oldRoger
US Veteran
Last winter there were threads on the forum discussing indoor backstops. My experience is that the metal traps are dirty, spit back lead, and noisy to boot. Someone suggested rubber mulch for outside use so I thought I would experiment a little.
I decided that I would construct a box, basically a 12” (inside dimensions) cube, for the front face I used a resealable target backer. I used 7/8” solid core plywood for the box, doubled up the back. It’s basically made with corner glue blocks and drywall screws. I put the face frame around it made of two thickness of the same wood, to stop strays, two thicknesses easily stop .22lr.
I then filled it with rubber mulch.
It is working well! It’s quiet, the mulch breaks down very little. Very clean; the only litter is from the targets. The target backer looks like it will last for a long time. It’s big enough to move the target around so the bullet holes aren’t always in the same place.
Oh, I am shooting diagonally across my garage, distance from the muzzle 30’, I use standard NRA 25’ targets.
The photos show it in place, the Grey Thing is a 12” ruler.
Roger.
Caution—this works for me-----no guarantees for you!
I filled a cardboard box 6 X 6 X 11” with rubber mulch. Using an appropriate back stop I tried shots through the box with my 7” M41 barrel. From 4 feet away I had penetration through the 6” dimension, none through the 10”, shooting CCI Stan. Vel. 40gr, solids. Tried the same w/HV, same result. Reshot the 10” dimension w/ rifle, I did have penetration but tumbling at exit.I decided that I would construct a box, basically a 12” (inside dimensions) cube, for the front face I used a resealable target backer. I used 7/8” solid core plywood for the box, doubled up the back. It’s basically made with corner glue blocks and drywall screws. I put the face frame around it made of two thickness of the same wood, to stop strays, two thicknesses easily stop .22lr.
I then filled it with rubber mulch.
It is working well! It’s quiet, the mulch breaks down very little. Very clean; the only litter is from the targets. The target backer looks like it will last for a long time. It’s big enough to move the target around so the bullet holes aren’t always in the same place.
Oh, I am shooting diagonally across my garage, distance from the muzzle 30’, I use standard NRA 25’ targets.
The photos show it in place, the Grey Thing is a 12” ruler.
Roger.
-Jim
