For a long time my LGS has had that "tannerite" exploding target mix, and recently I decided I might give it a try and see if it's really worth the money. I made I'd say about a quarter pound mix, grabbed my trusty M1 Garand, went to my backyard range, and set it up at about 100 yards away to be safe. I was thinking the blast would be just a tad louder than the report the M1 creates, but WOW, it was maybe 4-5x as loud. I was very surprised such a small amount would be so loud. Still nowhere close to how loud the frag grenades I threw a at Army BCT were, but I think next time I'll use these in a more remote area since I live FAIRLY close to my neighbors. Does anyone have any experience with detonating larger amounts of the stuff (like a pound or more)?
First time using exploding targets... wow!
- Thread starter SC4006
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Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
I recently had the exact same experience. 
I put a 1/4lber at 200 yards and shot it with my .204. There's just enough delay that I saw the smoke and thought "Where's the...."
BOOM!
Holy crap! Even at 200 yards I could feel the concussion, like bass from a huge speaker. It sounded exactly like one of the noise charges in a fireworks display. I looked at my uncle and he goes "Dang! That was a lot less gun like and a lot more bomb like!"
I can't imagine what the 1 pounders are like, I still haven't tried one. I need to get to a place where there aren't any houses... anywhere.
I put a 1/4lber at 200 yards and shot it with my .204. There's just enough delay that I saw the smoke and thought "Where's the...."
BOOM!
Holy crap! Even at 200 yards I could feel the concussion, like bass from a huge speaker. It sounded exactly like one of the noise charges in a fireworks display. I looked at my uncle and he goes "Dang! That was a lot less gun like and a lot more bomb like!"
I can't imagine what the 1 pounders are like, I still haven't tried one. I need to get to a place where there aren't any houses... anywhere.
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kilimanjaro
New member
Don't use it on any federal land, they don't like it.
Gary L. Griffiths
New member
I put a half-pounder on a cardboard clay targets box 100 yds downrange, and was also impressed by the flash and blast when I hit it with a 5.56mm XM193. Went down to retrieve the debris, found a 10" hole blasted into the grass under where the box usetawas. The box was in pieces, only a few of which were as large as my hand. The plastic container it was in simply disappeared.
Will be getting more for fun targets the next time I take my niece and nephew shooting.
Will be getting more for fun targets the next time I take my niece and nephew shooting.
Brotherbadger
New member
I love them. Between them and steel targets, i'll never get bored.
Due to my job, I have a large number of spray paint cans available. I went out Saturday and shot up a bunch and we took a case of unused cans too.
Wow, that was cool. I don't worry about the paint since it is veggie die and water. It will fade quickly and is not harmful. I do have to remember to bring some stuff to wash up though.
Mel
Wow, that was cool. I don't worry about the paint since it is veggie die and water. It will fade quickly and is not harmful. I do have to remember to bring some stuff to wash up though.
Mel
I have no experience with this stuff. How safe is it to store? What is the risk of storing it and can it be accidently detonated when not mixed?
Sounds like a blast (no pun intended) to shoot at, but I doubt my base commander would appreciate me storing this stuff at my house. I'll have to look elsewhere to store it if I wanted to get some.
Safety of course, is my number one concern though, and if it's a volatile substance, I want to reduce the risks of storing and using it as much as possible.
Sounds like a blast (no pun intended) to shoot at, but I doubt my base commander would appreciate me storing this stuff at my house. I'll have to look elsewhere to store it if I wanted to get some.
Safety of course, is my number one concern though, and if it's a volatile substance, I want to reduce the risks of storing and using it as much as possible.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
The unmixed ingredients are inert. They are not dangerous at all. Mixed, it is considered an explosive and is illegal to transport. Even so, significant impact is required. The stuff does not explode any other way.
The unmixed components don't even burn particularly well.
Anecdotally, My uncle tells of a guy who demolished his house by buying out the local gun shops of every pound they had.
Then there's the news report of a guy who stuck 100 pounds of it in a truck 5 miles from Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant and rattled security enough they sent police out to investigate.
I've shot it a few times. I wasn't really impressed with any concussion wave or anything like others are, but because others are I chalk it up to insensitivity to the wave on my part rather than a lack of it being there and treat it accordingly i.e. carefully.
Then there's the news report of a guy who stuck 100 pounds of it in a truck 5 miles from Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant and rattled security enough they sent police out to investigate.
I've shot it a few times. I wasn't really impressed with any concussion wave or anything like others are, but because others are I chalk it up to insensitivity to the wave on my part rather than a lack of it being there and treat it accordingly i.e. carefully.
Machineguntony
New member
There was an incident at a range where the guy mixed and then shot the product. For whatever reason, the stuff didn't explode, but looking through the spotting scope, the range master and the guy could see holes in the container, indicating that the item had been shot. Apparently, he didn't mix it correctly or something. I'm not sure how they solved the problem, but I wouldn't want to go dispose of that stuff.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
It was probably a homemade mixture, some crappy off brand or a small, slow caliber not powerful enough to cause ignition.
It's really not a big deal. Shoot holes in it until it goes boom or the container is wrecked. It's not like nitroglycerin, it won't just explode when you walk up to it. If it never goes boom, the wind and rain will take care of it.
It's really not a big deal. Shoot holes in it until it goes boom or the container is wrecked. It's not like nitroglycerin, it won't just explode when you walk up to it. If it never goes boom, the wind and rain will take care of it.
Gary L. Griffiths
New member
Could have been any of those things, or just that the shooter didn't properly mix the ingredients. Mine said to mix thoroughly until all the ammonium nitrate granules were evenly coated with aluminum. I did, went BOOM as advertised (when I actually hit it, that is).
Even with the small charges, don't set them on top of a fence post when shooting them... the post will be a few inches shorter than it was.
Be very careful what the charge is in or around. It is safe at a reasonable distance, just be careful that you're not sending shrapnel / rocks flying. I was at a friends place a while back shooting. One genius there thought it would be a good idea to place a large rock on a (I think) 2# charge. I protested and they didn't do it. I would hate for my kids to know the reason dad wasn't around was for something as stupid as that.
Be very careful what the charge is in or around. It is safe at a reasonable distance, just be careful that you're not sending shrapnel / rocks flying. I was at a friends place a while back shooting. One genius there thought it would be a good idea to place a large rock on a (I think) 2# charge. I protested and they didn't do it. I would hate for my kids to know the reason dad wasn't around was for something as stupid as that.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
Yes, don't put solid and hard objects on top of the charge. Very bad idea.
However, I do intend to get a 2.5lb bottle of marking chalk and put it on top of one. That should be wicked.
I advise against using charges larger than 1 pound. I know of a few folks who have had visits from LE for doing such. Technically, it's not illegal when done in the right place in the right way but it's not helpful to keeping this stuff legal.
There have been a number of folks who made very large charges. The one on the dump truck a few miles from the nuke plant was actually 300 pounds, I believe. It blew the truck to pieces and sent a large chunk of it over a public highway that was over 1/4 miles away. Not cool.
However, I do intend to get a 2.5lb bottle of marking chalk and put it on top of one. That should be wicked.
I advise against using charges larger than 1 pound. I know of a few folks who have had visits from LE for doing such. Technically, it's not illegal when done in the right place in the right way but it's not helpful to keeping this stuff legal.
There have been a number of folks who made very large charges. The one on the dump truck a few miles from the nuke plant was actually 300 pounds, I believe. It blew the truck to pieces and sent a large chunk of it over a public highway that was over 1/4 miles away. Not cool.
I happen to know of someone that received a visit from a fairly inebriated chicken farmer regarding a multi pound blast. Something about chickens piling up; his speech was slurred and hard to understand. At a later date and between two sober parties an arrangement has been made to keep everyone happy.
