Using a Firebird 65 to blow up a box of snow - Regular and Thermal Video

[SkeeterHawk]

Hello once again, Airgunners!!

If you have been following me, you know that I have been trying to come up with a way to blow up a box full of snow using a FireBird exploding target. Well, I figured out a way to do it, so check this out:

I cover how I did all this in the video. As I allude to in the video, the "plume" of snow isn't as massive as I was expecting, but watching the sparks come out of the snow as it was blowing out was pretty cool. I even shot this on my thermal camera to see if it would show something interesting.

I'm trying to do a better job on the production, so I hope that comes through and makes it more fun to watch.

As always, let me know what you think. I look forward to your feedback.

Cheers!

Jonathan

 

[SkeeterHawk]

Thought I'd post this picture of "the before". I shoveled over there by hand, and my sighter box on the right is completely covered.

Here is what it looked like once I finally dug it out...

Anyway, I thought I'd post these few bonus pictures to this post. Happy Shooting!!

 

[HeyU]

Lol,,thx skeeter. I just had to laugh at your oral assessment. "dented the s#1t out of it". It did a number to that plate. Ya got a nice looking range too. Plenty of targets. Have you ever lit a firecracker and place an empty can over it? I'd like to see something similar using your firebirds. Maybe you could work that into one your air rifle videos. And again, Thankyou for your effort in making this video.

 

[SkeeterHawk]

Glad you enjoyed it, @HeyU !!

I normally edit out any "choice words", but I was genuinely surprised by how bent that steel was, so I figured I'd leave that one in.

Thanks on the shooting range. It has been a work in progress. I posted a bunch of How-To's here on the site. Here is one for the can target in the background, here is one for the speedracks that are visible, and here is another one for the recycled pellet tin spinning target.

The "wheels are turning" trying to figure out how to make this experiment better. Your comment about the firecracker is where I am thinking I need to go. I think I need more room for the gasses to expand. Perhaps I can put some screen in there to keep the snow suspended, but will let the gasses through? I wonder... I will definitely be thinking about how to make this better. I was hoping for a "plume" about 10 feet high. I got about 3 feet, so I am 30% on the way to my goal.

 

[SkeeterHawk]

This was a learning experience for me, so I am taking you along for the journey.

I had to clean up, and looking at the box, the Firebird blew the back of the box out, so obviously the combustion was too contained...

The snow is covered in gun powder:

As @HeyU was talking about blowing up a can, the volume of the can would allow the gasses to expand and give maximum effect. I hope.

I think I can do better. Stay tuned...

 

[RIshooter]

What are you shooting?
I tried to shoot one with my Notos and it just broke open. No explosion.
Going to try with my 25 cal L2 next.
I think the notos just doesn't put out enough energy to make it explode.

 

[SkeeterHawk]

What are you shooting?
I tried to shoot one with my Notos and it just broke open. No explosion.
Going to try with my 25 cal L2 next.
I think the notos just doesn't put out enough energy to make it explode.

I'm shooting a modified AV Avenger 22cal. It is shooting H&N Baracuda 21.14gr pellets at about 875FPS, so it is about 36FPE. It is hitting pretty hard.

The Baracuda are more "pointy" than traditional Diabolo, so this may make a small difference as there would be more force applied to a smaller area when it first hits.

It looks like the Notos caps at about 20FPE. Here is a chart:

Picture Credit - https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/umarex-notos-review/

I think that the energy that you are applying to the target makes more difference than the velocity by itself. You can blow them up with arrows, so those would be heavy, would be going slow, and would thereby deliver significant FPE to the target. I don't know how hard it would be to get the power up on that gun (adding plenum, increasing hammer spring, reducing valve spring, boring out the valve, increasing the size of the transfer port, etc, etc, etc.)

Your Leshiy 2 should be more suitable to make these pop with the 25cal putting out 35-40FPE which is right where I am.

Good luck, and don't forget to record your success so you can share it with the rest of us "kids" that like to make things go BOOM!