Alpo Posted January 6 Posted January 6 There's a guy on another board asking for some reloading advice. He has some 143 grain 30 caliber tracer bullets, and wants to know a good load for loading them in 308. And when I saw his question, I thought - WHY? There's ranges all over the country that will not let you shoot steel jacketed ammunition because they are afraid of the bullet hitting a rock, creating a spark, and setting the range on fire. And he wants to load tracer?? What the heck would he plan to do with it? 1 Quote
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted January 6 Posted January 6 23 minutes ago, Alpo said: And he wants to load tracer?? What the heck would he plan to do with it? Shoot it on a private range with enough moisture in the foliage to prevent a fire. He might be a fool, or he might be intelligent, responsible, and curious. I give him benefit of the doubt. 1 Quote
John Kloehr Posted January 6 Posted January 6 Tracers only make sense for some guidance in full auto, one in every so many rounds. Even then they drop more than non-tracer rounds. But this is just an opinion. I'll credit the interest as curiosity. 1 Quote
Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103 Posted January 6 Posted January 6 A brother lawman would load a standard duty round into his empty pistol magazine, then a tracer, then the rest of the way with duty issue. His theory: If he saw his tracer go downrange, he had one up the pipe and an empty hopper. I don't recall as either of us ever shot the mag dry in aught but practice. 2 1 Quote
DocWard Posted January 6 Posted January 6 And here I thought from the title that this would be a thread about Saloonatics. 3 3 Quote
John Kloehr Posted January 6 Posted January 6 50 minutes ago, Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103 said: If he saw his tracer go downrange, he had one up the pipe and an empty hopper. That makes some sense... 1 1 Quote
Alpo Posted January 7 Author Posted January 7 1 hour ago, John Kloehr said: Tracers only make sense for some guidance in full auto, one in every so many rounds. Even then they drop more than non-tracer rounds. But this is just an opinion. I'll credit the interest as curiosity. That was my thought. If I was at war, and armed with a belt fed machine gun, I would like to have a traceer round every once in awhile, to make it easier to make sure that I had it pointed in the right direction. Possibly, if I was armed with a rifle, again during a war, I would want tracers. But absent being in a war, I can see no reason why anyone would want them. Although, I would love to have a few boxes of 50s vintage 30/06 AP (the stuff made before the 50s had corrosive primers, and I don't shoot corrosive in my guns). Just to have them. I don't plan on shooting up armored cars. But I would like to have some. Just because. So I suppose that could be why somebody would want to have some tracer. Just because. 1 Quote
Rip Snorter Posted January 7 Posted January 7 Just remember - tracers show the enemy where you, the shooter are! 3 3 Quote
Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 23 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said: Just remember - tracers show the enemy where you, the shooter are! One of Murphy's Laws of Combat: Tracers work both ways. 4 1 Quote
Pat Riot Posted January 7 Posted January 7 (edited) A friend of mine bought an ammo box full of tracer rounds at a gun show. They were supposed to be FMJ 7.62x51. He asked me what I would do and I said “Take them back.” He did return them the next day. Apparently the guy’s son put that ammo box in the trailer with all the others by mistake. For bringing them back he gave my buddy the ammo he should have received plus several boxes of GI .45 ACP. Tracers were illegal in California, apparently. Regarding the guy wanting to load them? I’m not the Internet police. He can do as he pleases. I just hope he uses good judgement. Edit: I forgot to mention I witnessed tracer rounds being fired at a public desert range in CA back in ‘92. An LA County Sheriff’s Deputy was driving by and we told him about the idiots firing tracers. That range burned that day along with a few thousand surrounding acres and the range was never reopened. The Kentucky Range in Angeles National Forest. Edited January 7 by Pat Riot 3 Quote
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 That was a laugh — opening a thread where Alpo refers to someone else as strange people. 1 7 Quote
Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L Posted January 7 Posted January 7 I thought Alpo was just taking roll call! 4 Quote
watab kid Posted January 7 Posted January 7 i was confused at the post till he brought up the tracers - our range allows steel but never tracers , back when there were two fires set by tracers on the range , 1 Quote
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 1 hour ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said: That was a laugh — opening a thread where Alpo refers to someone else as strange people. Yeah, but aren't we all? Well, aren't we? Come on, children, 'fess up proudly! 4 1 Quote
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 26 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said: Yeah, but aren't we all? Well, aren't we? Come on, children, 'fess up proudly! ...... guilty ......... <blush> 1 1 Quote
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 Me, strange? NO, but the other 7 billion people on this rock, wow? 2 1 Quote
Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 2 hours ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said: That was a laugh — opening a thread where Alpo refers to someone else as strange people. 56 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said: Yeah, but aren't we all? Well, aren't we? Come on, children, 'fess up proudly! Forty, they're ALL crazy except for you and me, and sometimes I wonder about you. 1 3 Quote
watab kid Posted January 7 Posted January 7 me - no im normal its everyone else that have issues , i will admit to a couple eccentricities in my elder years but thats normal ......isnt it ? 1 1 Quote
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 7 hours ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said: Forty, they're ALL crazy except for you and me, and sometimes I wonder about you. Why are you wondering about me? Are you afrid that I'm NOT crazy. Let me relieve you of............Oh, Hell!!! Buddubububb a dub drooldrool hahahahaha hick snort snicker. 1 Quote
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 8 hours ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said: Me, strange? NO, but the other 7 billion people on this rock, wow? Looks like the odd man out.....and you, sir, qualify as ODD! 1 Quote
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 21 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said: Looks like the odd man out.....and you, sir, qualify as ODD! ODD ain’t bad. I’ve never tried to get EVEN. 1 Quote
Eyesa Horg Posted January 7 Posted January 7 Back around 2000 I had IIRC a Glock 23 .40cal. I was able to just buy a box of tracers at the LGS for it. Was fun on July 4th! Didn't start any fires though. Never gave a thought to them being illegal. Quote
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 5 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said: Back around 2000 I had IIRC a Glock 23 .40cal. I was able to just buy a box of tracers at the LGS for it. Was fun on July 4th! Didn't start any fires though. Never gave a thought to them being illegal. Hornady used to have a line of “tracer” ammo called Vector. It was fun to shoot and bright enough to be seen in the day. The best part was that the tracing compound was way different than conventional GI ammo. Much less risk of fires. 1 Quote
Eyesa Horg Posted January 7 Posted January 7 Just now, Charlie Harley, #14153 said: Hornady used to have a line of “tracer” ammo called Vector. It was fun to shoot and bright enough to be seen in the day. The best part was that the tracing compound was way different than conventional GI ammo. Much less risk of fires. Thanks, that it was! Vector! Quote
Blackwater 53393 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 Some of my nastier Black Powder loads leave a smoke trail all the way to the target! Does that qualify as a tracer round?? And it’s a proven fact that I am the only sane one here!! If you don’t believe it, just ask me!! 🤪 2 1 Quote
Eyesa Horg Posted January 7 Posted January 7 7 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said: Some of my nastier Black Powder loads leave a smoke trail all the way to the target! Does that qualify as a tracer round?? And it’s a proven fact that I am the only sane one here!! If you don’t believe it, just ask me!! 🤪 I love when a wad catches fire and burns like a tracer to the target. 1 2 1 Quote
Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 it is well known , I be sane got papers to prove it 🤣 Quote
Cypress Sun Posted January 7 Posted January 7 1 hour ago, Eyesa Horg said: I love when a wad catches fire and burns like a tracer to the target. I was at a Florida State match (2001?) that the berm was set on fire and a bucket brigade of water coolers finally put it out. Had a large dust devil that tore up Otter's clothing mercantile tent also. I think it was Buffalo Brady (RIP) that set the berm on fire. Quote
Stump Water Posted January 7 Posted January 7 2 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said: Some of my nastier Black Powder loads leave a smoke trail all the way to the target! One time at The Possum Cherokee Big Dog set a hay bale afire with his pistol loads. It was a down rage prop set there so you had to move to see/shoot the SG targets. 1 Quote
Blackwater 53393 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 34 minutes ago, Stump Water said: One time at The Possum Cherokee Big Dog set a hay bale afire with his pistol loads. It was a down rage prop set there so you had to move to see/shoot the SG targets. Yeah! We set stuff afire at Possum on a regular basis! Got to where we kept water buckets handy. We went back to the cabins with smoked up boots more than once!! I really miss that place!!! 2 Quote
Stump Water Posted January 8 Posted January 8 58 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said: I really miss that place!!! Likewise. There will never be anything like it. 1 Quote
Sedalia Dave Posted January 8 Posted January 8 6 hours ago, Cypress Sun said: I tried to stop myself, couldn't. Every time I hear that song it reminds me of the Twilight Zone series. It was the audio track for one of their commercials many years ago. Quote
Subdeacon Joe Posted January 8 Posted January 8 23 hours ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said: Yeah, but aren't we all? Well, aren't we? Come on, children, 'fess up proudly! I'm not strange! I'm peculiar. 2 Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.