Everything You Need To Know About Tannerite Exploding Targets

If you want to have a little extra fun at the range, it's time to break out the Tannerite! Tannerite is designed to add a little more excitement to your day at the range, but it also has other uses. Thankfully, it is also very safe to handle and easy to use. Although if you have never handled Tannerite, or explosives for that matter, it can be a little overwhelming at first. Today we will talk about everything you need to know about Tannerite and where to buy it once you get ready.

What Is Tannerite and How Does It Work?

Tannerite is a binary exploding target. That means that it has two chemical components that become explosive when mixed together. Thankfully, Tannerite is a very stable explosive. It is designed to only go off once it is shot with a projectile flying over 2,000 feet per second, and it will not explode if you simply drop it.

Tannerite uses the highest-grade chemicals to achieve a fun and reliable reactive target. These components and their mixtures were designed by the creator of Tannerite, Daniel Jeremy Tanner, to be safe and fun way to experience reactive targets.

When you shoot Tannerite, it "produces a water vapor and a thunderous boom resembling an explosion," according to Tannerite.com. However, it is a real explosion and is dangerous to anything near it. Tannerite is on the weak side as far as explosives go. It produces about 44% of the energy that TNT produces pound for pound.

How to Mix Tannerite

Mixing Tannerite is a lot more simple than it may seem at first. When you buy it, you are given the exact amount of each ingredient you need. So you can mix a large batch together and then put it in smaller bags to shoot. Here is a video showing you the exact process I go through when mixing Tannerite.

Uses for Tannerite

The intended use of Tannerite is as a rifle target. Once you shoot it with a high-powered rifle, it explodes in spectacular fashion. This is a lot more fun than just shooting a paper target. I can say from personal experience that a day on the range with Tannerite is going to be a good day.

Tannerite is often used for more than just a range target. At the end of the day, it is an explosive that can be used in all sorts of ways. One of the most common secondary uses you will see is destroying beaver dams. With around five to ten pounds of Tannerite, you can put a massive hole in a beaver dam and get it flowing again. Plus, it is an easy product for people to buy online and have a little fun instead of spending hours trying to tear a dam down with different methods.

Similarly, Tannerite is sometimes used to bust up tree stumps. It is not the best tool to remove tree stumps, but it will do some damage, and it is pretty fun. Lastly, some people even use Tannerite to kill hogs. In many parts of the country, we wage an all-out war on hogs because of their effects on farmland and other habitats. Seeing as they are a Federal nuisance, you are allowed to kill them with any means necessary. If you can stomach the use of Tannerite, go for it.

Tannerite Vs Beaver Dam on Youtube

What You Need to Shoot Tannerite

Tannerite is designed to only go off once it is shot with a high-powered rifle. This makes sure the explosive is safe and keeps it from exploding if it is dropped or otherwise mishandled. Because of this, it will not explode if you shoot it with a bullet that flies less than 2,000 feet per second. That means you can't shoot it with a pistol round or low-power rifles like a 22 lr.

Normally, an AR-15 chambered in the default .223 Remington is the smallest rifle you can use to set off Tannerite. You can also set Tannerite off with anything bigger and faster than a .223. Here is a list of reliable calibers you can use to set off Tannerite, according to Tannerite.com.

.223/5.56mm NATO
5.45x39mm
6mm Remington
.243 Winchester
.270
7.62x39mm
7mm Remington Magnum
.300 Savage
.308 Winchester / 7.62mm NATO
.30-06
.300 Remington Magnum
.338 Remington Magnum

What to Do if Your Tannerite Doesn't Go Off

When explosives don't go off like they are supposed to, it can be a little scary to approach them. For good measure, I would suggest shooting a target multiple times if it doesn't go off the first time. If it still doesn't explode, then it is never going to explode, and it is safe to approach.

The reason your targets don't explode usually boils down to three reasons. The most obvious one is that you shot your target with a slow bullet, and it didn't have enough energy to set off the reaction. Secondly, you just didn't mix your Tannerite correctly. Make sure you follow all of the instructions on the packaging when mixing, and rewatch my video if you need to.

The last reason, which happens fairly often, is that users will place their targets on the ground and miss. The bullet can easily hit the ground in front of the target and ricocheted into it. This pokes a hole but doesn't set the target off because too much of the bullet's energy was displaced in the ground before it hit the target. If you have this problem often, start hanging your targets.

How to Store Tannerite

Unmixed Tannerite can be stored for a very long time. Its shelf life is commonly longer than 10 years!

You can simply store it on a shelf for as long as you like. You will be fine if the location is dry and close to room temperature. The biggest thing to look out for is moisture. Once your Tannerite soaks in humid air for an extended period of time or gets too hot, it could damage it, and it may not perform as expected.

Although once you mix it, you should use it sooner rather than later. Tannerite.com suggests that you mix your targets when you are ready to use them. If you really want to premix your targets, they suggest mixing them at your range in the morning and shooting them in the evening.

The Legality of Tannerite

The major reason that Tannerite.com suggests you don't premix your Tannerite is that it can quickly become illegal. According to the ATF, you can not store a premixed binary explosive unless you have an approved bunker or a special license. Once you mix it, the ATF classifies the mixture as a different substance, and it is subject to different rules. Tannerite itself will be just fine on the shelf for a long time once it is premixed, but it is illegal to transport once you mix it. So it is best to only mix your Tannerite when you are ready to shoot it.

Where to Buy Tannerite

Now that you know everything about Tannerite, it is time to get out of the range with it! If you want to order your Tannerite online, you can get it on this very website. Click here to see our Tannerite options. We usually have a sale going on at TLO Outdoors, and you are sure to get a good price on Tannerite. Plus, we are currently offering FREE shipping on orders over $25.00. Check out our Tannerite selections, and good luck on the range!