Target Backer/Bullet Stopper

[Deltahedge365]

Sorry if this has been covered before, but I couldn't find anything on it. I have been shooting at a place where the only good spot for the target is right in front of a barbed-wire fence. I knew it would eventually happen, but I didn't realize it would happen the second outing. We shot two of the wires in the fence and had to take the time to rebuild fence. I don't really want to shoot steel while I develop a load for my gun, so I decided to build a target backer that will stop a .308 bullet.

My idea is a box with 2x8 as the frame/sides, a piece of 1/8" particle board on the front (cheaply and easily reeplaced) and 1/2" MDF on the back. It will be filled with rubber mulch like you can buy at home depot for gardening. Do you think 8" of mulch fill would be enough to stop a .308?

The distance we shoot is 100 to 300 yards.

Thanks,
Jared

 

[Temp9]

Re: Target Backer/Bullet Stopper

Maybe not 8" of mulch, but I'd be willing to bet 8" of sand would stop just about everything you could throw at it. Sand is cheap, so you could even make it 12"+ deep, just to be sure.

 

[ddavis]

Re: Target Backer/Bullet Stopper

Sand is an excellent bullet stopper, but you will have to come up with a way to keep it from pouring out when you start taking chunks out of the 2x8's. The cheapest, easiest, and safest thing would be to have a dump truck haul in a load of dirt. One load doesn't go far, but if you aren't spraying bullets at it it should be enough.

 

[Muttt]

Re: Target Backer/Bullet Stopper

We had a mobile shooting range when I was stationed in Japan. It was a semi trailer and had a bullet stop in the back that was filled with what appeared to be ground up tires. It worked just fine. But, it was 6 feet thick. It think it had two 3 feet thick layers back to back. The main problem with this was that the fill would come out in the area where most of the bullets hit. So, it took constant maintainance to keep this thing functional. And, that was using 9mm pistols. I have no idea how well the rubber would work for a .308

The best bullet stops I've seen (that weren't a dirt berm) are made from a steel plate that is placed at a 30 degree to more. You place your targets directly in front of it. When the bullets hit the plate, they are directed down into the ground. It doesn't need to be AR500, but it would need to be a thick piece. I have a scrap yard locally and you can easily find large pieces of plate.

 

[my human host]

Re: Target Backer/Bullet Stopper

I plan on attempting to build a bullet trap for centerfire rifles in the near future. It isn't going to be cheap or light, that's for damn sure. Something I can move around with my Bobcat.

All of my shooting spots are either tilled or pastured. I need to be able to move it when necessary.

 

[Tackleberry]

Re: Target Backer/Bullet Stopper

Go find you a small ar500 plate and stand. You will not scratch it and you use it over and over and over. Take a can of white paint to spray the whole thing, orange or red to paint target and keep on shooting. There are several vendors here on the hide that sell them or google steel companies in your area and go pick up. I have 2 1/3 size plates with swingers at shoulders that have a steel stand. Light enough to load in truck, carry to shooting area set up, shoot , reload and go home

 

[Tackleberry]

Re: Target Backer/Bullet Stopper

Big dog steel, lvsteel for 2

 

[Deltahedge365]

Re: Target Backer/Bullet Stopper

Thanks for the input folks. A dirt berm isn't an option since this is a lease on a good friends farm and we can't leave anything out there from trip to trip. The whole contraption will need to fit in the bed of my truck. I also thought about filling the box with sand, but it would be extremely heavy. I could drain the sand into a bucket at the end of each trip to make things manageable. Then you have the problem of the sand flowing out of the holes in the box. It is sounding like the best idea is to have steel hanging at an angle behind my paper target. I have plenty of steel target, but most of them are used for shooting 500 yards or further. I could use one of them behind the target. Is there a minimum range at which shooting steel is safe?

 

[Temp9]

Re: Target Backer/Bullet Stopper

If you have the steel angled, say at 45* downwards, that would allow you to shoot much closer. Most people say 100yds for high powered rifles. I've shot my AR as close as 50yds on a non-angled plate with no issues. What size plate are you planning to use?

 

[Deltahedge365]

Re: Target Backer/Bullet Stopper

ill probably use a piece about the size of an ipsc target.

 

[judgedelta]

Re: Target Backer/Bullet Stopper

I foot of almost nothing is going stop a .308. I shoot into a dirt pile and 10 rounds will blow out a hole the size of your fist and arm up to the elbow. The angled steel on a trailer sounds like the best solution. Let us know what you come up with. good luck...