHA standards have everyone wash ASAP with warm to mildly hot water or at the very least use baby wipes! The old wives tale was use cold water to keep pores closed - - - CDC did test and wants open pores so that they can be flushed.

I posted the regs under thread “training a toddler”.

Shoot safe and everyone feel free to PM me if you need other help! If I don’t know the answer to your questions I have the resources to get the right info.