Air Gun Targets

[Capn Jack]

I have a motorized Caldwell Shootin Gallery. It's made for .22 rimfire.

As a winter project, I'm thinking of building a set of light weight targets for it, then
I could use it in my garage as an indoor range for both air rifle and air pistol practice.

The main problem I will need to over come will be finding a material that is strong enough
to withstand the 400 -800 fps. strike of a pellet, yet light enough to be knocked down.
The existing .22 targets appear to be 3/16 steel.

Any ideas out there, or am I reinventing the wheel?

Jack...

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[IronMonster]

I don't think it'll take much to withstand the impact. I have several little air gun traps that are made from light (22ga?). Sheet metal and they have held up to repeated impacts. You may have to replace them every few thousand shots if you go that light, I think 16 ga would hold up forever

 

[Capn Jack]

Thanks Monster,
That sounds like something I could almost do with a set of aircraft shears. Using steel I could do away
with having to weld on a pivot and just "Roll" one into the bottom of the target.

Jack...

 

[IronMonster]

I'll try and send you a couple pics of my traps when I get home to show you the kind of damage a 1000 fps 22 cal air rifle will do. It does leave a little dent but these are pretty thin material

 

[Capn Jack]

I'm using a Crosman M-177, with 5 pumps and a Walther CP-88, C02, .177, both of them surprisingly accurate.
I have one of the little swinging Caldwell targets, but they're just a tad small for pistol. Interesting though, when I use the rifle, the pellets go through the paper target, flatten against the steel disk and lift the target off. Surprised me. I thought I had some bad glue.

Jack

 

[jaxworks]

Attached are a pellet trap I recently made and tested ...using a 45 ACP...the bullet went in less that 6 inches. Basically you take a box and line it with cardboard..I used a milk crate. Then you fill it with the shredded rubber compost they use for playgrounds. You can buy this at Lowes or Home Depot. Get some closed cell foam, not the brittle kind and use it to hold the rubber in...makes a great backing to staple the targets to. No way you will ever shoot thru it and "bonus"...it is completely silent.

 

[Joe13]

I use layered carpet to shoot pellets into. If you add that to your thin steel targets it will probably catch quite a few of them and keep the ricochets to a minimum.

 

[jaxworks]

I use layered carpet to shoot pellets into. If you add that to your thin steel targets it will probably catch quite a few of them and keep the ricochets to a minimum.

Carpet is fine but it doesn't hold up over time. This trap lasts and there are zero ricochets and no noise. The foam makes it easy to staple and remove paper targets. To each his own I guess.

 

[Joe13]

Carpet is fine but it doesn't hold up over time. This trap lasts and there are zero ricochets and no noise. The foam makes it easy to staple and remove paper targets. To each his own I guess.

Wasn't a condensation of your trap... it's a great idea/design.

I was just stating what I use and might be able to be glued to sheet metal to help it last longer.

I have my layers in small boxes and use tape for the targets but we are shooting paper and it was my understanding the OP was shooting moving metal targets so I'm not sure they would end up in the trap anyway.

 

[jaxworks]

no sweat...I think you meant to say 'condemnation'....in any case I am glad we have a forum to post ideas.......good shooting.........

 

[Joe13]

lol I hate my spell checker

 

[ditchtiger]

I bought one of of these and liked it so much I bought a second one. I'm hitting it with a .22 Nitro Piston Remington.

SIG Sauer Sig Sauer Texas Star Spinner Target. Metal.

 

[DLS]

Pellet Trap

• DLS
• Nov 21, 2017

I use a homemade version of the attached pic. Electrician's duct seal lines the back. A 10m competition rifle will sink a pellet in about half way. A higher powered gun will sink them deeper. About every 1,000 pellets I take a scratch awl and dig out the pellets and add them to my scrap lead. The pellets kind of "impress" themselves into each other and they pop out in big chunks. It takes only a few minutes.

Small, silent and clean. So another option.

GALLERY=media, 1594]Pellet Trap by DLS posted Nov 21, 2017 at 6:39 PM[/GALLERY]