A simple but effective backstop

[getitdone1]

Read where a guy shot into sand to see how bullets would penetrate that medium. From 22 LR to 308--not well at all! 6" at most.

This got me to thinking about using sand for an inexpensive but good backstop for my bullets--and to see if sand will stop my 375, 300 grain FMJ bullet! As good as this cartridge does with water jugs (24+) I'll bet sand will stop it pretty quick. 12"--we'll see.

A backstop using sand could be made using a wooden box to hold the sand but what do I use for the front? Plasterboard? Plywood? Some kind of self-sealing material? This last would be ideal. Without self-sealing I've constantly got the problem of plugging holes.

Another idea I had was to use thick mild steel or even special hard steel. Thought about a piece about 4'by3' and angle it down behind target and the steel would drive/direct the bullet into the ground.

Both of these types of backstops, unlike mounds of dirt, are mobile which would be nice.

Any ideas?

Don

[madman4570]

Old tires staggered in two rows, stacked up and filled with sand as they are stacked.
Just be sure to verify if any legal requirements for a shooting backstop in your location/or residences in that direction.
Remember some of those bullets can fly 4+ miles????????????
Not a place to scrimp!

[markinalpine]

If you have a few days , go over to the Cast Boolits forum and read this thread: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=26627
It tends to meander about, but they cover many different methods for stopping bullets, and have lots of examples with pictures.
Mark

[getitdone1]

Old tires staggered in two rows, stacked up and filled with sand as they are stacked.
Just be sure to verify if any legal requirements for a shooting backstop in your location/or residences in that direction.
Remember some of those bullets can fly 4+ miles????????????
Not a place to scrimp!

madman4570,

"Not a place to scrimp" or take chances--IS RIGHT. You gotta be sure those bullets get stopped that's why I'd want something 3-4 feet wide and tall and also get up real close when first sighting-in a gun. Those sights could be off a lot more than you'd think!

Mobility is kinda big with me because when the crops get big I gotta move elsewhere.

Don

[AJMD429]

I'll bet 90% of the down-range injuries are not from a bullet penetrating a backstop, but rather from elevation errors during firing or involving accidental discharges.

I see MANY shooters (not always novices) sit at a bench, chamber a rifle round, then give sort of a 'shrug' (sometimes after they flip the safety) to 'settle in', during which their muzzle elevates at anywhere from a 20 to 30 degree angle. I've taught my kids not to do that, but at least 10% of shooters at public ranges we've been to do it - including many whose jobs involve 'professional' firearms use. It is even worse with handguns; I've seen many a revolver shooter actually thumb-cock for a single-action shot, when their muzzle is elevated at 75 degrees or so...!

Even if the shooters are safer than average, an inadequate berm height is often present. A police range proposed near where we live was going to have a 300-yard range with a berm that was a whopping 18 feet high. Given the target's likely height of four feet or so off the ground, a 14 foot or 168" error at 300 yards would clear the berm. If the gun is fired with the front end less than half an inch too high because of a rest-malfunction or whatever, the bullet will clear the berm. In this case, there was a 300-foot hillside about 600 yards further past the berm which the 'experts' pointed out would stop any 'high' rounds; the problem was that there were houses on that hillside... So much for expert-designed police ranges.

[getitdone1]

If you have a few days , go over to the Cast Boolits forum and read this thread: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=26627
It tends to meander about, but they cover many different methods for stopping bullets, and have lots of examples with pictures.
Mark

Mark,

Dandy link. Already found a great idea there and it's not just a backstop but allows you to capture your bullets. Made out of boiler plate. Wonder what kind of steel that is? The guy said even a 308 wouldn't dent it. The elbow going out the back worries me because with a direct hit with FMJ bullets penetration might occur.

Don

[getitdone1]

AJMD429,

You make some really good points below.

Don

I'll bet 90% of the down-range injuries are not from a bullet penetrating a backstop, but rather from elevation errors during firing or involving accidental discharges.

I see MANY shooters (not always novices) sit at a bench, chamber a rifle round, then give sort of a 'shrug' (sometimes after they flip the safety) to 'settle in', during which their muzzle elevates at anywhere from a 20 to 30 degree angle. I've taught my kids not to do that, but at least 10% of shooters at public ranges we've been to do it - including many whose jobs involve 'professional' firearms use. It is even worse with handguns; I've seen many a revolver shooter actually thumb-cock for a single-action shot, when their muzzle is elevated at 75 degrees or so...!

Even if the shooters are safer than average, an inadequate berm height is often present. A police range proposed near where we live was going to have a 300-yard range with a berm that was a whopping 18 feet high. Given the target's likely height of four feet or so off the ground, a 14 foot or 168" error at 300 yards would clear the berm. If the gun is fired with the front end less than half an inch too high because of a rest-malfunction or whatever, the bullet will clear the berm. In this case, there was a 300-foot hillside about 600 yards further past the berm which the 'experts' pointed out would stop any 'high' rounds; the problem was that there were houses on that hillside... So much for expert-designed police ranges.

[Mokwaw]

Not very mobile, but I stacked up old railroad ties here at my place. They're about 6 feet high and 3 ties deep, after 22 yrs they're getting to the point of needing to be replaced, but there are tons of them avail from property owners who have the abandon RR right of ways on their property.

[JB]

Sand does a wonderful job of stopping bullets. Our backstop is just plain dirt. We had a guy take his dozer and push up a pile of earth for a backstop. We shoot a lot of high powered rifles and every few years the backstop needs a little fresh dirt pushed up, but nothing is going to get through for sure.

[Ysabel Kid]

What I have considered doing is creating an insert, for my target box at home, consisting of a wood box to hold 12 inches of sand. The front would have a piece of a foam archery target on it. This self-seals fairly well, and should keep the mess to a minimum for a while. This would be one of the last layers in the box. Should work well.

[pokey]

read farther in that cat bullet thread,

using old tire rubber or rubber mulch packed in a box or bucket
seems to stop most projectiles in 36". leaving whole bullets to
remelt, as opposed to the dust you get when a solid target is struck.

of course you have to hit the target.