Catch those round balls!

B

brushhippie

Moderator
Thought about this after we started shooting these steel plates and finding flattened round balls laying around, thought maybe if I hang the thing inside a tire it would catch at least a few of them, which it actually did... better than I thought it would. Check out the video and build yourself one!

http://youtu.be/vh-7-_GhcxE
 
Excellent Idea !!!

Brushhippie,
You are missing a very good point and selling this idea too short. Not only are you catching your scrap lead, but ricochets, as well. In fact, looks like you caught at least one and that adds a safety factor to it. ..... :D


Be Safe !!!
 
Anyone see any concern with hitting the tire? I wonder if a modern steel belted tire (specially the heavy duty truck stuff I have laying around) could cause some lower power rounds to bounce in an unperdictable fashion possibly coming back toward the shooter?
 
I have not actually hit the tire yet but Im thinking the surface of the tire is not really a flat surface so...thats a good question! guess I need to go check that out.
 
I bet a low powder charge would bounce off the tire. Those things are pretty tough. I had a bb gun what shot at 600 fps and it bounces off regular car tires (they were used, dismounted tires). Its a lot smaller and weighs a lot less, but on a low powder charge a black powder bullet isn't going much faster and has a larger diameter. It also weights more so i don't know. Im willing to bet it bounces though.
 
I'm thinking 30-35 grains of powder is going to blow through one side of a tire. The steel belts are in the tread not the sidewall.
 
theyll bounce. ive seen where people felt a swc from a 357 wouldnt penetrate a steel belted radial, so how could a 1860 army?
 
Thats what I mean. Tires are some seriously tuff stuff. Now I dunno if they're riccochet or just drop to the ground when hit but its definitely something I'd look into
 
Without setting up the tire, a large blue tarp could also be spread out all around the area in front of the plate to collect the lead that only drops and bounces a short distance away. They come in many different sizes and are relatively inexpensive in the discount stores around here. :)
 
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you could cut off the near wall of the tire and leave a little lip to catch the lead. i'm no physicist but it seems less likely to bounce back.
 
Im going out to test this today, thanks for the ideas guys...and I think you are right swopjan without the bead may be the ticket!
 
For someone starting his own range, a piece of steel behind the target area, set up at a slant, as to drive the round down to the ground would be a perfect way to avoid any ricochet as well as avoid a build up of lead on his property.
It would allow for easier clean-up of the range and allow you to re-use the spent lead. As hard as it is getting to find resources for lead, it makes good sense. I thought about mentioning it to our local shooting club for our range, but thought after 50 years of people using the range, it would probably be a little late, as I am sure there is probably a couple tons of lead in the backstop already.
My only other problem with a piece of steel is the cost. Have you guys seen what the local scrap yard wants for steel now-a-days?:eek:
 
Just went and shot it again this time trying to hit the tire. I laid out a piece of house wrap 9 feet wide and 20 feet long out in front of the target to see if anything came out the front. Shooting from 25 yards I did hit it several times, really right where I was hoping, a couple right on the bead and one right below the tread. All of them went right through the sidewall and were inside the tire! The only lead that came out,(from shooting the gong) came out the front and they were all flattened and right below the tire. If you were shooting from beyond 25 yards your results would be different Im sure, I dont really shoot BP revolvers from beyond 25.
http://youtu.be/lQw3EEltOfE
 
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There are never any guarantees

brushhippie
It's been said that a good idea is only as good as the time it takes someone to tell you that it's not. Glad you did your homework, follow-up and hung in there. .... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
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