Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Sand for backstop

I am thinking of building some boxes out of ply and filling them with sand to act as back stops ~ cant be too careful on this overcrowded isle!! ~ how far would your average .22 c/f ~ 6mm ~ 308 penetrate into sand? FMJ espesially.

thanks

Haven't shot into pure sand but my backstop is a clay-sand mix here in Texas and military rounds penetrate less than a foot. For the most part less than 10" to start with but in a concentrated area behind the target it tends to eat out deeper.

Thanks NO

~ I was thinking of a 2' depth which should prove adequate to stop most things.

Logstove
provided you can hit the backstop!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Logstove:

I built my backstop out of old railroad ties for the frame and sand as a filler. It stands 6' x 6' x 18". I have shot some heavy rounds and never had a problem regardless of bullet type.

7400

I fart in your general direction...... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

man, thats bad, phewwwwww!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

I once saw old tires with a pole through the center filled with sand. This was to keep the sand from scattering so badly. Seemed to work.

Yup Eddie, you are right. We use that system in our "shooting house" when training live fire for building searches and clearing. Works real well in a double layer, never had a round escape yet.

Hey did someone fart? It stinks in here.

MMMMMMMM old tyres kinda ugly.... but effective~ radial or crossply? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />... they would have to be tractor tyres according to some around here!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

We use plain old passenger car tires. Design seems not to make a difference in efficacy. We do recommend coarse sand however, seems to stay in place better.

Two feet of sharp sand will stop most anything that I know of including fmj 06 rounds. If you will line the inside of your boxes with tacked on old inner tubes before filling it keeps the sand from leaking out for a long time.

BCR

BCR:
Inner Tubes?

If they knew anything about rubber products they would not have such a crowded country. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Bill

Parts, well I did hear tell that they tie a knot in a bicycle tube and sell them for industrial strength propalytics over there.

BCR

I think the current thought over here is that Al Queadians in front of sand make perfect bullet stops.

Jim, for the cost of plywood and building over here, It would be cheaper and safer just to have several yards of sand delievered and dumped where you want the backstop. Just keep a shovel close by to keep it stacked up. Would need to keep a tarp over it to keep rain from washing it down but the bullets could be salvaged by straining and the sand would never wear out. -- no

Saeed uses sand for his indoor range. You might want to drop him a line and see what the penetration is of various rounds, as he tests lots of stuff, from 17's up to 700 NE. accuratereloading.com

Logstove,
I think the guys in Oregon uses old stumps and then they let someone else dig the old rounds out later.
ahhhh! a bit distasteful isn't it?
Just get a pile of sand like no said and pile it back up from time to time, just watch those soft feeling bullets if you still have those dagone cats around. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Just build some shalllow walls to the left, right and behind of your sand pit. Fill pit high with sand and blast away. 2 feet should be very adequate, just keep shovel handy and pile it up ocassionally.

I cant just pile it up as my range is in a field with sheep ~ they would eat,stand, piss on, sh*t on, sleep on ,jump on , and every other on you could think of in it.

I have no comment to make about rubber products <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

i will need 5 boxes though as my range wil go 50, 100, 200, 300, and 400(397 but close enough!) meters ~ lucky me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> and only 200 meters from home lucky me again ~ now if would stop raining blowing snowing I might get some box building done.