Mile shooting cannon?

[reedfe]

is it possible to make a spud cannon to shoot about a mile? if so, pneumatic, combustion, or hybrid? what ammo. basically i would like plans (if it is even possible)

[Fish8myb8]

Search Punkin Chunkin on youtube

[saefroch]

It is very possible. Just depends on what you're prepared or capable of spending on a project.

[Lockednloaded]

Well a mile shooting cannon isn't technically imposible, but just consider the fact that there aren't many solid fueled guns that can do this! I'm not trying to put you down, but asking for plans!? Really!? Do you have any idea what kind of power you would need to propel a projectile a mile? I'll bet the most powerful cannons on this site could only make .5 miles with a streamlined projectile and one insane beast of a launcher.
Not trying to be mean, but you can't just expect people to spoon feed you the info to make a devestating weapon, people here will scold you for asking for plans for a cannon that will not go further than an eighth of a mile
rant over, but welcome to spudfiles, at least you are ambitious and willing to think outside the box

[D_Hall]

Well a mile shooting cannon isn't technically imposible, but just consider the fact that there aren't many solid fueled guns that can do this!

The US Army would beg to differ.

I'll bet the most powerful cannons on this site could only make .5 miles with a streamlined projectile and one insane beast of a launcher.

It's not that bad... There are several golf ball launchers on this site that should be able to do on the order of 1/3ish mile.... And golf balls are FAR from streamlined. Any of them could do a 1/2 mile+ with a saboted dart (I'd even lay money on a full mile but until I study the problem I'm just going with my gut, nothing more).


edit: Oh, and air cannons with ranges in excess of a mile have been built in the past. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamite_gun

[DYI]

Well a mile shooting cannon isn't technically impossible ... just expect people to spoon feed you the info to make a devastating weapon, people here will scold you for asking for plans for a cannon that will not go further than an eighth of a mile...

The maximum range of any hunting rifle for big(er) game would be comfortably over a mile. Any solid-fueled cannon built in the last hundred years could reach a maximum range of several miles. Even firing full bore slugs, a reasonably sized hybrid operating at around 30X would be well past the mark. There have been pneumatics posted here (SWAT, SCTBDC, etc...) which would surpass 1 mile range with more aerodynamic, sub-calibre projectiles.

To answer the initial questions:
1. Yes.
2. Hybrid would be easier, but all are doable.
3. Something with decent sectional density. Even with CGG50 or HyGaC, golfballs will not do it.

We don't do plans here. If you can't figure it out for yourself, you shouldn't be building it.

[reedfe]

Well, after I posted this I realized that I can not make a pneumatic one because I don't have a compressor. I have no experience in either combustions or hybrids either. I just need a solid base to start from. I made a bet with my dad over this. I'm determined to win. What size barrel would u recomend for accomplishing this

[Gun Freak]

Reed, why the crap do you want a cannon that shoots further than a mile? Canada can't be that big
The only way you'll get close is if you spend about... a billion dollars on a freaking spud gun. Haha.

The US Army would beg to differ.

Haha

[reedfe]

Why doesn't spudfiles give out plans? Luke. Our house in Canada is on a three mile wide river

[rcman50166]

And how exactly are you going to measure this? I say try to fudge it by shooting it a half mile into the woods. Your dad won't go look for it. Spudfiles encourages knowledge by learning. As they say, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

[D_Hall]

Why doesn't spudfiles give out plans?

For the same reason most parents don't give the keys to the family car to an 8 year old. You're (potentially) playing with forces that can and will kill you should you get careless. The good news is that the clueless out there generally don't know enough to harness those forces effectively and as such the damage they can do is greatly minimized. Asking that people design their own stinkin' guns is a reasonably effective means to ensure that the clueless don't get their hands on the good stuff.

Beyond that? A quality build should be something to be proud of. Copying somebody else's work is never worthy of pride.

[Gun Freak]

Couldn't have said it better myself, Mr. Hall.
I'll draw you some nice plans if you want

[reedfe]

Rcman: there is a bouy a mile out. Lucky me yes please Luke. I'll look them over then see how to build one and then I can go from there. Combustion though

[Gun Freak]

Haha. I say you spend the money and make a nice hybrid. But even I don't know how to do that.

[reedfe]

ya me either. lol