# What wood is best for a BB gun target?



## bibideebah (Jan 19, 2021)

I recently acquired a BB gun and I need a target to shoot stuff. I plan to build a roughly 12" by 24" target backboard with a small 3" wide shelf in the middle for holding bottles, cans, targets etc I need something strong, nice looking, and cost effective. Got any recomendations?


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## JohnMcClure (Aug 24, 2016)

Plywood. Painted if you want it to look nice… but please put something soft over the face of it, and the shelf, to avoid the problem of ricochet.


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## bibideebah (Jan 19, 2021)

> Plywood. Painted if you want it to look nice… but please put something soft over the face of it, and the shelf, to avoid the problem of ricochet.
> 
> - JohnMcClure


What would be a good ricochet dampening material?


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## wildwoodbybrianjohns (Aug 22, 2019)

Skip the target, go to the city dump and start shooting rats. No, thats 100% a joke. Maybe a bad one.

I would use cheap plywood, if you dont like the look of that, paint it.


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

Teak would work very well, or even Mahogany, nice even straight grain
I think you have found the true purpose of Pallet wood? (other than Fire Pits)


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## bibideebah (Jan 19, 2021)

> Skip the target, go to the city dump and start shooting rats.
> - wildwoodbybrianjohns


Will do


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

Hang a piece of carpet behind your targets to stop the BBs.


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## TravisH (Feb 6, 2013)

I made one from 3/4 ply for my son. Any hard or softwood would do just fine. It stays outside in a covered area and has been in use for several years now. It is based off the trap designs and uses duct seal putty "bricks" on the back wall to catch BBs.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

You'll shoot your eye out kid


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## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

A 1 inch bit if Styrofoam insulation would work fine. 
Carpet in the box, even better as they drop down easier to reuse. 
Many years ago, I used a scrap of celotex.


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## northwoodsman (Feb 22, 2008)

I used to use a cardboard box. Lay it on its side and put my target inside. Unless you have a high-powered pump action, or CO2 powered gun, this should be enough. Be extremely careful of your surroundings and back drop.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

Travis is on the right track with a "BB trap". BB's last a long time so may as well collect them for reuse!

If not, you just want to stop the ricochet which can be just as powerful as the shot itself.
TVR's foam idea is just what I was thinking or North's cardboard with a small space behind so the BB goes all the way through.

And yes, you'll shoot your eye out kid! 8^)

Forgot to add:
To answer your question, cheap plywood is fine (the foam/cardboard for the backer), maybe a bevel on the facing edges so a ricochet won't come straight back if you hit the wood.


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## hotbyte (Apr 3, 2010)

Excellent response! Where's the like button 



> You'll shoot your eye out kid
> 
> - SMP


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## LittleShaver (Sep 14, 2016)

You could try slanting the back so that ricochets are forced downward.


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## Scap (Aug 7, 2018)

Fence pickets to build your frame for setting the bottles/cans.
Carpet for back stop.

Wear eye-pro.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Homasote over plywood might be good.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Squirrel


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

> You could try slanting the back so that ricochets are forced downward.
> 
> - LittleShaver


Yes! BB traps have an angle plate that deflects the BBs down into the bottom of the trap. If you are concerned about accuracy, use something soft. Between the piston putting a dent on the BB and the trap putting another one on, accuracy will eventually suffer, if you are reusing the BBs.


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## Jimarco (May 15, 2015)

> What would be a good ricochet dampening material?
> 
> - Douglas!


What ever gathers around a can of cat food


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

I made a BB/Pellet trap using a cardboard box filled with about 12" thick bundle of old magazines inside,. Worked great. Tape the target to the front of the box and the box lets the BB enter easily and the magazines absorb the BBs with no ricochet.


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## Knockonit (Nov 5, 2017)

pigeons or as we call them city chickens, seem to dampen the blow somewhat, not much on saving the bb, but the clean up later on is much easier
Rj in az


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## Underdog (Oct 29, 2012)

I use a couple of pellet traps built similarly to Travis' diagram.

The difference is that I made a face frame and hid the light bar and target clip behind it. I used magnets and a hacksaw blade to hold the top of my target sheets.

Then I used 1/4 MDF as a replaceable backer to slide in behind the target paper.

For stopping the pellets/BBs I used half a bag of rubber mulch from Lowes. (Or was it a whole bag? - I can't remember… I just figured the cubic area it would fill, and sized my compartment to accomodate.)

Here's the linkies to my two traps:

https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/248066

https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/232554


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## bibideebah (Jan 19, 2021)

> You'll shoot your eye out kid
> 
> - SMP


Funnily enough it is an actual Red Ryder! haha


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

> Homasote over plywood might be good.
> 
> - Loren


+1


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