New cannon ideas

[MrWizard]

Originally Posted by Rasta

Last year at Bear Claw we experimented with color chalk on the end of nerfs to leave a clear hit mark, but just would'nt work. I think the color chalk idea on tennis balls would work great, just don't know about the residue left in the barrel. Better yet, we can cover the tanks in velcro so the hits would stick Everything starts with an idea and a dream!!

The chalk actually lubes the ball somewhat, makes a nice plume as it leaves the barrel, and a clearly visible mark on the target. With backspin turned on it looks like something out of dragonballz as it bleeds off chalk.

Now how would the ole wiz know that?

[Brain]

I am still concerened with this. Once you experiment with this and get it firing, chrony it compared to a nerf firing at a piece of card board. Once you have determined the FPS at which it starts to tear the carboard (compared to the nerf) then fire it in the open to see the flight path and distance it travels.
I would not use the idea of being hit by a tennis ball in a tennis match as a benchmark. Also once the max FPS is determined then everyne will need to regulate their home made devices to not exceed it.
I agree no one intentionally fires at a player but you HAVE to take that into consideration. Ask Mark (wheels) what it feels like to be hit by a inaccurate shot. Also something to consider is a round contacting a section of netting and tearing it.
There will be a lot of work to do to prove this a safe alternative to the nerfs (not that they are all that safe).

[Saludapaintballer]

In professional tennis I have seen people get hit and that ball is traveling at rates of over 100 MPH. I think agassi's serve is upwards of 125...I think...

They keep on playing as if nothing happened when they get hit.

[MrWizard]

Originally Posted by Brain

I am still concerened with this. Once you experiment with this and get it firing, chrony it compared to a nerf firing at a piece of card board. Once you have determined the FPS at which it starts to tear the carboard (compared to the nerf) then fire it in the open to see the flight path and distance it travels.
I would not use the idea of being hit by a tennis ball in a tennis match as a benchmark. Also once the max FPS is determined then everyne will need to regulate their home made devices to not exceed it.
I agree no one intentionally fires at a player but you HAVE to take that into consideration. Also something to consider is a round contacting a section of netting and tearing it.
There will be a lot of work to do to prove this a safe alternative to the nerfs (not that they are all that safe).

Agreed. My planned tests are a bit more scientific being an engineer and all. I have no illusions about being able to acheive the flat trajectory a nerf has. But E=MVsquared is a law. So the square root of the ratio of the masses gives me the ratio of the velocities for the same energy.

We're shooting nerfs at 220fps (150 mph). For the same momentum on a 2 ounce tennis ball this works out to about 100 mph. They have more drag also so at 150 ft carry much less energy. Tests with drilling a small hole in them reduces the bounce a good bit which also reduces the energy transfer (which is why a new balls hit harder) on impact. Rebound increases the transferred energy by the rebound velocity MV^2.

A bit of chalk in the hole makes a nice effect too.


But an inaccurate shot is less likely to happen. An test of 20 shots at 150 feet with nerfs fired from a bench had up to a 20 foot pattern for a few rounds. The tennis balls seem to be much more repeatable even with an arc.

I noticed no one chrono'd any cannon at the last two games I was at. I would suggest chono'ing any device that shoots on the field. You remain the litmus test for sanity here, so wait and see o doubting Thomas.

"Ask Mark (wheels) what it feels like to be hit by a inaccurate shot."

Admit it, you guys just didn't shoot him.

I can see the t-shirt now: A tank shot my balls! What's your excuse?

Are you sure Castro wasn't on board?

[Bobio]

Originally Posted by Brain

I am still concerened with this. Once you experiment with this and get it firing, chrony it compared to a nerf firing at a piece of card board. Once you have determined the FPS at which it starts to tear the carboard (compared to the nerf) then fire it in the open to see the flight path and distance it travels.
I would not use the idea of being hit by a tennis ball in a tennis match as a benchmark. Also once the max FPS is determined then everyne will need to regulate their home made devices to not exceed it.
I agree no one intentionally fires at a player but you HAVE to take that into consideration. Ask Mark (wheels) what it feels like to be hit by a inaccurate shot. Also something to consider is a round contacting a section of netting and tearing it.
There will be a lot of work to do to prove this a safe alternative to the nerfs (not that they are all that safe).

Believe me Brain I am all about safety. It's safety first and foremost. I also agree with testing for what velocities would be acceptable and safe. For me, these are understood, sort of implied as part of the development of new technology. I think you will find that the tennis balls will will be very effective at lower velocities than the Nerfs. Let's keep experimenting, okay?

[Brain]

Oh absolutley keep trying. This is how new and better things are created. I just want to keep an eye on the process and help out in anyway ( I supplied the barrel, hehe)

[USArmyManOfWar]

Originally Posted by Bobio

Guys, I think everyone's sort of missing the point. First and foremost, cannons and rocket launchers are not to be purposly fired at people. Nerf rocket, tennis ball, tomato whatever. That said, Nerf rockets are expensive. I lost between 12 - 18 rockets at Bear Claw. Tennis balls are cheap. Free if you ask the right people. That's the main reason I brought the subject up.

The fear I have always had regarding cannons, etc. is the possibility of inadvertantly hitting someone and knocking their mask off, not how much they might or might not hurt. I have personally been hit by a tennis ball served by a tennis pro. It did not hurt. Nerf rockets have a rather rigid, solid shaft thet could be painful if it hit someone. Not so with a tennis ball. I just think that if we are going to keep using cannons we are going to look to new technology. Imagine, referring to tennis balls as new technology!

I probably also lost the same number of nerf rockets at Bear Claw, though for $2 replacement each, the cost is $24 - $36, which is about 1/2 case of paint (considering how much I used the launcher, I would have easily shot more than 1/2 case of paint if I only had my gun).
I was talking to Ben at the end of the day Sunday at Bear Claw and he thinks that if we pool our resources, we can get the rockets down to $1 if we buy in bulk. I need to follow up with him on this.

I have to admit, I would hate to move away from the rockets, especially since I just bought my launcher
This past weekend, a kid at our local field picked up my launcher and aimed it at another kid's gut and pulled the trigger (from a distance of 2 feet). Thank God, I had just removed the rocket from launcher before he did this. I tore the kid a new one verbally, I haven't seen anyone directly hit with a rocket and wouldn't want to. If it is questionable about maybe hitting someone in the line of fire to a tank or building, I pass on the shot.

[Bobio]

Originally Posted by USArmyManOfWar

I probably also lost the same number of nerf rockets at Bear Claw, though for $2 replacement each, the cost is $24 - $36, which is about 1/2 case of paint (considering how much I used the launcher, I would have easily shot more than 1/2 case of paint if I only had my gun).
I was talking to Ben at the end of the day Sunday at Bear Claw and he thinks that if we pool our resources, we can get the rockets down to $1 if we buy in bulk. I need to follow up with him on this.

I have to admit, I would hate to move away from the rockets, especially since I just bought my launcher
This past weekend, a kid at our local field picked up my launcher and aimed it at another kid's gut and pulled the trigger (from a distance of 2 feet). Thank God, I had just removed the rocket from launcher before he did this. I tore the kid a new one verbally, I haven't seen anyone directly hit with a rocket and wouldn't want to. If it is questionable about maybe hitting someone in the line of fire to a tank or building, I pass on the shot.

Keith, you, like a number of us have one of the most important pieces of equipment every paintballer needs bu unfortunately a large number do not have. That's a brain, and the ability to use it.

[Brain]

Originally Posted by Bobio

Keith, you, like a number of us have one of the most important pieces of equipment every paintballer needs bu unfortunately a large number do not have. That's a brain, and the ability to use it.

Hey!! I am NOT just a piece of MEAT!!!

[Bobio]

Originally Posted by Brain

Hey!! I am NOT just a piece of MEAT!!!

Brain...you're such a tool!