How to make tracer rounds (and the legalities of doing so)

[Bourt]

Why the hell would anyone want to risk firing tracer rounds. It's complete stupidity and irresponsible idea.

Pretty scathing statement mate, calm down.

What would be wrong with firing one at a range with a suitable back drop and surrounding ground... Nothing stupid or irresponsible about that.

To everyone getting worked up over this

OP was crystal clear he was interested in exploring the idea for fun, if it was safe and legal to do so.

Stop berating people over nothing.

[Ed9362]

for some reason my marlin 30/30 leaves a streak through the air which can be seen at night.

for years a mate told me he could see the bullet going through the air when I fired that rifle at night. I kept telling him it was impossible and he was imagining it.

the I let someone else shoot it a few times one night and bugger me dead I could see it also. im assuming it is powder burning outside the barrel some-how but you can see a streak all the way to the target. it is quite cool.

[lole]

On shots over a few hundred metres you can some interesting effects in the day too.

See this little dot plowing through the air with a wake all around it. Quite cool.

[on_one_wheel]

Why the hell would anyone want to risk firing tracer rounds. It's complete stupidity and irresponsible idea.

Pretty scathing statement mate, calm down.

What would be wrong with firing one at a range with a suitable back drop and surrounding ground... Nothing stupid or irresponsible about that.

To everyone getting worked up over this

OP was crystal clear he was interested in exploring the idea for fun, if it was safe and legal to do so.

Stop berating people over nothing.

Perhaps we should be encouraging dangerous behavior and irresponsible ideas here

Safe and legal it's not.

It's now mid November and around the country we have some of the most fuel loaded country in years in most district's.

Youd have to be a blody idiot to consider it. It's most definitely the no.1 most stupid idea I've ever read on this forum.

[<<Genesis93>>]

Perhaps we should be encouraging dangerous behavior and irresponsible ideas here

Safe and legal it's not.

It's now mid November and around the country we have some of the most fuel loaded country in years in most district's.

Youd have to be a blody idiot to consider it. It's most definitely the no.1 most stupid idea I've ever read on this forum.

Still yet to be proven...

Yes. in dry bush, or anywhere you cant control the result if there is any chance of fire... its wrong and ill-advised ...I don't think anyone is arguing with that.

[brett1868]

for some reason my marlin 30/30 leaves a streak through the air which can be seen at night.

for years a mate told me he could see the bullet going through the air when I fired that rifle at night. I kept telling him it was impossible and he was imagining it.

the I let someone else shoot it a few times one night and bugger me dead I could see it also. im assuming it is powder burning outside the barrel some-how but you can see a streak all the way to the target. it is quite cool.

I assume if your shooting at night you're using a spotlight, the trace you see is the reflection of light from the base of the projectile. I was watching some 338 projectiles flash downrange at >2700fps on Tuesday night at St Marys and easier to see if behind the shooter.

[RoginaJack]

Spotlighting with the mate on the 308 I could see the bullet base clearly travelling down the light path but lost it just before it slammed into the pigs...mesmerising!

[Bourt]

Perhaps we should be encouraging dangerous behavior and irresponsible ideas here

Safe and legal it's not.

It's now mid November and around the country we have some of the most fuel loaded country in years in most district's.

Youd have to be a blody idiot to consider it. It's most definitely the no.1 most stupid idea I've ever read on this forum.

Same over reaction as before...

No one has encouraged any dangerous or irresponsible behaviour. He's just exploring ideas.

OP clearly said in the opening post "Assuming it's safe and legal"

Explaining the illegality and safety concerns of it could easily have been without calling someones curiosity stupid and irresponsible.

[yoda72]

Just a quick note on tracers.

In the Army we use 4-bit in our machine guns with 1 tracer between every 4 rounds of ball ammunition.
The tracers will shoot higher every time due to the tracer rounds being of lower weight than their ball cousins.

The use of tracers at a range will not be harmful as long as they don't start a fire but will not give you an accurate indication of where your rifle is shooting.
Good fun but not to used in the bush

[duncan61]

Plus 1 for watching rounds at night behind the shooter.Years ago before I turned pro I watched 2 blokes shoot a roo in the chest.One had a .22wmr.and the other a .22 long rifle and you could clearly see the magnum going quicker and hitting harder.they were a little apart on the back of the ute and I could see the bullets merge

[duncan61]

A mate I used to shoot with claimed my bullets were bending away then straightening up again near the target.I am sure it would be our positions and the light beam reflecting

[Blackened]

He hadn't just watched "Wanted" had he?