Bullet Traps Almost completed

[kfin]

I read the 70+ page thread on bullet traps and rubber mulch and am just about finished building 2 "mega" traps. Some old benches made out of 2x10s were being thrown away at work. Snapped them up and ripped to size on my table saw, steel is about 1/3 of what it was a couple years ago when I originally thought of doing this, scraps of plywood laying around, and a really good deal on quantity rubber mulch....Really not that much in these by the time of completion.
Here is the frame for the top part....made out of ripped 2x3s and the floor is 2x10s. It is 4' high and roughly 3' wide and 3' deep

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll191/kfin_photos/ReloadCasting/2b4d1244-3c68-4241-be10-73b03a44680b.jpg (http://s288.photobucket.com/user/kfin_photos/media/ReloadCasting/2b4d1244-3c68-4241-be10-73b03a44680b.jpg.html)

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll191/kfin_photos/ReloadCasting/a9a3578e-9ded-4b9a-b7a1-ea82e401c7c0.jpg (http://s288.photobucket.com/user/kfin_photos/media/ReloadCasting/a9a3578e-9ded-4b9a-b7a1-ea82e401c7c0.jpg.html)

[kfin]

Chicken wire stapled around it to hold mulch in.

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll191/kfin_photos/ReloadCasting/e38bf0f6-0b30-4573-924f-55c9bc8396ad.jpg (http://s288.photobucket.com/user/kfin_photos/media/ReloadCasting/e38bf0f6-0b30-4573-924f-55c9bc8396ad.jpg.html)

[kfin]

Sitting on the stand. Top of the stand is made of angle iron with 2" tubing for legs and a flat stock for feet to keep from sinking.
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll191/kfin_photos/ReloadCasting/a18a104e-dc39-4e21-bb81-2f6ff0b50f9a.jpg (http://s288.photobucket.com/user/kfin_photos/media/ReloadCasting/a18a104e-dc39-4e21-bb81-2f6ff0b50f9a.jpg.html)

[kfin]

I screwed strips of plywood sheathing around the perimeter of front and stapled the chicken wire to it so it would be easier to unload a time or two each year. Easier to take a few screws out than to undo all of the staples. I have some 3\8" plating cut to size to go in the back of it. Sheated the 2 sides and back. On the front the plan is to staple cardboard to the front to put targets on. We will see how it does. Hopefully it will have the steel in it and the rubber this weekend to go for a test drive.
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll191/kfin_photos/ReloadCasting/1dd890fe-a032-4809-bad1-a99f8d55492e.jpg (http://s288.photobucket.com/user/kfin_photos/media/ReloadCasting/1dd890fe-a032-4809-bad1-a99f8d55492e.jpg.html)

[kfin]

Game plan is to put roofing felt on the sides and back to keep the weather off of it. A buddy of mine is a carpenter and thinks he needs to put a gabled roof on it complete with shingles next time he visits. Also going to drill some holes in the sides just above the angle iron so I can run 2 straps through the box and below the iron to make sure it is held together......HEAVY!!! Good thing I have a skidsteer with forks to move it around.

[Don Fischer]

Think I'd have used the chicken wire on the bottom, moisture run right out.

[kfin]

Think I'd have used the chicken wire on the bottom, moisture run right out.

I considered that but was worried about 1000 pounds of weight plus bullet weight. When my buddy is finished with the sides and roof, I doubt that much moisture will get inside of it. He thinks it is a house....lol

[OS OK]

I made mine from a 32 gallon plastic trash can and it was so heavy I had to use a hand truck to get it down to the range. I tried to layer the mulch by separating it with the plastic bags in 12" depths making it easy to get the lead out without unloading the entire thing. I will eventually move it back up to the shop and use it for working up loads with the chrono. I like it but I am building a steel trap like they use in the indoor ranges today. It will have a 30" square face to limit overall size and weight although I'm building that on a mini trailer that I can tow with my zero-turn mower, it has big rear tires and plenty-o-power. What I like best about this second trap is that my lead will be deposited into a 5 gallon bucket underneath and I won't have to dig it out.
My pard over on another ranch is going with your design basically but the emptying and recovery looks too labor intensive and has him stopped until that gets resolved. We both want to mine the lead on a regular basis and do it quickly. You know…about 28 shots with a .45 Colt and you have a pound of lead in there, 35 shots at 200 grain and just 44 shots at 158 grain, It'll mount up fast. Now he is considering steel also.
One suggestion if I may…put those feet on 12" square concrete pads…I have a notion that target is going to weigh plenty.
How many bags of mulch do you figure it will hold? 35?

[kfin]

One suggestion if I may…put those feet on 12" square concrete pads…I have a notion that target is going to weigh plenty.
How many bags of mulch do you figure it will hold? 35?
I plan on setting it on the 12" square patio pavers. It has 8" square "feet".....bought a "big" bag of mulch. It will fill both of them. And it will be really heavy.

The current game plan is to just empty it maybe twice a year. I have enough lead saved up that I can get away with that. My formula, lack of a better word, is 1/4 of my lead in 4 places.....shot in the bullet trap, loaded shells waiting to be shot, cast/sized waiting to be loaded, and ready for smelting/casting. We will see.

[OS OK]

You have it thought out pretty well…I hope that you will post some finnish pictures.
There ain't nothing better than your own personal 'lead mine'. I got the steel trap idea here…@ 11:00 min. he shows construction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdPSAoPx3R0

[Don Fischer]

I considered that but was worried about 1000 pounds of weight plus bullet weight. When my buddy is finished with the sides and roof, I doubt that much moisture will get inside of it. He thinks it is a house....lol

This doesn't look portable. Maybe just extend the legs a bit and leave it with dirt floor. I really like the idea!

[kfin]

It's portable... :) I had the boom on here when we were setting the trusses on my shed, but the forks will slide right under the angle iron. Advantage to living on 22 acres just outside of town. I can just move them out when I want and then slip them back into the shed. Skidsteers are HANDY
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll191/kfin_photos/ReloadCasting/bobcat.jpg (http://s288.photobucket.com/user/kfin_photos/media/ReloadCasting/bobcat.jpg.html)

[baogongmeo]

If it was mine I would use rubber conveyor belt instead of chicken wire for the front side. one of the clubs that I'm a member of used to use chicken wire for target holders on the rifle range and it would get shot up pretty quick so we switched to belting and it lasted much longer.

[kenyerian]

Conveyor belt is very tuff.

[35remington]

The problem with rubber mulch is that it isn't of much use when small groups are shot. A tunnel forms in the mulch and in effect the bullet is not slowed.

[HangFireW8]

The problem with rubber mulch is that it isn't of much use when small groups are shot. A tunnel forms in the mulch and in effect the bullet is not slowed.

If there's enough weight of mulch above the bullet path, it should crush down as the shooting continues. That's the hope, anyway.

[35remington]

It doesn't. The unholed areas offer enough support that the holes remain. I had to abandon mulch as unsuitable whenever small groups are shot.....which is pretty much anything from any sort of steady rest.

I'm speaking from experience, not conjecture.

Further, large volumes of looser groups shot in the same general area do the same thing. A large stack of mulch is hard to "recompact" as you pretty much have to resift and resettle the whole thing to get the density needed to stop bullets.

At some point plan on having bullets sail out the back, and sooner than is desired.

[kfin]

It doesn't. The unholed areas offer enough support that the holes remain. I had to abandon mulch as unsuitable whenever small groups are shot.....which is pretty much anything from any sort of steady rest.

I'm speaking from experience, not conjecture.

Further, large volumes of looser groups shot in the same general area do the same thing. A large stack of mulch is hard to "recompact" as you pretty much have to resift and resettle the whole thing to get the density needed to stop bullets.

At some point plan on having bullets sail out the back, and sooner than is desired.

Well we are not shooting rifles at it, but will now and then. I know to compact the mulch now and then, if it takes emptying and putting back in...so be it. Might just need a good shaking with the skidsteer.....or pushing down on it with skidsteer attachment. Lots of choices. And as far as bullets sailing out the back sooner than desired, at least they will be slowed down with a 3/8" plate.

Perhaps I should delete the thread as it is obviously not a good idea.

[35remington]

The bullet trap thread missed some of the downsides of mulch....actually it was mentioned but perhaps not as prominently as it should have been. How much of an issue it is depends on how the trap is used. If you shoot small groups mulch has drawbacks.

In the pursuit of full disclosure and anticipating future issues it's worth knowing. Do with this information whatever you wish.

[kfin]

We're good. I appreciate the feedback and thoughts. I had read a bit about the tunneling and thst is why the steel plates are on the back. I'll post finished pics and a review for how it works with our use....

Currently hunting for some solid rubber or conveyor belt to put on the front. Hope to test it out next weekend.

[35remington]

When it comes right down to it, fine sand is probably superior (if you can confine and berm it) to mulch. Tunneling is much less of a problem and it can be sifted more easily for spent bullets than mulch. It is also more easily reshaped and placed back where it was and minor shaping to replace worn areas is easily done.

[OS OK]

If you can't find conveyor belts, try looking for front door mats, not the cheap ones but I've seen ones that look pretty durable. Granger sells mats for comfort for standing in place long periods. The feed stores sell stall mats, I use one in my pick-up to cushion loads and protect the metal of the bed, those dang things are extremely tough, a bit expensive too.

[44man]

I always refer to GROOVE because many confuse BORE with it and use pin gauges to measure WHAT?
My pin gauge went through so I need such and such boolit diameter but what about GROOVE?
Bore is the first cut to make the hole. It would be easier to just say measure the bore but that is still wrong. It can be interchangeable as long as the reader understands but many do not. Why would you measure with a pin gauge?

[kfin]

Good tips....

[kfin]

I got the steel into the back of both traps today and got one filled up. Just to see how they would do, I couldn't resist putting a few rounds into it, emptying and seeing how it worked. I shot about 17 9mm at it from 10 yards. Probably 13 of them were in a 2" group. The rubber did not come out the hole in the cardboard, but some will I'm sure. I actually filled it in sections with cardboard in between so I could get an idea on penetration. The 3/8" steel has 30" of rubber in front of it and I did not have a single bullet go more than 15". The recovered bullets were in great shape (not that it really matters). I think one of them hit another one and that is what the dent is from in it. This looks like it is going to meet my needs for pistol shooting very well. It will be a major PIA to empty and fill back up, but I won't do it but maybe once per year so that won't be bad. I tried to pack it down about 3 times when filling it and marked the top when finished. Picked it up with the forks on my skidsteer and bounced it a few times and the level went down about 2", so I think that will be a good way to get rid of the tunnelling effect. Anyway I said I would give an update when finished. Here is a pic of the bullets I recovered today. I will get some pics sometime this week of the finished product in use.

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll191/kfin_photos/ReloadCasting/506a25a9-d36d-4a25-a9d3-c9251f284fc1.jpg (http://s288.photobucket.com/user/kfin_photos/media/ReloadCasting/506a25a9-d36d-4a25-a9d3-c9251f284fc1.jpg.html)

[OS OK]

161446We tested a new .45ACP carbine yesterday and spent 96 rounds into this cheap little trash can target/mulch interior. Our groups were all less than 3 or 4 inches. Each magazine full we shot at a different spot which was at least 6 inches away from the previous target center (spot). I figured that the new spot alignment would cause the last/previous tunneling effect to collapse as a new one tried to form. It worked, no escapees from either side or rear of trash can. This method worked fine just rotating spot center alignment in front of only 4 different locations. I have targets that have 5 different small bulls on the same paper (aprox. 20" tall X 14" wide, or so) those target papers should do the same.
That white corrugated piece of plastic target backer is stapled onto the replaceable wood front just to back the paper target and provide us with clean cut target holes, behind it the wood is all shot out. The bags that the mulch came in are all stacked on top of the mulch and just behind the shot out wood, they keep the mulch inside.

You'll have to adapt as you go, all said thus far, these are pretty effective cheap lead traps.

OS OK

[tomf52]

Truck mud flaps from local auto parts store for front cover/mulch retainer. Tough and cheap.