Has any one ever made there own bullet trap (backstop). I was thinking of making one but i'm not really sure if I should copy the one at my local shooting range made of steel or maybe im better off making one from wood and sand. I plan on using anything from pistols to a 30-06.

i've made a couple, depends on how much money you have, how many friends will be there, if its inside or outside, and if you have any heavy equipment.
first one was built inside, heavy sheet steel welded to a frame on roughly a 50 degree angle. had a trough filled with water as a catch pan for the bullets. if you go this route, it was pretty expensive, and you have enough room between the top of the sheet steel and the forward lip of the trough to avoid potential ricoche'.
the dugout was the easiest, found a hill and went to work with a bobcat. built up retaining walls to hold everything in place and strung a piece of osb to hold the paper targets.

thats a pretty good idea. Do you have any pics not sure what you mean with the water

unfortunately i don't have any pictures of either of them.
we used the water to help prevent possible ricoche', the bullets impacting the sheet steel were driven down and into the catch pan, filled with water in the event that a bullet fragments upon hitting the steel, and also to slow travel so it does not impact the bottom of the trough quite as hard.
we strung osb across the vertical supports for the sheet steel, bullest through target, through osb, bounce off sheet steel and end up in the water. every so often it needs to be cleaned out, depending on how often or how many people are shooting at it.

I made a bullet trap for my cap and ball sixguns, as well as .22 rimfires, that works well. Pure lead is often hard to find, so this allows me to recycle the lead and cast lead balls for my .36 and .44 sixuguns.
I used a box that held 5,000 sheets of printer paper, but any heavy box of similar size will work. An apple or orange box, the kind with the slip-fit lid, is particularly good.
I have a scrap piece of 1/8" inch steel --- formerly a cover for a fuze box, that I put at the very bottom of the box. Then I added a few inches of newspaper. Don't wad the newspaper, just lay it flat and adjust it so it covers evenly all over inside.
Then add a piece of scrap 1/2" plywood, cut to fit just within the box.
Add more newspaper. Then more plywood. Eventually, you'll end up with layers of plywood and paper. Your last addition should be a piece of plywood, just under the top of the box.
Fill the box so it's slightly overflowing with paper and plywood, then stand on it to compress it a bit. Put the lid on hurriedly, before it starts to spring back, and quickly secure the lid to the back of the box with duct tape.
These will serve as keepers until you can finish duct-taping it.
Now, put at least four bands of duct tape all around the box, securing the lid to the inner box. Then tape along the box's edges, where the top meets the bottom of the box.
A scrap of rope strung around the box, with handle tied in it, will help carry it.
However, I picked up an old, folding luggage carrier (the kind people use in airports) at a yard sale and use that to transport it to the target line.
I shoot in a nearby gravel pit, so it's not a formal range. Formal ranges may frown upon you toting a box out to the target line.
The above trap has stopped heavy .44 cap and ball loads (round ball at 1,000 fps, .38 wadcutter loads, .22 rimfire loads and even a .45 ACP 230 gr. lead bullet at 850 fps. However, the .45 bullet almost made it to the steel plate at the very back.
A .50 caliber rifle ball from my black powder rifle dented the steel plate. Won't do that again!
This box isn't good for heavy pistol or most rifle loads, but it works fine for light target loads.
As you shoot, the box will look shabby and loose. No matter, repatch it with duct tape. Eventually, it will become nearly gray. That's about the time to cut it open and extract the lead.
I took out 12 pounds of .36 and .44 balls on my first box. Haven't opened my second box yet.
Don't shoot tracers into the box, or it may smolder inside and catch fire hours later.
Also, black powder wads and patches can enter the box and smolder.
When I return from shooting, I place the box in the backyard for a day or two. If it catches fire there, it won't burn down the house.
With a thicker box, and more plywood or steel plates, you could probably adapt this concept to fit some mighty heavy rifles.
Sand is amazing for its ability to stop bullets. Just ask any G.I. who's been behind sandbags while under fire.
Though a box of sand would be heavy, it would certainly stop most bullets. I'd suggest making the box of plywood, with a 4" layer of foam rubber behind the front piece. This will help to seal off the holes and keep sand from leaking out.

Where are you (1in10) I do a lot of armor plate. May be more expensive shipping than you'd like but I can cut it to size and...

Let me know,
ww111@yahoo.com