The
June 14, 2012 Idaho Statesman reports:
A new shooting craze has started range blazes and can make shooters liable for damages.
It was first reported that bullets caused four fires that have burned hundreds of acres of public rangeland in Idaho this year.
Four of the 19 human-caused fires in Southwest Idaho this year instead were caused by the targets, which have become popular among target shooters. Three of those blazes were in the Treasure Valley this week: Two wildfires near Kuna on Sunday burned about 800 acres, and a fire on Monday burned 370 acres south of Marsing.
I've never used the exploding targets, but I confess it sounds fun. Until you get the bill for putting out the fire.
Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/06/14/2154426/exploding-targets-causing-fires.html#storylink=cpy
I use matches and have not started any forest fires. My wife burns candles and has not started any house fires. My son lights fireworks and has not started any grass fires.
ReplyDeleteExploding targets don't "start fires" any more than matches and candles light themselves. Inattentive users of matches, exploding targets, soldering irons, electric charcoal starters and anything else that gets hot - it is the HUMAN that needs to use the inanimate object correctly that is responsible.
Guy at the indoor range where I go decided he was going to use tracer ammo. mind you the backstop is a big pile of tire crumbs. he kept shooting into the same hole with the tracers until the tire crumbs caught fire... needless to say after the fire was out, he was banned.
ReplyDeleteI tell people about the fun you can have with potatoes.
ReplyDeleteWith a .22LR you use new potatos - the little bitty ones. With a round nose .22 they jump, maybe lose a bit. With a hollow point (or anything bigger than a .22) they go poof!
For larger calibers use regular potatoes.
There's no cleanup - any piece big enough to be found will be appreciated and absolute worst case you plant a potato.
exploding targets too bleeping expensive for me. I do like the reactive painted ones. you can make them yourself by covering a cardboard sheet with a tightened white garbage bag and painting it with black spray paint.
ReplyDeletePeople are watching shows like "American Guns", and "Sons of Guns" that use these targets (actually targets with much more explosives), and do not realize that the fire department is always right behind the camera on those shows. They've had fires too, but are prepared.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the potato targets sound like fun! Thanks for the tip! I never thought of that!
I've used them and they are a lot of fun, but they do require care. We were sticking them to the bulls eye of an ordinary paper target that was itself taped to a piece of plywood. When the target was hit it was a very satisfactory boom, but every now and then it would set the paper target afire requiring us to cease firing to go down range and put the fire out.
ReplyDelete