Thread: Who has built a heavy duty cast bullet trap ?

This is something that I have been thinking about for ages

Build a decent steel plate bullet trap just for cast lead bullets
Would set it up on my 100m range because I guess it's going to be reasonably heavy
There are plenty of ideas on line
I just want some real world feed back on what works ?

.22 RF up to .72 musket
Most powerful ( at the moment ) would be a 577 Enfield or 500 BPE

I want to be able to collect the lead to re use over and over again
Sure I have plenty of scrap lead but at the moment I'm spraying 5kgs a year around my stock holding paddock

I had thought a big old excavator bucket might also be a good starting point
But the angles might not be enough to stop the odd one coming back

Thoughts or know of one sitting idle somewhere that need the rust blown off it

I reckon a heavy bit of plate on 45 degree angle and sand underneath so your shot gets directed down and the sand catches it rather then rely on the steel itself to stop the bullet. Then just rake the lead out of the sand occasionally

Just an idea?

2 tyres, chain, round gong, some concrete.
Suspend a round gong inside the farther away tyre. Collect spalled lead with no digging required. Anchoring the tyres with some rebar pegs may be preferable as it will let rain drain out. Tyres will provide nice ghost rings for middle aged eyes iron sight use.

Please see the attached side view cross-section of the design I used for many years. Put a bolt-on circular steel hatch on one end of the scroll to clean out the lead. My one is still in use after 30 years and will handle anything up to 2000 fps. For 100 metre use it would pay to make it about 1 metre square at the front.

At that angle and at those bullet speeds mild steel half inch plate will work. Side splatter can be contained with replaceable plywood sides.

Some good ideas there guys
Now I need a covid level change and I will go through the junk piles of three known local hoarders / collectors

I have quite a hoard but not really heavy steel plate

From this to that? 500 grain projectile, steel plate, 50 metres

Originally Posted by Maca49

From this to that? 500 grain projectile, steel plate, 50 metres
Attachment 176513

Nice and clean and warm ready to go straight back into the lead pot

Plastic drum full of tyre chip. Catches pretty much anything, used at a lot of pistol clubs.

.223 at about 2m, didn't come out the other side.

Originally Posted by akaroa1

Nice and clean and warm ready to go straight back into the lead pot

I catch them as they fly back passed my head? No need for a trap?

Originally Posted by Ozzy

Plastic drum full of tyre chip. Catches pretty much anything, used at a lot of pistol clubs.

.223 at about 2m, didn't come out the other side.

I heard tell these are on the way out, trying to remember why, some environmental issue if I recollect. Anyway, I have several buckets of reclaimed lead from such drums. They have been sitting waiting for me to figure out an easier way than hand-picking to separate the lead from the rubber bits for a couple of years now.

I should point out that my steel trap was designed for 10 metre indoor use in my workshop where it performed admirably, but would not be so flash out in the weather. I think Cordite's tyre and gong set-up is a better all-weather solution, and a lot easier and cheaper to make. if the gong was at least 25mm and made of Corten or similar hard steel it would work well. Do not use mild steel as it pocks badly (even with straight lead) and can send bullets and fragments right back at you. I once had to dig a .30/06 jacket from my forearm 80 metres from a mild steel target, and I have been struck with lead pistol bullets/fragments at 15 - 25 metres many times.

Gundoc's design is in use at the local 200m range. Wearplate body, vertical heavy tube spiral out the back that drops into a bucket full of water for recovery. Excellent system, minimal maintenance, quite bombproof to regular calibers, excellent recovery of lead. As others have said, use wearplate/ar500... it's pricey, but better than it getting big chunks blown out of it, or not being able to use it for other calibers because you're worried about damaging it.

I'm sure you've got the bits laying around to put wheels on it and drive it to different distances behind a quad. Just make some ar500 mud flaps so you don't kill the tyres with an errant shot

Originally Posted by canross

Gundoc's design is in use at the local 200m range. Wearplate body, vertical heavy tube spiral out the back that drops into a bucket full of water for recovery. Excellent system, minimal maintenance, quite bombproof to regular calibers, excellent recovery of lead. As others have said, use wearplate/ar500... it's pricey, but better than it getting big chunks blown out of it, or not being able to use it for other calibers because you're worried about damaging it.

I'm sure you've got the bits laying around to put wheels on it and drive it to different distances behind a quad. Just make some ar500 mud flaps so you don't kill the tyres with an errant shot

Interesting vid. Apart from anything else, Jerry's comments re lead contamination. You can see quite graphically how much fine particle dust comes from bullets striking steel.

Originally Posted by Maca49

I catch them as they fly back passed my head? No need for a trap?

I've caught two with my face hahahaha