Tracer rounds good or bad?

[rbf420]

are tracer rounds bad for your bore and what other downfalls do they have to regular bullets?

[Dr. Strangelove]

I don't believe they are especially bad for your bore, just clean well after firing. Just treat them as corrosive, if I recall correctly.

They do tend to behave badly compared to regular bullets, tracers don't generally have the same trajectory and can start fires if not contained properly at the end of their flight. (Meaning, shoot them into a berm)

Most ranges around here (GA) don't allow them, but they are a blast to shoot.

[Randy 1911]

At my outdoor range they are banned. In the past they have started several fires that did some major damage. Be careful of the back stop.

[Starvingboy]

The Polygunbag tracers are not supposed to strike until well after they have exited the barrel. Definitely watch yourself about the backstop, they burn like a tiny road flare. I've had the backstop smoking, and one good grass fire.

[rg1]

I've read that while not corrosive, they can leave residue in your bore that would attract moisture. Just clean normally after shooting.

[res45]

My orange tip tracer want light up till about 100 yds. out,be careful where you shoot them as mentioned they will start fires.

[QBall45]

Tracers are a hoot to shoot. Clean as normal after shooting. If ya must, shoot em in the winter at night. You get that cool tracer feeling without the expense of a fire call. For some reason the fire dept doesn't think its very funny.

[chris in va]

I too have started a small grass fire with a tracer. Be careful.

[mrawesome22]

It's amazing to see FMJ tracers ricochet. 223Rem tracers into the side of a soft hill will ricochet EVERY time. Insane. Hope we didn't hurt nobody. And to think some people use FMJ to hunt pelts. Scary.

[charliechalmers]

It is pretty wild to see one ricochet into the sky. After shooting tracers, I always clean with Hoppes #9 and let it soak for a while and then scrub it out.

[Don H]

A couple of things to watch out for.
1-Firing tracers may be illegal on federal lands:

36 C.F.R. § 261.5 Fire.

CHAPTER II--FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Title 36: Parks, Forests, and Public Property
PART 261—PROHIBITIONS
Subpart A—General Prohibitions


Browse Previous | Browse Next


§ 261.5 Fire.
The following are prohibited:

(a) Carelessly or negligently throwing or placing any ignited substance or other substance that may cause a fire.

(b) Firing any tracer bullet or incendiary ammunition.

(c) Causing timber, trees, slash, brush or grass to burn except as authorized by permit.

(d) Leaving a fire without completely extinguishing it.

(e) Allowing a fire to escape from control.

(f) Building, attending, maintaining, or using a campfire without removing all flammable material from around the campfire adequate to prevent its escape.

[42 FR 2957, Jan. 14, 1977, as amended at 46 FR 33520, June 30, 1981]

2-Firing tracers may be illegal on state-owned lands - it is in Utah:

U.C.A. 65A-3-2. Prohibited acts on state lands.
(1) A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor who:
(a) throws or places any lighted cigarette, cigar, firecracker, ashes, or other flaming or glowing substance which may cause a fire on a highway or wildland;
(b) obstructs the state forester, or any of his deputies, in the performance of controlling a fire;
(c) refuses, on proper request of the state forester or any of his deputies, to assist in the controlling of a fire, without good and sufficient reason; or
(d) fires any tracer or incendiary ammunition anywhere except within the confines of established military reservations.
(2) Fines assessed under this section are deposited in the General Fund.