Bullet trap ?

[jack19512]

Recently I was told by my last free WW supplier that they had to start saving and turning in their old weights. So, I got to thinking although I think I have enough saved up to last me, what would it take to build a portable bullet trap that I could take with me and recoup my lead?

Just about all of my cast loads are reduced loads but even at reduced loads my 45/70 packs a wallop when it hits so the back portion of the trap would probably have to be pretty thick metal.

Anyone else ever build a portable bullet trap that worked for them and want to share your build ideas? I know I could probably just buy lead if needed but not knowing what the future holds at least with the trap I would be assured I would have lead in the future. :)

[dubber123]

On the special projects page here on the forum, there is a thread about boolit traps, you can see a pretty good picture of Lloyd Smales trap. It should give you some ideas.

[redgum]

take a look at this thread for some ideas:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=22693&page=2

[wmitty]

Jack

I'm interested in trying to save the spent bullets also, as I do much more target shooting than hunting these days. I made up a wooden box which allowed for a thickness of 1 foot of pea gravel to be placed inside - this indeed would stop all projectiles I fired into it, but there were no bullets salvaged when I removed the contents! I found that the bullets had broken into tiny fragments upon impact. If you go with a cohesionless material I'd suggest a fine grade of sand. I didn't try it in the box because I was already having a problem with the pea gravel dribbling out thru the bullet holes in the front of the box. I'm currently trying mud flaps off of trucks but this doesn't seem like the perfect solution , either. i'd be interested to hear other ideas on this also.

[Lloyd Smale]

I like my trap but ill tell you another way to save bullets if you live up north. Shoot into a pile of snow. It doesnt take much snow to stop a bullet. I plow it up behind the backstop and in the spring the bullets are laying on top of the ground.

[jack19512]

Thanks for the replies. The trap with the shredded tires I think might work well. I have to come up with something to save at least part or hopefully most of my lead. I can't see having to start buying lead if it is even going to be available to me for purchase in the future. You never know what the future holds for us shooters. :confused:

[hunter64]

I have two solutions, one cheap and easy and the other more expensive.

1. Get a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with dry sand and put the lid on it . Lay it down and shoot into the lid. What I do is lay an old towel or blanket in front of the bucket so when you start to shoot and the sand starts to come out thru the holes that you have just shot thru the lid, it will go onto the towel and you can pick it up easier afterwords. If you are shooting .22 you can go a long time before you have to tip the bucket up and replace the lid. After you are done your day of shooting then get two more buckets and empty the sand into them all equally so you can carry it back to your truck without giving yourself a hernia.

2. At the shooting range I go to a guy welded up a trap that is basically the same as what is found here. http://www.snailtraps.com/ As the bullet enters the trap it goes around and around inside the drum and drops out the bottom. He made it out of 3/8 steel and it was about 30-40 pounds but you could shoot anything lead into it and sure enough it would catch them in a small tray he had in the bottom of the trap. It worked great and he just empties the tray when he changes the target into a pail off to the side.

He took a 10" steel pipe that he got from a recycler and it was about 16" long and cut it in half. He welded it basically the same as the snailtraps web site shows and made a small tray underneath that you pulled out the back to empty the bullets. He welded a handle onto the top of it and that was about it.