# Tannerite



## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Where is the best/cheapest place to buy this stuff? Or the nock-off "star target" or whatever. I'm not interested in making my own; just seems like a hassle. I searched this forum and read most of the posts concerning exploding targets, but i'm wondering where to get it. I see that cabelas has it on their website for $7.99 for a 1/2 pounder. Is that the cheapest i'll find it?


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## fishawk (Aug 23, 2009)

I know Sportsmans carries exploding targets back by the ammo. Not sure of the pricing though.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Just make sure you only use that stuff on private property. Its illegal now on BLM or Nat Forest.


-DallanC


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## Afishnado (Sep 18, 2007)

Ebay. I bought 10lbs for less than $50 including shipping.


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

So there aren't any complications in shipping it when you order it from ebay?


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## Stickboy (Oct 28, 2010)

And what ever you do....do not mix it before transport.....ever.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I really don't know why you don't want to make your own. It's really cheap. I ordered some ammonium from a science supply in Florida and come aluminum powder from another place. No hazard fee on either.


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## horn hunter (Oct 30, 2013)

I've heard if you take a container of that, stick it in a pile of corn, wait for a flock of turkey's to show up and touch one off when their faces are buried in it, it's makes for quality entertainment...


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

DallanC said:


> Just make sure you only use that stuff on private property. Its illegal now on BLM or Nat Forest.
> 
> -DallanC


Dallan is right. The BLM officer that works the area surrounding the West side of Utah Lake spends a lot of his time tracking down people who are shooting this stuff and ticketing them.


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Yeah I had read that its illegal on public land. 

Is a 1/2 pounder enough to have some fun with or should I go the extra $$$ and get the 1 pound or 2.5 pound?


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## LanceS4803 (Mar 5, 2014)

longbow said:


> I really don't know why you don't want to make your own. It's really cheap. I ordered some ammonium from a science supply in Florida and come aluminum powder from another place. No hazard fee on either.


A friend was a chemist for a company that makes commercial explosives.
The company decided to take a look at Tannerite. They ordered some and he found it was made from very poor quality ingredients.
He ordered the ingredients in USP grade, mixed them in the same proportions as Tannertite and set it off.
Said the expolsive yield was many times that of Tannerite, just using purer ingredients and better QC in the grinding.
Not something the average shooter wants to do, but something to think about.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

outdoorser said:


> Yeah I had read that its illegal on public land.
> 
> Is a 1/2 pounder enough to have some fun with or should I go the extra $$$ and get the 1 pound or 2.5 pound?


In my personal experiences shooting Tannerite, it wasnt very entertaining to shoot unless I was at least 200 yards away. Otherwise it is hard to distinguish the difference between the muzzle blast and the ignition of the target.

I was pretty entertained by the 1/2 lb containers, but I am sure the larger ones could be fun too.


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## Afishnado (Sep 18, 2007)

outdoorser said:


> So there aren't any complications in shipping it when you order it from ebay?


No. It isn't considered a hazardous shipment in its unmixed form.


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## GutPile (Feb 26, 2013)

longbow said:


> I really don't know why you don't want to make your own. It's really cheap. I ordered some ammonium from a science supply in Florida and come aluminum powder from another place. No hazard fee on either.


Would you mind sharing the places you bought your componants?

I've looked in the past to make my own 'Tannerite' but never could find the right stuff.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I got the ammonium nitrate from ScienceForYou.com out of Florida. I just looked up their website and something is wrong with their site. There's lots of other places on the net but this was the cheapest for shipping. My stepson bought the aluminum powder off Ebay. He paid less than $20 for a pound and a pound goes a long, long ways. Don't use the ammonium out of cold packs. It's expensive and it doesn't work near as well as the pure stuff. You shouldn't have any problems ordering it. It's legal to ship and transport until you mix the two together.


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

So with you guys' experience, is actual Tannerite better than stuff like "Star Exploding Targets"?


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## GutPile (Feb 26, 2013)

What were your proportions of aluminum powder to ammonium? Also, is it ammonium nitrate, sulfide, chloride, etc?


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

outdoorser, my brother makes star targets and they are fun! you'll have plenty of fun with a 1/2 pounder. we go out (on private land) and he'll bring buckets full of the stuff to mix on site and have a blow stuff up party. you should get some rimfire ones too, they are insane!...i'v only shot the star targets but, they make a bang, and they can blow stuff up


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

GutPile said:


> What were your proportions of aluminum powder to ammonium? Also, is it ammonium nitrate, sulfide, chloride, etc?


95% ammonium Nitrate and 5% powdered aluminum.


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## gregkdc (May 19, 2008)

You can use the cold pack ammonium nitrate if you first powder it in a blender and then dry it in an oven at 150 for a few hours. I have used fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate this way with no problems. Also remember that if you use powdered ammonium nitrate don't pack it into the container your using it needs to stay fluffy to work right. The prilled blasting grade is actually made with little air voids in it to accomplish the same thing.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

gregkdc said:


> You can use the cold pack ammonium nitrate if you first powder it in a blender and then dry it in an oven at 150 for a few hours. I have used fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate this way with no problems. Also remember that if you use powdered ammonium nitrate don't pack it into the container your using it needs to stay fluffy to work right. The prilled blasting grade is actually made with little air voids in it to accomplish the same thing.


We tried cold packs and got sucky results. We didn't use a blender though. That explains why.


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## gregkdc (May 19, 2008)

Powdering the ammonium nitrate made a world of difference with fertilizer. Before I ground it up I would get mostly duds, partial detonations and a random boom. After I started grinding it up and it was dry it worked every time with no problems.
You can get a cheap blender from DI or yard sales and save a ton of money making your own. For a container I liked to use the little 8 oz arrowhead water bottles wrapped in orange duct tape. They held just under 1/2 a pound of composition and the size/color made a good target. Also the duct tape held the target together if you didn't get a direct hit or kicked some rocks into it.
The problem is now besides being illegal on public land the feds have restricted the sale of fertilizer and what you can get has chalk added to it to prevent people using it an an explosive.


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Well my 1/2 lb target finally arrived in the mail. What should I do with it? What would you guys recommend blowing up first? I have an old microwave just begging to be blown up. Will a 1/2 pounder do the trick?


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

PLEASE HELP!! I'm wanting to shoot my 1/2lb target today, and i'm wondering if its enough to blow up a microwave. The last thing I want is for it to stifle the explosion and be lame so to speak.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Place it in the microwave and shut the door and then shoot it through the glass, it should take care of it nicely. 

Then you can spend the next 2 hours picking up pieces of microwave and putting it in the trash.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Critter said:


> Then you can spend the next 2 hours picking up pieces of microwave and putting it in the trash.


LOL I was thinking nearly the same thing: "wow this guy really wants to spend alot of time combing the area for pieces".

-DallanC


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Thanks critter. I just did it it blew the thing up good!! I might post a video later tonight


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

So can I just attach a video right from my computer like a picture or do I have to put it on youtube then do it?


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## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

Excellent method for disposing of left over pumpkins in the fall.


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