shell

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Archives April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 « Paper Versus Meat | Main | Where the Metal Meets the Meat » March 06, 2008 The World's Largest Shotgun Shell? A guest post from Shooting Editor and Shotguns Columnist Phil Bourjaily This video shows what must be the world’s largest shotgun shell: the 120mm canister round designed for the cannon of an M1 Abrams tank. The 50 pound shell contains 1150 .40 caliber tungsten pellets launched at 4500 fps, with an effective range of 500 yards. What’s fascinating to me is that you can see clearly that the shot charge of the canister round behaves exactly like a load of shotgun pellets. As the round leaves the muzzle, the pellets at the front of the pattern encounter air resistance and begin to peel off and fall behind the main charge, opening the pattern and forming a shot string. The pellets to the rear of the shot column draft behind the leaders, retaining velocity and moving to the front. The canister flies with the pattern for quite a ways (our light plastic shotcups have petals that open open and slow the cup quickly). Eventually, though, the poor aerodymic shape of the canister causes it to slow down, and you can see the trailing pellets catching up and passing it in flight. The last shot shows how much the pattern opens up at long range as the shell decapitates every one of a row of targets that must be 30 yards across. Given the price of tungsten, I can only imagine how much the three shells fired in this video must have cost. Best not to think about it; just click “play” and enjoy the sight of your tax dollars flying downrange. --Phil Bourjaily March 06, 2008 in General | Permalink TrackBack TrackBack URL for this entry:http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/696028/26854670 Listed below are links to weblogs that reference The World's Largest Shotgun Shell?: Comments Just the thing for clearing snipers and terrorists out of dense patches of woods and cover. It would also work well in urban areas, or against a huge AK wielding mob coming at you in a human wave suicide charge (Mogadishu?). Or, you could just use it to jump shoot flocks of elephants. Posted by: eyeball | March 06, 2008 at 02:35 PM If that's real I'm more impressed with the camera that could track the load than I am with the shell. Posted by: jcarlin | March 06, 2008 at 03:16 PM Any idea if we can rent one for our next duck hunt? Posted by: Andrew | March 06, 2008 at 03:24 PM Speaking of the price of Tungsten. Has any checked the price of reloading components lately? It is not pretty. Most of the sporting goods stores in my area don't have much in the way of inventory either. One store owner told me that the price of raw materials is going up so rapidly that the manufacturers are reluctant to take any orders that cannot ship almost immediately. I am thinking about buying a new rifle in 338 Federal, but I am going to have to get a second job to buy components. Posted by: Gary | March 06, 2008 at 04:02 PM Reminds me of a Punt Gun! Posted by: MidnightBanjo | March 06, 2008 at 04:18 PM It's a shame that we have to use non-toxic shot on terrorists also... But plain old lead ain't cheap anymore either! In my neck of the woods lead shot is $59 per 25 pound bag at Bass Pro. If I had known this 4 years ago I would ahve bought all I could haul at $16.50. I think the best investment in America right now is lead shot and rifle bullets! My wife is a buyer for a local hardware company that sells ammo. Last year she booked promo Dove Loads at 2.99 per box. This year they were $5.09... cost... Don't even ask about the good stuff! Posted by: Beekeeper | March 06, 2008 at 04:28 PM What a sweet street-sweeper! How did they propel the camera at 4500fps to keep up? Posted by: Brian T | March 06, 2008 at 05:52 PM Holy Mother Dugan,now thats a street sweeper. Posted by: Walt Smith | March 06, 2008 at 07:11 PM Notice that shock wave in front of that hypersonic flying wasp nest, WOW! Posted by: Clay Cooper | March 06, 2008 at 07:12 PM How did they propel the camera at 4500fps to keep up? Easy, they strapped the cameraman on top of a F-22 Rapture and flew it inverted alongside! Posted by: Clay Cooper | March 06, 2008 at 07:16 PM Andrew next duck hunt? Ya' and you can clean them too! You just might be over limit a tad Posted by: Clay Cooper | March 06, 2008 at 07:20 PM Holy Mother Dugan,now thats a street sweeper. Posted by: Walt Smith | March 06, 2008 at 07:29 PM Holy Mother Dugan,now thats a street sweeper. Posted by: Walt Smith | March 06, 2008 at 07:30 PM Easy Walt, Yeah, a magnificent sweet streeper! A REALLY, magnificent sweet streeper! A REALLY, REALLY, magnificent sweet streeper! BBuubbbbbbaaa Posted by: Bubba | March 06, 2008 at 08:19 PM Hummm - effective range of 500 yards... like those .40 pellets would just bounce off at 501 yards! Couldn't they have used this on those hogs instead of a helicopter? BOOOOOOMMMMMMM! SQUEEEEEELLLLL! Mmmmmm... Pulled Pork! Posted by: MidnightBanjo | March 06, 2008 at 08:31 PM That is some awesome sh*t! Posted by: Ralph the Rifleman | March 06, 2008 at 08:54 PM This is an improved version of the old beehive round we had in nam. Same effect only longer range. Tungsten shot instead of steel darts. Posted by: Del in KS | March 06, 2008 at 09:13 PM Damn....! Posted by: Blue Ox | March 06, 2008 at 09:59 PM That thang is a gen-u-ine alley clearer!! Dad-blame and gosh dang it!! Posted by: crm3006 | March 06, 2008 at 10:47 PM That thang is a gen-u-ine alley clearer!! Dad-blame and gosh dang it!! Posted by: crm3006 | March 06, 2008 at 10:48 PM Awesome photography!!! Posted by: Carney | March 07, 2008 at 02:47 AM Amazing photography that shows how a pattern actually blooms and develops in a shot string! The 120mm cannon is a smooth bore with what amounts to a cylinder choke. I'll bet Brister and Burrard would have loved to have seen this! It basically confirms all their predictions. Posted by: Frank Lopez | March 07, 2008 at 07:25 AM Just the thing for those hard 45 yd crossers in sporting clays. The old time punt gun market gunners would have pissed down both legs at the sight of this. I think I will stick with my DeHaan S2 28ga. Posted by: Michael | March 07, 2008 at 09:30 AM Don't show that to the Jihadists. Maybe they will be foolish enough to charge an M1..... One can only hope. Posted by: WA Mtnhunter | March 07, 2008 at 10:03 AM As a current Marine Corps tanker in Iraq I hate to say that our main gun privilages are highly restricted. My tanks carry 2-3 canister rounds, but the collateral damage is so significant I can't imagine ever getting cleared to fire one. The coxial machine gun is our bread and butter now, puts quite a bit of steel on target with exceptional accuracy. As for the old 105mm beehive round, it actual outranged the current 120mm canister round because you could set it to burst at a certain distance. That way you could launch it at troop targets over a kilometer away, and it would burst just short of the target for max effect. Plus it contained flachette darts and not ball bearings. Posted by: Devil_Dog | March 07, 2008 at 11:01 AM Damn, forgot to spell check that last one. Should have been coaxial instead of coxial. Sorry. Posted by: Devil_Dog | March 07, 2008 at 11:03 AM The legend goes, that General Bell was visiting some tankers in Iraq, and a young soldier was asked if he needed anything, and the good soldier, being a good soldier said, "General, it would be nice to have some of those canister rounds". and the General said, "You don't have them already?" So they got them very shortly afterwards. At least that is how the Military Urban legend goes!! V/R C_S Posted by: Concerned_Soldier | March 07, 2008 at 11:15 AM This is all very nice, but does it have screw-in chokes? Posted by: L. Smalley | March 07, 2008 at 11:42 AM I would like to see an over/under version fired simultaneously, now that would be tax dollars at work. It also would be a whole lot more interesting than watching an avalanche on Mars for even more money. I also feel that Devil_Dog and his crew should have a case of these cannisters if they want them. God bless and be with you Devil_Dog. Posted by: ishawooa | March 07, 2008 at 12:11 PM Amazing how we now send our children out to fight and tie their hands behind their backs... my sympathies Devil_Dog and thank you for protecting my family and myself. Imagine the collateral damage of one of these puppies! I guess they're phasing out the beehive because it was too effective. A few of these along the border would significantly reduce illegal entry. Just a thought, as it would probably only have to be used a couple of times like Nagasaki and Hiroshima. As for usefulness as a hunting tool I can see ten or twelve lined up pushing the deer through the woods and am surprised that the insurance companies have not yet purchased vast quantities. Deer/vehicle collisions down by 25% the first year is my guarantee and am willing and able to oversee the operation as killing without hesitation is almost an art form in my world. Posted by: Dr. Ralph | March 07, 2008 at 01:18 PM The 105mm howitzer beehive rounds were a real hit in Vietnam. When the VC tried to overrun an artillery battery, they'd often get a nasty surprise in the form of those beehive rounds--some 5,000 flechettes in each one. Viet Cong were literally "nailed" to trees by these flechettes. I suspect that tungsten balls are used in the M1 tank canister round for unarmored vehicles. Oh--looks like we have the same problem as in Vietnam--getting "clearance" to use certain weapons. By the time you get "clearance," the enemy is gone. Posted by: Chev Jim | March 07, 2008 at 01:29 PM Was that Full choke or Improved Cylinder? Pretty impressive. Posted by: azduane | March 07, 2008 at 01:55 PM I can hear it now: "I killed a herd of caribou at 478 yards!" Posted by: KJ | March 07, 2008 at 03:26 PM For perspective, a 12 gauge barrel fits lead balls at 12 to the pound. The Abrams M1 120mm is about 0.044 ga. A 120mm lead ball is about 22lbs 10oz. Devil Dog has earned the keys to the ammo locker. Posted by: Brian T | March 07, 2008 at 03:28 PM Anything that uses Hoppe's #9 by the gallon for cleaning sessions, has my respect. Posted by: PbHead | March 07, 2008 at 05:37 PM Can you imagine the size of the skeet thrower? PULL! Posted by: LowRecoil | March 07, 2008 at 09:57 PM from KJ I can hear it now: "I killed a herd of caribou at 478 yards!" With one shot! Posted by: Trae B. | March 07, 2008 at 10:29 PM I need one of those for snow geese! That way when that flock of 2000 birds whirls overhead of the decoy spread and doesn't come any closer than a hunfred yards you can surprise them. Posted by: SD Bob | March 07, 2008 at 10:53 PM Wow! I hate to be across the dove field from that! Posted by: adam | March 07, 2008 at 10:59 PM Dere be a Rosie Stopper by jingy! Posted by: semp | March 08, 2008 at 06:33 PM Sorry semp, I might be hard hearted, but I don't think that's something I could even subject tungsten shot to! You know, there are limits! Bubba LOL!!! Posted by: Bubba | March 08, 2008 at 07:07 PM Check out this article in New York Times about allowing hunter education classes in all schools in WV. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/08/us/08hunting.html?ex=1205643600&en=c6d9f57d9e9f351d&ei=5070&emc=eta1 Posted by: Scott in Ohio | March 09, 2008 at 10:00 AM Nice link Scott and WOW did the first part ring true... my son went to grade school one time with a reversible jacket we had just bought him and the pockets on the inside were full of .22's. Automatic "no tolerance" year's suspension. Luckily his teacher went to bat for him because he was at the top of his class and had never caused any trouble. Still we had to go before the school board and the principal and teacher were seated beside me so three days was all he got and his teacher "mistakenly" wrote it up as an excused absence. Posted by: Dr. Ralph | March 09, 2008 at 01:18 PM When I was in school in WV, which was in the late 1980's, the conservation officer for each region came around to each junior high school and taught Hunter's Education during study hall. There were four days of instruction and then a one hundred question exam on Friday. While I can't speak to the issues that are leading to a decrease in the number of hunters in other parts of the country, here in the mid-Atlantic region is undoubtedly an issue of land access. The number of hunters in WV started to decline drastically when Westvaco, GP, and Pochontas Land (aka Norfolk Southern) started to lock up there lands in exclusive leases. Prior to this, it was possible for anyone to buy an inexpensive permit to hunt on any land that was not being used for timbering and the like. Posted by: Gary | March 09, 2008 at 05:54 PM The AA-12 is real powerful shotgun also. Hardly any recoil on it too. Posted by: MPN | March 09, 2008 at 07:12 PM "....forgotten ammunition shells..." ??? The media strikes again. How about "...forgotten ammo..." or "...forgotten shells..." even "...forgotten bullets..."!!! I know, it's nit picking, but this kinda goes back to the school thing we blogged about awhile back. Bubba Posted by: Bubba | March 09, 2008 at 08:17 PM I suspect that a small light mirror was rotated to track the round down range. The moving mirror can be very light and the turn rate varied to track the flight of the round downrange. Even if the mirror massed only a few grams, to go from stationery on the tank to tracking the round must have required a huge torque, with quick and accurate control. Posted by: LpmH | March 11, 2008 at 09:14 PM KILL 'EM ALL! KILL KILL KILL...GOD BLESS THE KILLERS. MAKE JESUS PROUD. Posted by: Giorgio Vasari | March 11, 2008 at 10:00 PM The US used similar 155MM rounds in Vietnam. I believe they are still in the inventory (new stock). I wouldn't be suprised if the old 205MM cannons had they as well. For point blank work, an old trick was to use a bucket of nails and discarded powder charges. My reciepe adds ketchup. Posted by: Sal Magnone | March 11, 2008 at 10:07 PM Pretty lame. Posted by: bernie | March 11, 2008 at 11:50 PM Not the largest shotgun, I'm afraid. :) The Brits were putting carronades on their warships already in the 18th century, and the 68-pound carronade has a muzzle diameter of some 205mm. Roundshot, followed by a cask containing 500 musket balls, and the damage is simply ludicrous. So's the range, of course... At Trafalgar, Nelson's flagship HMS Victory cleared the gundeck of the French ship of the line Bucentaure with a single salvo, including one of these beauties, firing a raking shot through the stern windows, and causing almost 300 casualties with a single volley... IIRC the Beehive round used in Vietnam was only available in 105mm version, btw. Posted by: History freak | March 12, 2008 at 03:54 AM Tungsten is expensive. How long until they replace with DU? Sigh. Posted by: thoughtbox | March 12, 2008 at 10:26 AM I want One Posted by: Daniel Harvey | March 12, 2008 at 10:10 PM I would think high density hardened ceramics would be almost effective as tungsten and a whole lot cheaper, especially on flesh and bone. Posted by: Billo | March 13, 2008 at 01:01 PM Just imagine the blinf you would have to build! Posted by: Boyce Pinkston | March 13, 2008 at 10:51 PM blind Posted by: Boyce Pinkston | March 13, 2008 at 10:51 PM Getting hit by 50 pound shell contains 1150 .40 caliber tungsten pellets launched at 4500 fps is one thing, did you notice that flying 1 gallon bucket along with it! Posted by: Clay Cooper | March 13, 2008 at 11:09 PM Wow, that finaly dispersal with about 10 seconds left is really impressive. I miss my tanks :,( Posted by: JohnW | March 14, 2008 at 08:37 AM Heck, when I was in middle school in Houston, which was in the late '70's, we had a gun club with a teacher sponsor and every Thursday after school, we'd go to the gun range and try different guns. I think we started with .22 rifles, pistols, shot skeet for my first time, either a .357 or .44 mag pistol, high-powered rifles and black powder is what I remember. Can you imagine that NOW??!! A lot of change in 30 years. And not for the better, I think. Posted by: Dave | March 15, 2008 at 03:34 PM I think Elmer Fudd just might get his Wascawy Wabbit and that wacky Daffy Duck now. Looks like the start of a great idea for a Tali-hunt, too. Posted by: KurtW | March 23, 2008 at 04:02 PM A bunch of warography. Love how all you people are getting "excited" all over your computer screens about this. I've been the guy yelling Fire in an Abrams and seeing the effects. Ever see what a 120mm heat round does to the inside of a house? Yes you fire at a house with a bunch of terrorists, but WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU THE HOUSE SHARES A COMMON WALL WITH ANOTHER HOUSE WHERE MOM, DAD, GRANDMA, ADN 6 KIDS ARE HIDING???!!!! Now, ask me why after 10 years in the Army, 2 tours, I got out, ask me why I don't sleep well at night!!! Every wonder why so many of us have PTSD? 100,000+ Iraqi civilians killed, nothing "cool about that" Posted by: Warography | March 27, 2008 at 12:21 PM Warography- why the hell did YOU join the MILITARY? You know, the people who get paid to KILL? You chose your own fate. I wonder if wasn't a string of cameras that all fired at slightly different times? Posted by: Beerswimmer | March 29, 2008 at 08:11 PM Warography, So, you joined the military thinking it was going to be a free ride? Sorry, the benefits you receive come with a price. The best comment you posted is that your out. But thanks for your service. Posted by: Jim in Mo. | March 29, 2008 at 08:16 PM Post a comment Name: Email Address: (Not displayed with comment.) URL: Remember personal info? Comments: The Gun NutIn Your Inbox Enter your email address to get The Gun Nut in your inbox every day! 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