Moved to a new home recently, it has a bottle gas stove in one room. We don't intend to ever use it, also has an electric furnace in the house. Until the tank is removed from the yard, a big concern of mine is over penetration and hitting that tank. There's also close next door neighbors on one side, about 15 feet away. I know small shot shouldn't penetrate much, but I don't want something weak either. I know .410 #6 won't penetrate an empty helium tank, but will put some serious dings in it, that at about 15-20 yards. I know a propane tank is much sturdier than that, but I do not want to press my luck So my idea is 3 inch .410 #4, 12 gauge 2 3/4 #7, or .22LR hollow points. I really could use some help.
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Propane tank penetration
- Thread starter WV_gunner
- Start date
sigcurious
New member
This may have an obvious answer from your perspective, but without any details provided, from ours, the question is, why shoot towards the tank in the first place?
sigcurious
New member
Ah, that makes sense.
No matter the case though, unless whoever is hauling off the tank is discounting or paying for the remaining propane, why not just empty the tank?
IIRC propane doesn't contaminate anything and isn't considered a pollutant or harmful to the environment.
No matter the case though, unless whoever is hauling off the tank is discounting or paying for the remaining propane, why not just empty the tank?
IIRC propane doesn't contaminate anything and isn't considered a pollutant or harmful to the environment.
Very little concern over the tank BUT many tanks are plumbed with copper tubing to the appliance. The copper is much more likely to be punctured/damaged by a stray bullet. Unless there's an ignition source/open flame, the leaking propan is not that much of a hazard at least for a short time until it can be shut off. Now, if you were so unlucky as to knock the valve off the tank, that might prove more difficult. Still, I'd worry a lot less about such an ocurrance than I would about hitting the neighbor's house.
"Emptying the tank" is not as easy as you think ! Many a welder has gotton a surprise when he welded a "empty tank" Whether it be propane , gasoline etc the gas is usually mixed with some air and becomes very explosive !
Proper welding proceedures include filling the tank with water or inert gas before attempting to weld .
My local waste transfer station will not take any tanks originally containing propane etc !!!
Proper welding proceedures include filling the tank with water or inert gas before attempting to weld .
My local waste transfer station will not take any tanks originally containing propane etc !!!
robhof
Mete's right about empty not being safe, I watched a mechanic in the Phillippines welding a car gas tank with a hose with water running into it and he created an instant barrel out of the tank, three guys pounded on it for a few hours and got it flat enough to put back in the car. The welder wouldn't get near it after it popped.
Mete's right about empty not being safe, I watched a mechanic in the Phillippines welding a car gas tank with a hose with water running into it and he created an instant barrel out of the tank, three guys pounded on it for a few hours and got it flat enough to put back in the car. The welder wouldn't get near it after it popped.
youngunz4life
New member
this is a non-issue(in my opinion). that being said, don't let someone triple-dog dear you to stand your ground to that tank with a high powered rifle or shotgun. Since I am guessing you aren't going to do this, your propane tank issue is a non-issue
A friend of mine, lives in a small town in Yorkshire, UK. Gas for cooking, propane, not called that in UK.
The tank sits outside, accessible from Street, for filling. It is odorless, tank is a few feet higher than kitchen floor. A leak occurred, and as this gas is heavier than air, it started to fill the kitchen.
Jack (my buddy) was walking out of the back door, into the garden, the gas filling up the kitchen, reached the pilot light on the stove. BOOM IT BLEW HIM INTO THE GARDEN, JUST SHOOK UP, NOT INJURED.
What a mess, lifted the roof, blew every cupboard off the wall, major reconstruction called for, he grabbed his Lady, two kids, camper, went on holiday, as far as Morocco, left builder and Insurance man in charge.
One month later, sorted. Went home. To a new, non leaking gas tank!
The tank sits outside, accessible from Street, for filling. It is odorless, tank is a few feet higher than kitchen floor. A leak occurred, and as this gas is heavier than air, it started to fill the kitchen.
Jack (my buddy) was walking out of the back door, into the garden, the gas filling up the kitchen, reached the pilot light on the stove. BOOM IT BLEW HIM INTO THE GARDEN, JUST SHOOK UP, NOT INJURED.
What a mess, lifted the roof, blew every cupboard off the wall, major reconstruction called for, he grabbed his Lady, two kids, camper, went on holiday, as far as Morocco, left builder and Insurance man in charge.
One month later, sorted. Went home. To a new, non leaking gas tank!
oldmanFCSA
New member
More fun to purposely shoot at - if at 300 to 700 yards out - but we normally shoot 1 lb or sometimes 20 lb tanks.
Sure would like to try a 250 lb tank sometime, although cleanup afterwards would be a pain.
Tracers or incendary work fine, or any high-powered rifle, with use of a lit candle about 50 feet behind it.
Sure would like to try a 250 lb tank sometime, although cleanup afterwards would be a pain.
Tracers or incendary work fine, or any high-powered rifle, with use of a lit candle about 50 feet behind it.
Stressfire
New member
Are you worried about damaging it? Or thinking it will explode if hit?
Usually leaves a residue as well. I had to punch holes in a few old tanks to get a scrapyard to take them - they had been empty for a very long time, but still had a very strong odor
Many a welder has gotton a surprise when he welded a "empty tank" Whether it be propane , gasoline etc the gas is usually mixed with some air and becomes very explosive !
Usually leaves a residue as well. I had to punch holes in a few old tanks to get a scrapyard to take them - they had been empty for a very long time, but still had a very strong odor
As I understand it, propane itself is odorless. Gas companies add a marker gas to it, which serves two purposes. It acts as a warning in case of a leak, but it also gets stronger in smell when the gas gets low, and the ratio of marker gas to propane increases.
I have read that propane has approximately the same pound for pound explosive potential as C4, but don't know how accurate that comparison is.
With regard to safety of "empty" storage containers, I have had two friends over the years who had lost their fathers before they had reached their teens due to welding accidents. In each case, the father was going to make a clamshell barbecue by cutting a 55 gallon gas drum in half with a torch. Both men thought they had properly emptied the drums. Each was killed by the resulting explosion, one due to shrapnel through the skull.
I have read that propane has approximately the same pound for pound explosive potential as C4, but don't know how accurate that comparison is.
With regard to safety of "empty" storage containers, I have had two friends over the years who had lost their fathers before they had reached their teens due to welding accidents. In each case, the father was going to make a clamshell barbecue by cutting a 55 gallon gas drum in half with a torch. Both men thought they had properly emptied the drums. Each was killed by the resulting explosion, one due to shrapnel through the skull.
If you are REALLY worried about over penetration you could always go and buy a few sheets of 1" plywood. Depending on a lot of things I think a few sheets of that should offer some one directional protection against over penetrating buckshot. They are not too expensive and depending on the size of the tank for a couple hundred bucks you get some piece of mind.
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot3.htm
On the other hand like others have pointed out; I might be more worried about the gas lines in your home than the tank itself and there is not a lot you can do about that.
OK HVAC Guy butting in here and taking this off topic....
Save yourself the money in the long run if you can; get rid of the electric strip heat and have an in ground propane tank installed. Kills(or doesn't kill depending on how you look at it) two birds with one stone.
You will get payback faster than you think. If you do not want to rely on the fluctuating prices of propane take a look at a Geothermal heat pump. Your local utilities might even have serious rebates or tax incentive programs available for either retrofit.
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot3.htm
On the other hand like others have pointed out; I might be more worried about the gas lines in your home than the tank itself and there is not a lot you can do about that.
OK HVAC Guy butting in here and taking this off topic....
Save yourself the money in the long run if you can; get rid of the electric strip heat and have an in ground propane tank installed. Kills(or doesn't kill depending on how you look at it) two birds with one stone.
You will get payback faster than you think. If you do not want to rely on the fluctuating prices of propane take a look at a Geothermal heat pump. Your local utilities might even have serious rebates or tax incentive programs available for either retrofit.
Strafer Gott
New member
If it does get penetrated, it will freeze what is in the plume. I've never seen one ignite. I don't know if it can even be done with tracers. You probably need incendiary rounds. I remember fires purportedly lit by machinegun fire in RVN, but no telling what actually happened.