How to Build a BB Gun Indoor Target Trap

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One of the simplest BB gun indoor target traps consists of nothing more than a cardboard box, a 1-inch dowel, a piece of carpet and a few wood screws. This simple trap will catch and trap 100% of the BBs which hit the target or enter the cardboard box and each and every BB can be used repeatedly, saving you a considerable amount of money on the purchase of new BBs as well as protecting your walls from BB dints and dings.

Items you will need

  • Cardboard box Wooden 1 inch dowel Drill Piece of scrap carpet 6 1-inch wood screws Screwdriver

Find or buy a cardboard box approximately 24 inches wide, 12 inches high and 24 inches deep. Your box does not have to be the exact dimensions indicated, simply close. If possible make certain that you can obtain additional boxes of the same size and shape in the future.

Buy a 1 inch dowel that is slightly longer than the width of the cardboard box. If the cardboard box is 24 inches wide then buy a dowel that is at least 26 to 28 inches long.

Buy or scrounge a piece of carpeting that is just slightly smaller than the inside dimensions of your cardboard box. For example, if your cardboard box is 24 inches wide and 12 inches high then you would need a piece of carpet approximately 23 inches wide and 12 inches high.

Drill 6 small evenly-spaced holes in the 1-inch dowel. The holes should extend about half way through the dowel. Space the holes so they will hold one edge of the carpet centered on the dowel.

Lay a 23-inch edge of the carpet on the dowel centered on the holes you have drilled and use your screwdriver to screw your 6 1-inch wood screws through the edge of the carpet and into the dowel.

Hang the dowel on the top edge of the open-topped box with the freely-swinging carpet inside the box, 8 to 12 inches from the front side of the box. Mount a target on the front side of the box, set up your box and begin target practice. Any BBs that go through the front of the box will hit the swinging carpet inside the box and be stopped, dropping to the bottom of the box where you can easily collect them later.

Warnings

  • Never aim a BB gun (or any other gun) at a person even if you believe the gun is not loaded. Wear eye protection when shooting a BB gun. Follow all manufacturer's safety precautions when firing a BB gun.

Tips

  • Eventually you will shoot so many holes in the front of the box that you will need to replace the box; this is why it is a good idea to buy a box of a size that is easily replaceable in the future and to build your dowel and carpet to fit this replaceable box size.
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