Bullet trap ideas for recycling lead

[LBIGuy]

Very nice work Jeff. Thank you for the pics. Amazing how heavy they get.

JG

[Rickshaw]

What about using layers of fabric? Old T-shirts, Flannel, Denim......layer upon layer, sort of like layers of fiberglass. You could compress the fabric between two sheets of plywood or your choice. My thinking is in Defensive ammo fabric always seems to be the determining factor for penetration.
This is my first post here........Please be gentle........HAHAHAHA

[ncbearman]

What about using layers of fabric? Old T-shirts, Flannel, Denim......layer upon layer, sort of like layers of fiberglass. You could compress the fabric between two sheets of plywood or your choice. My thinking is in Defensive ammo fabric always seems to be the determining factor for penetration.
This is my first post here........Please be gentle........HAHAHAHA

Welcome Rickshaw.
Good thoughts. I like that idea. Keep em coming! Maybe a combination of fabrics in the front and something like the rubber mulch behind it. May be easier to "Get the Led Out" at the end. The fabric may act as a "self healing" agent.
Russ

[chill45100]

I used a portable trap once that used a front of Masonite backed by several layers of trash bag like plastic. All in front of a dry sand filled chamber. When there were too many bullet holes in the front board the trap was laid on it's back the front target board slid out and a fresh one installed. The multiple layers of plastic tended to be self healing and kept leakage down. Should work well with ground rubber too. Just another spin.

[Duckdog]

What you need for the front and the back is rubber paving. It self heals itself for a looooong time and also really slow the bullets down. My rubber mulch trap is maybe 24" deep and it will stop everything I shoot at it from 30 06 @ 2150 FPS to 45/70 @ 1500 FPS. This is really a nice thread on ways to keep up a persons lead supply.

[ncbearman]

What you need for the front and the back is rubber paving. It self heals itself for a looooong time and also really slow the bullets down. My rubber mulch trap is maybe 24" deep and it will stop everything I shoot at it from 30 06 @ 2150 FPS to 45/70 @ 1500 FPS. This is really a nice thread on ways to keep up a persons lead supply.

^duckdog, what is "rubber paving" and where can you get it?

[.5mv^2]

Welcome,

That seems to be an excellent idea. My wife uses old clothes in dog food bags to stop the bolts from her crossbow. We have a few stuck in front of our berm but i have not checked to see if they stop bullets.

I know one of our members here is an excellent archer and is wanting to build a trap. Maybe he will respond.

What about using layers of fabric? Old T-shirts, Flannel, Denim......layer upon layer, sort of like layers of fiberglass. You could compress the fabric between two sheets of plywood or your choice. My thinking is in Defensive ammo fabric always seems to be the determining factor for penetration.
This is my first post here........Please be gentle........HAHAHAHA

[tazman]

Broadheads cut their way through flesh and targets. Field tips and target tips punch their way similar to a round nose boolit.
Usually fabric wraps around arrow shafts tight enough to make it difficult to get arrows out. Would not be an issue for boolits. Wonder how many layers it would take to stop a .357?
Would be significantly lighter than rubber. If needed you could wet them down to give more strength. I certainly have enough old clothes laying around.

Shot a an indoor archery range that used old phone books for a backstop. Shot into them edgeways. All they did was move them around a little when they became soft in spots. Lasted for about 5 years or so.

[Gibbs44]

^duckdog, what is "rubber paving" and where can you get it?

I second ncbearman here. A brand or link would be nice.

[tazman]

rubber paver link
http://www.lowes.com/pd_381009-25888...ers&facetInfo=

[ncbearman]

ahhh gotcha thanks. I am going to build one. Hopefully this week.

[Gibbs44]

Thanks.

[VinceG]

In my experience, a 5 gallon bucket of sand will stop several hundred pistol rounds before it is beyond repair. Takes about 15 minutes to empty and shift. All rounds come out intact and easy to melt down. Have turned several hundred hard cast store-bought pistol bullets into several hundred rifle bullets. So basically, the rifle bullets (which I also plan to trap) cost me nothing. Sand in a bucket is great!

[birdadly]

I finally tried your fellas' 5 gallon bucket trick and had to make a little diagram. Overall I shot 175 cast lead and 50 22LR's (all pistol). The diagram shows how far they all went in, where I found the first of each, and the last of each.

From the bottom, there was a rubber paver, 4" sand, rubber paver, 10" rubber mulch, rubber paver and the lid. Nothing made it to the sand! One 40cal penetrated the paver going into the sand, but that was it.

The sand weighed 18lbs and the mulch 22lbs (sorta heavy). I figure since nothing made it to the sand, I will try replacing the sand with more mulch, hopefully lighten it a bit.

Pretty cool though, as long as I keep shooting w/in the 12" opening. Kinda crazy (to me) how little they penetrate. I suppose the lid must have a lot to do with that.

The pavers are the pricy part, so I'm also going to try only using the one in front. -Brad

[Apocalypse]

How far from the barrel were you and what barrel lengths of the guns used?

[ncbearman]

Nice job bird.......I too am interested in in your distance from target.

[birdadly]

Ah, more info on its way! I was 15 yards away. 40 cal was shot from a rest as I was testing 3 different loads (75 shots). The others I was standing.

22 a 6"(?) mark3
9 a 4" xd
40 a 4" m&p
45 a 3" 1911

All semi-autos. -Brad

[kayak1]

Ah, more info on its way! I was 15 yards away. 40 cal was shot from a rest as I was testing 3 different loads (75 shots). The others I was standing.

22 a 6"(?) mark3
9 a 4" xd
40 a 4" m&p
45 a 3" 1911

All semi-autos. -Brad

Great job and nice pictures.
From what I have read you might want to keep the sand. Over time once you have hundreds of bullets into the mulch it is supposed to build pockets of where it's displaced and you will penetrate deeper into it. The sand looks like a good safety net. I would think that it would be easier to get the lead out of the sand too.

[ncbearman]

^^^ That was actually my train of thought also. It is much easier to get lead out of sand than it is the rubber mulch. I was wondering if you couldn't reverse the ratio's. In other words swap out the sand for the mulch. I know it would be much heavier, but again, much easier to sift than it is to separate from rubber. In looking at birds data you possibly could double the amount of sand and decrease the amount of mulch. Allowing the projectiles to be slowed down by the lid, paver and mulch before ending up in the sand. Just my 2 cents.

[rpludwig]

I've been following this thread from it's inception, looking to make a simple, safe and suitable trap for indoor or outdoor use, testing loads in the shop, handgun (380/9mm/45acp/38/357) and .22 pistol and rifle. I am not a high volume shooter, not a caster, but do reload, mostly 45acp and 38/357, typically cast boolits. Thought I'd share some results:

The design is a 5 gal plastic bucket, .8 cu ft (1 bag) of typical HD rubber garden mulch, backed up by 3 - 1" thick red oak disks in the bottom of the bucket (shop scrap). The bucket is 15" deep so the mulch depth is 12" compressed in front of 3" of oak.

My reasoning for the oak was it would handle the impact, reduce splatter and not richochet, nor ripping out the sides of the bucket as steel might. I would have/will back the 3" of oak up with a steel disk for further comfort level, but don't have it yet.

Threw it together in an hour, including a makeshift "cradle" to support the bucket. Tested it outdoors, setting it on top of a large inverted plastic trash can.

Fired about 100 rounds- 22's, standard and hi-vel, 380jrn, and 45acp white box jrn in that order. Nothing penetrated the back of the bucket and the only slight movement of the trap at impact was from the 45's. Distance was 25' and 50'. Zero mulch spillage out of the bucket lid.

Dumped the contents into a plastic storage container, sifted by hand (20 minutes) and recovered all bullets. There are some impact marks about 1/8" deep in the first piece of oak, but no penetration whatsoever. Going forward, I'll try sifting through some hardware screen, the boolits should pass thru, the mulch should sit on top.

Total investment about $15 for a bag of mulch, a couple buckets and some extra lids. Pleased with the outcome, and comfortable using it in the shop when the weather doesn't cooperate, with no risk IMO.

Many thanks to all the forum members for their ideas, designs and experimentation!!!


Disclaimer: Use of this design is at your own risk, your results, especially with larger caliber, higher velocity rounds will vary. Assure proper ventilation and safety protocol. YMMV.