back stops

[synergy16]

I need to make a good back stop for my back yard.  do hay bales work ok?  or does the pellet come off too hot for that?  I am shooting a Hatsan Mod 125th .177 pellets are about 5-8 grains. at a range of about 20 yards

[Roadworthy]

I cannot envision any way a pellet from a spring piston airgun could completely pass through a bale of straw.

[synergy16]

well, what I meant by hot is temp. wise.  it a hot pellet gets lodged in a bale of hay could it cause a fire?  I cant imagine there would be enough oxygen for that to happen, but I just wanted to be sure.  and I am also not sure how hot the pellets are after firing them.

[Mont]

Maybe a box with rubber mulch would work better. You could move it in side in the winter for speed testing or ten meter shooting too!! Good luck Joe

[mwbutcher]

I used ballistic range rubber tile cut to 2'x1' and glued with construction adhesive to a 1/8 inch steel backer.  It works great inside my house and would work equally as well outside.

http://www.ballisticrangerubber.com/index.html

[mwbutcher]

Oh and if you are in Michigan, Jim and Nancy from Precision Airguns sell the ballistic panels already cut which is where I bought mine from.  I think it was $41 for a 2'x1' and you don't have to deal with factory shipping cost.

[Roadworthy]

I have no reason to believe a pellet would ignite a straw bale.  How hot do you think your pellets get when shot?  Do you think they retain that heat all the way to the target?  Lead melts at about 621 degrees Fahrenheit.  If it were that hot there would be nothing but a splatter of lead to exit the barrel.  We can be pretty sure the lead won't be THAT hot on its way to the target.

I don't know how much heat it takes to ignite a bale of straw but paper burns if exposed to about 450 degrees.  I think straw is harder to ignite than paper, though having no straw about I'm unable to compare.  Baled straw would be less likely to be easily ignited than loose straw due to the lack of available oxygen.

I don't think it's a point of concern.

[synergy16]

I have no reason to believe a pellet would ignite a straw bale.  How hot do you think your pellets get when shot?  Do you think they retain that heat all the way to the target?  Lead melts at about 621 degrees Fahrenheit.  If it were that hot there would be nothing but a splatter of lead to exit the barrel.  We can be pretty sure the lead won't be THAT hot on its way to the target.

I don't know how much heat it takes to ignite a bale of straw but paper burns if exposed to about 450 degrees.  I think straw is harder to ignite than paper, though having no straw about I'm unable to compare.  Baled straw would be less likely to be easily ignited than loose straw due to the lack of available oxygen.

I don't think it's a point of concern.

kind of what I thought too, plus there cant be enough oxygen anyway.  just thought I would throw it out there, better safe then sorry!!!

[JVMorton]

My backstop is pretty heavy duty- double layered 2x12's at a 45degree angle, covered with horse-stall mat(to keep it quiet) and 2 layers of carpet that hang down the front to reduce any bounce backs. I realize this sounds pretty excessive, but when I built it there was a .30 carnivore in my collection that would blow through 2 bys with ease and I wasn't taking any chances.

[Grover]

I use two rows of stacked firewood.  Impenetrable, and looks natural in a backyard setting.

...  Also a great backdrop for Airgun porn.