GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: Frank in Fairfield on April 16, 2017, 07:21:15 PM
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One of our shooters at Diablo (Concord) is going back home to Ohio.
He gave me a box of rubber mulch.
The box is 8" x 8" x 12".
I guess about 10 pounds of mulch.
I have several targets using duct seal.
What am I supposed to do with this stuff?
Just use it in a cardboard box?
Does it need any backing material in case of pass through?
I appreciate any help/advise.
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I have not had 7 inches of rubber mulch penetrated by 820 fps 14.3 grain .22. It would be best to use some plywood as a secondary until confident of the mulch. (still doing so at this point)
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My current target is a cardboard box about 10"W x 10"H x 14" deep. It's packed with rubber mulch and has stopped a few thousand pellets from my .22 Disco and my .25 Marauder. (Not to mention countless more from my 397, 392, and my son's .177 RWS 34) Ranges from 30 yards down to 15 yards. It sits in front of a 2x12 backstop, but nothing has ever gone through the box. I've found rubber mulch to be really tough.
I taped up the box really well, then cut out the "front", leaving a rim about 1" wide all the way around. I filled it with the mulch, packing it down as much as I could. I then sealed it with a flattened cereal box, trimming it to the same size as the front of the box and taping it in place with box tape. When it gets a bit shot out, I patch it with duct tape. When it's too bad, I cut the cereal box front off and replace it with a new one. When the box gets too darn heavy to carry, I dump all the mulch into my wheel barrow, sift it around, and dump it back in the box. Most of the mashed pellets are left in the bottom of the barrow. Those get tossed into a can, to be melted down into dive weights when I get around to it.
Ron.
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I use a 5 gallon bucket full of the rubber mulch as my pellet trap. I have shot everything from my crosman 2300s up to my .257 Condor into it at less than 3 feet from the muzzle and have yet to have one pass through the bucket. That stuff is the ultimate pellet/bullet stopper to be able to stop 100 fpe from my Condor when doing chrono work in my basement range. I am planning to make a wooden box that is more shallow for my 5m pistol shooting in the basement soon. No need to have that much stopping power for the little pellets, plus then I can make it sized better for the rectangle targets.
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I use a plastic storage tote to hold mine.
I "reinforced" the removable top with cardboard and duct tape. Same as above, when it gets too shot out I patch it with duct tape then a fresh layer of cardboard when the tape doesn't do it anymore.
I picked a size that is slightly larger than my target paper so it's big enough to do the job without being too heavy.
Haven't cleaned it out yet but I heard that the rubber mulch floats so I plan to dump the contents into a bucket of water and skim mulch off the top to reuse when dry.
Blue
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10 inches will stop 75fpe .25. 17inches will not stop a 345gr .45 at 830Fps & 50yds. To clean mine out I put in 5 gallon bucket on our trampoline and pressure wash or spray with hose into the bucket then sweep up the mulch. Easiest and quickest way I've found. All lead stays in bucket and mulch over flows. All my target lead turns into shiney new .457 cal slugs with this method.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x466/aceflier/Mobile%20Uploads/DB6F6BA2-105F-43AF-A2C5-49C0896A8934.jpg) (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/aceflier/media/Mobile%20Uploads/DB6F6BA2-105F-43AF-A2C5-49C0896A8934.jpg.html)
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x466/aceflier/Mobile%20Uploads/999FC069-115B-4796-AA73-4CDFAF41DD9D.jpg) (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/aceflier/media/Mobile%20Uploads/999FC069-115B-4796-AA73-4CDFAF41DD9D.jpg.html)
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I use a 12"x12"X11" box filled with a bag of the rubber mulch. I use it in garage at 20' with my R9 .20 when using my chronograph. It's great!
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Photos???
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Here you go Frank...
(http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s543/timbyb/IMG_0648_zps0gxmaxya.jpg) (http://s1305.photobucket.com/user/timbyb/media/IMG_0648_zps0gxmaxya.jpg.html)
I needed something more robust than duct seal after I got my Marauder. After about 5 shots in the same spot I was through the 2" of duct seal.
This stuff shifts around so there's always something in the pellets path.
I chose a storage container so it would be rectangular for the targets and I chose one with a lid that latches down to help keep everything contained. The front still wanted to bow out so it's backed up with straps of duct tape. Should be easy to clean out when the time comes. I think I lined the inside and outside of the lid (sort of like laminated glass) to keep the plastic shards to a minimum.
Blue
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I grab these 13"x13"x12" crates when they go on sale at Michael's for $6-10 bucks. Line it with cardboard then stuff it with mulch then tape cardboard to hold target. I can get 1 3/4 almost two .8 cu ft bags to fit inside and shoot it inside my garage and in my back yard with my .25 with no worries.
First I just dumped it into cardboard but needed something I could shoot at in the yard or out and about.
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I use a $8.00 plastic bin from Home Depot; maybe 20 to 35 gallon tin. Filled it with 3 bags of rubber mulch from home depot. Duct tape the top closed and duct taped piece of cardboard as a backing for shoot and c targets. Haven't shot through the back of it yet. Biggest thing shot is .30 cal 80 FPE and no pass through at 30 yards...
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My wood back-stop is small, 20" deep and about 14" on a side. Filled with several bags of rubber mulch (probably 15" deep?)
I guarantee it will stop just about any airgun pellet, as mine has stopped a 9mm round from my SCCY as well as several rounds of 32S&W Long and one shot from a 32 H&R Mag. There aren't too many airguns putting out more power than that.
Rubber mulch is a superb backstop material. I use 1/4" metal cloth to keep the loose bits from slipping out- gotta replace the wire cloth periodically, but that's fine- a roll is dirt cheap.
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I was running some errands today and figured I try to look for some rubber mulch while I was out and about. Tried Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart.....none of these stores had them. Looks like I'll have to call around and dig a little deeper. Any suggestions?
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I was running some errands today and figured I try to look for some rubber mulch while I was out and about. Tried Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart.....none of these stores had them. Looks like I'll have to call around and dig a little deeper. Any suggestions?
Aldi had it on sale last week for $4.99 a bag. They might still be on sale.
I made a trap this weekend with it. It's heavier than I thought it would be, but it works great.
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I was running some errands today and figured I try to look for some rubber mulch while I was out and about. Tried Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart.....none of these stores had them. Looks like I'll have to call around and dig a little deeper. Any suggestions?
Aldi had it on sale last week for $4.99 a bag. They might still be on sale.
I made a trap this weekend with it. It's heavier than I thought it would be, but it works great.
Really? I love that store. They get some of the oddest things. You'd just never know with them
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Really? I love that store. They get some of the oddest things. You'd just never know with them
So true, and I've only been there a couple of times.
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I have one of the Champion .22 rimfire traps in my basement. They stop the pellets all right, but they don't really trap it. I'm finding pellet fragments as much as 7 yards back from it, and there's a fine coating of lead dust on the floor in front of it. These are really outdoor traps. The pellets just pretty much explode when they hit it. It's also pretty loud.
My rubber mulch trap didn't have that problem. I just filled up a cardboard box with the mulch (didn't pack it down) and shot into that. But shooting through the top of a plastic tote would be better. I'm going back to my mulch trap, as soon as I get around to cleaning up the lead from my Champion trap. I'll save the Champion trap for when I go to the outdoor range, I guess.
About the rubber mulch: the first bag I bought was not rubber at all, despite how it was labeled. So check carefully before you buy it. It worked OK, but of course blew apart faster and I brought a bunch of tiny bugs into my house. I wound up buying three bags from a buddy who'd called around various Home Depots to find real rubber stuff. It costs twice as much as falsely-advertised "rubber" mulch.
Also, one thing to note: It IS good at stopping pellets; better than you'd think possible, for its weight. BUT... it doesn't last forever. Pellets will blow the big pieces into small pieces, so you will need to refresh it now and then.
It's harder to recover lead from than the Champion trap (except the fragments that make it back out of the trap) but at least the lead is mostly pellet-shaped, instead of lead dust and tiny fragments, which is probably less safe re. inhaling while cleaning up.
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I have one of the Champion .22 rimfire traps in my basement. They stop the pellets all right, but they don't really trap it. I'm finding pellet fragments as much as 7 yards back from it, and there's a fine coating of lead dust on the floor in front of it. These are really outdoor traps. The pellets just pretty much explode when they hit it. It's also pretty loud.
My rubber mulch trap didn't have that problem. I just filled up a cardboard box with the mulch (didn't pack it down) and shot into that. But shooting through the top of a plastic tote would be better. I'm going back to my mulch trap, as soon as I get around to cleaning up the lead from my Champion trap. I'll save the Champion trap for when I go to the outdoor range, I guess.
About the rubber mulch: the first bag I bought was not rubber at all, despite how it was labeled. So check carefully before you buy it. It worked OK, but of course blew apart faster and I brought a bunch of tiny bugs into my house. I wound up buying three bags from a buddy who'd called around various Home Depots to find real rubber stuff. It costs twice as much as falsely-advertised "rubber" mulch.
Also, one thing to note: It IS good at stopping pellets; better than you'd think possible, for its weight. BUT... it doesn't last forever. Pellets will blow the big pieces into small pieces, so you will need to refresh it now and then.
It's harder to recover lead from than the Champion trap (except the fragments that make it back out of the trap) but at least the lead is mostly pellet-shaped, instead of lead dust and tiny fragments, which is probably less safe re. inhaling while cleaning up.
Good to know. Thanks, Jeremy!
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just an added note: those rubber chunks?
Pieces of tire. Like I said, I've stopped handgun bullets with mine, so I know it will work with any airgun- though I also made my trap deep, not tall.
And for cleaning the lead out, dump the contents into a 5 gallon bucket or small garbage can with some water. The rubber chunks float, the pellets and pellet-bits do not. Makes recovery superbly easy.
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Just a tip for cleaning up lead fragments in the basement I damp mop it up into a scoop able pile . the water keeps the dust down.
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Just a tip for cleaning up lead fragments in the basement I damp mop it up into a scoop able pile . the water keeps the dust down.
Great tip.
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I buy Home Depot plastic storage boxes with lids about 24 inches width.
Then put a few old fence rails in the back of the box and then fill box with rubber mulch about a sack and a half.
Stick three shoot and see self adhesive targets on the broad side face on the storage box and you have a super quiet lazy boys target.
Eventually the plastic box get s a big hole knocked out of it but the stick on targets stop the mulch falling out.
Mine will stop a 80 foot pound .30 cal no problem at all, penetrating no more than about 6 inches
I now have five of then set up at different ranges - they work great!