Apparently there was a repeat of the Evening Magazine episode on Boomershoot.  I just received several queries about the next event.  Get your entries in early this year!

I’m with Ry on this one.  Don’t like Idaho?  Wonderful!  Stay away!

As for attractions he forgot to mention Boomershoot which brings people in from all over the North American continent.

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.

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.

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.

No, not that Taj Mahal.  Ry designed and supervised the construction of the explosives magazine we use for the Boomershoot.  We debated on different sizes and options and finally decided to go for the “Taj Mahal” option. 

Yesterday I made some modifications to keep the ATF happy.  Originally the locks and hasps were approved and I used them for years without complaint.  Then after the last inspection I got an email from Crystal asked me to make some modifications or get a paperwork exemption.  I elected to do the modification.  Here are pictures of the “hoods” I put over the locks and hasp to protect it from direct access by a saw or pry bar:

Click on the pictures for high resolution versions.