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Thread: Pellet Trap trial and error

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
    Mal Paso's Avatar
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    Pellet Trap trial and error

    I had a simple trap with a 16ga steel backstop at 90*. Pellets were escaping and the 16ga was getting beat up. I had some 1/8 thick "once fired" scrap that I used for the new backstop at 45* and bent the 16 ga lower box on a HF brake. I used a piece of 1 1/2 strap across the front at a steep angle to retain the pellets. Didn't work, first photo, helped pellets to escape so I replaced it with a 1/4x5/16 bar, top angled toward the inside. 120V Portable MIG did the welding. I cut the steel with a Diablo 7 1/4 metal blade and a framing saw.

    With the backstop at 45* the pellets still disintegrate but I am retaining 99%. Still looking for better, whole pellets will reduce oxidation and loss but this will do for now. The target is held with spring clips, which I forgot, so I used a split twig for the session I photographed.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails PelletTrap1.jpg   PelletTrap2.jpg   PelletTrap3.jpg  
    Mal

    Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.

  2. #2
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    I made a plywood one about 6" thick, taped a 1" thick piece of hard foam insulation to the front, filled it with rubber mulch, works GREAT!
    Got a .22 .30 .32 .357 .38 .40 .41 .44 .45 .480 or .500 S&W cylinder that needs throats honed? 9mm, 10mm/40S&W, 45 ACP pistol barrel that won't "plunk" your handloads? 480 Ruger or 475 Linebaugh cylinder that needs the "step" reamed to 6° 30min chamfer? Click here to send me a PM You can also find me on Facebook Click Here.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy dave 45-90's Avatar
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    Rubber mulch and a cardboard or any kind box for that matter. I have a small upright refrig. with converted door of plywood that I use to trap all pistol bullets. Rifle too. 1/4 inch plate in back. Nothing has gotten to the plate yet. I use it for a target range in my shop
    NRA Endowment

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    1" of electrical putty in the back of a junction box is perfect, no noise, no splatter or bounce back. No lead dust. They do fill up with paper dots after a while and you should peel out the potato chip of impacted lead now and then.

  5. #5
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    My first one was a 12x12x3 wooden box filled with duct seal. I even had a picture light on it and it hung on my wall in my condo for many years. I lost it in a move and I really wish I had it back.

    Now I have a very heavy cardboard box filled with phone books. Works well but I need to rotate the box as the front is getting pretty much used up.

    Beeman's sold a box like mine with clay or something in it for many years. That's where I got the idea for mine. They are silent and every once in a while you have to dig a gob of pellets out and smooth the clay over but it is no biggie.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    I use a 22lr snail trap I bought off of CL. They sell some nice pellet traps pretty cheap, some less than $20.

    https://www.amazon.com/Sig-Sauer-at-.../dp/B01GMKCJDW

    https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=bullet%20trap

  7. #7
    Boolit Master BNE's Avatar
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    I like the split twig! Great improvisation.
    I'm a Happy Clinger.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    You can also hang a mud flap on the front of what you have & staple the targets to it.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
    Mal Paso's Avatar
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    Great Stuff!

    I think I will weld up a spinner or two for the existing box and switch to rubber mulch or DS for targets. There's an 8x8x6 J box on the pile that should work. They are 16ga. Duck Shi! is inexpensive and the electric supply is closer than HD. The DS we have here is dull green and looks like what it's called. LOL
    Mal

    Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master Drew P's Avatar
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    Yes hang rubber sheet behind targets and the pellets will shed a lot of energy going through it als not be able to come back out. I’m using a 3/4” stall mat for the more powerful pcp and they can barely make it through that, but the rubber heals itself well.

  11. #11
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mal Paso View Post
    Great Stuff!

    I think I will weld up a spinner or two for the existing box and switch to rubber mulch or DS for targets. There's an 8x8x6 J box on the pile that should work. They are 16ga. Duck Shi! is inexpensive and the electric supply is closer than HD. The DS we have here is dull green and looks like what it's called. LOL
    The stuff I used was called Mo-Tac and I got it when we did the changeover at Busch Gardens in 81-82 it was dark brown.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  12. #12
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    I use a large paving slab angled forwards at about 15 degrees, leaning on 2 vertical bricks on each side. A piece of cardboard goes between the 2 bricks across the front of the slab. The target is stapled to the cardboard.


    The pellets won't break the slab and all end up between it and the cardboard.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    I built mine with wood, using the roadside political/realty signs as pellet stops.

    Mounted it on a flat screen TV arm, I can swing it back and forth so it is out of the way from either my plywood rack or the big door to the shed. Don't need to whack my head on it when I'm riding the Harley back into the shed.

    I pick up the illegal signs off the side of the road on a regular basis, they work great, my IZH-46 makes it through about 5 layers of the corrugated plastic material.

    And being political season, there are a huge amount of the signs out there at every intersection.

    They make a great backer, nice clean cuts on target paper with wadcutters.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Rip them to width on the tablesaw so it is a slip-fit, the pellets either get trapped in the plastic sheets or drop to the bottom, most eventually drop to the bottom as you shoot.
    Last edited by 15meter; 08-29-2020 at 11:30 AM.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    The one thing i learned about pellet traps is to eliminate any bounce.
    To trap the pellets better you need to rob them of there energy. As kids that was phone books, old wool blankets and such.
    These work well but are small. They are also a bit noisy.
    https://www.amazon.com/Gamo-62122043.../dp/B000KKENMQ
    My current trap is a basic target frame with a very heavy rubber mat screwed to the back. With a loose hanging piece of carpet just behind the target backer. The pellets collect on the lower 2x4 cross section.

  15. #15
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    no longer had my dad's welder so many years ago i bought a champion .22 trap and it does yeoman service for pellets and standard .22 rimfire. i think i paid $60 shipped but see them going for lots more now. it sees weekly use year 'round.


  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Build a scroll type from 1/8" plate and a piece of 3-5" steel tubing. A vee flowing into the pipe so pellets spin inside expending there energy with little transfer to the trap. One late flows into the tube straight on the other is angled and inserted slightly thru the pipe. 12" X 12" is a good size. A bucket sits under the open bottom of the tube and catches the pellets as they drop out.

    Building one isnt hard and When done last for many years with no maintenance or upkeep. A big help is to glue carpet to the out side to deaden the ring of it.

    I built one for 22 shorts it worked well and held up great. When fired into you could hear the bullet spinning inside the tube

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
    Mal Paso's Avatar
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    It would have to have steeper angle sides as my 900 fps soft lead pellets disintegrate at 45 degrees. I'm thinking 10-15 degrees from the flight path. I'll lay that out later and see how long the funnel needs to be. I'm also thinking of 1/4" steel and see if it will take 44s at 10-15 degrees. I have some 6 inch sch 40 steel pipe that is about 1/4" thick too. Hmmm
    Mal

    Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Another thing is a frame with a hanging bed sheet Hang from one end only and leave the rest free. Shot in the center pellets wont penetrate and the bed sheet absorbs the energy with out damage to capture pellets sew a open seam to form a pocket across the bottom. this needs to hang away from the wall so it can flow back and not be restricted. The sheet needs to hang freely like when pined to a clothes line.

    When shot it will billow back and absorb the energy the hang down again. The pellet energy expended slide down the sheet into the pocket across the bottom. This is probably the "softest" stop you can get. It should keep the pellets pretty much intact.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mal Paso View Post
    I'm also thinking of 1/4" steel and see if it will take 44s at 10-15 degrees. I have some 6 inch sch 40 steel pipe that is about 1/4" thick too. Hmmm
    My, what big pellets you have..........

    The scope of the project seems to have grown, I've NEVER had that happen to me

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
    Mal Paso's Avatar
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    I tried to use Sketchup to draw the collector but after waiting several times for it to load I got out my Starette degree attachment and roughed it in. At 15 degrees the sides need to be 20 and 5/8 long with the big end 12"x12" and the small 1". I will likely reduce the small end to 3/4 wide.

    I just ordered Auto Sketch, 12 year old software to lay this out. It amazes me that the best and only decent 2D software is no longer made and no one has filled the gap. A drawing program should be as common as text editing by now.

    Anyway it looks to be about 28 inches long with a 6" ID pipe for the decelerator.

    I'm still going to do a strictly pellet trap but I need to figure materials so I can get this on my next steel order which may be a while.
    Mal

    Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check