.223/5.56 novelty fireball loads

ATLDave said:

Let's just cut to the endgame on this diversion:

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We had a volunteer here that was on Iowa in the 50's.....some real interesting stuff on getting that stuff to hit what you want.

He did weather....never really thought about it, the different temps, pressures, winds at different altitudes all effect just where that shell is going to land over the many miles to its target.

He told a story on gunnery practice that was off of cuba....they had a ship pulling a barge that pulled another barge that was (i want to say 30 miles behind the ship with people on it) that was the target.....the barges are like 5 miles apart and then the ship with people on it is like 20 miles in front of that....I think I explained this right. Anyhoo on the first salvo they hit the first barge behind the ship and that was it for practice.....he said the captain was not happy....the sound and the shock from the guns just amazing.

He also said being the weather guy he worked in the only area of the ship that had A/C and it was there for the fire computers....early tubes. He also won a lottery to use FDR's bath tub.

He had some cool stories about shore leave in pre castro cuba.

Still waiting for that reloading certification info.......

Like I said, I've been reloading quite a while. AGI is to gunsmithing what Sea Monkeys are to the pet industry. Think I'll pass.

GBExpat said:

And, yes, what you are seeing in the above photo is that battlewagon being pushed sideways by the recoil of those guns.

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Um, no...

GBExpat said:

And, yes, what you are seeing in the above photo is that battlewagon being pushed sideways by the recoil of those guns.

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Not really.
http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-022.php
If the ship moved as much as indicated by the water flow lines, everyone aboard would be dead from impact with steel bulkheads.
Actual side movement from an Iowa class broadside is considerably less than an inch.

As for the OP's question, maybe something with H50 BMG powder would work (assuming you can find data)?

I've never particularly sought after the type of loads you're looking for, but if flash and noise are the goal rather than velocity and accuracy, a nonstandard powder may be indicated.

Sorry! I stand corrected.

That "fact" was originally pointed out to me by a blue water sailor 40+ years ago (perfectly delivered with a hint of awe in his voice as he shared the photo) and I have been guilty of spreading the mis-information from his apparent leg-pull ever since. <sigh>

Funny thing is, this is the first time that anyone has ever offered the correction ... including my ~30 years of Traipsing the Boards and, later, participating in internet forums.

I wonder how many swimming pools of water are displaced by the wagon as it moves the one inch and the sea rushes to the other side to fill the void...
(Mine holds twenty one thousand gallons, for the math if anyone knows the surface area below water of a destroyer.)

Yes. It moves. It only looks like feet. I imagine it feels like much more riding it!

My awe is not diminished!


(And my Eagle pictures didn't turn out. I need a faster camera. And maybe an assistant...)

Demi-human said:

(Mine holds twenty one thousand gallons, for the math if anyone knows the surface area below water of a destroyer.)

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Except the Iowa class battleships are considerably larger than a destroyer. While standing on the deck of the Missouri during her port call in Monterey in 1988, I looked out at one of the destroyer escorts and realized why destroyers are called 'tin cans'.

PAP M85 NP makes fireballs out of any ammo...Obnoxiously loud as well.

entropy said:

Except the Iowa class Battleships are considerably larger than a Destroyer.

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That makes the "One Inch Math" even more impressive!



Now, how about powders completely wrong for the .223? Like MagPro, 414 or Big Game? It doesn't need to perform, per se, just flash...

Obviously it must function/ be safe, if even only a single shot.

If you want a large fireball from 223, go with a 8.5” barrel. My AR pistol with factory ammo is obnoxiously loud, most people accuse me of having a muzzle brake.

If I could figure out how to send the video to my computer, I have one on my phone of my son shooting his 7" AR with my reloads using BL-C(2) that are quite impressive.

Just e-mail it to your computer. Works for me.

Taylor W. Bastianelli said:

I disagree. Master Gunsmith Bob Dunlap teaches most of the Gunsmithing content but the reloading is taught by Fred Zeglin I’m sure your familiar with Him. A lot of great information in the course.
Learning from a renown cartridge designer? What better education can you get? experience and education are two completely different things.

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I wonder if Fred taught Phil Sharpe?

rocirish said:

Just e-mail it to your computer. Works for me.

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My phone has a 25 GB attachment limit.

Fireball appreciation thread? Im there. 223 out of a 12 in contender barrel.

@entropy - the NRA offers a course for Metallic cartridge reloading, and folks passing through are certified. Not many of us are certified to instruct it because it’s an exceptionally low traffic course, and to really do it properly, it carries a ton of equipment, extra time above the NRA lesson plan, and quite a bit of unique orchestration between a specialized classroom and the range, and frankly, folks just don’t sign up for them. A person having been through that course wouldn’t be lying to say they were certified, but it’s also not a graduate level curriculum if the instructor only follows the required curriculum. None of the guys I spoke with when I offered it would follow only the prescribed lesson plan, attempting to offer more valuable and in depth technical instruction and far more hands on and live fire activities - if we were gonna set up for a class, it needed to be worth more than just an 8hr wknd course making 10 rounds which managed to successfully fire.

So there are legitimately instructed, certified reloaders out there, the AGI imaginary world notwithstanding. It’s not really a PhD in reloading, but it’s not really make believe either.

I did not know the NRA had a certification, though I knew of the courses. I'll probably not take advantage of that, and just stick to the RCBS metallic and MEC shotshell presses I've been using for 40 and 45 years respectively. Thank you, Varminterror!

Well, I bought a new phone...


It was much cheaper than hiring an assistant.

iPhones are cool. Balls of fire, very cool. The Slo-Mo
feature with screenshot? Awesome! (Because it scrubs the meta data off the video. iPhones!(at least I think I did.))


In this frame the Action is open about a quarter of an inch. The frame before the hammer can be seen falling and the frame after this is a nice ring of fire spinning out toward the Oak pile, that is completely obscured by the flame. You can see my wrist wrinkle as my hand is thrust back into my arm. I love this pistol!

Note to self. Do not cook over these logs now...
Although most went through the eight inch thick oak log halves in front and into the earth. I stopped trying to dig with my fingers after about a foot, as I encountered some broken stones. I already have some bullets pried from split Oak anyway...