Finding projectiles downrange

[deusXmachina]

We're firing into quite possibly the most annoying material possible: clay-rich farm soil that's thick enough to smash anything sensitive onboard a projectile but still goopy enough to devour your ammo. I might try sticking a glowstick on the tail end of it, but the idea of night firing is a little disconcerning.

[zeigs spud]

if it is a long projectiles mabey ifu fire it knowing it will go into the sie of somthing, hills,homes, ect. lol tho i don't sugest firing at a home, then put a rod with a small blinker on the back. that would help an night

[sandman]

what bout something infared on the back and fire at night with nightvision gogles

im a rocketeer and i dont think the sound edmiter would work too well under ground

[ShowNoMercy]

What would retain its heat for a long enough time to be found by someone using infared goggles and furthermore who has a pair sitting around to be used for this?

[sandman]

well you could watch it better to see where it landed and then get out the flash lights once you know its general location

some surplus military stores have them

[ShowNoMercy]

Arent they expensive?

[sandman]

i dont know
google it
i have to eat, otherwise i would

[lukemc]

paint it blaze orange and try and follow it of add a parachute to somehow deploy when it gets close to ground

EDIT: 100th post!!

[deusXmachina]

Here's what the area looks like. The projected range according to GGDT puts it somewhere between 200-400m. That's a lotta farm land. Even underground, I think a loud annoying beeping will help, especially if we can get within 100 feet or so. And NVG, while that would be really nice, I think is out of the budget

[Fnord]

If you fired a water filled projectile that would burst when it hit the ground you wouldnt have to dig to find the beeper. Apply the same technique at night only fill th projectile with glowstick fluid. Itll probably look like a plasma grenade exploding when it hits so it should be easy to find.

[sandman]

if you can get the wisle (sp?) ones, they are funner that the constant beep ones

[spudthug]

oo i got it put onme of those finder things in it that u put on key rings or rip apart an old phone and put the homing think in it and modify it into a control and press a button and it would go beep beep beep ...just make sure ur close for that...and one more idea....get a shat load of fishing string and modify a reel on the the end of you barrel and have like 1/2 mile of string on it and tie it to the projectile...as long as if is a good reel with atleast 4 ball bearrings in it it shouldnt snap the string....although unless ur in a field u could risk it being ripped..


yayayayayyayyayay 250th post ahahahhehehehahhahehhahehaheh

[joannaardway]

Either look up my Launcher Range Calculator V2.1 (it owns GGDT for range predictions), and run the figures through that to get a better prediction, or...

You could post here with a muzzle velocity, launch height (muzzle relative to landing zone), launch angle, projectile weight, a picture of the projectile/or a drawing (to estimate ballistic co-efficient), projectile diameter, atmospheric temperature and pressure* (likely values at launch time), then I'll run the values through the up-and-coming LRC V3.0, which is even more accurate.

*Seriously, these do have an effect on range.

The more accurately you supply your data, the better my response will be.

Or, omit the launch angle, and I'll supply you with an optimum angle to get the best range (it's never 45 degrees).

That should give you a range prediction within about 2% of the real value, and will cut down your search area hugely. With low wind, it could even cut your search area down to about 30 feet in diameter.

[Flying_Salt]

I just have a spotter standing around where its supposed to land. It never fails

[CpTn_lAw]

I think i might be able to solve your problem...
Put some UV/ black-light neon sensitive ink. something very bright. Then, fire your projectile at night. Take a UV lamp, and go approx 250 meters in the direction of the shot. Then you light the lamp, and you'll see a very bright color , this should be where your projectile is. let me explain..
When you projectile hits the ground, some of the ink, is displayed on th ground around the hit point. so you'd see a small area covered in bight colour.