targets

[BunkTheory]

what is the general rule of thumb for construction of a rubber mulch target?

[NyFirefighter357]

It somewhat depends on what you intend to shoot it with. If your not shooting high powered stuff you can probably get away with a horse stall mat wrapped inside a wide Rubbermaid garbage can filled with rubber mulch or crumb standing upright with a 45lb weight plate on top to keep it compressed and just use the cover to seal it. If your looking to stop a train you'll want a 55gal drum with a clamp on type of lid, packed tight with rubber & sealed with a horse stall mat on top of the lid. Screw the mat to the outside and you'll be able to use push pins to hold your targets.

https://youtu.be/YT8YCey0hPE

https://youtu.be/xh5eTzSRnQA

[Froogal]

Actually, a stack of worn out steel belted radial tires will pretty much stop everything except maybe .223s and above. 9mm, .38 special, .357, and ,45 Colt will be stopped dead when they hit those tires. Might penetrate a bit, but will not go through.

[BunkTheory]

I was thinking one of the lubriplate 1/4 drums filled with the rubber mulch.

Not expecting more then a 357 magnum

[NyFirefighter357]

I was thinking one of the lubriplate 1/4 drums filled with the rubber mulch.

Not expecting more then a 357 magnum

That will work too, same idea as the 55gal drum. Would you stand it up or use it horizontally? Either way you should be fine. I would stand it upright with a stall mat wrapped inside & the mulch packed tight & weighed down, from what I've seen the mulch tends to settle more than the crumbles.

[Rizzo]

what is the general rule of thumb for construction of a rubber mulch target?

Well, I use sand in mine.
24"x18"x 10" deep.

2x10 box construction with old plywood for front and back screwed on.
Mounted on 2 vertical 2x4's about 4 ft. high.

Unscrew the front and screen the sand with 1/4" wire cloth into a wheelbarrow to reclaim the lead.
Sand flows better than rubber mulch.

Hope that helped.

[BunkTheory]

the theory i read online is that the mulch will float in water, and the lead wont....

[ulav8r]

From https://rmrc.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Mechanical-Properties-and-Mass-Behavior-of-Shredded-Tire-Soil-Mixtures.pdf, quote "The specific gravity of tire chips is slightly greater than water, and ranges between 1.08 and 1.36 depending on the metal content [9, 10]. Tire chips devoid of
metal have an average specific gravity of about 1.15. In most cases, however, the specific gravity of
tire chips is about 1.20 [1]. "

The water would have to have salt or some other substance dissolved in it to raise the density in order for the chips to float.