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rebel heart · 01-01-2012, 15:31

I usually have some fun unloading some rounds into the water when offshore. It's not all that often and never with other vessels around. The splashing is incredible, especially with a big rifle. We're talking 30+ miles offshore, aiming west with a clear radar scope and nothing visual out there.

Long passages, boredom, firearms, and male testosterone combined I suppose.

hellosailor · 01-01-2012, 15:43

Sharks in Sheepshead Bay? Unheard of.

Even for the pre-internet 1967, surely there must be some way to corroborate SHARKS in that bay at that time, even if there's no easily found record of the shooting?

The norm for gun safety is that you never--ever--fire without knowing what's in front of the bullet. "Open sea" doesn't count as a safe backstop, unless you know for real damn sure that it is desolate out there. Three miles off Florida's SE coast, there's still a chance there's some guy in a 16' boat you can't see. Snipers routinely kill at 1000 meters, that's more than a half mile. The bullet will still kill at longer distances.

There used to be chart warnings on one of the Great Lakes...Erie? Superior? Because of a military firing range on shore. Anyone familiar with that who knows the minimum safe distance they post?

lateral · 01-01-2012, 15:48

Eating dolphins! You haven't evolved.
Shooting into the water -You guys orta grow up.

**atoll** · 01-01-2012, 16:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebel heart

I usually have some fun unloading some rounds into the water when offshore. It's not all that often and never with other vessels around. The splashing is incredible, especially with a big rifle. We're talking 30+ miles offshore, aiming west with a clear radar scope and nothing visual out there.

Long passages, boredom, firearms, and male testosterone combined I suppose.

tracers are great at night for making pretty patterns in the sky............

cfarrar · 01-01-2012, 16:24

On offshore ranges (north of Puerto Rico, for example) we needed to verify no boats on the range before we could drop/shoot/fire ordinance. We did radar and visual checks. The required safety bubble depended on the weapons - maybe 10 miles or so for bombs or strafing (I can't remember precisely), and many times that for a missile shoot. It depended on the missile. Basically for any weapon you assume the worst case scenario - a projectile or shrapnel travels the maximum possible distance - and you add a safety factor. These numbers were published in the manuals.

If you're standing 6 feet above the water and can see clear to the horizon, that's 3 miles, correct? That should be plenty for small arms fire. If there's anyone between you and the horizon, or the visibility is less than perfect, or the waves or conditions might hide a boat from your vision, then I wouldn't shoot.

avb3 · 01-01-2012, 16:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfarrar

...
If you're standing 6 feet above the water and can see clear to the horizon, that's 3 miles, correct? That should be plenty for small arms fire. If there's anyone between you and the horizon, or the visibility is less than perfect, or the waves or conditions might hide a boat from your vision, then I wouldn't shoot.

Not many hunting rifle bullets will still be flying out at 3 miles. Even taking something like a .338 Laupua it drops off expoentially after 1200 meters, so unless one is firing it at a high angle, the danger is in the ricochet off the water.

Agreed though, if you don't know what is behind what you are shooting at, why are you pulling the trigger?

3dubs · 01-01-2012, 18:28

Six feet off the water ricochet is a problem. Missiles don't coun't, 5" guns don't count. A 22 rimfire can and has gone a mile. Now what velocity did it have? I would not want anything less than five miles so I could relax and enjoy shooting but three is probably good. That is also to the sides because if it catches a wave and ricochetes. How far out? I could be standing on a beach. It is what is in front of you that counts. People have been hit by stray bullets but more people have been lightning or even Mack Trucks.

rebel heart · 01-01-2012, 18:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3dubs

Six feet off the water ricochet is a problem. Missiles don't coun't, 5" guns don't count. A 22 rimfire can and has gone a mile. Now what velocity did it have? I would not want anything less than five miles so I could relax and enjoy shooting but three is probably good. That is also to the sides because if it catches a wave and ricochetes. How far out? I could be standing on a beach. It is what is in front of you that counts. People have been hit by stray bullets but more people have been lightning or even Mack Trucks.

Some decent points. Worth mentioning as well that hitting a small target with a rifle is hard enough, let alone the odds of ricocheting rounds off the water into fog banks three miles out.

pbiJim · 04-08-2013, 20:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by avb3

Not many hunting rifle bullets will still be flying out at 3 miles. Even taking something like a .338 Laupua it drops off expoentially after 1200 meters, so unless one is firing it at a high angle, the danger is in the ricochet off the water.

Agreed though, if you don't know what is behind what you are shooting at, why are you pulling the trigger?

That's a hold over chart that a hunter or target shooter might use. Safety radius is calculated using the maximum possible horizontal distance when the gun is fired at a much higher angle. I've seen "dangerous within 1.5 miles" printed on a box of .22rf ammo. I've seen "dangerous within 5 miles" printed on a box of 30-06 ammo. I'm pretty sure that something like a .50bmg will go MUCH further than that.

**boatman61** · 04-08-2013, 20:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Sharks in Sheepshead Bay? Unheard of.

Even for the pre-internet 1967, surely there must be some way to corroborate SHARKS in that bay at that time, even if there's no easily found record of the shooting?

The norm for gun safety is that you never--ever--fire without knowing what's in front of the bullet. "Open sea" doesn't count as a safe backstop, unless you know for real damn sure that it is desolate out there. Three miles off Florida's SE coast, there's still a chance there's some guy in a 16' boat you can't see. Snipers routinely kill at 1000 meters, that's more than a half mile. The bullet will still kill at longer distances.

There used to be chart warnings on one of the Great Lakes...Erie? Superior? Because of a military firing range on shore. Anyone familiar with that who knows the minimum safe distance they post?

Maybe you should tell that to the dorky President who shot his aide...
Oh... I forgot... he was a draft dodger so he would not have been educated...

hellosailor · 04-08-2013, 20:30

What is this, "bring out your dead threads" night?

And I haven't heard of any ex-President shooting anybody. A certain vice president mistook an aid for a duck, so they say. But I don't believe that for a minute. After all, they've got a deal: The Secret Service doesn't cut ribbons or lead Congress, and the Veep isn't allowed to shoot anyone.

Bring out your dead!

**boatman61** · 04-08-2013, 20:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellosailor

What is this, "bring out your dead threads" night?

And I haven't heard of any ex-President shooting anybody. A certain vice president mistook an aid for a duck, so they say. But I don't believe that for a minute. After all, they've got a deal: The Secret Service doesn't cut ribbons or lead Congress, and the Veep isn't allowed to shoot anyone.

Bring out your dead!

LOL... no... just a few brandy's... and I'm bored...

Thought I'd cast a few fly's and see if I got a bite... apart from that I've got it in for names that start Bu and Bl....
But I thought the sex between the bushes period was excellent...