Airgun Backstop?

[Barry in IN]

Hi,
A friend and I are trying to start a youth air rifle program at our gun club. We will be shooting inside the clubhouse, provided we get final approval from the board.

One of our challenges has been choosing a backstop material to put behind the target traps.

We will have to protect a wall that measures approximately 25 feet across and nine feet high.
Portability is a must. Whatever material we use will have to be put up right before we shoot, then taken down immediately after.
We have a reasonable area that can be used for storage, but limited.

We have found lots of info on getting a program started, from choosing guns to getting funding, but advice on this particular problem is sparse. We can't find what other places are using.

Any idea we've had is flawed in some big way. Either its too heavy and bulky for installation and removal, some wouldn't provide enough protection, and others cost way too much. A Creedmoor range would be great, but there is no way we can afford that now. On the other hand, when we try to plan something else, it doesn't take much before the Creedmoor starts looking cheap.

I'm an instructor on our county 4-H club, which is where I've gotten most ideas. There, we have a permanent backstop of two layers of carpet hanging in front of two or three stacks deep of old archery targets. That's nice if it can be left in place, but we don't have that at the gun club.

So, what do other clubs use for a portable backstop?

Thanks

[TenMetrePeter]

We have recycled exhibition display frames made from steel box section with removable feet. frame covered in 5mm black perforated hardboard (like mdf) then topped with three layers of corrugated cardboard packaging.
Bisley card holders with heavy duty replacement plates and mattress springs in place of the leaf springs. Fixed by one screw and wingnut through the board.
All six fit into a space 3ft x 3ft x 6ft tall.

in 30 years only one person has shot through it with a vintage rifle we reckon was > 20 ftlbs.

Nobody has been so bad they missed the stands but door sized sheets of 5mm hardboard are available for beginners to flank the stands in week 1.

[pcw]

For our 4H club we hang sheets of carpet padding behind the targets. The carpet padding has grommets and some cord on it and is hung from hooks in the ceiling. It takes about 5 min to hang, and rolls up to store. The pellet's energy gets absorbed by the movement of the carpet padding and the pellets fall to the floor.

[dakota308]

We use free hanging ballistic nylon. You can cut it to 9 foot strips and just roll it out and hang it up. Very light and compact when rolled up. Note, must be free hanging and not held taught to stop a stray pellet. Also do not use as the primary pellet stop.


Corey

[targetceasefire]

I am manager of a 4H Shooting Sports club in Cypress, TX, and this was a problem we went through our first year (we just started year 3) also. We went through stuffed cardboard boxes, foam archery targets, etc. My Church lets us use space, so we had the same considerations as far as portability and ease of use. We finally broke down and bought the Creedmor portable range, but bought the single versions instead of the larger one (it actually came out to a better price per position and lets us configure our range better). One consideration with these ranges though, there are only 3 pre-set positions to hang the included target boxes - as we move into precision this year, we will be drilling more holes and installing roll pins to adjust target height more accurately to the shooter.

We have lots of engineers in the Houston area and one of our dad/coaches made some target stands out of 3" PVC, 16ga steel and carpet that works well. We attach cardboard on the face, carpet on top of steel - these aren't quite as easy to move around and have a larger footprint in our storage room (also provided by the Church). Let me know and I will get you the plans for these.

Finally, this year our BB club has grown double over last year, so we are once again scrambling for target holders. I think the solution we came up with today may be a good comprise for both BB and Air. We are going to purchase "rolling closets" from Walmart, or similar (priced $10 and up), and loosely hang canvas (available from Hobby Lobby, 72" x 6 yards for $99 - 40% coupon) by sewing in a loop (I thank the Lord for my wife!) and then sandwiching between two pieces of cardboard. That will stop a Daisy 499 BB easy enough. I think if you take some of the other posted backstop ideas and use the rolling wardrobe/closets, it should be easy to move and store.

I hope this helps.

[Barry in IN]

Thank you everyone. I am sorry for my delay in doing that; I was away at 4-H Pistol training this weekend. (Do I have some opinions there! Another time, I think.).
Some good ideas here. Thanks again.

[Barry in IN]

We knew about and looked at the Creedmore range but got sticker shock. After trying to come up with our own, the price sounded a LOT better.

It's been an eye opener to us that with all the sites and pamphlets on starting a program this subject has been mostly absent. That caused us to underestimate how much it would take to make or get, when it may in fact be the largest cost item by far.

Edit: There was a post before this suggesting the Creedmore Range. It seems to have been deleted.
I wanted to point that out since without it, Im afraid the above looks like I picked in Creedmore out of the blue. That's not the case.

[Barry in IN]

We use free hanging ballistic nylon. You can cut it to 9 foot strips and just roll it out and hang it up. Very light and compact when rolled up. Note, must be free hanging and not held taught to stop a stray pellet. Also do not use as the primary pellet stop.


Corey

Where do we find ballistic nylon?

[dakota308]

Barry, you can find it at rockywoods.com


Corey

[jhmartin]

Another option to review is the DIY backstops like the "Lujan" Trap.
thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/ConstructingTargetStand.pdf

You can adjust the dimensions to fit your range.
A local High school built a set of these and bolted them to the wall and with a little imagination made pellet catchers into the bottom that slide out like a drawer out of plastic rain gutter.

We've used our version of the Lujans for over 12 years now and are very easy to move and put up when our fairgrounds needs "our" range. Back when we built these, it cost about $27 a point ... however steel prices have climbed....

[Barry in IN]

Barry, you can find it at rockywoods.com


Corey

Thanks!

[Barry in IN]

Another option to review is the DIY backstops like the "Lujan" Trap.

We are building Lujan traps/stands soon. It's the big wall of windows behind them we are having trouble blocking :)

I had been looking at alternatives to the Lujans due to the cost of the steel. Then my partner in this said "Oh I've got the steel!". I simply didn't expect that, and never thought to ask! Great! Full speed ahead.

And I'd like to share the happy news that just tonight, we got full approval for starting the program, and we even got more money approved than we expected! I'm so happy I can't think straight. I don't dare start filling out orders in this giddy condition.