Got one of the Champion 22 bullet traps for some downstairs suppressed 22 shenanigans. Everything works great except for the THONG noise that comes with each lead bullet impacting the trap's back plate. I tried layering up some fabric along the back plate itself and burying the thing in a cardboard box stuffed with old coats, and that combo seems to work, but it's still rather loud.

I sourced some packing foam sheets (not styrofoam) and some mounting pads and am going to try sticking that to the backstop to see if that works.

Anyone have any pro tips on how to tamper the noise down on steel targets??

I've been to a couple strip clubs, and never noticed a thong to be THAT loud...



But, you can quiet it down by sticking a layer of sound deadening material to the outside of it.  Dynomat or something along those lines.  Heavy stuff made of asphalt, with a good sticky backing.  That should do the trick.  Haven't tried it myself, but from my experience with car audio, that stuff works pretty good.

Modeling clay stuck on the outside.

Just a guess, but it seems like it would work.

Yes that would probably be the most practical/ effective/ inexpensive solution.
Dense, heavy and soft is what you are looking for.

Dynamat

I think MCM Electronics and Parts Express sells their own brand, too.

Not what you're looking for, but I hope that room is very well ventilated. Even with ventilation, I would imagine that air would probably be pretty toxic after a while.

Line it with duct seal

Try dynamat or the generic self stick noise dampener on all the metal parts?

https://www.amazon.com/Noico-deadening-automotive-Insulation-dampening/dp/B01KZ5X7KO/ref=sr_1_10?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1476303024&sr=1-10&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A3945072011

Dammit! I just got home from work and I was at a store briefly that sells almost all of what you guys recommended. The pants are off, ain't no way I'm going back out tonight.

Stupid me, I was thinking more on the lines of sticking something INSIDE the unit to soften the noise, makes sense that layering the OUTSIDE would dampen the vibrations and then the noise as well. I can get clay pretty cheap so I'm going to first give that a shot and then pick up some of that material you guys posted.

As far as ventilation we're good. I shoot with the blower on and a few strategically placed fans so it all gets sucked out of the basement right away. I had noticed that, before I set all that up, there was wafts of lead powder in the air coming out of the trap after the bullet disintegrated. Can't have THAT linger around!

Lastly, if you are not startled at a titty bar by the incredible noise of thongs then you're going to the wrong bar.

An even cheaper alternative is to get the peel and stick aluminum backed roof sealer from the roofing section of your local Lowes/Home Depot/ACE/Hardware store. It's basically the same thing as Dynamat, etcetera, except that it's cheaper. Anything that will keep the vibrations down should do the trick.

I put sand bags on the back and it helps. Also, cut cardboard pieces to fit the front and it seals in the lead dust.

Thanks, I'll see what they have at the store.

I use pieces of cardboard to clip onto the front of the trap, then I stick the target on top of that. You can see at the mouth of the trap where the lead fragments have come out, hit the back of the cardboard and then pile on the stand I have it resting on. (Not advised) I shot the thing from about seven feet away with no thread of crap coming back.

i wonder if giving it a few layers of 3M undercoating would help deaden the ring cause by the impact?

Rubber mulch from Home Depot.    A few inches will stop even a .223.    Google is ;your friend.

Duct seal from the store in the electrical section will do wonders. Very cheap, and it will catch 1000's of lead pellets. .22's not sure with the added power, but I bet it would work.

Home Depot sound deadening mat for hvac, about $20 a roll.