Anyone use their air gun indoors?

[mf-dif]

Last week while visiting the family house I dug out the pellet gun and plinked away in the back yard. Now that I'm back home (apartment), I'm thinking of picking up a pump pellet gun and building a quiet trap to plink indoors. Pending I keep the velocity down to 2-3 pumps, can I get away with it or will it be loud enough the neighbors will hear?

I tried airsoft indoors, but it just is too inaccurate and too toyish feeling.

 

[HankB]

With a low velocity pellet gun, the pellet's impact in the trap will be the loudest sound. If your walls are so thin that the neighbors may hear . . . just turn on the radio/tv before you commence practice.

 

[mf-dif]

I'd say the only "thin" walled area is the doors. In the hallway you can definitely hear through the doors. However once inside, I've never heard any of my neighbors I share walls with. I'm hoping that could be a good sign.

 

[rcmodel]

I have a 10m range in the basement.

I shoot into a steel pellet trap.

Lead dust & small particles from pellet splash-back out of the trap would be a major concern of mine inside an apartment.

I have to run an exhaust fan when shooting, and clean up the lead dust & frags around the trap with a shop vac when I get done shooting.

If I was going to do it inside an apartment?

Have to be a softer trap then a steel angle type like I have.
Cause it does a very poor job of collecting up the lead dust & frags from escaping out of it.

rc

 

[mf-dif]

Just thinking out loud here...what about a card board box backed with wood & books with a front layer of some old t-shirts and towels?

 

[clutch]

Do yourself a favor and get a steel pellet trap. They are not that expensive.

As to using air guns indoors, I'm in Michigan, a good part of the year that is the only shooting I can get in on a regular basis.

 

[Deer_Freak]

I did until my wife threw my pellet trap away. I really enjoyed taking a few shots during commercials.

 

[kBob]

Time out saved you guys from a wandering kBob post.

Yes I have. Placed sand bag on back of stop plate to reduce noise.

Set stop plate inside card board box with front open to deal with splash fragments.

Used box of wadded up newspaper with a few phone books in the back when shooting just BBs from a spring gun rather than a break action pellet rifle.

Be sure no one can see you through your windows as well.

-kBob

 

[dab102999]

I made a steel trap a few years back that is only a larger and longer version of the ones you buy. Same shape same angles. On the back wall (inside) I glued a piece of semi mud flap, piece of pink foam (thinner foam insulation),and a piece of rug. Almost cant hear it standing right next to it.

 

[bhk]

My steel trap makes too much noise for my taste. I live in the country and can shoot any gun outdoors, but the noise of the steel trap was objectionable to me indoors. For a while, I use a box with newpapers and magazines. This is quiet and works great, but can be somewhat messy.

I finally build a wood box and lined it with duct seal, available at hardware stores. This is the same as the silent traps sold at on-line airgun sites (http://www.archerairguns.com/Premium-Silent-Pellet-Trap-p/aapeltrpnoputty.htm). Works great and lasts for thousands of shots.

 

[mr.trooper]

Sure. I shoot a Baikal model 61 pellet rifle in my basement from time to time.

I cant quite get 10 meters, but it its 7 at least. Muzzle velocity is only 400fps, so its quiet. Accuracy with an Air Venturi rear diopter sight (EXPENSIVE, but worth it - the factory leaf sight doesn't do the rifle any justice) is 5 shot clover leafs with all but the lead free pellets.

Sometimes i also shoot a SAG C02 powered rife, but the accuracy isnt as good, and I dont like to waste gas cartridges for plinking.

 

[chicharrones]

Just thinking out loud here...what about a card board box backed with wood & books with a front layer of some old t-shirts and towels?

I've used card board boxes filled with tightly packed newspaper or phone books for years and I still do. They only have to be 2" to 3" thick to stop my .22 pellets out of a 950 fps rated springer, and that's with a plenty of safety margin in that thickness.

That set up traps all lead pellets and most BBs as long as the BBs are fast enough (rated 350 fps or more). Low speed BBs will bounce off. It is much quieter than the little steel pellet trap I have and pellets do not bounce back out or through like can happen with a steel pellet trap.

 

[243winxb]

Try rubber inside to reduce the noise.

A wood box with a steel plate at a 45 degree angle, stops the pellet. The cardboard on the front contained any splatter or dust made from my Feinwerkbau air pistol & helped keep the noise inside the box. A high velocity rifle would make a sonic boom, if the pellet is above the speed of sound. For target work, high velocity is not needed.

[/URL][/IMG] Click for larger photo.

 

[mdauben]

I use a steel backed pellet trap for indoor target shooting with both air pistol and rifle. They are not all that loud, but if you are concerned about the noise there are also traps that are filled with plumbers putty that are almost soundless.

 

[Ken70]

We used to put a bunch of magazines (paper kind) into a cardboard box and tape the target to the box. Sheridan Blue Streak. It was quiet.

Later, I had a house that had this drywall texture that consisted of swirls of the trowel that left 3/4" high ridges. I used to shoot at the ridges and knock them off the wall. Then retextured with a smoother finish.

 

[Scooter22]

I shoot in the basement all the time including .22s with Super Colibies. I made a pellet trap out of scrap wood and filled it with a layer of "Duct seal" from Home Depot. It comes in 1lb. blocks and basicly is a grey putty like material. It stops the bullet/pellet and encapsulates it. Eventually when you shot enough the projectiles fill in and they stop the new ones. Best thing is theres no sound from the 'trap". Mine is similar to this one but open faced and made of wood. Good luck. Oh and a air gun makes a great spider slayer without a projectile for the ones up at the wal ceiling juncture.
http://blogostuff.blogspot.com/2013/01/super-cheap-silent-pellet-trap.html

 

[CapnMac]

I used to use a Sheridan 5mm inside, with the matching target box. Real problem was that the pellets would bounce out of the box, so a drop cloth was wanted to police up the strays (as the vacuum did not enjoy finding them at all).

Was part of a assembly of cardboard boxes and the like, which was handy for pinning airsoft targets up and using the same "range" (longest straight line in the apartment). Gas-powered airsoft was louder than the Sheridan at 1-2 pumps.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I shot my target rifle in my basement for years. I had my own little 10 m range and practiced ISU position shooting every night. I used a home mad trap that was nothing more than a 1/8" metal folded so it would fit in an old big drawer at an angle. Basically make a stopsign and bend it to fit. I put two 4x8 sheets of plywood up for "stupid mistakes" and then went to town.

It worked great and could even take a 22LR but I rarely did it. Too much smoke.

 

[fpgt72]

Ok...this is pretty easy.

Go to the hardware store and pick up this stuff called Duct Seal....it is a puddy and it will STOP pellets.....No noise no lead splatter.

Video for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnQJFo3X2zs&feature=player_embedded

Just put this stuff in any type "backstop" box....I use a .22 bullet trap....just for that extra safety, but the pellets have never gone past the duct seal. I shoot a 800fps pellet gun into it and have never had a problem....only thing you hear is the gun and a kinda thud hitting the clay. I would however suggest you put something behind the target just incase you miss all together....remember rule know your back stop and what is behind it....you would not want to shoot you neighbor in the butt or something while they were getting ready to use the bathroom....sheet of ply would be good.

 

[jmorris]

I do out in the shop.

I keep the ends off of old shoe laces and insert a a pin, then fray the end. An old dart board is my "bullet trap".



Edit these are for .22 cal pump up air guns with only 1 or 2 pumps. Co2 or spring powered would just destroy them.

 

[mwmjones]

sure in the basement, Archery too

 

[sixgunner455]

Why not? I thought that was what air guns were for.

 

[mf-dif]

Well my $40 Crosman came today. Took a box and stuffed it with some scrap paper and an old folded up canvas curtain. 25 shots with irons and have it sighted in at 10-meters. Put the scope on to just see how it looked, but then took it off since I'm not too far away. Works great so far! You guys where right, the loudest sound comes from impacting the box.

 

[rcmodel]

Don't forget to look behind the box occasionally!

Sooner or later, you will be in for a big surprise.

Even with a BB gun.

rc

 

[mf-dif]

Surprisingly it doesn't get past the top layer of curtain material! 3 pump chump. I put an old wood cutting board behind it just incase.

Funny thing is with the old Daisy at the family house, 3 pumps will go right through a box filled with cardboard and stick into the fence.