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Thread: Backstop ideas

  1. #1
    Boolit Master dudel's Avatar
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    Backstop ideas

    Those of you who built your own backstops, would you mind sharing some ideas?

    I built mine from landscape timbers, backed up by some steel belted truck tires. The individual timbers can be replaced if/when they get too shot up. There is a plywood sheet hanging in front to make it easier to afix targets. It's got a bit of sway to help boolits dump some energy (at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it!). I've not gotten any return fire from 22lr, 9mm, 38spl, 357Mag, 30 carbine, ACP/GAP or .223. Range is generally 30-40 yards (depending on where I left the bench). At the bottom of the trap is a steel swinger and two of the orange plastic pivot targets.

    It works well enough, but I'd like to recover more of the lead from it. Curious what y'all have built to make it easier to recover the lead. Looking for ideas in sand filled traps (not quite ready to build a huge metal trap (yet).

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    dudel:

    Look in the "Classic Stickies" section of this forum. There's a thread that deals with nothing but BackStop designs and ideas. Some pretty clever setups there.

    I have drawn plans to build one for myself but, since it will be made to catch 45 caliber air rifle bullets I don't think it's what most shooters would consider an alternative for their powder burning guns.

    My design is more of a 50-to-100 yard kevlar-catchers-mitt with a velcro'd break-away back end onto which are attached three small florescent colored parachutes. (similar to a drag-chute on a dragster)

    If my calculations are correct it should be able to catch a 240 grain 45 caliber slug doing up to 900 fps. The nice thing for me is that it folds away into a light weight carry pouch.

    I needed it to be able to catch my bullets in order to inspect its terminal ballistics/ impact damage. I'm hoping that by studying them I determine what bullet design tweaking may work out better for me.

    HollowPoint

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    I just made a simple hill of sand. After I shoot a bunch I digout the boolits and recycle them.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

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    Locksmith near me, who is approaching his long overdue retirement, has a 7-foot tall, 4-foot wide, 3-foot deep safe, without front door, entirely of 1-inch thick steel plate weighing in at a slender 4,000 pounds that could double as a "boolet trap".
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy Centaur 1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Land Owner View Post
    Locksmith near me, who is approaching his long overdue retirement, has a 7-foot tall, 4-foot wide, 3-foot deep safe, without front door, entirely of 1-inch thick steel plate weighing in at a slender 4,000 pounds that could double as a "boolet trap".
    Give it a plywood door and fill that thing with rubber landscape mulch. When you're ready to reclaim the lead just open the door so everything falls out onto a tarp. You should be able to use a leaf rake to seperate the rubber from the lead.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    Centaur 1, from where you are, YOU could be its next owner. The lock smith is on Merritt Island across from Home Depot. Moving it is going to be a handful. I do not believe he is offering it for free. I didn't ask his price. How is the fragmented lead separated from the rubberized mulch? Most will be easily retrieved. Some will be lost to fragmentation and stuck in the mulch.
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  7. #7
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    Dudel, I use simple backstops/boolit traps made from wooden boxes built on stands and filled wtih sand. I use 2x8 yellow pine for the bottom, sides, and partitions, 7/16" OSB for the front and back, and asphalt sheathing as an extra layer on the front to attach targets and help seal boolit holes. I make these 4 feet square and fill with used, screened, dry #5 blasting sand I get for free. As a finishing touch I put a "roof" of flashing tin over the top to keep rain out and give a little shade. When the front is so shot out that the sand leaks down, I park a wheel barrow under the trap and unscrew the front sheathing and OSB panel allowing the sand/boolits to drop into it for screening and return to the trap. The front is replaced and sand refilled after recycling. If you keep it full of sand it will stop anything up to .30-'06 and hold 200 lbs of lead before recycling.

    For live-action target use, I put a shelf out front of the backstop on which to set cans and suspend self-healing reaction targets. The boolits go straight through and into the trap.

    Gear

  8. #8
    Boolit Lady tommygirlMT's Avatar
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    Firewood Pile = Backstop

    Very simple --- very effective. Lead recovery rate unfortionatly is less then half (bottom of ash pan) too much of it gets completely oxidized in the extended heat --- EPA would probably flip out too if they tested the smoke from the chimney or the ash

  9. #9
    Boolit Master dudel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by geargnasher View Post
    Dudel, I use simple backstops/boolit traps made from wooden boxes built on stands and filled wtih sand. I use 2x8 yellow pine for the bottom, sides, and partitions, 7/16" OSB for the front and back, and asphalt sheathing as an extra layer on the front to attach targets and help seal boolit holes. I make these 4 feet square and fill with used, screened, dry #5 blasting sand I get for free. As a finishing touch I put a "roof" of flashing tin over the top to keep rain out and give a little shade. When the front is so shot out that the sand leaks down, I park a wheel barrow under the trap and unscrew the front sheathing and OSB panel allowing the sand/boolits to drop into it for screening and return to the trap. The front is replaced and sand refilled after recycling. If you keep it full of sand it will stop anything up to .30-'06 and hold 200 lbs of lead before recycling.

    Gear

    Great idea Gear. I'll see about building some this weekend.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Land Owner View Post
    How is the fragmented lead separated from the rubberized mulch?.
    I think mulch floats.
    Shovel the pile into a tank of water (a portion at a time) and screen off the floating rubber. Whatever is left in the tank after the whole pile has been processed is fodder for the smelting pot.
    CM
    Retired...TWICE. Now just raisin' cows and livin' on borrowed time.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master



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    Quote Originally Posted by montana_charlie View Post
    I think mulch floats.
    Shovel the pile into a tank of water (a portion at a time) and screen off the floating rubber. Whatever is left in the tank after the whole pile has been processed is fodder for the smelting pot.
    CM
    AFTER you dry it out.
    Marty-hiding out in the hills.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master leeggen's Avatar
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    just finish mine today.24in. deep 38in. highby 45in.wideAttachment 70864Attachment 70865Attachment 70866
    Made from a 250 gal. plastic tank. framed in with 2x6 pt. then filled sand bags with wet sand and pack them in a staggered system. Filled all crack with loose sand and packe it tight. When I shoot enough lead into it I'll mine it back out. By useing bags all I have todo is remove and replace shot up ones. Screen sand and reuse lead and sand. She will hold a full 2000LB of sandwhen filled! Now to test tomorrow-30-06//270//243//32sw//40s&w beretta
    CD
    Last edited by leeggen; 05-17-2013 at 01:20 AM.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master dakotashooter2's Avatar
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    My community is just cleaning up from our flood fight so I have access to all the sandbags I want. I have been hauling about 40 a day for the last week to build up my backstop. I figure the front layer of bags will get shot out and I will just rebuild the front with the extras I have in the back. We will probably have another flood about the time I need more sandbags.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master leeggen's Avatar
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    sorry to hear about the flooding.
    But congrates on the sandbags.
    CD

  15. #15
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    Just something to think about. Sandbags seem to have about a 6 month lifespan.After the sun gets finished with them they just fall apart. Try to cover up the spares to preserve them a bit.

    gmsharps

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master

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    The classic threads does have a whole section on backstops and is where I got my ideas from. I ended up getting 3 plastic barrels from work where I have a steady supply of all that I want. I put two on the bottom then filled the 3rd with about 1ft of wet sand, stuffed some blow in insulation on top of it to keep it in place and used a piece of landscaping fabric over the insulation to keep that in place and placed the barrel on top of the bottom 2 in a pyramid. I can clip a target onto the edges of the barrel and shoot away. I use it for pistols only and it works fine. Tried out 17gr of 2400 over 255gr boolit from my 45Colt this week and it stopped it fine so I can't think of anything short of a 500 I might shoot in a pistol that would go through it and if it does then it won't have much left to it.
    In a couple of months I'll tip the barrel over onto a tarp and collect the lead, refill it and start over
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

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  17. #17
    Boolit Master

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    A lot of these ideas are really cool! I have to admit to a less ambitious design. When we bought our ten acres 13 years ago we decided we needed a tractor. Nowadays you couldn't make me go into debt on a bet but then we made payments for five years. To police my dirt berm I just use the loader. If I need more material I just go scoop some up. Anybody could have a really nice backstop with a half day tractor rental. It is important to have a steep front on the berm, so repair is needed on at least a yearly basis. Otherwise you could get ricochets.

    I just pick up the lead as it washes out following a rain and just before I shoot.

    I have 25, 50, and 100 yard berms.
    "Is all this REALLY necessary?"

  18. #18
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    41 mag fan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by geargnasher View Post
    Dudel, I use simple backstops/boolit traps made from wooden boxes built on stands and filled wtih
    sand. I use 2x8 yellow pine for the bottom, sides, and partitions, 7/16" OSB for the front and back, and asphalt sheathing as an extra layer on the front to attach targets and help seal boolit holes. I make these 4 feet square and fill with used, screened, dry #5 blasting sand I get for free. As a finishing touch I put a "roof" of flashing tin over the top to keep rain out and give a little shade. When the front is so shot out that the sand leaks down, I park a wheel barrow under the trap and unscrew the front sheathing and OSB panel allowing the sand/boolits to drop into it for screening and return to the trap. The front is replaced and sand refilled after recycling. If you keep it full of sand it will stop anything up to .30-'06 and hold 200 lbs of lead before recycling.

    For live-action target use, I put a shelf out front of the backstop on which to set cans and suspend self-healing reaction targets. The boolits go straight through and into the trap.

    Gear

    Gear,
    Is there any way you could post a pic of your boolit trap? It really sounds like a fantastic idea of how you have yours set up. I've got an idea of making me one and your post helped me to get the idea of what I want to build.

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy
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    I'm doing the same. I made an 18 inch box out of plywood. I put a steel plate in the back, then fill it with old newspapers or sheets of scrap plywood. Then a fresh sheet of plywood or chipboard goes on the front to keep the stuffins on the inside. It's working great so far, I'm going to have to harvest the boolits soon, it's got about 150 357's in it.

    Here she is, plate is in the back and I'm using some metal rods to hold the plywood on in the front

    http://

  20. #20
    Boolit Master




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    That's pretty cool lead.
    I'm thinking it's time to dust off the saws and get me something built. I was using a berm in the back we had put in, but i like the box idea with sand.

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