Exploding Pumkins

If you have NEVER shot gallon jugs of water with a high powered rifle you just haven't experienced all of the good things in life, yet. A rifle bullet, traveling at 3000 feet per second, will pass right through a milk jug without moving it, if it is empty. Full of water, the bullets energy is transfered into the water, mushrooming the bullet, and exploding the jug into pieces.

Interestingly a pumpkin responds much the same way a plastic jug does. Not much occurs when you shoot it with a high powered rifle, until you fill the pumpkin with water. You need full pumpkins that aren't carved, the tops are still intact and they haven't gone soft. Drill a .25-.5 inch hole on one side of the pumpkin, just below the stem. Drill another opposite the first, but still on top. Put a funnel in one of the holes and pour water in until it runs out the other hole. Stuff the holes with rags, set it out in front of you at the desired distance (these were shot around 30 yards away) and shoot near the center and bottom of the pumpkin.

By the way, I have to credit my father with figuring this out. We will be buying 12 tons of pumpkins next year to celebrate with. I am recording these with my FLIP video with a 2x digital zoom. Sorry it is so small and hard to see!

Seth's pumpkin (he' my youngest brother), shot with his Browning, A-bolt rifle in .300 Winchester Magnum, a 190 grain Hornady interlock bullet and 70 grains of IMR 4831.

Jason's pumpkin (this is me), shot with a Ruger, M77, Mark II rifle in .300 Winchester Magnum, a 150 grain factory bullet from PMC.

Adam's pumpkin (my younger brother, see my other posts), shot with the same set up as Jason's.

Tyler's pumpkin (my oldest child/son) shot with the same set up as Jason's.

Corey's pumpkin (my second child/son) shot with a .30/06 rifle, made in 1917. It was my great-grandfathers. Seth inherited it and just restocked it. It is a dream to shoot. I'm not sure of the bullet or load because I haven't helped Seth with this rifle at all. We figured out the .300 load together, but he has acquired this gun between visits and I haven't had a chance to play with it.

Jantzen's pumpkin (Adam's oldest child/son), shot with Adam's .25/06 Ruger M77, Mark II rifle. He shoots 50 some grains of IMR 4350 and a 125 grain bullet.