Reloadable shells vs Cakes

[LuxExTenebris]

I was curious what everyone thought about the mixture of reloadable shells to cakes in a show. I've seen where some pyros use a lot of shells and a few cakes as fillers and I've also seen the opposite where a show was primarily cakes with a few mortar shells in the finale. I know a lot is going to be personal preference I was just curious what everyone else does.

[Pyro Nation]

I really like going heavy on the cakes.... like 100 - 150 cakes..with a mix of 200G and 500G.. and a few 1.3

I do about 250 - 300 reloadables

[Dart]

IMO logistically cakes are a little easier, since you dont have to invest the money/time/space into buying/fusing/storing racks.

[hokester44]

IMO logistically cakes are a little easier, since you dont have to invest the money/time/space into buying/fusing/storing racks.

I would agree; but after you've paid the extra cost for the convenience of cakes, you could've bought a sh*tload of mortars. After you've made the initial investment into the equipment, you will be able to spend less down the road to put together shows that are equally as nice.

[LuxExTenebris]

wow so some differing opinions. This year I had a mostly did artillery shells and just used a cake in my finale so I was thinking about mixing it up a bit. I was looking at building my racks so it should save a little money in that department.

[Palermitano2]

I like more mortars. I am in the process of buying another 300 tubes.When you look at how wholesale pans out less then 1.30 per shot for excaliburs. and less then that for other good shells. I am shifting my gears that way not to say I wont be buying 20 or so cases of 500 gramers and another 5 or 6 200 grammers......

[LightningPhil]

Being an electrician, fusing a ton of mortars gives me the same kinda feeling as wiring a house. I enjoy wiring a house, but I like fusing a few hundred tubes just as much. The funny part is when Im done with a house or the mortars and I "flip the switch", the lights go on! Cakes are a great compliment, and I like all the different effects they provide to the show, but tubes beat cakes in my shows every time.

[nrubmx]

i like to use cakes because of the great different effects like bees and comets and stuff like that that you can not get in a consumer shell, but i like can shells for the sound!

[shellshocker]

i like to use cakes because of the great different effects like bees and comets and stuff like that that you can not get in a consumer shell, but i like can shells for the sound!

You can get these effects in consumer shells. Shells over cakes for me.

[indianahx]

Being an electrician, fusing a ton of mortars gives me the same kinda feeling as wiring a house. I enjoy wiring a house, but I like fusing a few hundred tubes just as much. The funny part is when Im done with a house or the mortars and I "flip the switch", the lights go on! Cakes are a great compliment, and I like all the different effects they provide to the show, but tubes beat cakes in my shows every time.

Sparky here too.....I like mixing it up. I usually have plenty of both, but like you said I mainly only use my mortars for finale purposes.

[Dart]

I'm a wire jockey too, don't discount the 9-12 shot 500gm cakes,nice round symetrical breaks end up costing 1.80-2.00 a shot. Based on TS reply about using A cake, i think he'd be better off with more cakes, not likely he'll go from shooting a show with a single cake to having 100+shots worth of racks.

(of course i am speculating)

[PyroJoeNEPA]

I prefer more tubes than cakes. Although there are a ton of nice cakes out there I get tired of the manufacturers thinking they always have to make the last 5 tubes in a 25 shot "burp" at once!! I know they all aren't like that--but I find the cakes are good low level filler for a high sky of shells. Cost of NOAB's---I would put the money into good shells. When it comes to a nice fan, screen, or I V W effect, it is points hands down for a cake. Still, I plan on buying another 200 1.75" tubes for next year along with 50 3" & 30 4" [I do shoot 1.4 & 1.3 combined]. BATF 54 is a great thing to have!

[LuxExTenebris]

Yeah most of my experience has been with artillery shells and using cakes in the finale. I was thinking about mixing it up next year similar to what you said PyroJoe. Some low level cakes with some high burst shells like excals, black mambas. I also like the Goliaths from World Class as well.