Up graded my pellet trap to .22LR rated.
Printed From: Kiwi Airgunners
Category: Target Shooting and Clubs
Forum Name: Small bore range shooting
Forum Description: Anything to do with small bore shooting
URL: www.kiwiairgunners.co.nz/forum_posts.asp?TID=1142
Printed Date: 01 May 2026 at 12:09am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 10.14 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Up graded my pellet trap to .22LR rated.
Posted By: RangerPete
Subject: Up graded my pellet trap to .22LR rated.
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2024 at 2:21pm
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I have been thinking about trying to up grade my rubber mulch pellet trap to take .22LR for a while now. Finally got around to trying it today. My plastic tote filled with rubber mulch (see my review "Best Pellet Trap Ever" in the Technical Reviews forum) has been amazing, stopping every pellet and slug I have sent its way, from .177cal pellets with 4.4FPE to big slugs with 55FPE. But there is a slight difference between my biggest .22 slugs with 55FPE and a subsonic .22LR with 101FPE, not to mention the screaming fast CCI Stinger with 191FPE!!! Would my little pellet trap handle them? I de-constructed the pellet trap, scooping all the rubber mulch out. I must have shot 2 thousand pellets into that trap and it was interesting to see how they have faired, and also how deep into the mulch they have penetrated. I was finding .22 and .25cal pellets all most all the way down to the bottom (the bottom becomes the back when its standing on its end as a pellet trap). I'm not sure if these were shot there all the way through the mulch, or if they have settled down to the bottom every time I pack the trap away and lay it down on its back/bottom. I then cut a piece of wood to fit into the bottom of the tote, which was 45mm thick. That should stop a .22LR, right? Filled it up with rubber again and started testing. If the bullets passed through the 45mm wooden linner in the tote, they probably not going to stop against the plastic, so I put my steel plate .22LR rated pellet trap behind the pellet trap, just incase.... Started with Winchester sub sonics, 40gr hollow point at 1065fps for 101FPE. Shot the first shot and nearly went deaf in my little concrete basement! Its been so long since I've shot any kind of powder burner I completely forgot about ear protection! Got to love air rifles. Right, ear muffs on, then went to check the back of the plastic tote to see if we had a pass through... hopefully NOT! No pass through. The wood must have stopped it. Another 4 subsonic shots and still no holes in the tote. Yay. I was feeling a bit more confident now, so next I decided to try the stingers, 32gr hollow point at 1640fps for 191FPE. First shot and go and check... no pass through. Great. Next 4 and still no holes in the tote. Excellent. I was pretty sure there would be 10 .22LR bullets sitting in the 45mm wooden liner, but I wanted to see for my self, so again I scooped out all the rubber mulch from the plastic tote. Much to my surprise, at about 13cm down (deep) I actually found 3 of the 5 subsonic bullets, slightly mushroomed. And at about 20cm down, just above the wooden linner, I found 3 of the 5 stinger bullets, all beautifully mushroomed! Only one of the stingers actually made it to the wood, and it was just a little kiss, just a slight dent in the wood. I'm very impressed. My rubber mulch pellet trap is now officially .22LR rated! ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Replies:
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2024 at 2:28pm
A slight kiss on the wood from a 191FPE stinger Silver partly mushroomed 40gr subsonic, and the copper coated 32gr beautifully mushroomed stingers. Not real world results of course 😂  ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 12:55am
| That's good. Where do you get the mulch from? I must build myself a decent trap. I just use bits of wood with stickers on them. |
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 12:18pm
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Pauly, I searched the web, googles rubber, mulch, recycles tyres, and all sorts of other things. Went to miter 10, phoned companies in Auckland, drove half an hour to bunnings and had all but given up when I discovered there is a company that shreds tyres to make rubber mulch for horses to trot on in horse arenas, and they are litterally a few hundered meters from my house!  They are called Treadlite. I think they have distributers around the country. www.treadlite.co.nz ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 5:22pm
| Amazing how that worked out being so close. Thanks, I'll do a search. |
Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 5:27pm
| what size rubber mulch did you use? |
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 13 Dec 2024 at 10:22am
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I just used what they had, the pieces are between 5mm and 10mm. They sometimes do a bigger pieces mulch which they call the “firearms” mulch, but there is not much of a demand for it and they didn’t have any when I was there so I just took what they had. Works fine for what I need it to do. ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: metallicsting
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2026 at 7:00pm
     I tried to make something for my back yard also. Front wall was just core flute for the target. Then I had 5 curtains of T shirts and various material. Back wall was a 18mm Rubber gym mat tile from bunnings followed my 18mm ply wood. My PCP .22 cal shot right through it with this 5 shot group. Very glad I tested this at the range but man I was gutted. Was hoping I'd made something good for the yard. I think I'll try get some sort of steel to go behind the plywood so there are 3 layers for the back wall. With all the stuff in front it shouldn't ricohet and it's angled down. I should have dialled the PCP power down before testing it as the idea was to only shoot at approx 600fps anyways
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Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2026 at 6:40am
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The metal off the back of older washing machines is quite thick and cuttable. Sheet metal as well. Dacron out of sleeping bags works well too as a filler. A insert of 4x2 pieces to replace one of the back two inserts would work too im guessing if wood is your preference to work with. I rather like your design, as it allows for framing to be removed and alternate material to be slipped. Be keen to see what you come up with as a fix when you do. 👍 |
Posted By: metallicsting
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2026 at 8:01am
| Cheers mate. Yeah I the curtains can all be removed and replaced. I designed it that way for future proofing. I’m going to try get old carpet for each line of defence. I’m picking the twist piles of the carpet should break up the pallet. Cheers for the washing machine tip. Great idea. Will also investigate if Bunnings sell sheets. I stopped working on this for a while as I felt defeated lol. Either that or my shooting was too good with 5 shots pretty close to being on top of each other 🤣. Will post again when I complete this. |
Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2026 at 8:46am
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Go for industrial carpet. Mate of mine got some being replaced from a bank in the naki. Its way more thicker in the backing and much heavier pyle. |
Posted By: metallicsting
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2026 at 11:14am
| Cheers mate. Yeah will hit up the local store for stuff that's being chucked in the bin. My mate owns a carpet business and I used to work for him many years ago. |
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2026 at 12:47pm
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Hi Matallicsting, Nice box. Adding a piece of sheet metal on the out side of the back will defiantly stop anything from exiting! Replacing one or two of the curtains with old carper will probably stop pellets from reaching the back board. Doing both upgrades will make it bullet proof (probably not, don't try shooting it with bullets!)let us know how you get on and post some pics of the upgrades. ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: JasonEdward
Date Posted: 10 Feb 2026 at 11:11am
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Great idea with removable layers! Nice work! And I can't imagine pellets getting through all of those layers if you use carpet or similar with better density than clothing textiles. |
Posted By: Ashman
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2026 at 5:39pm
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This is all very inspiring. I'm of out in the boonies for the next few days and taking the Swarm with me with some targets and a banana box to stick them on but I've got a 40 metre long warehouse next door and I need a pellet trap for in there. the plastic box with the shredded rubber looks easy and doable if I can find the rubber here in Christchurch.
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Posted By: metallicsting
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2026 at 8:05pm
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My pallet trap isn't the greatest if i have my power on full speed. I need to get old carpet in for the 5 layers rather than the material I used. I've since stumbled accross this guys video and I think he's on to something. Seems like this trap works really well. Check out the video. I've not tried it but sounds like it worked. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo2Fx_tQFvM&list=PLN866KRxoRhmH6tVkyUHA6tJCfx2q_WNS&index=2 |
Posted By: Ashman
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2026 at 10:01pm
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Just built a very effective pellet trap from an old Systema 30 litre container. Put a thick plastic chopping board in the bottom, 8 layers of yoga mat rubber, an old bamboo hollofil pillow and a layer of commercial nylon carpet over the top. From 20 metres the pellets didn't even get through the pillow, but better to have overkill than wall kill. Sighted the rifle in with some Baracuda Power, 10 shots, to get it on target. Loose groups, but also my first with this rifle. I need to get a decent bench as I was using a fold up picnic table and it's crap. The grouping with those was poor. Then went on to Baracuda Hunter and they were a whole lot better. Couple of Ok 5 shot groups but gave up after that as the picnic table was no picnic and I broke the plastic fold out seat on it. I'll be out in the bush Wednesday/Thursday/Friday on a fishing trip, but I'm taking the shooting bags and I can shoot over the load lid on the ute with comfort, not distorted and bent like an overbaked pretzel. That'll be the real test. I have 3 other types of H & N ammo to test but the Hades won't turn up before then unfortunately. The magazine feed was flawless. Fair old effort to cock it, but that was expected. Anyway, the pellet trap is beyond awesome. Between the carpet and the pillow, nothing will get through that for a while. And I got to shoot my new fairly serious toy, judging by the recoil, not something I ever thought I'd say about an air rifle. All up cost was.... well, there's nothing I actually bought just for the purpose so 35 pellets, where 250 was $35 so $5.60 of pellets. and the boss's printer ink and paper for the targets. Best, most fun $5.60 I've had, ever. Takes me right back to my old Milbro 45 I got for my 8th birthday.
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