Roundball Ballistic Tests

[BUTCHER45]

Hey all,

This is my first post here in the Black Powder forum. I am getting a C@B revolver (ROA) in the near future and can't wait to perform some ballistic testing for you all. Also thinking of an inline muzzleloader as well (I can see where this black powder thing is going already!). I enjoy terminal ballistic testing a great deal, and have really neglected the roundball in particular. That will change here pretty quick.

I have killed one animal with a .45 roundball (a nutria around 15lbs or so) going about 870fps out of my airgun. I was very impressed with the performance of the roundball at this low velocity, as I was able to put my thumbs into the entry and exit holes of the wound channel with no resistance (upper-average sized thumbs). The hit was less than ideal because the animal was pretty scrunched-up which made the vitals look farther back at the time, so I put the shot a bit further back than I should have. However the overgrown rat only made it about four feet into some brush, then died there.

Here is an interesting video I found showing the knock-down power potential of the roundball. You know he's using roundball, at least on the second deer, because you can see the ball before he rams it down the barrel. Pretty neat video.

Looking forward to participating on the forum!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9QQ3QcmXpc

[Semisane]

Welcome Butcher. Glad to have you with us. Looking forward to your reports.

[cayugad]

Welcome to the forum. Its good to have you here. I've been hunting with roundball for many years and never experienced a problem with them taking game. As long as you put it in the right spot of course..

[bronko22000]

Welcome Butcher - can't wait to see your findings.

[gleason.chapman]

ORIGINAL: BUTCHER45

Hey all,

This is my first post here in the Black Powder forum. I am getting a C@B revolver (ROA) in the near future and can't wait to perform some ballistic testing for you all. Also thinking of an inline muzzleloader as well (I can see where this black powder thing is going already!). I enjoy terminal ballistic testing a great deal, and have really neglected the roundball in particular. That will change here pretty quick.

I have killed one animal with a .45 roundball (a nutria around 15lbs or so) going about 870fps out of my airgun. I was very impressed with the performance of the roundball at this low velocity, as I was able to put my thumbs into the entry and exit holes of the wound channel with no resistance (upper-average sized thumbs). The hit was less than ideal because the animal was pretty scrunched-up which made the vitals look farther back at the time, so I put the shot a bit further back than I should have. However the overgrown rat only made it about four feet into some brush, then died there.

Here is an interesting video I found showing the knock-down power potential of the roundball. You know he's using roundball, at least on the second deer, because you can see the ball before he rams it down the barrel. Pretty neat video.

Looking forward to participating on the forum!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9QQ3QcmXpc

Greetings Butcher45,

You may want to take a look at this with regard to Terminal Ballistics:

http://www.snipersparadise.com/tsmag/July03/july03.htm

They had the RB in there, but not too much penetration.
Best Wishes,
Chap

[arcticap]

I don't dispute that the round ball is lethal, but I didn'tcleary see that it was around ball that killed the 2nd deer in the video.
It could have been, but Ididn't see any patch and I honestly thought that it was a ball-et or another shortconical by the ease of ramming without a short starter, and it's accuracy, again obviouslywithout usinga patch.
I didn't freeze the frame to get a better look at it, but that's my initial impression.
I enjoyed watching 2 of Jadon's hunting videos very much though, and thanks for sharing.
Good luck with your new ROA.

[frontier gander]

Round balls are very effective!
.490 hornady with 110g 3f goex with a 40 yard shot that rolled the deer over onto this back,


Heres a .54cal .530 round ball that i cast from melted out Powerbelt bullets i recover in my sand trap. This was with 15 grains 4f "Booster" and 80 grains pyrodex P @ 58 yards into wet nasty sand.




The second shot that i recovered busted my sand box bucket. Busted 2 of them actually. Penetrated 7" which i think is really good for hot wet i had the sand and how i had compressed it.