Tracers
- Thread starter RanUtah
- Start date
Jack Roberts
Moderator - Deceased
I loaded some a long time ago. Quit right after I set the top of a mountain on fire. Three of us almost had heart attacks running up that mountain and putting that fire out.
There's nothing to loading them. Pull them from some surplus military ammo, weigh them, and load like any other bullet of that weight.
I heard that they left a corrosive residue in the barrel. I don't know if that is true for all or just some. I always cleaned the barrel with hot water after shooting them just to be safe.
PS That fire I started was in a wet Eastern woods. Out here in the desert, you would have to wait for snow to shoot them.
There's nothing to loading them. Pull them from some surplus military ammo, weigh them, and load like any other bullet of that weight.
I heard that they left a corrosive residue in the barrel. I don't know if that is true for all or just some. I always cleaned the barrel with hot water after shooting them just to be safe.
PS That fire I started was in a wet Eastern woods. Out here in the desert, you would have to wait for snow to shoot them.
River Runner
New member
Pardon my ignorance, but are those the same as ulliminated trajectory shells?
I was at Cabela's the other day picking up shells for my 9mm and noticed they had some on the shelf. I never seen anything like that before, I heard of tracers but not ulliminated trajectory.
If it's not the same thing, Jack...tell me what do these shells do and how? I'm curious as hell but not enough to pay $1.00 per bullet which is what they were.
~River Runner~
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www.predatormasters.com
I was at Cabela's the other day picking up shells for my 9mm and noticed they had some on the shelf. I never seen anything like that before, I heard of tracers but not ulliminated trajectory.
If it's not the same thing, Jack...tell me what do these shells do and how? I'm curious as hell but not enough to pay $1.00 per bullet which is what they were.
~River Runner~
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www.predatormasters.com
Jack Roberts
Moderator - Deceased
River Runner
It sounds like a tracer, but this is the first I have heard of them. Maybe the are just trying to be PC, and "tracer" sounds too much like the military.
It sounds like a tracer, but this is the first I have heard of them. Maybe the are just trying to be PC, and "tracer" sounds too much like the military.
Jack's right Randy,
I used to pick up 30 caliber tracers from the gun show, use a bullet puller collet and load them up in the '06, just like a regular bullet. I believe they were black tipped. They also were sealed at the base of the bullet with some type of residue like tar.
I had heard the same thing, that the phosphorus material? would corrode the barrel.
I never started any fires with them, but I can see how it could happen. I think the same material is used in other cartridges like the 22lr, but too a much less extent.
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http://www.predatormasters.com
I used to pick up 30 caliber tracers from the gun show, use a bullet puller collet and load them up in the '06, just like a regular bullet. I believe they were black tipped. They also were sealed at the base of the bullet with some type of residue like tar.
I had heard the same thing, that the phosphorus material? would corrode the barrel.
I never started any fires with them, but I can see how it could happen. I think the same material is used in other cartridges like the 22lr, but too a much less extent.
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http://www.predatormasters.com
River Runner
New member
Thanks Jack.
Mike quit following me around the board tonight, your making me nervous.
~River Runner~
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www.predatormasters.com
Mike quit following me around the board tonight, your making me nervous.
~River Runner~
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www.predatormasters.com
Tracers, if they work as designed, don't start burning until after they leave the barrel. Jack is correct, they are definitely a fire starter!
The "illuminated trajectory" cartridges are used for handgun training. The "trace" compound in them is suppose to burn for a very short duration so that the shooter can learn the trajectory of the projectile and thereby develop instinctive shooting abilities. Hornady does/did sell them as "Vector" ammunition.
[This message has been edited by GonHuntin (edited 10-24-2001).]
The "illuminated trajectory" cartridges are used for handgun training. The "trace" compound in them is suppose to burn for a very short duration so that the shooter can learn the trajectory of the projectile and thereby develop instinctive shooting abilities. Hornady does/did sell them as "Vector" ammunition.
[This message has been edited by GonHuntin (edited 10-24-2001).]
River Runner
New member
GH, now that you mentioned it, I recall they were Vectors
Maybe I will pick up a few just to check em out, sounds interesting.
~River Runner~
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www.predatormasters.com
Maybe I will pick up a few just to check em out, sounds interesting.
~River Runner~
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www.predatormasters.com
RR,
I'm not following you around, we are just traveling in the same circle once in a while.
I believe I have some of those vectors left in 22lr. They didn't work all that great.
Now I'm just going by memory here about the 30 cal. tracers. I believe the base of the bullet was exposed to the tracer material so it could ignite when fired. Please someone tell me if I'm wrong here. I used to know about this stuff.
I just didn't care for the idea of something besides gunpowder burning down my barrel on the way out.
Randy, I believe the Hornadays are a full loaded cartridge. I don't know how well they work in centerfires. Mike
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http://www.predatormasters.com
[This message has been edited by Mike Paul (edited 10-24-2001).]
I'm not following you around, we are just traveling in the same circle once in a while.
I believe I have some of those vectors left in 22lr. They didn't work all that great.
Now I'm just going by memory here about the 30 cal. tracers. I believe the base of the bullet was exposed to the tracer material so it could ignite when fired. Please someone tell me if I'm wrong here. I used to know about this stuff.
I just didn't care for the idea of something besides gunpowder burning down my barrel on the way out.
Randy, I believe the Hornadays are a full loaded cartridge. I don't know how well they work in centerfires. Mike
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[This message has been edited by Mike Paul (edited 10-24-2001).]
Jack Roberts
Moderator - Deceased
MP
In all the military tracers I have seen, i.e. 224, 308, 311, 8mm, 50cal, and 20mm, the tracer compound, which is ignited by the propelling powder, is packed in the hollow base of the bullet. It usually has a lot of strontium in it, commomly as strontium nitrate, to make the red flame color.
In a previous existance I briefly was a chemical engineer. I can even discuss other flame colors, but so can any high school chemistry student who paid attention.
Edit:
More to the point, people who were shooting at things that shoot back have always complained that tracers do not go where the rest of the bullets go. Normal procedure is to have every 6th or 10th bullet be a tracer. Fighter pilots were the first to notice the difference in trajectory between tracers and the rest. To be expected that they would notice, since they are routinely shooting at long ranges at targets which need a lot of lead.
For example: How much do you lead a 500mph target at 800 yards?
The problem is that tracers change bullet weight as the tracer compound burns. Enter that in your ballistics program!!
[This message has been edited by Jack Roberts (edited 10-24-2001).]
In all the military tracers I have seen, i.e. 224, 308, 311, 8mm, 50cal, and 20mm, the tracer compound, which is ignited by the propelling powder, is packed in the hollow base of the bullet. It usually has a lot of strontium in it, commomly as strontium nitrate, to make the red flame color.
In a previous existance I briefly was a chemical engineer. I can even discuss other flame colors, but so can any high school chemistry student who paid attention.
Edit:
More to the point, people who were shooting at things that shoot back have always complained that tracers do not go where the rest of the bullets go. Normal procedure is to have every 6th or 10th bullet be a tracer. Fighter pilots were the first to notice the difference in trajectory between tracers and the rest. To be expected that they would notice, since they are routinely shooting at long ranges at targets which need a lot of lead.
For example: How much do you lead a 500mph target at 800 yards?
The problem is that tracers change bullet weight as the tracer compound burns. Enter that in your ballistics program!!
[This message has been edited by Jack Roberts (edited 10-24-2001).]
MG 34
New member
RanUTAH I have loaded 30 carbine 223 308 3006 tracers. Some powders ignite the tracers compounds better than others.You can reload them just like FMJ bullets.I go to MG shoots where we shoot lots of tracers. Its a awesome sight to see at night,30 plus guys with machine guns shooting tracers at remote control airplanes.
Jerry White
New member
You can buy them online,pulled or unoaded for pretty cheap.
Several years ago, I bought a preban Egyptian AK and the military seller gave me a round with the gun. One round of 7.62x39. Had a green case like wolf Ammo with a orange tip. I drove the gun out into the country and test fired it over a friends field.
This thing was not just a tracer. It was an obscene ball of light that stayed lit until just before hitting the ground. I have shot tracers fresh/reloaded and none ever came close to this brightness. It lit up the whole field for a good period like daytime.Not just a trace,a ball of light. Obscene I tell ya.
I seen him at a gunshow several years later and asked what that round was,he said something like a "flair" and gave the military mod #. He said they were used for illuminating the enemy. One lit the entire field up and it would be easy to use this to see if you shot 10 real quick.Hell one did it. He laughed when I told him how it freaked me out. He knew how bright it would be. Maybe just fresh military? Anyways,alot of the tracers you can buy will not be that bright.They will trace but the compound ages and gathers moisture from the powder from being loaded for many years before being sold as surplus and pulled. Law states they must be sold as componants and not just old military.Therefore they must pull them. Or something like that. Fun to shoot none the less. Yes they will start fires. Some of the bigger online stores sell them. Search Tracer rounds and or military surplus tracers.Now these sellers will tell you the trace doesn't become visibly noticable until the round is 100 yds or so from the muzzle and that it was made that way so the enemy cant pinpoint where the rounds are coming from. ButI have asked army/military guys and they say it's just old material and takes longer to ignite and isn't as bright. ???
jerryboy
Several years ago, I bought a preban Egyptian AK and the military seller gave me a round with the gun. One round of 7.62x39. Had a green case like wolf Ammo with a orange tip. I drove the gun out into the country and test fired it over a friends field.
This thing was not just a tracer. It was an obscene ball of light that stayed lit until just before hitting the ground. I have shot tracers fresh/reloaded and none ever came close to this brightness. It lit up the whole field for a good period like daytime.Not just a trace,a ball of light. Obscene I tell ya.
I seen him at a gunshow several years later and asked what that round was,he said something like a "flair" and gave the military mod #. He said they were used for illuminating the enemy. One lit the entire field up and it would be easy to use this to see if you shot 10 real quick.Hell one did it. He laughed when I told him how it freaked me out. He knew how bright it would be. Maybe just fresh military? Anyways,alot of the tracers you can buy will not be that bright.They will trace but the compound ages and gathers moisture from the powder from being loaded for many years before being sold as surplus and pulled. Law states they must be sold as componants and not just old military.Therefore they must pull them. Or something like that. Fun to shoot none the less. Yes they will start fires. Some of the bigger online stores sell them. Search Tracer rounds and or military surplus tracers.Now these sellers will tell you the trace doesn't become visibly noticable until the round is 100 yds or so from the muzzle and that it was made that way so the enemy cant pinpoint where the rounds are coming from. ButI have asked army/military guys and they say it's just old material and takes longer to ignite and isn't as bright. ???
jerryboy
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truckeedan
New member
Vectors are for you guys that can't always hit em in the right place. It's easier to follow a burning coyote.
Truckeedan
Truckeedan
