# Appropriate backstop for indoor pistol range



## polar bear (Sep 30, 2008)

I am going to set up a 50 foot pistol range in my barn. Limited to .22 . What is a good barrier behind the targets? It would be nice if we could recover the lead. Thanks, p. bear


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## Rupestris (Aug 25, 2000)

I haven't done it but wet phone books are the back stop of choice for pellets and .22LR at a lot of the shooting/firearm websites like TheHighRoad or TheFiringLine. 

For pellets I hung several layers of carpet with gaps between them as recommended by some archery forums. Seems to work well with less than 1000 FPS air rifles or pistols. I don't know that it'll stop a .22.

I'd test the wet phone books outside to see what kind of penetration you're getting at different ranges and with different ammo before setting up an indoor backstop. You may need to be three or four books deep (depending on the size of the phone book) to be safe. 

Here's some reading material:

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot31.htm


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## jmoser (Sep 11, 2002)

Our club and many others use shredded rubber [tires / conveyor belts, etc.] You can find these in bags sold for landscaping, do some Googling. Look for chips around 3/4" to 2" in size, the really fine shredded stuff works but is messier.

Build an open front plywood frame and fill it with a sloped ramp of the rubber - you could build a regular closed box and fill it straight up but you have to design in a replaceable target backer.

FYI a 'friend of mine' was testing a .22 pistol with Standard Velocity subsonic ammo at 20 ft - penetrated a 2.5" thick Yellow Pages Phone book, a 3/4" pine board, and one side of his steel exterior workshop door . . . . Good thing his wife wasn't home . . .


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## fightem (Sep 21, 2008)

I`m wondering if you could use a pail of dirt or small half barrel of dirt put on a slight angle to hold the dirt in the barrel? Maybe a five gallon bucket with dirt in it maybe hanging on a chain or rope. You could turn it around to keep from making too big of a hole. You could use sand as well. Then when you want to recover the lead just use a screen to reclaim the lead. hey good luck eh?


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## sneakboxer (Oct 28, 2006)

Have you looked in to a bullet trap? midway sells a small one. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=744831

If you were shooting a small target i would center this trap in a wall of sandbags. Google bullet trap, there are some complex designs out there.

Quick question? what is behind your barn? This may play a big part in your design. For example: playground, new truck, wifes garden, open field, or wooded lot. 

Good luck i wish i had an indoor range.


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## slowpoke (Jan 30, 2001)

Stack up some used tires and put sand in them make a good trap outside. I don't know if that will work for you in a barn but it should and not cost much.


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## polar bear (Sep 30, 2008)

I wonder if I took a 4' x 8' piece of osb and cut it in half. Then took the two 4' x4' pieces and nailed three 4' two by fours along three sides making a thin open -ended box 4' x4' x 3 1/2 ". I could then fill it from the open top end with either the rubber pieces in a previous post or perhaps sand. Think it would work or too thin? 
I did a quick experiment by stapling a 1 inch phone book to a piece of osb and shot with .22 subsonic long rifle ( thanks for the idea) - penetrated the book and imbedded in the board. Then .22 long rifle - straiught through every thing and flattened out on my steel sheet behind. Then .22 wildcat- through everything and disintegrated against the steel. Why not just use the steel? Sheet is not big enough to stop a shot too far off target for safety. Thanks for your help. p bear


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

polar bear said:


> I wonder if I took a 4' x 8' piece of osb and cut it in half. Then took the two 4' x4' pieces and nailed three 4' two by fours along three sides making a thin open -ended box 4' x4' x 3 1/2 ". I could then fill it from the open top end with either the rubber pieces in a previous post or perhaps sand. Think it would work or too thin?
> I did a quick experiment by stapling a 1 inch phone book to a piece of osb and shot with .22 subsonic long rifle ( thanks for the idea) - penetrated the book and imbedded in the board. Then .22 long rifle - straiught through every thing and flattened out on my steel sheet behind. Then .22 wildcat- through everything and disintegrated against the steel. Why not just use the steel? Sheet is not big enough to stop a shot too far off target for safety. Thanks for your help. p bear




Bingo..... Two 4'X4' pieces of plywood and then nail a 2x6 on 3 sides of the plywood...then bolt the plywood together with some long threaded rod.....we bolted one together using 6 rods....then fill with sand....we shot pellet guns to 45 long colts at it and never once had a pass thru... We used 3/4 inch plywood and cut it in two.......works great...

We used this one in a barn where we could shoot up to 25 yards..........only time we had a pass thru was when trying an 06 :sad: but I think if we would have rebuilt it with 10 inches of sand it might have held..

Pretty cheap, 1 piece of 3/4 plywood, 12 ft of 2X6 and then threaded rods and bolts and washer.....the sand was free.....


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## dardascastbullets (Apr 27, 2009)

Do a search for a Detroit Bullet Trap or a Piranha Bullet Trap. I have both and they have face openings large enough to accomodate full size pistol and rifle targets. Both of them will handle up to a 45 with ease. And the spent bullets are easy to recover from them. The Detroit Bullet Trap has a tray and the Piranha has a spiral decelerator which empties into a can. 

I found mine on Craig's List (of all places) in Farmington Hills several years ago. I do remember that I was about 14 pages deep in Google before I came upon them.

Good luck!


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