Truck Tire and Steel Plate = Lead Trap?

[rbertalotto]

I'm thinking about a way yo reclaim my lead. When shooting at a steel plate on wet ground it is pretty clear that lead bullets simply exit the steel plate at 90 degrees.

So how about putting a round steel plate on an old truck or tractor tire and collect the brass within the tire?

[Hawkeye45]

Please be aware that if the steel plate is surrounded by the tire that if you hit the tire, that boolit could go anywhere including back toward you. I have seen it happen too many times. Be careful .

Mr. Ed

[CastingFool]

You mean the lead within the tire?

[rbertalotto]

My plan would be at 200 yards for a rifle. Not concerned about bounce back at that distance.

[gray wolf]

A 90* hit straight on, will most times relate to a 20* dispersal of the lead as it leaves the plate.
Common Steel ( none AR 500 ) can and will get divots -craters- once that happens all bets are off and rounds can come back at the shooter and the dispersal radius is uncertain.

http://www.alloutdoor.com/2014/03/10/understanding-safety-steel-targets/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=2014-03-18&utm_campaign=Weekly+Newsletter

[rbertalotto]

I would certainly use ar500 or hard surfaced steel.

[762 shooter]

Shredded rubber mulch from a big box store is the best bullet/boolit stopper I have found.

762

[C. Latch]

I've toyed with the idea of making a plywood box, backing the rear with a plate (I have spare AR500 targets laying around that'd be perfect), and filling it with rubber mulch.

I've also thought about bolting some 6" thick boards to the front of one of those AR500 plates. a 12x12" square of 6" thick wood with a steel plate backer ought to stop most lead; when it's worn out just remove the plate and light the boards on fire over a pan.

[Artful]

Well, I don't see why this wouldn't work
- but I would cut the tire in half so that you can dump it easily instead of picking thru it.

You have seen the thread where it was discussed about boolit traps before - right?
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?26627-Bullet-trap-ideas-for-recycling-lead

another thread
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?21235-my-bullet-trap

[Nrut]

I think it will work Roy...
I wouldn't be worried one bit about ricochet either at 200 yards with cast bullets..

[propwashp47]

I am using a tip or to from the link in artful post#9. some one was using the 120 gal trash cans with rubber mulch. I am using cut up tire side walls 4x6 in size the cans will set behind 2 bulkheads the 1st one next to the can is 4x4 post with 6x2 nailed a crossed front and back with thick rubber floor mats tiles 24x24 in 5/8 in thick. in front of that is a bulkhead with a sheet of chipboard and 2x4s/ it will allow two shooters with full size qualifying targets. I thing it will work very well. wood have tried it this afternoon with new 45-70 high wall but had to get bad bugs out of the computer instead.

[KYCaster]

You mean the lead within the tire?

No, a round that impacts the tire and does not penetrate can rebound at nearly the same velocity as the impact.


My plan would be at 200 yards for a rifle. Not concerned about bounce back at that distance.

See above......a round that does not penetrate can rebound at nearly the same velocity as the impact. More distance does not necessarily make you safe.

Jerry

[uscra112]

I'm with KYCaster. And I've actually been present to see this happen ! Truck tires are amazingly tough. Why that range operator had them downrange is anybody's guess, but the splintered wood by the firing point made him rethink the decision in a hurry. "Only" a 9mm round, but it would have been lethal.

[Rex]

We have used a large truck tire with steel plate bolted to the back side and a piece of 3/4" particle board screwed to the tire on the front side to stop "bounce back". It worked for us.

[huntrick64]

Since you stated you had 200 yds to shoot, I'm assuming you have some space. The best (as in cheapest, and most effective) backstop I have ever seen is to just order a load of coarse sand, dump it out, and plan Bermuda grass on it.

Advantages:
1. way bigger than a truck tire, so it's easier to hit
2. Bullets don't splatter when they hit so you can mine them later
3. That bermuda grass will hold the berm together like glue so it wont wash away over time
4. way cheaper than steel or ground up rubber chips
5. easy digging when you have to mine your boolits out to remelt
6 and on and on and on

Disavantages:

1. not portable

[dudel]

You don't say what you plan to be shooting at the tire; but I've had 9mm, 45 ACP lodge in a steel belted truck tire. Made recovery a real pain.

I went with 3x4 landscape timbers. Stacked them against vertical 4x4 and screwed them to the verticals. Behind the timbers is a 1/2" steel plate leaning against the verticals. Anything that makes it through the timbers, impacts the and goes to the ground. When a timber gets too shot up, I burn it standing up in a bucket. It's been safe so far.

I have truck tires on the back of the steel plate, but that's only to deaden the ringing noise.

[Lance Boyle]

At initial look it sounds like a good idea. I've shot lots of lead and jacketed at AR500 targets and you do see a mostly radial dispersion of bullet particles. A huge portion of that is made into particles too small to recover. Typically I'd see a little stub of bullet base near the steel target.

I've been to old ranges with tires used as structure inside the berm and the berm dirt cover thickness not maintained. The annoying buzzing sound coming back was NOT mosquitos. Use caution if going that route.

As far as I know they still recommend waste tires as an interior dirt holding honey comb structure for berm building but there is a minimum thickness of rock and rubber free dirt facing.

I've considered having made a larger .22 rimfire trap to get the lead back for casting purposes.

[garym1a2]

Florida sand works great, I just recover my boolits once a year. Its safe and the boolits are whole.
Since you stated you had 200 yds to shoot, I'm assuming you have some space. The best (as in cheapest, and most effective) backstop I have ever seen is to just order a load of coarse sand, dump it out, and plan Bermuda grass on it.

Advantages:
1. way bigger than a truck tire, so it's easier to hit
2. Bullets don't splatter when they hit so you can mine them later
3. That bermuda grass will hold the berm together like glue so it wont wash away over time
4. way cheaper than steel or ground up rubber chips
5. easy digging when you have to mine your boolits out to remelt
6 and on and on and on

Disavantages:

1. not portable

[NVScouter]

No on the flat plat but if you angle it into a tractor tire I bet you catch a ton of it. Also put plywood over the opening to mount targets too and catch the little stuff.

That being said if you want to reclaim mining is easy in dirt and the boolits wont splat as much as steel hits. I bet you could reclaim more.

[Harter66]

I went to a BP event, they used a plate and a 50 width car tires ,18 s were nice.