Homemade target box, comment please

[barrow_matt]

Just knocked this up tonight for use in the garage, i know it's rather crude but is what I had available.

As a newbie, i'd particularly welcome any comments regarding the safety. Inside the box is 2 layers of hardboard with 2 old car mats on top. Having only shot on a range before i'm not sure of the power/penetration at close range.

Main gun for consideration is a Beeman 2004e (HW40 copy) and the range within the garage is at 3.5m. Am i likely to get ricochets with this that will exit the sides/top of the box? Also maybe a few test shots with a BSA Meteor (8 ft/lbs). The top sides can be draped with plenty of old painting sheets if that helps too, just need to strengthen the box.

I know the distance isn't great but will get me used to the handling, have also cited a possible outside distance of 5-6m with large wall backdrop and nothing above.

Haven't shot anything yet, gun expected to arrive this week, so comments will be taken onboard!

Cheers,

Matt

[Kingplinker]

Firstly well done for being safety conscious , I always think that a lump of lead is best to prevent accidents . Pellets will either inbed into lead or just stop the pellet dead .

Old clothes or newspapers in the box are also good ideas .

atvb

Dave

[barrow_matt]

I have plenty of newspaper so can pad up the entry area.

Would it be better to have the angled pieces the other way so any direct deflection goes down.

Was also thinking that I have a larger old rug in the garage, if I use this as the back drop, screwed to the wall then fold the old carpet for use inside the box, and use the car mats to add protection to the sides.

Maybe it's overkill but I don't want pellets bouncing round the garage!

Matt

[bullbarrel]

Be careful when you start to get better and the groups tighten up.

Pellet after pellet in the same place will start to work through most backdrops quite quickly where the material is weaker than the pellet.

[mattinlondon]

As Andy says 20 or so pellets in the same place and you will have a hole in all that lot!

I would pack the box full of newspaper or thick magazines, phone books or catalogues are great

[Arch.Stanton?]

DIY is not my thing , but I use an old half size plastic carbuoy - plastic barrel to you and me - its only a short one so easy to handle - has a clip on lid and a locking collar .
Over time I have dispensed with the collar and even the lid that I cut a circular hole out of .
I prop the barrel on its side and filled it with breeze blocks - then after a while was wondering what was whizzing past my head after each shot :)
(I may be a numpty but I lways use eye protection ) . My .25 pellets had 'holed' the blocks and they were bouncing off the back of bottom of the barrel .......:confused:

I now use old telephone books / catalogues etc with some blocks still inside .
Brilliant ....and after a bit easy to replace ..

[SteveR]

For indoor pistol targets I use Plumbers Mait, which you can buy in tubs from DIY shops. I wouldn't recomend it for anything 11ft/lb (ish), but works fine for < 6ft/lb.

Its pretty messy applying it.

[MWNimrug]

I use a concrete paving slab in my garden as a back stop and all pelets drop to the floor flattend with no rebounds
a sheet of cardboard in front for sticking targets to

[Wadhill1]

top marks for putting safety first.
Just a suggestion; if you canmake a frame to go infront of the pellet catcher it so much easier to use this to clips you targets on (most DIY shops sell cheap clips)
Good Luck for the future
ATB
Charles

[aeron]

Good on you for being safety conscious :) Argos catalouges aregood for back stops & they are free :) ( even though they cost Argos £30 each to produce)

[seatrout]

Hi, Aftre reading this I had a turn!!!!! at last a home for a the Argos catalogs that breed in my house...............What you think!!!

[RobF]

good start, but they will get through that in a while as well...probably faster than you think.

[onlyme]

i used to use an old pc case, but over time eventually made a few holes in it, plus it was a tad noisy, but quite funny placing reactive targets inside of it :), anyone else love reactive targets!! theres just something so fun about them!!