Backstop

[Rickyh]

Looking at making a new backstop for garden plinking, any recommendations for which material is best for impact sound absorption

[wickerman]

a few breeze blocks and sand

[Segata]

Steel plate is also fine, I was using a Cast aluminium BBQ for mine but a dieseling Webley put pay to that so I beefed things up.
General rule I'd say is if you make something that you think will do, do a little more, then you're covered if theres an issue.

[Rickyh]

My main backstop is made from offcuts of wooden sleepers so nothing will get through but I’m looking for something to sit in front of that to quieten the impact down

[Segata]

Yeah thats definately beefy enough, sand as mentioned, plumbers putty are a couple of options, other thing you can try is a rug or Carpet offcut hanging in front of the backstop with a bit of a gap and able to move freely, pellet will hit it but the movement will stop it going through and deaden the impact.

[rapidresponse1]

i use breeze blocks with lead flashing in front no noise

[angrybear]

Sand or old clothes packed a couple of inches thick, but most of the "thwack" is from the card/wood/whatever your target is mounted on.

[Mark D]

If you want something mobile, so you can put it away have a look here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibc6STL52wo

[Trumpetier]

I use old (proper) dartboards.

[WILBA]

I use carpet off cuts.

[TonyL]

I've never really had to have to make a quiet one as I can normally position my pellet trap where it won't annoy others. However, when dry, I have sometimes used old catalogues etc (with something solid behind). However, I do fully intend making a "deluxe" trap at some point using rubber mulch or plumber's putty.

[Segata]

Thats a point, inside range is actually dampened with Cardboard, more to not blow chunks out of the wall but it does quieten the impacts, shops usually will give you it for free if you ask them and if it gets too tatty or soggy you can just bung it in the recycling and add some more.

[1963cockney]

I use an old metal computer box - the ones that used to sit under a desk years ago that you used to end up kicking frequently (before all the innards were included behind the screen as they are nowadays).

Unscrewed one side then gutted the internals, put a paving slab in the back (just to make sure) then pad out everything with rags / bits of carpet or recently foam from the sofa we just got rid of. Originally I got hold of a tatty gym mat from the local gymnastics club they couldn't use any more (that was superb).

Cardboard from one side of a pizza box along the front onto which I put 20m stickers from that auction site, all held in place by a bit of wire coat hanger from one side to the other through some of the perforated holes that were there to keep the computer from overheating.

All it had cost me is the price of stickers every now and then. Easy enough to carry down to the bottom of the garden when required (from the garage) and you know when its time to empty the spent pellets as it starts to get heavy.

I have an easy 10 years worth of spent pellets in biscuit tins in the garage. They will definitely (almost certainly) be useful for something in the future, although at the point I am unsure what.

As a previous poster has said, biggest noise is the pellet hitting the cardboard ....

[vestlenning]

Steel plate and a piece of cloth:

[Black Beard]

Slab leaning forwards, leaning onto 2 vertical bricks on each side. Put the target on a piece of cardboard and put the cardboard across the front of the slab, held between the 2 bricks. Pellets hit the slab, disintegrate and are deflected down into the back of the cardboard.

If you want to reduces sound, use 2 slabs with a piece of carpet between them.