Recycled rubber mulch to trap bullets

[41 Mag]

I use a 5-6 gallon bucket filled with the super fine grained sand I have here on the farm. Those of you in E.TX might know it as sandy loam. This is almost as fine as baby powder when dry and when shoveled into the bucket I pour about 8oz of water on top and let it sit for a few hours to soak in. Usually I will make up a couple of them and put the lids on to let them perculate for a week or two till I get back. This usually leaves the sand just damp enough to almost clump when you squeeze it in your hand.

Once they are ready I lay them on their sides atop a 55 gallon barrel and shoot into the lid end. I have plenty of replacement lids, but a piece of cardboard put on the inside before screwing the lid on helps keep the sand in place.

I DO admit that with solid bullets weighing 250grs and up, you really need to have the targets set at 50yds if your pushing them over 1200fps. The 44, 45 Colt, and 454, shoooting the WFN types will plow right on through and skip out across the pasture for a ways if setup any closer.

But for anything running 1000fps or less at 25yds, they usually will stop in the first 8-14" or so depending on the caliber. Hollow points will usually only manage around 6-10". Moving in closer like for the 38SPl and 45 ACP I have never had anything go much deeper than around 12-14" at 10-20yds.

The best part about this sand is that it pours like water when dry, and even when damp it only takes one of those little planting spades to sift through it. I set a piece of 1/4" hardware cloth across a plastic tub, like the syrup cakes for livestock come in, then simp[ly shovel it out a little at a time. The bullets stayon the hardware cloth and the sand falls right on through. It takes about 10-15 minutes to empty and be ready to shoot again.

 

[Potatohead]

That was what I was thinking PH when I put it together. I've collected about 34 lbs from my range so far (some of it using the now retired bucket trap and the rest by mining). Melted them into ingots for my next "money saving" hobby (riiiiight!). Thanks for the tip on the lead separation Rollis.

Yea my wife told me to quit trying to save us money with my side hobbies. Said she doubted we could afford another one.

 

[Bud0505]

My idea about adding a sheet of metal on the sides was to keep any deflected bullets from coming out the sides and maybe doing something I wouldn't want.
That does not mean the bottom and top has to have metal. That direction is OK , as long as it's not in my direction. I doubt the bullet will deflect enough to come back out the top or entry side. Although I have had bullets buzz by my head after hitting stationary metal targets..!!!!( I don't shoot at them any longer )
Whatever others are making them from wood/plastic drum...just have metal on sides.

I too am getting excited about the idea.
I just may make one for the back of my shop to hot function test guns, or just for a new round I want to "check out"..!!
That way I don't have to walk the 100' to my test area.


TxD

I use a 5 gal bucket full of sand to test loads for my autos. I live 20 miles from the range and it only took one time testing a new load that wouldn't cycle the slide to figure out there must be a way to test fire them before driving that far. Once I know they'll cycle the slide then I do ladder loads for accuracy testing at the range.