We decided to upgrade our club pellet traps from the large yellow Daisy traps to the 3 position traps made from plans Jay V. sent me. (They are also available from the CMP website) This is the one that is full height and allows hanging all targets for a 3 x 20 match at once.
I wanted to pass on my modifications and learning.
First, the traps will cost you about $75 each as steel prices have gone up considerably in the last few years.
We did not bother with the slot for cardboard as we just stapled the cardboard to the frame. We do not remove it for storage.
A 1 x 4 was added at the bottom of the lower steel plate to catch pellets.
Laminate flooring underlayment (kind of a foam pad) was used under the steel. This really cuts down on the noise.
The plywood backing was stopped 5" short of the foor, so we could keep our stabilizing legs on and nest the traps in a standing position. We are exploring caster options for the future.
Overall I am very please with the results.
First match with them is March 19.
JPM
Building Pellet Traps
Moderators: pilkguns, Marcus, m1963
Re: Building Pellet Traps
JPM wrote:We decided to upgrade our club pellet traps from the large yellow Daisy traps to the 3 position traps made from plans Jay V. sent me. (They are also available from the CMP website) This is the one that is full height and allows hanging all targets for a 3 x 20 match at once.
I wanted to pass on my modifications and learning.
First, the traps will cost you about $75 each as steel prices have gone up considerably in the last few years.
We did not bother with the slot for cardboard as we just stapled the cardboard to the frame. We do not remove it for storage.
A 1 x 4 was added at the bottom of the lower steel plate to catch pellets.
Laminate flooring underlayment (kind of a foam pad) was used under the steel. This really cuts down on the noise.
The plywood backing was stopped 5" short of the foor, so we could keep our stabilizing legs on and nest the traps in a standing position. We are exploring caster options for the future.
Overall I am very please with the results.
First match with them is March 19.
JPM
Good ideas!
We made the slots, but you are right, it's not really necessary.
We changed the plans in a couple of ways also, mostly by adding easily (no tools) removable feet. The vertical legs just drop into the feet.
The underlayment pad behind the steel sounds like a good idea. I would watch for the steel to deform around the center of the target where (hopefully) most of the shots land. It may indent easier without being supported directly by the wood. Our steel has shown some signs of this type of wear after about 3 years.
We are using 2x2" plastic downspout, cut open to make a "U", as a catch tray.
Overall the basic design is very good, and can be modified to work slightly better depending on your requirements.
The link to the main CMP page for target traps is: http://www.odcmp.com/Coaching/target_stand_plans.htm[/url]
The traps we are talking about are at the bottom of the page in a pdf file ("Constructing a Three-Position Target Stand...").
One thing to check when assembling the traps - before fastening the steel, check the correct target heights in the CMP/3P Council book. If I recall correctly, the steel should be adjusted slightly from where it is specified in the plans to be centered correctly for the kneeling and prone positions.
Jay V
IL
www.aiac-airguns.org
Another great idea - I would do the same if we were to build them again.jhmartin wrote:We've made these with mods to the plans as well ...
We narrowed the stands so that it would take 24" wide cardboard. It has less waste and will still take two AR-5/10's side by side.
Joel Martin
Valencia COunty 4-H
Jay
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Raymond Odle
I stopped using steel and plywood several years after I ran across a local factory getting rid of used 24" 3/8" conveyor belt.
Build a simple 2x4 frame with a 2x4 top piece, plywood corner bracing, 1x4 spreader at the bottom rear, then nail the belting to the top cross member. Nailing it to the bottom will also make it easier to carry. The pellets are deformed but not smashed flat. This makes the pellets easy to sweep up. These back stops have to weight half of my steel/plywood backstops.
We also staple the cardboard. We reskin the backstop once a year just before the USAS/CMP 3P state qualifier. Works for us.
Ray
Build a simple 2x4 frame with a 2x4 top piece, plywood corner bracing, 1x4 spreader at the bottom rear, then nail the belting to the top cross member. Nailing it to the bottom will also make it easier to carry. The pellets are deformed but not smashed flat. This makes the pellets easy to sweep up. These back stops have to weight half of my steel/plywood backstops.
We also staple the cardboard. We reskin the backstop once a year just before the USAS/CMP 3P state qualifier. Works for us.
Ray