# Quiet Catch Box Ideas?



## Sherman (Oct 2, 2012)

Has anyone come up with a quiet catch box?

I live very close to neighbors on 3 sides and I know my practice outdoors is being noticed. Indoor practice isn't an option in my tiny shack. I am shooting more at leather targets since they make less noise than cans. But the steel ammo hitting the backdrop itself is pretty noisy. I have a cloth hanging on a clothes line as my backdrop. I changed it from a heavy corduroy cloth to a doubled nylon/polyester shower curtain, but (surprisingly to me) it still makes just as much noise.

Maybe t-shirts inside a cardboard or plastic container would be quieter? Any ideas?


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

T-shirt hung in a box is quiet. Use soft targets for quiet hits.


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## Hrawk (Oct 25, 2010)

See THIS thread.

The search function is your friend.


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## lightgeoduck (Apr 3, 2011)

Hrawk said:


> See THIS thread.
> 
> The search function is your friend.


thanks I was looking for that last night







... I wanted to make something out of kevlar fabric and that, but I couldn't remember what "that" was









LGD


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## Sherman (Oct 2, 2012)

Thanks Hrawk - very useful link. I did search -- but only "quiet catch box" and it didn't pull that thread.


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## Quercusuber (Nov 10, 2011)

_Lately, I've been trying a lot of ideas. The most quiet of them all, I guess, is a cardbox with one, two or even three pieces of cloth (preferably cotton or other soft, heavy cloth). That link from Hrawk is also amazing, but I guess it's more difficult to get that pasty product. My latest solution is also the most simple and I think I will stick by it: A big piece of cloth with a rope inside one of the sides. Then you just have to get two close trees and tie the rope on both trunks. The bottom end of the cloth is tied losely on the ground on both corners with metal spikes...This, of course, is on the middle of a bush or forest. It's practical, portable, unexpensive and allows multiple targets sets._
_Cheers!_
_Q_


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## All Buns Glazing (Apr 22, 2012)

The only problem with that stuff is it eats the ammo. It's dead quiet, but from what I understand, it eats the ammo and doesn't return it easily.

I think one of the quietest options is having multiple layers of thin material, such as single layers of tshirt material. The more layers of thin material, with a little air between each layer seems to be the quietest out of everything I've tried.


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## lightgeoduck (Apr 3, 2011)

All Buns Glazing said:


> The only problem with that stuff is it eats the ammo. It's dead quiet, but from what I understand, it eats the ammo and doesn't return it easily.
> 
> I think one of the quietest options is having multiple layers of thin material, such as single layers of tshirt material. The more layers of thin material, with a little air between each layer seems to be the quietest out of everything I've tried.


Why not a combination of both? sort of a "seat cushion" duct seal with a layer of material on top/in front?


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## Hrawk (Oct 25, 2010)

A thin layer of rubber over the front works well. I've used TBG to pretty good effect.


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## BCLuxor (Aug 24, 2010)

Yes as stated above cut several T-shirts into loose strips and hang them down together they should stop the projectile without the loud thump. Also I am in a similar position I don't like letting my neighbours know what I am up to so I have a reasonably quiet catch box now, however I recommend you get a friend to stand and shoot where you do whilst you go round various points of your yard and check just how loud you are when your shooting I was surprised to find out that it was not my catch box that would alert my neighbours more the sound of the BB ripping through the air that whsssss sound is unmistakable as something moving fast lol, my solution was to buy a small pocket radio which I switch on and leave down on my chair next to me the duration of my shoot the noise from me now is negligible especially if they are indoors they hear nothing.


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## lightgeoduck (Apr 3, 2011)

Actually forget the backdrop...make a tough soft target, since that is all the ammo should be hitting


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## Devoman (Oct 15, 2010)

Well I love noise of hitting targets, but I live in the woods. I will be moving inside soon due to snow and cold, perhaps this is what I will need. Since this design eats ammo, shooting 1/4 bb's will prove to be cost effective.
I will add this to my "To do list" thanks!


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## bkcooler (Jul 23, 2011)

Simular Idea.
I use plummers putty from 5lb tub before.
It was less then $5 and used old plillow case as it's skin.


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## Sherman (Oct 2, 2012)

I tried 4 layers of t-shirts spaced a few inches apart (each) in a simple cardboard catchbox. It really is quiet. Only problem now is that I find shooting a little round of leather boring (but quiet) compared to a can or a paper target on cardboard. I'm going to make a leather round with a hole in the center so that a bullseye will go right through to the t-shirts and not even move the leather target. That should be a little bit more interesting.


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

I think it would best suited for steel. I already have broken glass in the bottom of my box from marbles falling on each other. Sticking in the sweet spot would just pulverize them.


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## crazymike (May 8, 2011)

I use very thick leather COW hide swade it is almost a half inch thick very soft and plyable the the bulls eye is a hole cut into a peace of card board so a miss is loud but a bulls eye is nice and quiet not waking my girl friend up at 2 am the slingshot is louder than the catch box


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