Roundball Hardness

[dbowling]

Has anyone used the roundball(buckshot) from BPI called Super Buckshot, its got 6% antimony(sp) and they told me people order it to use to shoot in muzzleloaders..would this be ok for patched roundballs, would be using it in a .32  Traditions DeerHunter?
Just joined the forum a day or two ago and this is my 1st post, not new to muzzleloading but have been out of the traditional side of it for about 20 yrs...if this is the wrong forum I apologize and please feel free to move to the right one.

[Dogshirt]

I would think it would be too hard, but depending on size, the patch could be thick enough to fill the grooves and grip the ball.
But I doubt it would "form" to the grooves itself.

[dbowling]

I kind of thought they would be, was thinking of getting the .300 shot size and adjusting patch thickness plus using about 12-15 gr. of Goex fffg..

I would think it would be too hard, but depending on size, the patch could be thick enough to fill the grooves and grip the ball.
But I doubt it would "form" to the grooves itself.

[pilgrim]

     From all I have read, on casting roundballs for muzzleloaders,  Roundballs MUST be 99.9% pure lead.   I believe it has to do with gripping the rifling and also for purposes of expansion when penetrating target.   

[dbowling]

For engaging rifling I can understand but as far as expansion you need very little when shooting a .32 or .36 ball through a squirrels head or shoulders.the size of the ball would be like a cannon ball going thrrough them. Ive read that some people like their roundballs harder for better penetration but then again on small game not needed.

     From all I have read, on casting roundballs for muzzleloaders,  Roundballs MUST be 99.9% pure lead.   I believe it has to do with gripping the rifling and also for purposes of expansion when penetrating target.   

[old salt]

This is just one man's theory, backed by a boat load of shooting experience.
The harder the projectile the deeper the penetration, on the other hand the harder the projectile the less expansion, the lesser expansion means less energy absorbed by the target
Thus the reason all signatories of the Geneva Convention are required to use full metal jacket rounds.
Now as to the shoot ability or the accuracy in muzzleloader I have no idea how hard is to hard.
As I said this just my theory

[flintboomer]

In my .40 supplies I have a mixed batch of .390 balls that vary from soft to very hard and they all seem to shoot the same for me, in fact I think the hard ones may shoot a little better than the soft ones.

For my revolvers I try to use the softest lead I can find because the harder ones are really hard to load, but then again I use a .457 ball in my Piettas and they are realy made to use a 451-454 ball.

[pilgrim]

     Thanks Old Salt.  and flintboomer.    One more thought just occured to me.  by adding tin to make a rb harder, we are also making a lighter rb.   How will this effect shooting,  or is it just minimal

[mlrifleny]

  I cast up some ww lead once and it shot ok but it did hit a bit high at 50yrds. I have been of the understanding that the patch is what fills the groves so there should be no problems with shooting harder lead. Some old timers back in the day thought it would wear out the barrel faster than soft lead. I never believed that because the lead in a rb never touches the metal.

Jim

[Dogshirt]

If you recover a properly seated ball, whether pulled, CO2 discharged, or from bullet capture medium, it should have grooves impressed
on it. No, the bullet does not touch the barrel, but should engage the rifling none the less. I have found them with an impression of the
weave of the patch on them, but the grooves and lands are there just the same.
On another forum one of the members did tests with precision brass balls, up to shooting a deer with such a load, and was satisfied with
the results. But there again, the patch is all that is engaging the grooves and I would have doubts as to accuracy at any distance over 40-50
yards.

Just some thoughts over my first cup of the day.

[gordy]

       For what its worth , The lead dosn,t have to be 99% pure to cast RBs. WW work and some prefer the harder alloy.  Myself , I prefer as pure a lead as I can obtain . I think it puts less preasure /strain on the loading  of  C&B revolvers as opposed to WW lead. But in a ML using a patch isolates the ball/bullet from contact with the bore.
         I.m not certain , but I think "Roundball"  posts on th
is site at times . For many years he shot /owned /collected an experimented with various materials for projectiles , The work he did w "glass" marbles proved the projectile being hard didn,t seem to alter the accy , but being lighter shortened the efective range.
        Alsso any information publishd by BPI should be examined closly . Not too long ago , there was mny rumors that lead would be totally outlawed and everyone needed t purchase their product to meet the new regulations etc. There is little doubt that anti-gunners anti-hunter will continue to pound away at the use of lead , but as yet they get no cigar .
         Oh yeah , the name of the co. promoting the alloy RBs is/was ITX. No doubt an upstandig co.  but not opposed to using scare tactis to increase their "bottom line". The sky is falling , The sky is falling.
                                                                             

[Hanshi]

I shoot WW balls occasionally and have no problem.

[dbowling]

hey guys thanks for all the responses, I think Im going to order some and try them...

[Red Badger]

I have 20 + lbs of wheel weights and have been casting all my ball and R.E.A.L. round with w.w. for the past 2 years with no issues.... of course I can't hit the broad side of the barn either... 

[beowulf]

I have 20 + lbs of wheel weights and have been casting all my ball and R.E.A.L. round with w.w. for the past 2 years with no issues.... of course I can't hit the broad side of the barn either... 

have you tried closing the doors first ?