Using sand bags to reuse cast boolit lead.

[ell198679]

I plan on using a couple sand bags to shoot into, then use a filter to remove the lead from the bags. I know sands bags are excellent at stopping bullets, so my only concern is if the sand will fragment the bullets to the point that they are impossible to find. Anyone else try this? The idea seems good since you could keep reusing your lead.. With out spending money on a bullet trap and it will stop almost anything up to magnum rifle rounds.. Any holes in the sand bag could be sealed with duck tape. I would assume at the relatively low velocity of around 1,800 FPS, fragmentation of the cast boolit will be minimal.

[blikseme300]

At 1800fps there will not be much left of the boolits. Using sand to capture boolits works ok for pistol but not for rifle in my experience.

[ell198679]

As long as they are not in extremely small pieces it would be fine. If they fragmented into 3 pieces or so it would still be okay, just as long as they are not pulverized. I guess I will have to just try and see.

[375RUGER]

Why sand bags? They won't be worth patching after you pump 50 rounds into one. Why not just built yerself a 3 sided box out of railroad ties or some timbers and fill it with sand, then occasionally screen it to recover the lead?
FYI a .45 ACP at 900 fps will penetrate about 12 inches of dry sand, clean through a 9" sand bag.

[trapper9260]

I made a some what box of 2x6 and about 4'x4' and chip board on one side stack up and 2x8 for the back and I fill the space in between with sand and find the bullets after.and what ever else i shot into it .hope this help

[357maximum]

Look around for bulk "shredded rubber landscape mulch" recylcled and ground tires are THEEE best thing since sliced bread for catching bullets/boolits at any launch speed. Just do not buy it bagged...too much money that way. A 3X3X3 foot box will catch all but some of the African rifle calibers.....just resist the urge to re-shoot the boolits when you sort them out......it hardly blemishes some boolits/bullets. :lol:

[Vinne]

357 is right. Works great for indoor ranges too!!

[ell198679]

I think I am going to go the shredded rubber route. Seems easier to deal then sand and less likely to fragment the rounds... Thanks. I bought some today and going to put it in sand bags. I might try both to see which one I like more.

[markshere2]

There's 33 pages of experience here

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?26627-Bullet-trap-ideas-for-recycling-lead

I personally hate to waste time re-inventing an already round wheel.

[ell198679]

Okay thanks.. I know that one can make a bullet trap I am going shooting this weekend want to save the lead and don't have the time to make one. Maybe, one day I will though.

[TXGunNut]

Just remember, NO tracer or other incendiary rounds. Happened at an indoor range near here.

[nekshot]

I have 2 target boxes with sand and when I clean out next time I am switching to ground rubber mulch. I never have been able to reclaim the amount of lead I was expecting to reclaim.
nekshot

[jmorris]

Just remember, NO tracer or other incediary rounds. Happened at an indoor range near here.


Yes, 4 alarm fire burned up in Feb looking to open back up in Aug.

Any bets on if they use rubber again?

Steel traps only sound expensive when you buy or build them. Years down the road they will seem like a sound investment.

[jmorris]

There was another range here, Dallas pistol club, that didn't have a sufficient back stop. Back in the '90s a boy was killed watching an air rifle match in an adjacent building.

[Janoosh]

I saw that video. That was a magic bullet. And lack of range maintenence. And the shooter was in front of the firing line. All compiled to tragically end a life. Pelletized rubber is the way to go.