Suitable backstop?

[Mightymariner]

I have bought my 8 year old a SMK XS15 for his birthday, looks like a nice simple gun for the price. Anyhow, I wondered what was the best sort of backstop? We plan to use it in our back garden, which is very long but not too wide. I have found a couple of large slabs and thought I would pin his targets on to a bag of straw with the slab behind. Any advice appreciated!

Cheers

[libs]

Phone book, wine box full of newspapers, pellet catcher. Anything but wood as pellets can ping off from it.

[northeastshooter]

i tend to use carpet off cuts at the moment probly because iv had my house re carpeted and keeped all the off cuts, old shooting mag, sand/dirt bag/bucket, or buy a target holder with a pellet stop/ catcher aswell

[durbsguy]

Here is a second for carpet off cuts either that or a board covered in an inch or so of putty or clay

[MattF]

Tesco and Argos do good back stops free

The only other thing is buy a Knockdown Target or spinners

[demonwolf444]

i have particle board, the pellet is completely mangled on impact and gets stuck.

[Polish]

I use sheet lead, like the roofing rolls. It's very quiet on impact and completely absorbs the shot. It needs to be quite thick, or use a couple of layers as pellets will happily go through 6mm of the stuff with a full 12ft/lbs rifle.

[Dexterboyz]

a small bag of sand works well, no ricochet, absorbs all the energy so no chance of gettin a stray pellet, breeze blocks also work well.

[kent]

For the ultimate build a stucture to hold sand. pellets can often bounce badly off many wood stuctures and realy bad off rubber

[Iced Tiger]

I use a box with a couple of telephone directories and a load of rags

[spookytooth]

I use old concrete pavement slabs as a backstop, then I use an old wooden breadbox with a liftout lid. I tip the bread box on its side so the open end is facing where I shoot from. In the top rim I've screwed in a couple of brass hooks which I hang card targets from. In the base of the box I've put about 3 or 4 tubs of plumbers sealant putty - the type that never sets or dries. I've found this works really well and I've never had any riccochets and it's very quiet.

[shotgun sam]

compost bags and when they get past it they are spread into the garden

[Mightymariner]

Thanks fellas, good advice. I will use a couple of slabs, and have located some small bales which I will put behind as a safety measure just in case one goes a bit high.

[deejay]

compost bags and when they get past it they are spread into the garden

Lol I wouldnt like to be eating any of your veg . compost bags full of lead spread on the garden .

The slab works just fine I have had the same on at the bottom of my garden for years.

Daz

Edited December 20, 2011 by deejay

[jacksdad]

Jez Clarkson says striking Civil Servants are good as well.............