What Do You Use For Backstop?

A great quiet backstop is a cardboard box filled with old clothes. A good strong box that is at least 12”x12” and pack tight with old clothes will do the job and be very quiet in the process. The bigger the box the better. The pellets stay safely contained in the box for later disposal.
Kenny
 
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Ground squirrels!
Good one Gerry!
I use the Champion bullet traps-they work OK if a bit noisy. I put cardboard across the front to contain the splatter as some lead will come out the front and stand them on milk crates or concrete blocks.
I have a cautionary word for those using cardboard boxes filled with old clothes-mice can get in there, the coyotes then tear the box to shreds and spread the pellets and clothes all over! (ask me how I found out!) Clean-up is not fun! Probably OK if the box is sealed up tight but be aware of the possibility.
 
Dump everything into a 5 gal. I met of water. The mulch will float.
The stuff I have. Old shreded tires, will not float. Sad to say. Stops pellets great. Just use a hand garden trowel to help get the pellets to the bottom, DRY. Have I said that the older you get the more 'things' are just a pain in the butt.
 
A few years ago, I designed a really nice pellet/slug backstop - [that I use for Indoor-Shooting]

You can check it all out here ----> INDOOR RANGE SETUP VERSION 2.0 on AirGunNation. 🤘
Trim wood, Sheetrock screws, and 'Rubber Stall Mat' and the mat is 1.5 inches thick.
It's been able to handle short-range hits THOUSANDS OF TIMES from .22 and .25 cal.

Sam -
PS: Attaching a pic from my original thread:

1553190464_10631000635c93ce405d0bd3.50781957_2 BACKSTOP RIGHT Small.jpg
 
As soon as I get a minute, for my basement shooting, I am going to make a trap out of 3/4” plywood. The back will be on a 45° angle and be a piece of 1/4” thick 80 durometer neoprene rubber. It will look similar to the attached photo. It will probably sit on top of a 5 gallon pail so the pellets end up in a 4 or 5” layer of sand.
Perhaps I’ll buy the pictured trap and add the rubber sheet to the inclined surface, primarily to deaden the sound.

9050E268-41C8-4DCB-A594-9C71BA1663BD.jpeg
 
Hello everyone,

I have several "backstops" / "Pellet Traps" .

I have one that has wheel for my "roll around" target and any distance. Backing plate also 1/8" mild steel. I use this a lot for shooting @tcarlson777 30-Yard Challenge because it can be set up out behind my 25-yard target. ( first photo )

I also have two Big Bang Pellet Trap that I can use both indoors and outdoors. I have been shooting almost everyday during the cold and bad weather with these set up inside my shop at 15-feet. ( second photo )

I have two steel backstops that I use for 25 out to 75 yard target shooting, ( third photos ) Made from 1/8" mild steel plate.

ThomasT
Penny Arcade-1A.jpg
Big Bang Pellet Trap 23.20.jpg
Spinner-106.jpg
 
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Hello everyone,

I have several "backstops" / "Pellet Traps" .

I have one that has wheel for my "roll around" target and any distance. Backing plate also 1/8" mild steel. I use this a lot for shooting @tcarlson777 30-Yard Challenge because it can be set up out behind my 25-yard target. ( first photo )

I also have two Big Bang Pellet Trap that I can use both indoors and outdoors. I have been shooting almost everyday during the cold and bad weather with these set up inside my shop at 15-feet. ( second photo )

I have two steel backstops that I use for 25 out to 75 yard target shooting, ( third photos ) Made from 1/8" mild steel plate.

ThomasTView attachment 328497View attachment 328498View attachment 328496
I'm just plain jealous! And no snow!? 😅🤣😂
 
My main pellet trap is an old electrical box meant to hold a few breakers I found in my shed. The front face is a little bigger than a 8.5x11 inch target. It is about 3 inches deep and made of mild steel about 1/16 thick. I took the cover off and the insides out and screwed on 3/4x3/4 pieces of wood to fasten a cardboard face to. Inside I put shreaded rubber mulch. My most powerful PCP is only about 42 fpe, it shoots FX 25.4s about 930 fps. I have dented the back of the trap a few times when the rubber mulch slumped. I'm pretty sure I could shoot it with 33.95s going close to 900 fps without them going through.

It is not hard to separate rubber mulch from pellets. Just dump the mess out and use a lawn blower on it. The pellets will move a lot less than the mulch and cardboard/paper fragments.

I don't miss my trap very often but if I do the pellet just goes into the lake. I also have some swinging targets (know your limits) and I put 2x2 foot concrete pavers behind them to avoid shots going into the lake. The area behind the 1/4 and 1/2 inch targets is getting some pretty deep craters from misses. I will have to turn them over soon and eventually replace them.