A group of local enthusiasts of squash artillery are going to try to find out when they attempt a world record. These things are generally really big air guns. They are making their attempt in Utah, in hopes of taking advantage of the thinner atmosphere at elevation to get better distance. I guess that’s what they have to do now, is go for elevation, since at 700mph, you’re pushing the sound barrier. I can’t imagine pumpkins would survive intact because of the supersonic shockwave.
4 thoughts on “Can You Shoot a Pumpkin a Mile?”
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I’m not sure how you would break the sound barrier with an air cannon anyway. Going sub to super sonic would do all sorts of weird things to the air flow. That’s probably why they’re going high altitude instead. They can’t push the air in the gun any faster so they’re going someplace with less air to push back.
Maybe not with an air gun… But I sure would like to see a pumpkin break the sound barrier.
Maybe with some iron sabots and a rail gun.
Grow the pumpkins inside a rigid form, forcing them to grow into a boattail spitzer bullet shape. Should be able to increase the BC considerably. Next, find a way to use rifling on a pumpkin (standard diameter, forced by the use of growing-forms will help a lot) or use fin stabilization. Do it!
and freeze it first.