pyroguy1960 Posted September 7, 2010 Posted September 7, 2010 I have two 8" mortars and I'm thinking about ways to shoot them. I assume most of the time that shells this size are shot from buried guns, but I was hoping to make a more portable option. Does anyone have pics of an 8" mortar rack? I was going to use the typical construction techniques to build a rack for them, but wasn't even sure if it's done that way. Attached is a pic of the mortars sitting next to my 4" shell rack...
NightHawkInLight Posted September 7, 2010 Posted September 7, 2010 The racks are assembled in the same way. If it's just one rack, Be sure to have a big foot on it for stability. More than just a stake on either end is needed. If you have more than one, they can be screwed together with a sheet of plywood on either end to make a cube. I don't shoot any displays myself, but I've seen that done on several occasions.
bikemaster Posted September 7, 2010 Posted September 7, 2010 I shoot some display this year and every time I use 8 inch motar and higher, I bury them in the ground. I don't know the law in USA but I think that the rule au more severe here.... Anyway i dont want to be near for a 8 inch motar that blow whitout the groud to protect me (if light by hand) and if you light it by e-match, you also don't want that the explosion move other motar in the rack...
dagabu Posted September 7, 2010 Posted September 7, 2010 We shoot a couple dozen largish shows a year and stop racking mortars at 6" simple because they are just to darn heavy to move by hand. Everything 10" and above is buried and we usually do circles so that the module can reach all guns with a standard 3 meter wire. 8" guns are usually dropped in a trench in a line. Generally, we don't use a lot of fiberglass and only use steel for multibreaks. On pavement, the mortars are burried in 55 gallon drums (HDPE).
Mumbles Posted September 7, 2010 Posted September 7, 2010 I have to agree with everyone. I don't know what the laws are, but general shooting etiquette is to bury and e-match if possible anything 8" and up. The NFPA standard is to bury to 2/3 of it's length minimum. They may have recently changed it to 3/4, but still it's a pretty deep hole. I'm not recommending this, but for single shots, I have seen mortars up to 12" buried maybe 1-2 feet into the ground, just enough to make it stable. An auger generally makes pretty quick work compared to a post hole digger. You might want to ask on Passfire, if you're a member. They'll know better. It might be possible to make a 1 tube rack if you want something more portable. I really don't know how an 8" gun would stand up to the force of the shell without ground reinforcing around it.
pyroguy1960 Posted September 7, 2010 Author Posted September 7, 2010 I did plan on firing them electronically.......I'll check out passfire to see if anyone has built a rack for these. Thanks to all
Arthur Posted September 7, 2010 Posted September 7, 2010 Two 8" tubes would start to get heavy, racking them even more so. Individually staked is the simple plan, Better is dug in for half length or more. Electric firing is almost essential, you may use 200m of cable! The UK advised safety distance would be 200metres plus another 200m the way the wind will blow the shell.
dagabu Posted September 8, 2010 Posted September 8, 2010 We fire them from 500' most of the time. Here the law is 70' per inch or 560' for an 8".
bikemaster Posted September 8, 2010 Posted September 8, 2010 These laws are there for the spectator.... Not the shooter. You just need to have the good protection ( glasses, helmet, almost fireproof suit) and never put your face over the motar.... Up to 6 inch you can shoot theme by hand (street flair) and over this we need to shoot them by e-match. The best way to shoot 8 inch is to bury the motar. Take 15 minute to make an hole is much less that the time you put on your shell!!!
pyroguy1960 Posted September 8, 2010 Author Posted September 8, 2010 15 minutes to dig a hole that big? Not without a backhoe, don't know where you live but in new england you're sure to hit rocks and all manner of other crap. Took me about 2 hours to plant a small tree in my backyard last year, and the hole I dug probably wasn't big enough to bury an 8" gun halfway.
NightHawkInLight Posted September 8, 2010 Posted September 8, 2010 15 minutes to dig a hole that big? Not without a backhoe, don't know where you live but in new england you're sure to hit rocks and all manner of other crap. Took me about 2 hours to plant a small tree in my backyard last year, and the hole I dug probably wasn't big enough to bury an 8" gun halfway. Unless you live in an area that has been robbed of all its top soil so a sub division could sell it back to you, 15 minutes is a good estimate - at least in my area.
pyroguy1960 Posted September 8, 2010 Author Posted September 8, 2010 Ha, maybe it's cause I'm an out of shape loser then.....felt like digging to China when I dug that hole for the tree.
dagabu Posted September 8, 2010 Posted September 8, 2010 We don't hand dig, backhoe or an auger on a bobcat.
NightHawkInLight Posted September 8, 2010 Posted September 8, 2010 We don't hand dig, backhoe or an auger on a bobcat.A bobcat mounted auger is the way to go. MPAG has one shoot site with that convenience. Works like a charm. We also have a site with a backhoe, but the last time we used that we nicked a drain tile out in the cornfield. Gotta be more careful next time.
pyroguy1960 Posted September 8, 2010 Author Posted September 8, 2010 Strictly Amatuer hour here, don't have access to any type of power digger....
NightHawkInLight Posted September 9, 2010 Posted September 9, 2010 Strictly Amatuer hour here, don't have access to any type of power digger.... Maybe, what do they call it these days...ANF...something. Lost the rest of it in the HE section. To be used only when meeting all the requirements for safe and legal use of course.
pyroguy1960 Posted September 9, 2010 Author Posted September 9, 2010 Both those acronyms are lost on me...
Arthur Posted September 9, 2010 Posted September 9, 2010 The technique of putting a mortar in an oil drum and filling it with sand is good. (filling with gravel or rocks would be very BAD though)
dagabu Posted September 9, 2010 Posted September 9, 2010 The technique of putting a mortar in an oil drum and filling it with sand is good. (filling with gravel or rocks would be very BAD though) No, not an oil drum, the metal shreds and makes for nice razors flying through the air. Plastic drums. Yes, it has to be sand.
Ralph Posted September 9, 2010 Posted September 9, 2010 IDK? Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil as in using a high explosive to dig the hole quickly what NHIL said made no sence though as it would have been AN something not ANF something
NightHawkInLight Posted September 9, 2010 Posted September 9, 2010 Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil as in using a high explosive to dig the hole quickly what NHIL said made no sence though as it would have been AN something not ANF somethingI was attempting to use all but the last letter of the acronym, but whatever, obviously I needed to rethink my phrasing.
WonderBoy Posted September 12, 2010 Posted September 12, 2010 Whenever I shoot displays with 8" shells, we have 2 tubes per rack. But they are a pain in the butt to move around. Especially fiberglass tubes like you've got there
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