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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Shooting Ranges - Places To Shoot
Sparks and AR500?
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<blockquote data-quote="Escopeta" data-source="post: 1326543" data-attributes="member: 96884"><p>If you read the study that was conducted (link posted above) there are several key points that immediately stand out as worth mentioning. When taken in context, they conclude that the risk of fire started by bullets hitting AR500 steel targets is extremely unlikely if said bullet is made of non-ferrous and non-solid copper. Which for me is 100% of every bullet that goes down my tube. It goes on further to conclude that with a modicum of restrictions related to the <u>environmental conditions</u> (Temp and RH), combined with most vertical steel targets found at private and public ranges the risk is reduced even more.</p><p></p><p>The key points that I refer to are the following: </p><p></p><p><em>"As with all fire behavior and ignition research,</em></p><p><em>moisture content of the organic material will be an</em></p><p><em>important factor in ignition. Peat moisture contents</em></p><p><em>of 3-5%, air temperatures of 34-49 °C (<strong>98-120 °F</strong>),</em></p><p><em>and <strong>relative humidity of 7 to 16%</strong> were <strong><u><span style="color: #ff0000">necessary</span></u></strong></em></p><p><em>to reliably observe ignitions in the experiments.</em></p><p><em>Peat moisture contents above this (perhaps 8%) did</em></p><p><em>not produce ignitions." (my emphasis)</em></p><p></p><p>Comment: At our range, we have a self imposed limit of 85 degrees and less than 30% RH. BOTH those conditions have to exist for us to cancel shooting. Which according to this study is a tremendous margin of safety. And truthfully, even in the shade, shooting in above 85 degree with no humidity isn't much fun anyway so it works for us. Even in one of the biggest tinderboxes in the country (SW ID in a high cheat grass year) the conditions above are encountered only a few times a summer. Unfortunately, lightning is a much more effective fire starter.....</p><p></p><p><em>"The regression model suggested that impact angle should also play a role in ignition probability, with more oblique angles more likely to produce an ignition. However, when the target was set at higher angles (60- 80 degrees) we suspected that more bullet fragments were escaping the collector box. The effect of angle on ignition would, therefore, involve more than effects on fragment properties (size or number). At high impact angles, fragments flying farther from the point of impact will experience more cooling before finally resting on potential ignitable substrate (Table 2) and maybe less likely to cause ignitions."</em></p><p></p><p>Comment: Most targets I've seen on public and private ranges consist of suspended targets hanging vertically. This reduces the chance of ignition even more and takes it even lower if (again) you restrict to hunting/match constructed bullets with no steel or solid copper. </p><p></p><p>Finally: </p><p></p><p><em>"Shooting took place in the laboratory from a distance</em></p><p><em>of about 32 m (35 yds). "</em></p><p></p><p>Comment: The heat produced by projectiles (fragments) of any construction when it hits a solid object is MUCH higher the faster the velocity (there is a chart in the document). The outcome of this reality is that its actually less likely to start a fire, the further out your target is. Truthfully, this 35 yrd test distance really queers the data from reality in my opinion. Even if they moved it back to 100 yrds it would have been a great improvement. </p><p></p><p>As was stated earlier, the reality is people dragging boat trailer chains on the way to the lake or pitching lit cigs out the window will start far more fires than shooting ever will - even in the most awful conditions.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Escopeta, post: 1326543, member: 96884"] If you read the study that was conducted (link posted above) there are several key points that immediately stand out as worth mentioning. When taken in context, they conclude that the risk of fire started by bullets hitting AR500 steel targets is extremely unlikely if said bullet is made of non-ferrous and non-solid copper. Which for me is 100% of every bullet that goes down my tube. It goes on further to conclude that with a modicum of restrictions related to the [U]environmental conditions[/U] (Temp and RH), combined with most vertical steel targets found at private and public ranges the risk is reduced even more. The key points that I refer to are the following: [I]"As with all fire behavior and ignition research, moisture content of the organic material will be an important factor in ignition. Peat moisture contents of 3-5%, air temperatures of 34-49 °C ([B]98-120 °F[/B]), and [B]relative humidity of 7 to 16%[/B] were [B][U][COLOR=#ff0000]necessary[/COLOR][/U][/B] to reliably observe ignitions in the experiments. Peat moisture contents above this (perhaps 8%) did not produce ignitions." (my emphasis)[/I] Comment: At our range, we have a self imposed limit of 85 degrees and less than 30% RH. BOTH those conditions have to exist for us to cancel shooting. Which according to this study is a tremendous margin of safety. And truthfully, even in the shade, shooting in above 85 degree with no humidity isn't much fun anyway so it works for us. Even in one of the biggest tinderboxes in the country (SW ID in a high cheat grass year) the conditions above are encountered only a few times a summer. Unfortunately, lightning is a much more effective fire starter..... [I]"The regression model suggested that impact angle should also play a role in ignition probability, with more oblique angles more likely to produce an ignition. However, when the target was set at higher angles (60- 80 degrees) we suspected that more bullet fragments were escaping the collector box. The effect of angle on ignition would, therefore, involve more than effects on fragment properties (size or number). At high impact angles, fragments flying farther from the point of impact will experience more cooling before finally resting on potential ignitable substrate (Table 2) and maybe less likely to cause ignitions."[/I] Comment: Most targets I've seen on public and private ranges consist of suspended targets hanging vertically. This reduces the chance of ignition even more and takes it even lower if (again) you restrict to hunting/match constructed bullets with no steel or solid copper. Finally: [I]"Shooting took place in the laboratory from a distance of about 32 m (35 yds). "[/I] Comment: The heat produced by projectiles (fragments) of any construction when it hits a solid object is MUCH higher the faster the velocity (there is a chart in the document). The outcome of this reality is that its actually less likely to start a fire, the further out your target is. Truthfully, this 35 yrd test distance really queers the data from reality in my opinion. Even if they moved it back to 100 yrds it would have been a great improvement. As was stated earlier, the reality is people dragging boat trailer chains on the way to the lake or pitching lit cigs out the window will start far more fires than shooting ever will - even in the most awful conditions. [/QUOTE]
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