Firing blanks

[sidroski]

What would you recommend for a golf ball size mortar to fire blanks with? I have heard of using cork for noise factor but what thickness? I just got my first mortar and have fired paper out for testing and checking safety. Fired a couple golf balls out for fun but would like something I can shoot without it going downrange. Also what else can be safely fired out of it. Thanks

[Cat Whisperer]

First, WELCOME to the board!

Second, golf-ball caliber mortars (with the tube so short) can be a frustration firing blanks.

Try a disk of cardboard on top of the powder.  It won't go far, and if soaked/dried in baking soda it isn't as flammable as plain.

Packing in much of any else is going to produce a projo of lesser or greater significance.

[accuratemike]

I usually steer clear of the "This is what I stuff down my barrel" discussions but, I too have tried to find something that would make my GB mortar go bang (besides golf balls). Cardboard didn't do it, nor did a bunch of paper. I have been using a slice of white bread and a marshmallow. I kind of patch the marshmallow with the bread. A slice of bread alone isn't quite big enough. The bread lands 25' out, I never have found the marshmallow. Like CW said, ANYTHING constitutes a projectile. You should be loading accordingly (IE W/projo, not "blank"). I use about 200 grains with bread/mallow, not ear splitting, but about as good a boom as I can get. MIKE