This old backstop

[Shak3s1977]

Well my father decided we needed to upgrade/replace the old backstop for pistols. Figured I would grab some lead out of it, and melt down to cast bullets.

When my step-mom was next to us he said, " I bet there is 4,000 bullets in there." Not sure if he only said 4,000 because he didn't want her to actually now how much he's been shooting or if it was a random quess lol.

Well there is definitely more than 4,000 because I already pulled 187lbs of range scrap, which netted me 144lbs of clean lead. That's 4,200 240gr bullets, and I'm not done digging yet lol.

 

[Navy87Guy]

Just out of curiosity, how long did that bale last?

I live in farm country...

 

[Shak3s1977]

Just out of curiosity, how long did that bale last?

I live in farm country...

I believe it made it 2 years. Wish I knew how many rounds were actually in there. 2 years ago is when I started reloading, and I know I've went thru 14,000 primers myself in those 2 years and that is where I do 99.9% of my shooting. We had plywood set up in front for targets. Plywood in back to see if they were going thru. We did have 1 round go thru but we think it was from the 1895 Marlin.

 

[Bfh_auto]

I believe it made it 2 years. Wish I knew how many rounds were actually in there. 2 years ago is when I started reloading, and I know I've went thru 14,000 primers myself in those 2 years and that is where I do 99.9% of my shooting. We had plywood set up in front for targets. Plywood in back to see if they were going thru. We did have 1 round go thru but we think it was from the 1895 Marlin.

I applaud your use of plywood as a safety. I do the same thing using cut fire wood. If a bullet goes through, restacking is in order.

 

[Shak3s1977]

I applaud your use of plywood as a safety. I do the same thing using cut fire wood. If a bullet goes through, restacking is in order.

My dad's is pretty far out in the boonies if you know what I mean. Nobody around for 3/4 a mile and behind that target is a cornfield. Then behind that is 1000 or so acres of conservation land.

Rifles have their own range in a different spot on his land. Stacks of tree stumps in front of a hill. We just don't shoot back there as much, as pistols tend to get most of our time. We do shoot steel back at the rifle range also, but don't shoot as much steel as we probably should.

 

[Bfh_auto]

My dad's is pretty far out in the boonies if you know what I mean. Nobody around for 3/4 a mile and behind that target is a cornfield. Then behind that is 1000 or so acres of conservation land.

Rifles have their own range in a different spot on his land. Stacks of tree stumps in front of a hill. We just don't shoot back there as much, as pistols tend to get most of our time. We do shoot steel back at the rifle range also, but don't shoot as much steel as we probably should.

I too am in the boonies. I like seeing people taking precautions without being over the top about it.
I also believe in complimenting something when is deserved.

 

[HB]

I wonder how far they penetrate in a fresh bale.

Ive shot an arrow into one on the unwrapped side and it about disappeared.

I like it.

 

[AlexanderA]

From the picture, it looks like the hay bale was hollowed out and filled with sand. But I could be wrong.

 

[Shak3s1977]

From the picture, it looks like the hay bale was hollowed out and filled with sand. But I could be wrong.

No the hay bale has been shot so much the middle was caving in. Inside looks like compacted dust with bullets sticking in it everywhere. Now the hole is bigger due to me digging lead out. I'll be back out there tomorrow and if I do, I'll get some pics of the inside. I've never seen anything like it lol.

 

[AlexanderA]

I never realized that hay was so dense that it could stop bullets.

In the nursery story of the Three Little Piggies, the piggy that built his house of straw was not so dumb after all. If straw could stop bullets, the wolf would have trouble blowing it down.

ETA: A historical analogue to this was the Confederate use of "cotton clad" gunboats which used cotton bales as armor. Apparently it was fairly effective.

 

[Bfh_auto]

I wonder how far they penetrate in a fresh bale.

Ive shot an arrow into one on the unwrapped side and it about disappeared.

I like it.

This depends on the tension the baler is set at. The type of round baler also changes how tightly they are wrapped.
The old chain type new Holland made a core that was like a brick.

 

[JONWILL]

I have a 5 gallon bucket of range lead. It looks like you have a lot of non jacketed lead bullets. In my case I have a lot of jacketed bullets. Some are total jacketed bullets

It is a lot of work to get the lead out of mine.

 

[Texas10mm]

I never realized that hay was so dense that it could stop bullets.

In the nursery story of the Three Little Piggies, the piggy that built his house of straw was not so dumb after all. If straw could stop bullets, the wolf would have trouble blowing it down.

I'm guessing you never had the dubious pleasure of "bucking bales".

Two bales of the same dimensions can have wildly differing weights. Set the baler tight and you can get alfalfa bales that go 130 lbs or more and are so tightly packed a hay hook will bounce off.

 

[AlexanderA]

I'm guessing you never had the dubious pleasure of "bucking bales".

No, I can't say that I have. My only experience with hay or straw was the rectangular bales of straw that we used around camp at reenactments. They weren't dense enough to stop bullets.

 

[lightman]

That bale made a good backstop and thats a nice recovery on the lead. It looks nice and clean. Thats a nice pile of ingots!

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

And the straw bits mixed in with the bucket of lead will make a nice flux !

 

[edwardware]

That is a wonderfully compact backstop, which concentrates your scrap. I'd be tempered to burn the bale in a barrel a couple forkfulls at a time; when you're done I bet the barrel is 1/3rd full.

 

[whughett]

Does the orientation of the bale matter. Your photo appears to show your shooting into the end of the roll.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Does the orientation of the bale matter. Your photo appears to show your shooting into the end of the roll.

If you shoot into the end, there would be less backstop depending where you hit the bale since it's a circle.
His is also net-wrapped. This keeps the bale tight unlike the old twine wrap.
If he shot from the side, it would cut the mesh.

 

[Bfh_auto]

That is a wonderfully compact backstop, which concentrates your scrap. I'd be tempered to burn the bale in a barrel a couple forkfulls at a time; when you're done I bet the barrel is 1/3rd full.

A soil sifter modified to bullet size.
I stole the picture from Mother Earth News DYI article.

 

[whughett]

If you shoot into the end, there would be less backstop depending where you hit the bale since it's a circle.
His is also net-wrapped. This keeps the bale tight unlike the old twine wrap.
If he shot from the side, it would cut the mesh.

I was thinking more along the lines of hay orientation as to resistance to bullet impact.

 

[mag1911]

If you shoot into a round bale from the side and hit hi/lo there's not much hay in front of/stopping the bullet. Best to put two bales end to end and a piece of plywood in between the round bales to show if rounds start making it thru the first bale when you're shooting something like a high power rifle. Buy the heaviest per volume round bales you can find.

 

[Olon]

Just don't let the cows find out what you've done.

 

[Virginia Jim]

Yeah, they wonder why they can’t get a square meal.

 

[Shak3s1977]

I'm up to 208lbs of clean lead, from 267lbs of scrap. The bale isn't wanting to give it up as easy anymore. Maybe 1 trip left and might be able to get another 40 to 50lbs of scrap. All in all, I can't complain lol.