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RE: Who Still Uses Roundballs?

I still use them. The guys her use them. Mostly in their flintlocks...

http://www.americanlongrifles.com/american-longrifles-BBS-frame.htm I have used round balls, conicals of various weights, and sabotted bullets of various types. IMO, none of them kill any faster or deader than a patched found ball of the correct size. Perhaps some of the other type of ML projectiles have a range advantage. Hoever, a bullet with greater sectional density and inertia cannot be driven at as high a MV as a patched round ball. A round ball launched at 2200 FPS will show a flatter trajectory than a conical at 1500 over the first 100-125-yards. But the elongated bullet will catch up by 175-200 yards.

RE: Who Still Uses Roundballs?

The roundball is all I have ever hunted with out of my .50 and .54 Flintlocks! I still need to kill something with one of them, I had my first chance this season but ran into a problem![;):D

RE: Who Still Uses Roundballs?

I certainly do for both target fun and hunting from mostly cap and flintlocks, but on occassion I shoot PRB's at lower velocity from an inline for target fun.

I shoot several pounds of powder each year and the lions share is PRB's.

Tahquamenon

RE: Who Still Uses Roundballs?

I shoot a Thomson Hawkens w/RB's though I've not taken big game with it I have punched both heads on a 55gal drum at 175 yds . That is good enough for me to use them to 125 - 150 on a mulie .

RE: Who Still Uses Roundballs?

Santa is bringing me a new Hawken rifle and pistol to get me back into muzzleloading after a long, long time. They will be fed a pretty steady diet of PRB's, except the rifle will get Maxi's or Buffalo Ball-ets for hog hunting. I like a little extra oomph for those critters.

RE: Who Still Uses Roundballs?

Who still uses round balls? Not me, started hunting with a muzzleloader 30 years ago and I never did consider a roundball an acceptable hunting projectile. Always shot bullets of one type or another regardless of the style of the gun.

RE: Who Still Uses Roundballs?

Mikepsu,

Atwhat yardageare you hitting pop cans with your Firestorm and Powerbelt bullet's?

RE: Who Still Uses Roundballs?

Quote:

ORIGINAL: TNHagies

I don't want to start an 'effectiveness of roundballs' topic, but I would like to know how many of you guys still use them. I was getting made fun of the other day for my usage of them and I got to thinkin' I bet there's a lot of people that still use them.

Granted they are not my only form of bullet that I use, but at least one week a year I hunt w/them out of my 1/48 Hawkins.I have the utmost confidence in them and know that any deer/bear/turkey that passes within 75 yards will be coming home w/me. (I can't shoot any farther than that where I hunt anyway)

Anyone else?

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I think out of a .54 cal your fine, I think out of a .50 your not. I lost a deer with a PRB the first year I hunted FL, with a 50 cal. Shot it in the brisket coming at me at about 25 yards. I thought it was dead. Reloaded, looked away, when I turned to look where the deer was down it was gone. No blood trail. Switched to XTPs after that. Now I shoot Gold Dots in my FL. Nothing wrong with PRB with excellent broadside shot placement, I don't have many of those since we are driving deer in late PA FL season.
Chap Gleason

RE: Who Still Uses Roundballs?

Yep Chap your right about the .50 caliber Rb being a little too dicey. It can work well but it sometimes does not. It's just not a big enough hole and the hole covers over with fat, and hide quickly so blood trails are faint or non existant. My deer rifles in 1/66 twist now shoot the 270 Buffalo Ball-et or a PowerBelt with ok accuracy and I don't push em real fast. The 270 grain ball-et hp has quite a performance increaseover the patched rb in my opinion. I still shoot em a bunch; but not at deer anymore and if I did it would be 50 yard head shots.

My RMC flinter is a 1/28 twist and am shooting the .452 300 xtp over 90-100 grains of 3f Goex. I also will be switching to the 300 grain Gold Dots when the box is empty; assuming they group well and expand well enough for me. Everything about that bullet is just dandy; high BC. good weight and energy; designed for the velocity my flinter would push them; bonded design and .452 flat base.

RE: Who Still Uses Roundballs?

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Mossie

Yep Chap your right about the .50 caliber Rb being a little too dicey. It can work well but it sometimes does not. It's just not a big enough hole and the hole covers over with fat, and hide quickly so blood trails are faint or non existant. My deer rifles in 1/66 twist now shoot the 270 Buffalo Ball-et or a PowerBelt with ok accuracy and I don't push em real fast. The 270 grain ball-et hp has quite a performance increaseover the patched rb in my opinion. I still shoot em a bunch; but not at deer anymore and if I did it would be 50 yard head shots.

My RMC flinter is a 1/28 twist and am shooting the .452 300 xtp over 90-100 grains of 3f Goex. I also will be switching to the 300 grain Gold Dots when the box is empty; assuming they group well and expand well enough for me. Everything about that bullet is just dandy; high BC. good weight and energy; designed for the velocity my flinter would push them; bonded design and .452 flat base.

That is exactly what I am using now in my FL, 300g Gold Dot under 80g of Goex 3f, using a crushed rib sabot. Used it last year, and got a big doe with it. Very strong accurate bullet, and it shoots well in my FL at 50 yards. I really wanted an RMC flintlock, L&R lock, 1:28 twist, can shoot pellets or powder, but the price was almost $600. I got my TC Hawken, used, but almost new for $300 shipped to me. It is a great sparker and a lot of fun to shoot. I have not shot over 50 yards with it, but I am sure I could hit at 100 if I sighted it in for that. I am very confident at 50 yards and under with that rifle and that load and bullet. If you hit a deer with that bullet your goona get penetration and great damage, I believe the .50 PRB needs more mass, like your 270g Buffalo Ball-et.
Chap Gleason