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Thread: For anyone considering archery curtains as a short range backstop

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    Unframed Dave's Avatar
    Unframed Dave is offline World pork pie juggling champion three years straight
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    For anyone considering archery curtains as a short range backstop

    We have recently had cause to test the effectiveness of ours. The results were a bit of a shock.

    Our power limit is 7.5ftlbs with 177 diabolo pellets and we shoot at a range of 18 feet or approx 5.5 metres.

    With a double thickness of the best grade curtain and using a rifle shooting at 7.4ftlbs, pellets go straight through. They do not make a hole in the curtain, and the weave is smaller than the pellet diameter. The weave must open and then "heal" back.

    With another curtain in front and an air gap of approximately 1.5 metres, pellets are stopped.

    Upping the power to 11ftlbs, in order to determine some sort of factor of safety, the pellet penetrates all three layers of curtain and convincingly lodges itself in plywood.

    In summary, archery curtains are not a suitable back stop for short range shooting. I have not carried out any testing at longer ranges.

    Dave
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    These were suggested to us for our indoor airgun range, but we decided against and went for airbag material instead. Stops a full power .177 or .22 rifle pellet* at 10m, (round or flat head - NOT - pointy pellets though). I believe some archery clubs use it (indoors), but I can't comment on the efficacy of it.

    Milliken Ltd sell it.

    * Repeated hits in the same area will cause the material to weaken. We hang a patch of heavy duty ground sheet directly behind our pellet catchers and spinners.
    Kral Demon, Webley VMX, Stoeger 20, 2 x Crosman 1077's, SMK QS79, Walther Nighthawk, Walther CP99, Walther Reign, AAS200 MK1, Webley Tempest, ASG TAC Repeat, ASI Sniper (in bits). I think that's all of them - mostly shot by young people on a 10m/4 lane indoor range.

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    Unframed Dave's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pa_broon74 View Post
    These were suggested to us for our indoor airgun range, but we decided against and went for airbag material instead. Stops a full power .177 or .22 rifle pellet* at 10m, (round or flat head - NOT - pointy pellets though). I believe some archery clubs use it (indoors), but I can't comment on the efficacy of it.

    Milliken Ltd sell it.

    * Repeated hits in the same area will cause the material to weaken. We hang a patch of heavy duty ground sheet directly behind our pellet catchers and spinners.
    Have looked at their website, struggling to find it. Do you have a link or any reference?

    Cheers
    Smell my cheese

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    I used to use archery curtains at a club, as long as they weren't pulled really taut, they worked ok, even with .177 could be that there's different thicknesses or weight, I never pulled them tight.

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    Unframed Dave's Avatar
    Unframed Dave is offline World pork pie juggling champion three years straight
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rog5 View Post
    I used to use archery curtains at a club, as long as they weren't pulled really taut, they worked ok, even with .177 could be that there's different thicknesses or weight, I never pulled them tight.
    Ours are allowed to hang freely.

    Dave
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    Quote Originally Posted by Unframed Dave View Post
    Have looked at their website, struggling to find it. Do you have a link or any reference?

    Cheers
    You just need to phone and ask for it. I hunted and hunted for it on their website, eventually got a name and phone number:

    Simon Hartley

    Market Manager
    Milliken Industrials Ltd
    Wellington Mill
    Bury

    Lancs

    BL8 2AY.

    United Kingdom
    T 00 44 161 762 3611 / M 00 44 7770 685055

    Simon.Hartley@Milliken.com


    That fellow knew what I was after as soon as I started to explain. On the invoice I have, the product code is 7363-235-2050. It's what other scout groups who shoot have used. You hang it loosely from the ceiling. I bought 10m x 3m for £90 at the beginning of 2020, just before everything shut down.
    Kral Demon, Webley VMX, Stoeger 20, 2 x Crosman 1077's, SMK QS79, Walther Nighthawk, Walther CP99, Walther Reign, AAS200 MK1, Webley Tempest, ASG TAC Repeat, ASI Sniper (in bits). I think that's all of them - mostly shot by young people on a 10m/4 lane indoor range.

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    Our local leisure centre used rubber conveyor belting as a backstop curtain for short rimfire use --- it may be a bit ott for your use, Dave, but it's another material to consider.




    All the best Mick

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    Unframed Dave's Avatar
    Unframed Dave is offline World pork pie juggling champion three years straight
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    Thanks very much.

    Dave
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    I have some fine nylon mesh that I am going to try. It looks pretty strong.
    Repariere nicht, was nicht kaputtist.

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    How about rubber welding shield curtains ? or might they have a recoil risk.

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    harvey_s is offline Lost love child of David Niven and Victoria Beckham
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    I think when NCTC looked at this - Airbag material was what they were recommended.
    To be honest I thought that was what we were using, I've never actually thought about it before...

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    interesting i thought they would of stopped a pellet

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    Thanks for posting, Dave. Could prove very useful to many.

    As mentioned above, I seem to remember a couple of indoor rimfire ranges I used to visit years ago employing heavy duty free-hanging rubber sheeting.
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    I wonder if thickish rubber pond liner would work ?

    Norm

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    Quote Originally Posted by TonyL View Post
    Thanks for posting, Dave. Could prove very useful to many.

    As mentioned above, I seem to remember a couple of indoor rimfire ranges I used to visit years ago employing heavy duty free-hanging rubber sheeting.
    What you are referring to is Ballistic Rubber Sheet. It's purpose is to stop splashback from the backstop and trap dust in the catcher. Don't even think about using it for airguns, even FAC power levels. Sub 12 ft\lb bounce off it and return towards the firing point at high speed. The issue with FAC power levels is that although it may penetrate the rubber it tends to tear it and can result in holes appearing quite quickly.

    If you refer to para 5.1.2.1 of the NGB Guidance on the Design, Construction and Maintenance of Target Shooting Ranges:

    The principal dangers from air rifles and air pistols are pellets bouncing back from striking a hard or reflective surface, such as the rubber anti-splash curtain of an indoor rimfire range
    Rutty
    Last edited by Rutty; 04-07-2022 at 04:15 PM.

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