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Ban on Exploding Targets


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That actually makes sense out there, and on DNR property. Sounds like they are still legal on private property.
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Hate to say it but I have to agree with these types of bans because of miss-use and injury. It's one thing to shoot at a range target with reasonably sized exploding target feedback but quite another blowing up large appliances and sending shrapnel everywhere. There are way too many cases of injury in Indiana due to exploding targets used in an unsafe manner.

 

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/call-6-investigators/indiana-senator-wants-restrictions-on-exploding-targets

 

Before you flame me, I don't like bans on anything. It's a slippery slope to freedom loss and I just plain dislike the word "ban".

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I don't blame them for banning....too many idiots who push the limits and make it tough on those of us who practice 'safety'. Fire hazard here in the Pacific NW is too great....

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While I don't support any ban, it is public land and you are a guest. If you can't behave, you suffer the consequences and get treated like a child. Would love to know how many fires are caused by morons shooting flammable stuff...

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An exploding target has very little flame. In my AN based homemade ones I can't see any flame. I know there is some but is so quick as to not even register visually, for me. Maybe some commercial brands have more fuel and flame. I would imagine any wild fires are started by other things that are being done or because someone decides to blow up a gallon of gas. I have shot a lot of them, many around very dry vegetation. Never seen anything even smoldering, and I imagine the blast would tend to extinguish a flame.

 

That said, I'm surprised they were ever legal, especially in our post 9-11 world. I think anyone should be able to do whatever they want on their own land. I don't see a ban on public lands as a huge loss of freedom, but it all adds up eventually. Plus down here in Florida there aren't vast amounts of public land. So I guess I'm not used to having millions of acres to play on and most anything is already done on private land down here.

 

It does make me want to buy more AN though I probably already have enough. But it doesn't hurt anything sitting around and it does make the grass nice and green, worst case.

 

Just curious how much others would have on hand if price and space wasn't an issue?

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When we shoot exploding targets, we get very little flame as well. The exception, as you mention, is if you use something to intentionally make a fireball. My guess is this is what caused the fires on the properties, or they are an easy scapegoat when the fires were caused by campfires or cigarettes instead. For a land manager, blaming and banning exploding targets is much easier than other restrictions. Of course, we don't have a lot of open public lands here in Indiana either. I often shoot at an outdoor range on a DNR property, but only paper targets are allowed. This has never been a problem and we only use exploding targets on private property. I'm also surprised they were ever legal, but like other things if the users were to police themselves and be responsible, these bans would never happen. The HPR community seems to be a good model for avoiding excessive bans by enforcing responsible use amongst themselves.

 

If price or space was not an issue, I'd probably have a sack or two sitting around. I don't really need it or use much of it, so I wouldn't miss it if I couldn't get any. I don't want to see a ban on private property on a matter of principle, but the restrictions on public lands don't bother me.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I don't blame them for banning....too many idiots who push the limits and make it tough on those of us who practice 'safety'. Fire hazard here in the Pacific NW is too great....

I agree.

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  • 2 months later...

I find it disheartening that it is always a (FEW) who get things banned, removed, or outlawed, for the rest of us. I find that this occurs in business as well as private life. :(

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There are a fews ways to get the materials need to make these. If you can't buy it as a kit, you can make it pretty easily. And since they can't ban a chem completely, there are sources to obtain said materials. The most important item to have when shooting these targets it's a high velocity rifle or pistol like a tc contender chambered in .223, 257 roberts, 270, 280, 30/06, 300wm-wsm, or the likes. 2500 fps or better is what I recommend, even though it's known that 2000 fps will just work most of the time, 2500 or better for all the time. 3000+ guaranteed, except for misses :). If tannerite becomes banned for sale, which we hope not, we can do it ourselves. That is until they decide to ban it's possesion. Instant cold packs bought over time will do. Going to a store and cleaning them out is not advised for obvious reasons. Buy from a few stores if you really want to stay under the radar. Though it's sickening to me that we have to even do that for anything thats supposed to legal. Don't do this stuff on private property or state/federal lands, kind of a given. I'm lucky to have 9 acres to play on.

 

Anyway, a 270 will take care of the job with ease. Atleast mine does :D Mill the AN with stainless steel, no copper or brass. Using lead has been done but it discolors the AN and lead contam is'nt all that advisable. Getting it to airfloat as well as the finest alum is something to think about. I know this all has been said a thousand times, just had to once more.. Besides once any of you who have not done this yet, shooting a finished target larger than a pound, you may find it's just a teeny tiny bit obnoxious for some neighbors within 1/3 of a mile.

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Well the bottom line is,You can't fix stupid. All you can do is make us suffer.

Edited by dynomike1
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No, but it doesnt hurt. It does make it a little bit more sensitive. Just like with anfo, a good portion of the an is a fine powder in bags, this is whats used with the booster charge to get it going then the prills and fuel come after as the shockwave rises towards the top. The booster is surrounded by the powder/fuel at the bottom then the fuel/prills gets pumped on top of that. Same principal applies with the targets. You just have to make sure that it's not to compacted as that reduces performance and is difficult to detonate. And the charge should be at least 2" thick in all directions for it to do favorably well. It's whatever, people will do what they want anyway. This is my understanding and should not be taken as law.

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The best thing I have found for targets so far is a clay, filled with what ever you prefer to shoot, and backed with duck tape. I normaly wrap the whole target in duck tape as it contains the clay that way if you just glance it. This makes for right at a half pound target, it gives you a good report but is not to big.

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Milling the material makes it more insensitive ........ not sensitive . The prills with a low density are more prone to detonate with less stimulation than that of a dense material. As for speed and power, reduced material is going to be more intense and shoot at a higher speed. Just a Fyi. I hope that they have a hard time banning the material for a while longer . It seem like a shame to loose something fun just because stupid people exist. Well, buy up your stock boys before it becomes extinct :-0

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