In search of specific equipment

[FredT]

I'm looking for a source for a powerhead, but the requirements are a bit specialized.

1. Cartridge has to have NEVER been used in ANY military arms by ANY country. (IMNSHO these are insane local laws, but I don't make the rules!)

2. Slimline design, minimum range is in the neighborhood of 10 meters, on a line shaft.

3. Cartridge sized to instantly stop a 750KG hard headed fish if placed behind the eye.

4. Commercially available reuseable head is preferred.

5. Designing and producing a custom disposable or reusable head is not a problem here, but it is definitely a "plan B" due to delivery schedules. I hate reinventing the wheel.

Anybody have any pointers?

FT

[Hogwild]

Fred,

Has the 44 Magnum cartridge ever been used by any military? I have one made by Beco that will stop anything I've come up against. I quit using it because when it goes off, your whole body feels like it just got kicked by a mule. Not fun, but does the job. :(

[FredT]

It hasn't been used by a military so that was the first one tried. It failed to perform reliably, sometimes taking 2 shots.

FT

[Hogwild]

Damn, what the hell are you bangin if the 44 Mag is "Too Light"? I don't think I'd want to be in the water with you if you were using something bigger. Those hurt! :eek:

[BobK]

I think the only thing Fred's bagging is other spearboarders :D

[FredT]

Single shot is necessary not to "bruise" the meat by fighting during harvest or it damages the sushi, and greatly reduces the price!

FT

[Hogwild]

Since when and where are they farm raising tuna? Come on Fred, you,ve had some very informative posts in the past.

Are you just tweakin us on this thread? :confused:

[FredT]

hence the strange weapons rules... One possibility is to change the loading of the .44 mag significantly. A dip case charge of Unique should do it, if the head design will stand the pressure increase and parts are available. The problem with that track is researching locally available components, and tooling limitations under the same strange rules... (For example: is possession of a lee loader enough to get your living room declaired a "munitions factory" with all the other baggage that brings along with it?)

It's a neat problem though.

FT

[dothanfrogman]

Holy ****ed uped cercumstances <sp> Fredt.

[Reef Raider]

How about a 30 30 take a B&B PH and just make a new chamber for it and its done. 750 kg thats a BMF fish !

[inletsurf]

22-250

much like a .223...

[Carl Benson]

Fredt. Since you are not working with a gun. You should be able to increase the load on any round you use. PH's are so short, there should be no threat of blowing apart. Reload your own to what ever you desire. I had a friend reload a 45/70 from 16 grain (for shooting) to 26 and 37 grains. Big difference. The 44 mag should do the same. You can always try.

carben

[100days-a-year]

Powerheads do blow up with hot handloads.Try a Beco .444 Marlin round.That range is hard to do though as the initial change in velocity will make most powerheads prefire.The mass of the cartridge and the chamber will often cause this in bigger guns.This why .223 is so popular ,lotsa energy from a light round.As for farming a 1600# bluefin in the Med,I'd have to see that to believe it.I've never heard of any bluefins trhat big gbeing taken anywhere but NY to Nova Scotia.

[GeauxSaints]

Here is a link to one WWW site about Tuna Farming. This one is a 4 month program that gets the fish up to 190#s.

http://www.baja-web.com/punta-banda/tuna.html

[fernandezh]

FYI a .223 caliber round IS a 5.56 mm. The same sized round used in the M16 and M4 family of weapons as well as a standard NATO round. In fact, on the end of a deployment we found out we were going to be short of ammo. Instead of going through the hassle of trying to explain how a few rounds of ammo were lost, I knew of people who had gone to walmart or a gun store and buy .223 ammo and painted the tips orange (to make it look like a tracer round) with a paint pen. Furthermore, a .223 round is just a small step larger than a .22 with just more powder behind it. I don't think it would have the same effect or stopping power a hand-gun round would have like a .44 or .357
Sure, the .223 will have the muzzle velocity required but since the actual projectile has little mass to it, it definitely lacks stopping power.
In fact, I know a .357 round has never been used before in military weapons. It might be the perfect choice since it is proven to be a very powerful round.

my 2 cents for what it is worth,

Hector Fernandez
Captain, U.S. Army

[100days-a-year]

In fact the .223 has about 1300 ftlbs of muzzle energy the .44 has about a 1000 and the .357 700 or so.Thanx for the link GeauxSaints .

[Charlestondivin]

Damn im really craving some sushi now!!

22-250 would seem like a hell of a round for a powerhead. Mainly a medium range varmint round so it probably has not been used by any military. Small bullet with a LOT of energy behind it.

[Reef Raider]

Say Fred T. what happen with the PH

[FredT]

"444Marlin went straight through the tuna like a good curry and a lot of beer. You think I am joking, The bullet killed two fish with one shot, entered one killed it stone went straight through into the head of the second and killed that dead and to top it off it even exited stage right on that one too. Both fish were well over 350kg (800lbs) I think is a rough converstion. "

After a bit of training they are getting the 44mag popwerheads to work.:rolleyes:

No word on the condition of the diver's ears after the 444Marlin shot.

FT

[rusty]

Hey Fred,

What about the new .50 cal handgun, saw an article in the paper a few days ago, supposed to be even more powerful?? Not that it sounds like you need more power.

rusty