I had some time to think about reactive targets recently and I know of another material to use rather than the increasing difficult to obtain ammonium nitrate.  The good news is that I know it will detonate with handgun fire and shotguns.  I've done it with handguns before.  I did some pricing yesterday and it appears it would cost about the same as the current solution.  It also would not have the problem of spontaneous combustion at some later date.  The bad news is that it is much more bulky to obtain the same boom (the energy density of the material is much lower).  It also does not generate much of a visual effect.  It's just a loud noise accompanied by the sudden going away of things from the places where they were before.

I may do some experiments to see if it could be modified to provide more visual effects and how we might be able to store and distribute it to the target area.  Ry says, "It's an inspired solution."  I'm not so sure.  I did my first experiments with this in my childhood and then again a few years ago.  I rejected it because of the MUCH larger target size.  The only thing I came up with that made me reconsider it was that I could change the aspect ratio and give the target a greater depth to compensate for the lower density while still making it a challenging for the long range rifle shooters.  Not exactly "inspired" thinking.

Also Ry and I came up with some shotgun target scenarios.  There has always been a great deal of interest in this sort of target.  I'm certain we have a solution for that now.  It's just a matter of creating the launcher for the unconventional targets.  There has also been some interest in a handgun Boomershoot.  This new material should work very well for that application.  I'd want the targets to be at least 25 yards away and supported above the ground to avoid turning gravel and other small objects into projectiles.

It's being reported that the bomber wanted to buy ammonium nitrate:

Joel tried to purchase ammonium nitrate at a feed store late last week.

...

FEED STORE MANAGER TALKS TO REPORTERS ABOUT HINRICHS VIDEO HERE

Domestic manufacture of ammonium nitrate was halted earlier this year. It is going to be much less of an issue in future events of this sort. The price for it is is going to much higher than other forms of fertilizer that perform the same function in the field. Anyone that asks for it is going to be immediately identifying themselves as a non-typical user. The ATF and the fertilizer industry have been working together to reduce the chances that someone is going to misuse it. And as others of have noted the use of the alternative TATP will result in more Darwin awards and fewer innocents being injuried.

This is not to say I'm happy about the availablity of AN decreasing. I'm of the opinion that the misuse of the AN could and should have been prevented through less drastic means other than discontinuing the manufacture of the product. That our stadium bomber was asked what he was going to use it for and was unable to give a straight answer, which put the store manager on alert, proves the less drastic solution worked in this case.

From the Times Online in Britain:

Yvonne Watts, 74, had been promised a reduced waiting time for treatment from a year to three to four months under the NHS. But she was in such pain from severe arthritis that she spent almost £4,000 on surgery in France.

What do you expect when your health care provider has a fixed budget rather than being market driven?  Why can't they learn the lessons from the Soviet Union and nearly every other socialist country where there were long lines and waits for toilet paper, shoes, bread, and almost everything?  Government monopolies create shortages.  Sure government can make things more equal, but only more equal in poverty and misery.

And besides that typical socialized medicine schemes fail my Jews in the Attic Test.

Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat.

Hermann Goering (1893-1946)
German Nazi leader, air marshal.
Alleged radio broadcast, Summer 1936, on the Four-Year Plan.
[As by the design of the U.S. Constitution power is safest when it is in the hands of the people, not the government. -- Joe]

Much to my surprise the Gun Dictionary page on the Boomershoot web site is one of the most popular web pages on the site (thanks to Stephanie Sailor for suggesting this page).  Even the USPSA has linked to the page on their information for the press page (from the same page they also link to my Gun Myths and Truth page).  Because of that I frequently get requests for the definition of a firearm related term.  Just today I received a request for the definition of ACP, as in .45 ACP.  I updated the page with this definition and a few others.  In the past week or two I have added the following words:

• ACP
• Autoloader
• Automatic
• Arsenal
• Compound
• Regulate (as in regulation of barrel convergence)
• Regulate (as in a well regulated militia)

If you have suggestions for other terms let me know.  Feel free to supply your own definition and save me a little bit of work.

I've written about this before.  Jeff at Alphecca posted another example:

Leaving a Nashville courtroom yesterday morning, two Metro police officers were greeted by their peers and supporters with handshakes and hugs. A judge had just ruled they were not guilty of illegally taking guns into a downtown nightclub last year.

Personally, I think that they have such a law is wrong.  Idaho doesn't have a law against taking guns into places where alcohol is being served and doesn't have the type of problems the anti-freedom bigots would whine about if they knew about it.  You can't legally be intoxicated while carrying a concealed weapon and I don't have a problem with that.  Driving and/or shooting while drunk is a bit on the reckless side of things.  It's not consistent with a big 'L' Libertarian philosophy but I'm not going to get all bent out of shape over that.  I think it is a fair compromise.

An employee of the nightclub noticed that one of the officers was carrying a gun and asked him to leave. Police were called when the officers refused.

...

"There was no authorization for them to be there, nor did supervisors have any knowledge of them being there," police spokesman Don Aaron said.

It's a dangerous path to go down.  If the police (and other government workers) don't obey the law on minor stuff it becomes more and more likely they won't obey the law on major stuff.  The mindset becomes one of the laws are for keeping "them" in line.  The government workers are the elite for whom the laws were not really intended.  I've spoken to many liberals and who have a similar elitist mindset.  They want restrictions on firearms for the "average" person.  The police are the side of the elite who need to be protected from the common person that might want to hurt them.  They just don't seem to get it that more people have been murdered by their own government than by the "common criminals."  Government workers should be held to a higher standard of behavior than the non-government employee, not lower.  And the Second Amendment is our last ditch means of enforcing that ethical behavior on an out of control "the law doesn't apply to us" elitist government.

The IPSC match results are posted now.  I knew I didn't do great but it was worse than I thought.  I didn't realize what was going on until about half way through the last stage when I was having problems hitting some steel targets.  I wasn't doing proper trigger preparation.  I had lots of penalities from misses which hurt badly.  More actual time on the range is required. 

I'm attending another match this Saturday at SVRC. I'm hoping to spend some practice time at Wade's later today.

Just because you are tolerated doesn't mean we're glad you came.

Bill Hall
Lewiston Morning Tribune
February 4, 1998
In reference to the neo-Nazi's and other 'hate-groups' that have moved to Idaho.

After four days in storage (more than required for a typical Boomershoot event) the mix looked like this (click on a picture to get a high resolution version):

All looks good.  There was only the slightest hint of clumping.

I used the dead tree to hold the 7"x7" target while doing sensitivity tests. This was after four days of storage. Multiple hits of a .22LR with a target velocity ~1170 fps failed to detonate it. .22LR with a velocity of ~1500 fps detonated it on the first shot. At the time of mixing 1170 fps would reliably detonate it.  The top of the tree was moved rearward and caught by the live tree.

I put four reactive targets on top of four IPSC targets to make it easier to find the targets at 700 yards away.  I also hoped to be able to do my own long distance spotting by moving forward to the targets and see bullet holes in the IPSC targets.  I was not able to do this. There were no bullet holes to be found after firing one shot at each target from 700 yards away.

It was typical Boomershoot weather--wet. I wrapped the targets in plastic to keep them from getting water logged.

I was unable to hit them at 700 yards with my .223 without a spotter. I moved them to 380 yards to test sensitivity to at least get some hits with the AR-15.

The 50 grain VMAX bullets, with an estimated target velocity of 1970 fps, were successful in detonating the targets. I had not anticipated all the plastic scraps. I will return to pick them up. I ran out of time and had to leave.

I have video of the target detonations which I hope to get digitized sometime this week.  In the scope I saw a bright red flash as the targets disassembled in a cloud of smoke but I don't know if it showed up in the video.

I did not have enough time to do the last test--Boomer Clays.  I did get various types of high velocity shotgun ammo that at least has a chance of working.  Those tests will have to be another day.  Perhaps this Sunday if the range work and rock blasting goes quickly.

Ry created a Wikipedia entry for Boomershoot and I touched it up a bit.  If have additional information you think should be included or have corrections go ahead and add it or send it to me.  If you do change it please send me an email so I can check it out.

I added the Lewiston Morning Tribune article on the 2005 precision rifle clinic and the KING 5 Evening Magazine video to the News Coverage page on Boomershoot.org.

Test results from yesterday will be posted soon.

We need to reduce government to just the functions authorized in the Constitution. Then, if you believe that makes the federal government too big or too little, you can work to amend the Constitution to make it more to your liking. But the first step is to establish limits, so that we no longer have unlimited government that the politicians can use for anything they want.

Harry Browne
March 1998
Libertarian Candidate for President in 1996

The weather isn't great (cold and cloudy) but it's better than yesterday.  And I'm out of town for the rest of the week and I really need to get this done so I'm headed to the Boomershoot site in a few minutes.

A few tests need to be done.

1. Was the latest mix stable over time?  It's been four days in storage.  Did it get hyper sensitive?  Did it go dead?
2. If it still detonates with a .22 LR at reasonable ranges I'm putting it out at 700 yards and trying to detonate it with a .223.  The weather report says winds from 0 to 1 MPH so I have a chance.  I put a different scope on my most accurate AR-15 so that shouldn't be an issue.
3. Boomer Clays.  I bought a box of clays and several different boxes of high velocity shotgun shells.  I'm going to load up the underside of some clay targets with "Joe's Special Recipe" and see if they can be detonated at a reasonable range.  Reasonable being far enough away that we don't get our outer layers of clothes and/or body parts shredded by pieces of clay pigeons.

If the results are interesting enough I'll post pictures and perhaps video later this week.

Oh, I probably will be blasting a rock at the local gun range on Work Day this coming Sunday.  If you are in the area show up to help make it a better range and then watch me make small rocks out of a big rock and explosives.

See also:

Twenty pounds of HE versus a rock 
Rocks and explosives video
Little rocks from big rocks and explosives

I believe a self-righteous liberal Democrat with a cause is more dangerous than a Hell's Angel with an attitude.

Ted Nugent

Some people say that I have no heart. I am here tonight to tell you that I do have a heart. I have the heart of a liberal.... It's in a jar on my desk.

Sen. Phil Gramm
1992 Lincoln Dinner at the Middlesex Club in Waltham, Massachusetts

[Something very similar is also attributed to Colorado Sen. John Andrews.  -- Joe]

I'm about to head off to the range for a special IPSC match (they call it "Action Pistol" to be more PC).  I think we are going to have five classifier stages.  I reloaded lots of ammo and have been dry firing quite a bit recently.  I got lots of sleep last night and after a shower and breakfast I'm ready to go.  I may "crash and burn", but I'm as well prepared as I have been in a long time.

Among a people generally corrupt, liberty cannot long exist.

Edmund Burke
(1729-97)
Irish philosopher, statesman.

I completed the Distance is your friend class of the Looter Shooter rifle postal match today.  This was inspired by the events following hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.  I wasn't able to conjure up a hurricane here in north central Idaho but we did have rain, wind, and a flood watch:

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

FLOOD WATCH

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT

224 AM MDT SAT OCT 1 2005

CLEARWATER-LINCOLN-MINERAL-SANDERS-

124 AM PDT SAT OCT 1 2005 /224 AM MDT SAT OCT 1 2005/

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR

PORTIONS OF EXTREME WESTERN MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MISSOULA HAS ISSUED A FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME WESTERN MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO THROUGH 6 PM MDT / 5 PM PDT/ THIS AFTERNOON.

A VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM...WITH AN ABUNDANT SOURCE OF TROPICAL MOISTURE...WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE OVER THE WATCH AREA THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE AFFECTED AREAS. THE OCCASIONALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO CREATE CONDITIONS THAT ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND DEBRIS FLOWS.

THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.

If I didn't participate in any event or join any group unless they did things just like me, I wouldn't be able to do anything with anyone else.

If you want to be a good shooter, shoot. Shoot all you can, under all circumstances. Shoot every kind of gun in every kind of competition.

Greg Hamilton
11/11/2001
Insights Training Email List

He must have known I was an hour's drive away.  He showed up at the house yesterday when I wasn't here.  He knew that for every tear he causes my daughter I cause a drop of his blood to be spilled.  I've been watching very closely and haven't seen any tears yet.  She's sad, but not crying (at least when I have seen it).  She's an extremely stoic person.  I should have told him a drop of blood for every frown...

Ry saw it prerelease and so did Kevin.  James and I went to the first showing in the area and got back about an hour ago.  It was very good.  James had a few nits to pick but I shot down most of those.  I had one nit to pick and James shot it down.  As expected with anything that Joss Whedon helps write is going to have some great dialog.  This was no exception.  Jayne, as usual, is so incredibly self centered and delivers his lines with such timing and such a straight face that the audience bursts into laughter.  I think my favorite was when someone (trying to avoid spoiling it for someone) says:

Someone: "Do you really think any of us are going to get out of this alive?"
Jayne (looks around, pauses): "I might."

My favorite lines of the movie were the following (as best I can remember):

Someone 1: "If I had known this was going to happen I would have done things differently.  Back on the ship I would have been with you."
Someone 2: "Are you saying... sex?"
Someone 1: "That's what I'm saying."
Someone 2: "To hell with dying.  I'm going to live."

In another sequence:

Someone 1: "Landing could be interesting."
Someone 2: "Define interesting."
Someone 1: "Oh god, oh god, we're all gonna die?"

This is a "Space Western".  It's a good one.  Lots of guns and blades and a good message.  And as Kevin said in his review:

Go see Serenity. You won't be disappointed if you like this blog.

Ry posted a link to a picture with three deer in it.  I could only find one.  Here is a picture Barb and I took last month while in Montana.  There are two deer in this picture.  One is obvious the other not so obvious.  We only saw it because it moved.

Click on the picture for a high resolution version.  Hint on the second deer: It's a buck and it's laying down.

Yesterday I stumbled across a well worn path where no humans would have a reason to be frequently walking.  It must be a game trail I thought.  Without expecting to find any animals there during the middle of the day I walked along the path for probably only 50 feet before two white-tailed deer burst out from under a tree 30 or 40 feet away, ran down the hill, across the draw, and out of sight over the next hill.  The trail had led me directly to where they were bedded down.  It was right next to a wheat field.  They probably were grain fed, foliage or actually grain, all summer.

On the way home, about five miles from that same location, I saw two more deer.  I suspect I could have harvested one of them with my van had I been willing to trade the van for a few dozen pounds of meat (not a good trade).

Hunting season opens in 10 days.  Prospects look good at this point.

I went to the Boomershoot site yesterday.  I spent the morning rearranging the Taj Mahal and managed to get all but about 100 pounds of the ammonium nitrate inside.  On the drive home I realized I could get the remaining AN inside as well.  I'll do that the next time I go back.  I also cleaned up some spots that had rusted due to chemical spills and made changes such that spills will be much less likely to get on the metal in the future.

In the afternoon I started doing my experiments with reactive targets.  I did six different experiments.  I was able to determine a 1 3/8" thick target is no less sensitive than a 3" thick target.  In each and every test the 1 3/8" thick target detonated with the same cartridge and at the same range (and in one case at a more distance range) than the 3" thick target.  That is great news.  This allows me to use larger shooting area targets without exceeding the neighbors tolerance for the house walls being shaken. 

In experiments one and two I couldn't reliably detonate the targets even at 10 yards distant with .22LR Stinger ammo.  With over ten hits at 10 yards I only got one detonation.  Examination revealed burn without the boom.  Black soot was around the entrance and sometimes the exit hole in the target.  The .223 detonated the targets on the first shot.  In experiment one I used the same chemical ratios as used for Boomershoot 2005 where we could usually detonate the targets with the same .22 rifle and ammo at 20 yards.  At 20 yards the bullet velocity is about 1500 fps and at 10 yards it is about 1550.  Something was different--I had introduced another variable and I knew what it was.  It was how I mixed the chemicals.  I made a change and in experiment three was able to detonate the targets on the first shot from 25 yards.  At 25 yards the velocity is about 1475 fps.

If a little of that is good, then how about a lot of that?  Experiment four--I moved the variable to it's limit.  At 25 yards the targets detonated on the first shot.  Experiment five used the same mixing proceedure but I shot from 40 yards away with an estimated bullet velocity of 1400 fps.  One shot one boom.  Experiment six, same mixing proceedure and I switched to a different ammo.  American Eagle with a muzzle velocity of about 1200 fps.  Four hits at 20 yards with an estimated velocity at the target of 1150 resulted in burn but no boom.  At 12 yards I got one shot one boom and my thin plastic apron was perforated by small particles. I heard and felt particles bounce off my safety glasses.  My legs, being without the body armor, stung from multiple hits and still have red marks 12 hours later.  The pain didn't matter.  The targets reliable detonated with an estimated target velocity of 1170 fps.

I made up another five targets and put them in storage for long range testing with the .223.  If .223 bullets will detonate the targets at the same velocity as the .22LR bullets and storing the targets for a few days doesn't adversely affect the sensitivity then we may be able to detonate targets with a .223 at 700 yards.

Americans may like guns because they were reminiscent of the smell of outdoors, military heroism, the intensity of the hunt or merely because they are fascinated by the finely machined metal parts. Maybe the origin of a gun speaks of history; maybe the gun makes a man's home seem to him less vulnerable; maybe these feelings are more justified in the country than in the city; but, above all, many of us believe that these feelings are a man's own business and need not be judged by the Department of the Treasury or the Department of Justice.

Samuel Cummings