risk, mushrooms, lead and being hit

[Green_Manelishi]

Over the past few weeks of shooting plates there have been several occurances of "shooters not at the line" being hit by lead and jacket fragments. I think typically the caliber involved is the "oh so distinctive" .38 Super Auto.

 

[TheRedHead]

And I thought this was going to be a thread about diving overweighted, stoned on mushrooms, and taking a DCS hit.

 

[seadoggirl]

Me too! Damn it!

 

[Green_Manelishi]

And I thought this was going to be a thread about diving overweighted, stoned on mushrooms, and taking a DCS hit.

Nothing so dramatic. But it is rather sobering to find little fragments of copper jacketing in my range bag which is at almost 100 feet from the plates

 

[H2Andy]

well, that's a right powerful round, so it's hitting the plates with a HUGE head of steam. you can get that close to 1400 fps, even over with some tweaking.

that energy's got to go somewhere

(as in, fragments coming right back at you)

maybe some person/persons are pushing the loads?

 

[Green_Manelishi]

well, that's a right powerful round, so it's hitting the plates with a HUGE head of steam. you can get that close to 1400 fps, even over with some tweaking.

that energy's got to go somewhere

(as in, fragments coming right back at you)

maybe some person/persons are pushing the loads?

It's "gotta" be pushed to make major in an IPSC match. That's why it's used.
As the sun sets there is beautiful ball of fire (of unburned powder) at the muzzle of those little cannons.

 

[H2Andy]

hey, i heard about that

what exactly do they mean by "major"?

 

[Green_Manelishi]

hey, i heard about that

what exactly do they mean by "major"?

Well, first, the .38 "Super" has been around for a while.

Major (as opposed to minor) is the "power factor" which is (Bullet Weight in Grains*Times Velocity), Divided by 1000. Different classes within IPSC have different minimum power factors to make major vs minor.

Anyway, I am sure some will quibble with me but IPSC match rules favor calibers like .45 ACP with a heavy bullet moving at a reasonably fast velocity. A cartridge like 9mm has almost no chance of being considered major because it's faster than .45ACP but very much lighter. Enter the .38 Super auto which can push a (slightly) heavier bullet than 9mm and (slightly or more) faster. Additionally, the .38 Super magazine will contain more rounds than a .45ACP magazine.

Why would anyone want to compete as "major" vs "minor"? I don't know. :huh:
I might have known in the distant past but I was always partial to 45s myself and oft criticized for carrying a .45ACP and 25 rounds of ammunition; alternating Federal "hydra-shock" hollow points and CCI Lawman hollow points (aka "The Flying AshTray")

 

[H2Andy]

Well, first, the .38 "Super" has been around for a while.

yeah, i think at least since the 20's. it was basically the .38 ACP cartridge on steroids.

then the .38 ACP got rolled into the .380 ACP, at least i don't think they make it any more

thanks for the other info