Depth of rubber mulch backstop?

[intenseaty22]

Guys, sorry link was not working. Will send as requested to PM. 


@mmahoney. My design was never meant to shoot into the plastic. I use a cardboard piece because it is replaceable. I change it out as it gets shot too much. Otherwise the medium would spill out. It also allows for a place to stick the target on, or draw it directly. 

 

[Pacoson71]

A free 4 gallon paint box from home Depot is almost full with the .8 cubic ft bag for 7 bucks..... same store too!

 

[Saltlake58]

I shoot a .22 at about 23fpe. I've used a box that's about 7 to 8 inches thick with mulch. No problem with a .22. at 4 feet, hundreds of shots

I shoot a .25 over a chronograph and use the same box for backstop. At 4 feet, and all going into the same hole, the pellets penetrate and come out the back after 10 rounds or so.

 

[Spartan]

These 12" x 12" x 15" tall square buckets from Lowes work very well. Only $5 and weather proof. Holds one bag of rubber mulch perfectly. Gives you four sides to attach targets and increase the life span.

 

[oldsparky]

 

I have made several this one may last. Its 1/4" metal. with 9" of rubber mulch behind the cardboard. The rails lift out of a channel. 

 

[oldsparky]

To figure out thickness get boxes that are an inch thick, fill each with mulch. Tape them together to form a stack, shoot with you favorite pellet gun. then take apart the boxes and see how many 1" boxes you shoot thru. I started with 9" thick and changed to 6". It will stop anything I care to shoot at it. I have never shot the steel. Very quiet and heavy. 

 

[kkarmical]

I made temporary one out of a box used to ship pellets.

Fired up to 35fpe in it, no pass through.

 

[JungleShooter]

I almost drove out to the tire factory.

Then I went googling "rubber mulch" in Spanish = "caucho granulado" — well, maybe that's what this is — and maybe not....?



As I need to buy this stuff in Peru and I have no idea what it looks like — would one of you be so kind and send a pic, maybe the mulch together with some common object so I get an idea of how "fine this mulch is....? 

Thanks!

Matthias

 

[kkarmical]

I almost drove out to the tire factory.

Then I went googling "rubber mulch" in Spanish = "caucho granulado" — well, maybe that's what this is — and maybe not....?



As I need to buy this stuff in Peru and I have no idea what it looks like — would one of you be so kind and send a pic, maybe the mulch together with some common object so I get an idea of how "fine this mulch is....? 

Thanks!

Matthias

Looks like the same stuff to me..

 

[JungleShooter]

Thanks for the pics, kkarmical!



So I searched a little deeper, and in my city jungle of 10 million people I come up with finely granulated rubber, not the rubber shreds on your photos.

Also, yours is all colored, not black, that's what threw me off in the beginning....



Here's a pic what they sell in Lima.

Are these rubber pieces too small? I imagine that a backstop box of this stuff would be very heavy....




Or are small pieces actually better — because the backstop will not have to be so thick (say instead of 6" only 4")?



Matthias

 

[intenseaty22]

@jungleshooter Matthias, I think that those are too fine. The pellets may just fly straight through. Podría probar, pero no creo que funcione. The Tire Mulch they sell here is way more coarse. You may need to find a different filler. Some people use Duct Seal, or carpet, etc. 

 

[Rodeo]

I think the only issue with the small peices is them falling out through the ever enlarging holes in the face of the target box.

 

[Scouty]

Unfortunately I never got to this project on my boys day off from school but I did finally get around to it.

I've had this scrap baltic birch banging around in my truck or in my shop for ages and finally decided to build something from it before throwing it away. It was in horrible shape and not really worth doing any sort of premium project with.

The depth of the mulch is 11". Total trap is around 20" x 24" x 12". I can mount one of those 12" x 18" paper game targets with room to spare.

It is hung on a shop door with a French cleat so I can slide the trap left and right depending on where I'm shooting from.

The front is a 18" x 24" corrugated plastic voting sign. I covered it with aluminum foil tape (perpendicular to the corrugations) to start off with an easier to repair surface. The mulch has enough play when fresh to replace the corrugated plastic without taking the trap down or emptying out the mulch. You just have to start a fresh sign from the front while pressing back on the current sign. How this will work once the plastic is shot up and the mulch is settled remains to be seen. If it doesn't work then the trap can be lifted off the cleat and laid on its back and a new sign slid in.

The entire carcass is glued and pocket holed together but the top is just held on with a few face screws per side. Easy to remove to add or fluff up the current mulch. Second picture shows the top removed and resting behind the trap on on the French cleat.

I had planned to mount this trap inside of the closet behind the door it's pictured on but I decided I needed more room to move it left and right depending on the distance I shoot from. As it is I can shoot from 75' 6" all indoors if I have my bench tucked all the way back in a hallway.

Shooting bench is another piece of scrap Baltic Birch with 2" cleats pocket holed to the underside and clamped to a Worx Jawhorse.

 

[JungleShooter]

Thanks, gracias, for your detailed description and pics!

 

[viperjoe]

Lowe’s sells the busted bags for 1/2 off to $1 depending on the store. 

 

[riazp]

Thanks for the pics, kkarmical!



So I searched a little deeper, and in my city jungle of 10 million people I come up with finely granulated rubber, not the rubber shreds on your photos.

Also, yours is all colored, not black, that's what threw me off in the beginning....



Here's a pic what they sell in Lima.

Are these rubber pieces too small? I imagine that a backstop box of this stuff would be very heavy....





Or are small pieces actually better — because the backstop will not have to be so thick (say instead of 6" only 4")?



Matthias

Hi, those will do fine, I use even finer shreds, the type that is used to make rubber mats and carpets, finer pieces make for more resistance, the finer pieces also reseal the hole left by a pellet better, I find that my .25 pellets rarely make it past 5 inches, and then that only happens when shooting the same place at 2 meters repeatedly.

 

[JungleShooter]

riazp,

well, that's excellent news! Small mulch is fine, and 5" thickness is fine.

I think I'll need to program a shopping run sometime soon.

THANKS!

Matthias

 

[riazp]

riazp,

well, that's excellent news! Small mulch is fine, and 5" thickness is fine.

I think I'll need to program a shopping run sometime soon.

THANKS!

Matthias

I would be remiss if I didn't add that I pack the stuff down by hand to "pre-load" the rubber, then wrap up my cardboard box in packing tape to ensure that I have compression from the sides. I have made them as small as 4x4x6 and as large as a case of fake champagne! They get pretty heavy after a few thousand shots! knowing for sure where each shot stops is priceless in my backyard where children play and dog roams and neighbours look into...

My box lives under a tree at 31 meters for my standard sight-in, covered by large black plastic bag it has survived the African sun and torrential rain, its a winner because I had to buy the whole case of fake bubbly, then consume said bubbly to make it! Come to think of it, the "box" cost more than the mulch!

 

[JungleShooter]

Come to think of it, the "box" [of fake champaign] cost more than the mulch!

Now THAT'S funny!!

Thanks for all the advice — outstanding! Hope that mine will survive the South American sun....!

Matthias