TargetTalk

Hey everyone, first time poster and hopefully I can contribute in the future.

I have come here seeking information on backstops for air pistols. I am trying to set up an air pistol/rifle team here at my school (University of California, San Diego) and I am meeting resistance because of "damage issues" at our sports center (RIMAC) and the pellet traps just wont be enough to sway them.

Does anyone on here know of a good, portable and easily stowable backstop system for airguns? I was thinking of a few hanging blankets or a plywood board covered in carpet sit behind the trap but I want to make sure that I look at all my other options prior to proposing to the powers that be.

Any help is appreciated.

CARRY ON!

-N8
Public Relations Officer
Marksmanship Club @ UCSD
http://marksmanshipclub.org

You might contact Creedmore Sports as they have developed an air gun range system that has alteady been accepted by a substancial number of the ROTC programs. Good luck with your program, Good Shooting Bill Horton

The CMP has a some heavy material on their range in Anniston and Perry that was much cheaper than the Creedmoor setup

While those look cool, what is something that can be just as effective but not cost as much? We are college students pursuing this endeavor in relatively hostile territory (This is California, you know) so we gotta do this inexpensively but with some class.

BTW, that was me posting as "Guest" by accident.

I've seen people use vertical (not angled) sheets of plywood. Since the pellets hit the plywood head-on they expend all of their energy deforming rather than ricocheting, and simply drop straight down tot he floor. If the plywood is angled there's a greater chance for untoward bounces.

I shot in an NRA sectional about 3 years ago with that set-up. The targets were stapled to cardboard about 5" in front of the plywood, and there was no evidence of any dangerous bounces.

I would use traps for the targets, and 1/2" or better would be 3/4" plywood for the backstop, if the shooter misses the trap. That way it is easier to clean up the pellets and reduce the issue of lead on the floor.

Speaking of lead, if that "could be" an issue for you in dealing with the university administration. Consider a "silent trap" using duct seal as the pellet stop. This would capture the pellets and keep them from falling on the floor. This kind of trap requires some maintenance; digging out the fused mass of pellets (every few hundred shots), and leveling the surface of the duct seal.

As for cost, go to Home Depot and get a 12"x12" electrical box and some duct seal (sorry I don't remember how much I needed) and an L bracket and nuts and bolts.
- Bolt the L bracket to the back of the box, so the box won't topple over backwards.
- Put a layer of duct seal in the box.
- Make a cardboard target frame/backer for the front of the box.
You are done.

BTW, the 12x12 box is only for SINGLE targets or at most the 5 bull AR target AR5/5. It is not big enough for the 10-bull AR5/10 target used for some events. You need to find a bigger box/trap for that target.

I am shooting air pistol and rifle in my family room with Gehmann pellet traps installed on a plywood backstop. Zero problems. Shoot; then simply sweep up.

Best of Luck,
P Chase

I would advise against using any type of unsurfaced wood product. Wood is resiliant and pellets *will* bounce from it. You either want something really soft and reasonably thick (so the pellet will penetrate and be trapped,) or a light gauge steel plate mounted to the wood (in which case the pellet will indeed deform and fall straight down.) I suspect two layers of carpet over plywood would serve the purpose and be cheap enough for your group. Turn the faces toward each other with the backing facing out toward the range and in toward the plywood. This will create a capture space between the layers of carpet backing.

Stress to your administration that the measures you propose are to catch stray rounds, something that rarely if ever occurs, not to function as the backstop itself. Be aware, however, that your adminsitration may be concerned with floors, ceilings and walls not associated with the backstop. Good luck. Please post again with the results of your proposal.

California seems to have more problems with lead (as a possible poison)than the rest of the country so I would be sure to use a backstop system that completely contains the pellets and any fragments. If you are using a space that has other uses (gym, classroom, multipurpose room) you want to have ZERO lead left when you leave. If any gets on the floor it is nearly impossilble to get it all cleaned up. Also, be sure to have a method to dispose of the spent pellets within the laws of the state, such as taking them to an authorized recycler / salvage yard.

CMP has a new lead handling publication but apparently it is not yet ready for sale.

NRA also has an air gun safety manual:

http://www.nrahq.org/education/airgun_safetyguide-1.pdf
http://www.nrahq.org/education/airgun_safetyguide-2.pdf
http://www.nrahq.org/education/airgun_safetyguide-3.pdf
http://www.nrahq.org/education/airgun_safetyguide-4.pdf
http://www.nrahq.org/education/airgun_safetyguide-5.pdf

Being a shooter I had an NRA instructor call me and ask if I knew of a good material he could use as a back stop for pellets. I work for a fertilizer company and one of the products we use is wide belted material. We use the belted material on a conveyor, when it wears out it now goes to the local ranges, not the trash. Contact the local fertilizer companies and asked them to donate their old conveyor belt for your use. It makes a nice back stop and it is easy to replace.

If you can not find any help in your area let me know by my e-mail address and I will see if I can help you out.

tims@britzinc.com

In addition to the fertilizer plant, look at any ready-mix concrete plant, stone yard, etc. Note that belting can be HEAVY, around 4-5# per square foot for the thicker types. Take that into consideration for transport and hanging. Note that pellets CAN bounce off conveyor belting.

You've already mentioned what I would consider to be the simplest option - that of hanging blankets or sheets from a lightweight framework. Wood is fine, but put some foam over any surfaces that face the shooter. Tubular pipe insulation foam slit down one side and opened up (or slipped around the wood if it's thin enough) works really well.

Hanging sheets loosely with concertinas (like curtains) will allow them to move and absorb the energy of stray shots - which should not be much with target airguns (what, about 6ft/lbs muzzle energy?). They can be doubled up if necessary - hang a sheet from the front and the back of your framework's cross-bar (itself with a strip of foam at the front).

Lay a sheet on the floor to catch all the dropped pellets (probably a bit easier than sweeping up afterwards), and Bob's your father's brother!

Lightweight, cheap, easy to replace sheets from factory stores, and it folds down into a relatively compact unit.

The only problem is if there are local or state ordinances about Lead as a hazardous material or anything else.
TBH, it is not usually bullets or pellets that pose a lead hazard, but the lead compounds in the primer/propellant of live cartridges that generate gaseous or particulate lead-in-air hazards, but try telling that to the Health and Safety Executive...

Heavy canvas drop cloths can be hung without much difficulty. They must be sufficiently long enough to be pulled forward from the ceiling (or wall) about 2 feet. Then take simple aluminum gutters (proper length) placed under the bottom of the drop cloths to take the lead from off target pans. The lead not in the target trap will slide down the drop cloths into the gutters, and should resist tearing for quite a bit of use. All you have to figure out is how you want to attach the target traps. There were plans (several years back) to develop an all air rifle & pistol range separate from the regular range at the US Merchant Marine Academy---and this was to be our approach to cut down the time constraints on dual matches and practice. Unfortunately the AD decided to dump rifle altogether. "Doc"