Another Pellet Trap in the Making

[Davio]

I've put together a pellet trap, but still unfinished and awaiting the duct seal. 


This one will stay outside, so it gets oil-base primer, then varnish, and finally a coat of bedliner.  Pretty run of the mill design but my targets will clamp from behind the top skirt (no biggie except that the clamps won't get destroyed as soon). It will also be post-mounted.

[Serpents Den]

kewlness...I was thinking of building one myself, but will probably end up modifying my current traps anyways with duct seal...

[Crosshairs]

Cool nice work.
Mike

[farrlarr]

Nice, but I have two suggestions.  From what you said, I assume you are going to mount your target clamp inside the top rail so it will not be hit by pellets.  Good idea, but your top rail is so wide it is going to block a large part of your target; I suggest that you make it more narrow.  Second, with the clamp inside, that is going to make clamping the targets a bit inconvenient.  Why not cut a slot, from front to back, in the top of the target box so, with the clamp mounted high on the narrowed top rail, you can reach a finger or two down through the slot to press on the top of the clamp.  If the slot is wide enough, you can see the orientation of the target with regard to the clamp and then can clamp the target in easily.

[Davio]

Nice, but I have two suggestions.  From what you said, I assume you are going to mount your target clamp inside the top rail so it will not be hit by pellets.  Good idea, but your top rail is so wide it is going to block a large part of your target; I suggest that you make it more narrow.  Second, with the clamp inside, that is going to make clamping the targets a bit inconvenient.  Why not cut a slot, from front to back, in the top of the target box so, with the clamp mounted high on the narrowed top rail, you can reach a finger or two down through the slot to press on the top of the clamp.  If the slot is wide enough, you can see the orientation of the target with regard to the clamp and then can clamp the target in easily.

Thanks for the advise, but what you can't see is that the opening for the targets (as in two) is already tall and wide enough to hang two targets side by side with ease.  Also, the clamping mechanism will actually be a piece of wood inside that is tightened forward securely and quickly by use of stainless washers/bolts/wing nuts (instead of the usual clipboard affair). 

It will also be backlit (stainless AA powered LED puck lights) for night shooting.    I have a few laying around.

[jdub]

I like it!   Good plan on the target clamps.

I like to keep a couple of layers of card-stock behind my targets for clean holes in the paper so I cut grooves around the inside edge of my traps for the card-stock to slide into it.  I like it but the downside is if I miss wide it's going to crush the grooves.  Not an issue so far but the day is young 

Changing targets with clamps is faster than my method and you're free to use whatever size targets you want.  If I use odd size targets I have to tape them onto the front of the card-stock.

Nicely done!

[farrlarr]

Thanks for the advise, but what you can't see is that the opening for the targets (as in two) is already tall and wide enough to hang two targets side by side with ease.  Also, the clamping mechanism will actually be a piece of wood inside that is tightened forward securely and quickly by use of stainless washers/bolts/wing nuts (instead of the usual clipboard affair). 

It will also be backlit (stainless AA powered LED puck lights) for night shooting.    I have a few laying around.

Aha!!  That should work well.  I really like the night shooting lights, as well.  Since I shoot inside the house, lighting was never an issue for me but you are planning to leave the target boxes outside so the lights should be very useful. 

You might consider sketching some plans so others could easily duplicate your design. 

I also agree that target backing is a very good idea since it makes for very clean holes in your targets.  I use pieces of cardboard instead of cardstock, partly because it easy for me to get at no cost and partly because I think it provides better target support than the cardstock.  To each his own, however.

[Davio]

What is cardstock?    I know what cardboard is, of course.

[farrlarr]

Cardstock is somewhat heavy, stiff paper.  I actually print my targets on cardstock (65 lb) or coverstock (67 lb) from Office Max; since they are both heavier and stiffer than normal paper (which is usually 20 lb), they tend to give better, more discrete holes and there is little or no tearing between holes when the holes are close together.  That is particularly true when they are backed with cardboard.  I assume that jdub uses normal paper targets with double layer cardstock for backing to achieve the same end. 

[hstedman]

I made a target holder today, It's disgraceful though so I wont even post a picture, but itll get the job done. I just got 6 pieces of wood lying around into 1 foot pieces and made a square with a base that I can tape paper to haha.