Bullet Trap

[Full.lead.taco]

I was wondering if any of you had ever built a bullet trap, and if so, which type did you end up building? Does it work? And what calibers do you shoot into it? Steel thickness? Steel type? Been wanting to buy/build a bullet trap for a long time, but never have gotten around to it. Now, I have a new friend who does metal work who is willing to do the cutting/welding for the project but needs details.

 

[Ian]

Most of my traps are wood boxes filled with recycled #4 blasting sand. I did make a couple for handgun stuff using 3/8" boiler plate material and they worked great at only 45 degrees, but .30-cal rifle cast bullets poke right through them at 22-2400 fps.

Lloyd Smale over on boolits built a nice one for his high-powered revolvers, basically a long pyramid cone with a 90°, 5 or 6" heavy steel elbow. He made a heavy steel bucket to put underneath to catch the powder and used his tractor to move the trap and bucket around. There are also some very good videos on the toob about people making effective steel ones, including some 'evolutionary' work showing the real problems and solutions encountered with the process.

 

[fiver]

if I were going to build one I would take the time to make a snail type trap.
this lets the bullet ride the first plate then it just rolls around in a circle until it runs out of energy.
a chunk of A-4 / 500 steel for the back to take the strikes, then just some 3/8" sides and 1-2 chunks of 1/2" for the first part of the drum.

 

[Chris]

Try this and see if you like it:

Cut a truck tire into pieces with a sawzall. The tread becomes the bullet stopper. Stack the tread pieces horizontally, one behind the other, in a cardboard box. 7-8 pieces will stop full house .45/70 loads. A steel backer plate doesn't hurt.

If you like this, you can make a nice wooden box (or weld up a steel frame) to hold it all together instead of using cardboard. Side plates are optional, I don't use them though. It doesn't need much of a bottom, you can have it open and let the bullets fall through onto the ground or into a box.

Watch out reaching into the box, the steel jaggers are sharp. Need to rearrange the tread pieces once in a while as they get shot up.

I only use this outside as a means to hold the target and recover lead. No doubt it could be made safe for inside use given a little thought. The primary advantage of the box/tread system is that it is portable and inexpensive. A fixed trap might be better made of steel.

 

[Intheshop]

A bullet trap,which is a fantastic piece of kit BTW.....can be as simple or "engineered" as desired.

First up;inside or out?

Next;portability?

Then budget.Personally,I'd price out factory units as a data point.We'll assume there aren't a plethora of "used" units laying around to be picked up for beer money but hey,who knows?

We still have a "baby" snail that aside from a few bumps N bruises still works as well 30+ years later.Short story time.....a cpl years ago,I conspired with #3 son.Took the BS (baby snail) up to the fourth floor here at the estate.#3 has his cell on a decibel ap,sitting next to woman of my dreams,on the couch(2nd floor) watching some dumb .... on the tube.We didn't tell her,but at such N such time,I sent a cyl full of 38 sp into the BS.

His db meter didn't pick it up,and swmbo never broke conversation.Not recommended,just sayin....a little testing goes a long way.

Indoor use is more about vent system ($$$) than anything else in my pea brain.Chop a whole in a basement foundation and use the exposed dirt as a berm.Again,not recommending.But with primo vent system,that's pretty simple.

We're using 2' diameter Oak stumps outside,layed so we're shooting at the end.Ain't perfect but,dang cheap and will stop a 338.

 

[Intheshop]

Another short story and if anyone asks,I'll deny any knowledge thereof.....

Tripping on back 40 or so years ago,within walking distance of that wonderful bastion of gun stores,Interarms....sitting on the banks of the Potomac,S of the nation's capital.A cousin of mine was sort of a mover N shaker WRT handgun bullets (think super vel,and a fully stocked machine shop and you're pretty close).....we were shooting in his basement at layers of lead sheet.His day job was the owner of an HVAC co,making bank.....needless to say the vent system was fully dialed in.But that was a "neat" approach,trap wise.....didn't hear it from me.

 

[RicinYakima]

I've used a 1/4 sheet of lead, screwed to 1/2 plywood, for a back stop for pump up air pistol for 20+ years. Still good as the pellets just sort of melt into the lead sheet. Every winter I have to take a polished peening hammer and flatten it out some, but it is still good.

 

[Intheshop]

Was shooting bullet holes today with my hot rod recurves and thought of ya'll.Certainly not the end all but,go to Ironmind Hunting.Either their website or Utube.Lots of instinctive bow "stuff",but they also are firearms trainers.Worth a look see.

 

[JWFilips]

I made one of those 5 gallon bucket traps ( with the crumb rubber mulch ) Pretty amazing! stops all pistol and also most rifle round in that little depth!
Cast bullets look like you can reload them a second time

 

[waco]

Jim. Just a 5 gallon bucket filled with shredded rubber? Really? Where do you buy the rubber?

 

[Brad]

It is sold as mulch. It is similar to wood chips but made from rubber.

I can get all the boxes I need, just need the rubber mulch.

Jim, do you pack it tight or just loose?

 

[Ian]

I have a 55-gallon steel drum full of crumb mulch and a mud flap covering a cutout hole in the lid. The only thing it stops is pistol bullets, rifle stuff >~1800 fps pencils right through. It's also a royal pain to dig through in search of a bullet. Maybe if I stood it on end and let the stuff pack in more densely and then shot straight down into it it would work better.

 

[Pistolero]

I bought a piece of AR500 about 24x18, built an angle iron frame to hold it at
45 degrees, support target boards on front. It will safely stop anything, dumps
them into the dirt under it. Just lead smears, not a trace of damage, of course
because of the AR500, it is expected.

Bill

 

[JWFilips]

I pack it over full then pound the lid on so it is compressed
The mulch I got from Home Depot in the garden area
I have a 1/4 in round plate of steel in the bottom just in case of full penetration
It does have some dents in it most likely from the rifle shots
Keep in mind I only shoot light loads in the rifles (under 1200 fps)
Yes it is a real pain to clean out however

 

[S Mac]

I pack it over full then pound the lid on so it is compressed
The mulch I got from Home Depot in the garden area
I have a 1/4 in round plate of steel in the bottom just in case of full penetration
It does have some dents in it most likely from the rifle shots
Keep in mind I only shoot light loads in the rifles (under 1200 fps)
Yes it is a real pain to clean out however

I haven't tried this sort of trap but looks like to me you could dump the mulch into a washtub of water, scoop the floating mulch off and the lead would be on the bottom.

 

[fiver]

you'd need about 15-18% salt water to float the rubber.

 

[Todd M]

I've always thought something like this would be the cleanest way to recycle lead. Could even build the opening big enough to hang steel swinging targets a foot inside.

 

[JWFilips]

Really cool idea.... I would have to say yes to that! Material has to be costly for rifle shooting?

 

[Todd M]

I would expect so, for high power rifles. However, I like to shoot slow heavy rifle boolits and I don't shoot mag loads out of my 44 mag. The catch is when friends bring their high powers...

 

[JWFilips]

So Do I ! Big & slow is how I go!