Removing a Dead Tree With Binary Explosives and a .50 BMG

By Bob Owens | 7:37 PM | June 25, 2015

Binary explosive targets are very popular. Incredibly stable, they cannot be set on fire with a flame or an electric charge. Most will only detonate when hit with a high-velocity bullet strike exceeding 2000 FPS (though there are some mixtures specifically designed to work with rimfire rounds).

A number of people have been injured or even killed by shrapnel when (mis)using a large target mixture at close range. Fortunately, the crew at the appropriately-named Demolition Ranch knew what they were doing, and buried the majority of the charge to direct the toward cutting the roots and base of the dead tree they intended to fall to reduce lateral blast effects.

They were also smart enough to ensure that they took the shot from hundreds of yards away.

We know some folks that think these big blasts of binary targets give gun owners a bad name, but we don’t have a problem with them as long as they are conducted safely.

Bob Owens is the Editor of BearingArms.com. Bob is a graduate of roughly 400 hours of professional firearms training classes, including square range and force-on force work with handguns and carbines. He is a past volunteer instructor with Project Appleseed. He most recently received his Vehicle Close Quarters Combat Instructor certification from Centrifuge Training, and is the author of the short e-book, So You Want to Own a Gun. He can be found on Twitter at bob_owens.