propane tank targets

steve garrett

Well-known member
Today I had an old propane tank, one with the old outdated valve that noone will fill anymore. It is the standard size that comes with most BBQ grills. These make pretty kewl long range targets cause you can hear the hits when you makeum, great for practicing field posistions, be carefull though you may have some excitement when the first shot hits, but I was at a safe distance.
 
.......ah, never mind /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
 
Frankly I'd recommend against this but if your going to do this, may I recommend opening the valves and draining all the pressure out of the tank-----and then spin the complete valve assembly out of the top or side of the tank, and then blow out any residual propane with compressed air or nitrogen. Remember Propane is heavier than air, and it can ignite with only a small amount of propane in the tank. You wouldn't want to start a grass or forest fire.
 
BD that is prolly a great idea, the fire risk is prolly there. I put the tank in an area that would not burn and was over 200yds away for the first shots, do definatly take off the valve first!!!!
 
Hi, I hope you're not one of those guys that hauls these great ideas to the range, shoots the crap out of it then leaves, forgetting to take it with them. Even though some groups or clubs have an annual cleanup our range has gotten so disgusting with unidentifiable trash(propane tanks) that several disposal trucks could not handle it. This is pushing us closer to loosing the "privelage" on our own public land.
 
If you want safe yet fun targets take a 5 gallon metal bucket fill it with water and shoot it with a .223 or faster fmj or solid bullet. It will suck the sides of the bucket in and shoot water 10ft high in the air.
 
oh come on guys, this isn't that big of a deal. It was done at a safe distance and in an area where fire wasn't an issue. I am perfectly aware of the risks.

No I am not one who brings garbage to the range to shoot. I am also not one to bring garbage out to the desert shoot it and leave it either. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Shooting garbage is kinda boring anyways. I think I grew out of that as a teenager.
I think in the future I am going to get some steel plate made up so it can be hung from a tree with wires.
 
Try hanging hubcaps. We hang them for long range, 1000-2500yd, .50 BMG shooting. Get em for practically nothing from the junk yard and you can see the hit at a longer range than you can hear a gong (steel plate).

At shorter ranges and with punier guns, a 1 gal. milk jug filled with water will "explode" when hit too.
 
Yeah come on guys!

I would do it in a heartbeat. Driving a car at 75 mph in traffic is more dangerous than blowing something up when you are 200+ yards away. Not to mention the medications some of us take that include "death" and "anal leakage" as side effects. You just have to use a little common sense. Personally I like controlled explosions. It just makes me feeeeel good! But that's just my opinion.
 
To each their own! if there is no fire danger! no children being harmed! and last but definetly not least,pack out what you pack in!so what is the problem theres no law against what he is doing.
 
QUOTE FROM Varmit Exterminator: "I guess shooting at a grenade at that distance probably isn't a good idea either.DARN.:)"


Answer:

I don't know....maybe you can get steve to tape it to the front of the propane tank for ya /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif
 
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Well, if you're gonna do it then do it RIGHT!! Set up a lit road flare as close to the tank as you dare, then get WAAAAAY back and shoot it!! I mean, why go half way?? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
There are two dangers and fire has been talked about. The other is fragmentation of the tank. If you think 200 yards is far enough, eventually you might be proven wrong. In my line of work I perform fragmentation zone calculations. A lot depends upon detonation velocity and fragment size, but 600 feet is not a great distance to cover. My main worry would be about the valve on top, the most likely thing to stay as a large chunk. However, 99 times out of 100, it will probably stay on the tank. Where it goes on that 100th time is a total guess.

Anyone ever heard of the Tannerite exploding targets? Pretty fun to shoot, but get boring after about half a dozen.
 


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