Pellet Trap

[TomJ]

Has anyone used the Gehmann pellet trap sold by our host? I'd be interested in hearing your satisfactions and/or dissatisfactions with it. Thanks,
Tom

[Misny]

I have one identical to it that I bought from Don Nygord. I have been using it for over ten years and it still is going strong. I mounted mine to a cheap metal shelving unit. Edelmann targets fit perfectly into the holder, but the NRA type are too big.

[Isabel1130]

I have one and like it a lot. It is really good for single targets, and high velocity air pistols.
It does not work well with the five bull target strips, and I have a little CO2 conversion for my 45 that bouces the pellets out of the trap. I have done better with the bigger 22 cal trap that is deeper and catches pellets better with less cleanup.

[Rover]

There has been a lot of chat on the subject here; do a Search.

Personally, I like a simple and free box of rags with a clip to hold the target. It lasts nearly forever with no maintenance.

[taz]

I have the Gehmann pellet trap for air pistol.
It does the job well and it is pretty quiet. No problems so far.

[Rover]

I guess it depends on which one you're talking about.

If it's the square box, then I stand by my original post.

If it's the one with the motor or crank, then it's a different story.

A few of the ones on our range were recently shot up by some shithead with a firearm. (Yes, he paid!) What's interesting is that the ones we replaced are very different than the originals.

The old ones made very little noise when hit by the pellet. The new, seemingly identical, ones make a loud "clang", even when hit by a puny gun.

[waxman]

Rather than using rags for a backstop, you can use electrical "Duct Seal", available from Home Depot or Lowe's. It's quiet, and a quarter or half inch is all thats needed to absorb a pellet. After a few hundred rounds, just replace it.
John

[mtncwru]

I've found that phone books work well to stop pellets, too. They seem to last plenty long for me, though I am a rifle shooter, so I'm shooting at multiple bulls and thus not putting all the pellets in the same place.

[PeteS]

Rather than using rags for a backstop, you can use electrical "Duct Seal", available from Home Depot or Lowe's. It's quiet, and a quarter or half inch is all thats needed to absorb a pellet. After a few hundred rounds, just replace it.
John

I second this suggestion. Use of duct seal is convenient and quiet, particularly for indoor or basement shooting. But, there is another reason for anyone shooting in their basement (understanding that we are on the Bulleye Forum, that likely is not happening frequently for Bullsesye, but lots of folks shoot 10m AP at home). And that is SAFETY. As a doctor, I can tell you that lead contamination and poisoning is a serious medical issue, and shooters who are handling lead need to be aware of the risks and the ways to minimize these risks. We all know to wash our hands after handling lead containig objects, including bullets and pellets, right? If you are not, please start doing this today. However, backstops present an additional problem because lead hitting a backstop splays and disperses lead particles into the air, contaminating the environment around the backstop. Lead can be inhaled as well as settle all around the area, which then needs to be decontaminated. By capturing the pellets, the duct seal prevents most of this contamination, and disposal is easy. I recommend use of non-latex gloves when you do this, or wash your hands carefully after.

[Rover]

The way I see it is:

A box of rags is free.

There is no lead splash or handling contamination; you just throw away the whole box after 20 to 30,000 shots.

It's less messy than paper which shreds into little bits and will eventually shoot through. The rags get stronger with use due to the lead buildup.

The lead is entirely contained within the box, with only the pellet entry hole(s).

It's dead quiet; the only sound is the pellet hitting the target.

Why is simple so difficult for some people?

[Isabel1130]

Because Rover, if simple were easy, we would all be high master shooters. :-)

[Rover]

My wife frequently tells me I'm simple (and easy).

[Jack Milchanowski]

John Z (wolf man) said that about you Rover just today.

[PeteS]

Actually, Rover is right. A box of rags works just fine as a pellet trap. I took Rover's advice recently and got a used K58, which is a great gun. My only problem was one of enthusiasm. The repeated pumping caused tendinitis in my elbow, so I wound up buying a PCP. But, he gives good advice to those of us who are new to the sport and want to start safely and relatively inexpensively.

But, the topic was the Gehmann trap, which I have two of and use regularly. However, this trap suffers from the fact that it has a spring-backed metal sheet that breaks up the pellets, creating the problem with lead contamination that I was describing. If you have or get one, add the duct seal and turn it from an unsafe trap to a safe (and quieter) one.

Thanks, Rover.

--Pete

[Rover]

Just to inform us: when you switched to PCP did your scores go up?

[FredB]

Just to inform us: when you switched to PCP did your scores go up?

No, but his elbow swelling went down.

[PeteS]

Right, no change in the scores.
I can do as well with my IZH as I can with my Morini.

[PeteS]

My elbow still hurts, though. Takes a while to heal.

[Leon]

Has anyone used the Gehmann pellet trap sold by our host? I'd be interested in hearing your satisfactions and/or dissatisfactions with it. Thanks,
Tom

I have one of them. Generally pretty good except, for AP targets available in Australia, I have to trim them to fit the Gehmann unit - which irritates the hell out of me.

So, I've just bought one of these -
http://www.schuetzenwelt.de/shop/5/sche ... it_walzen/

Looks pretty groovy and you don't have to trim the targets. I'm not sure what those little roller things are supposed to do though.