paintball artillery rounds

[Demon]

I have made all the plans needed to make a 2 inch paintball mortar that would fire over 100 meters at 6 RPM ...
But now the question is "what ammo should i use"


As it stands for artillery, its for indirect shootings (between 45 and 80 degrees)
I need a projectile that can hit the ground at a good terminal velocity.

Paintball buckshots are not an option as they would not fall faster then 100 fps and nerf rockets too as i dont mind getting them back after each shot.

-The ammo needs to spread paint on impact
And to be bidegradable

I am welcome to all suggestions

Thanks

[ramses]

Paintball buckshots are not an option as they would not fall faster then 100 fps

actually 42fps according to the NASA calculator... But but would still break.

and nerf rockets too as i dont mind getting them back after each shot.

then just go get them after every shot...

I would have to recommend some kind of biodegradable balloon. (actually two links) Granted the second link is water balloons, and thus rather fragile.

I have found that regular balloons filled to a small fraction of their recommended volume are rather durable. Just keep the oil away from them. I have no idea what kind of paint to fill them with. A toilet paper type wad/sabot would help with friction, as well as being biodegradable. If you found stiffer biodegradable paper, you could make cartridges!

The other option would be making some kind of high drag biodegradable paper tube, and just filling it with paint. As it began to fall, the tube would pull away, and the paint would fall on whatever.

[POLAND_SPUD]

not fall faster then 100 fps

42fps

sorry.. he mentioned 100fps as it was my guesstimate in the other thread about this... still, I was right that 'their terminal velocity won't be faster than 30 m/s' -> meaning probably not enough to break paintballs

[ramses]

It's completely fine; I actually thought it would be higher, got curious, bored, and lazy (dangerous combination) and found a calculator online.

The only problem I foresee with balloons is how long they may take to biodegrade. Paintballs are gelatin, and are gone as soon as it rains.

The standard drop test for paintballs says 3-4 impacts on a hard surface from 6 feet is good. I have no idea how that applies to a soft-ish surface in a one impact situation.

[Demon]

The biodegradable latex balloon would be the best option as it would make a sort of "exploding baction" and spreding paint within 2 meters i guess while being able to shoot far away.

The trick will be to find small ones as larger are too thick when filled of 80cc of paint (i have a biodegradable recipe) so they wont rupture and spread paint, but just bounce ...

[ramses]

We had regular balloons around 6 inches, and they burst reliabley at 100 yards.

If you're concerned you can use water balloons, which are designed to burst easilly. They may break in the barrel, though.

[Demon]

Have you had the problem of need to lube the barrel or the ballon would make a lot of noise / misfire ?

And water ballons would need to be biodegradable.

[Hubb]

Water balloons present the problem of being too fragile, meaning they may not even survive the launch. What type of valve are you planning on using and what is the barrel length? If the sabot is fragile, then the valve will have to be slow and the barrel will have to be long. Also, double up the balloon to give a little bit more durability (but will also make it harder for it to open on impact).

Have you considered using a standard paintball grenade? The latex tubing would be thick enough to survive a launch, will "detonate" upon impact (if the trigger design is correct), and will produce a much larger spread than a water balloon.

[Demon]

Have you considered using a standard paintball grenade? The latex tubing would be thick enough to survive a launch, will "detonate" upon impact (if the trigger design is correct), and will produce a much larger spread than a water balloon.

I have tought of it, i would have to find a 'pin' that would also be biodegradable.

Is anybody having exprience with paintball mortars?
Before making a mortar, i could just try by using a ball valve paint grenade launcher in game...

[Hubb]

Exactly how do you plan on putting these types of grenades together? I can show you if you want.

And to answer your question, I've had plenty of experience with just about anything paintball - mortars, launchers, mines, grenades...you name it. It's sort of like a pasttime for me. Any specific questions you have?

[Demon]

Any specific questions you have?

Great! I got some:

Are regular paintball fields big enough to use mortars while still being out of range of the enemy team or i will need to go in woodsball? My only goal is to make a marker that outruns evry other one by range. And most of my school plays to paintball...

[Hubb]

Any specific questions you have?

Great! I got some:

Are regular paintball fields big enough to use mortars while still being out of range of the enemy team or i will need to go in woodsball? My only goal is to make a marker that outruns evry other one by range. And most of my school plays to paintball...

That's kind of asking a lot. A mortar (described as an indirectly fired launcher) will have the same rules as other launchers, if even allowed at all (read: check the rules at the field first). All of this adds up to the fact that a mortar or other launcher is probably still going to be within range of the average shot.

The biggest advantage a mortar has is that it is usually used to ambush an entire squad at once, which disorients them, making it easier for individual shots to go where they need to go. The two best types of mortar rounds I've used is buckshot and the grenades. I've also designed and used "tracer" rounds, which are intended to assist in judging the shot.

[Demon]

Well, theoretically, as it is fired from 45 degrees angle and that it is heavier, it should go further.

My main concern is its use in normal paintball fields. I might need to find some woodsball near me.

[Hubb]

Well, consider this. In a wooded field, firing up at a 45 degree angle, you will more than likely hit some branches. Mortars are actually better suited to open fields. And, trust me. It sucks to have a mortar round break just above your head.

As far as it going further, the initial velocity, as set per the rules, is usually around 220fps or so. This will compensate for the higher mass and weight of the projectile.

On an unrelated note, what is that in the avatar?

[Demon]

A pcp Edgun .

What kind of mortar do you have?