Golf Ball dents on round balls
 

Just amazes me what you hear at rendezvous. All the old timers still living by made up myths of denting your round balls like a golf ball so they fly straighter and longer :s2: I didnt say anything but, it just amazes me how these guys still believe in stupid stuff like that.

I got some hell for my 1:48 twist but then when I bring up, the original hawken rifles had a 1:48 but, just with deeper rifling, you see a lot of open mouths and toes digging into the dirt.

Then the lubes... 'Ah Use spit!

Yeah? Hows that work for a hunting lube after a week being loaded in the barrel?

Now naturally some of the hard cases were probably older than pete and twice as hard headed lol, and no longer hunting, so I understand their part for using spit on the firing range. I am not a fan of using spit, especially when its 98* and no wind blowing, So I use my own packaged lube.

Then you get help because you are holding the rifle wrong... Ok, I am always looking for tips on that, but when you show me how to hold it and its uncomfortable and the barrel bobs up and down or feels loose in your shoulder, thats not going to make for a consistent hold or shot placement.

Ahhh anyway, just had to vent a little.

I don't think I ever used spit for a patch lube. Just to swab the bore out.

Cold weather hunting with spit would be a disaster in just a few hours.

Dimples on the ball is interesting. It does make the golf ball fly straighter and I believe farther too. It must give some lift. Not that i'd bother to do it.

Actually Jon there may be some truth to the dimples on a round ball! (http://entertainment.howstuffworks.c...question37.htm)

I can just see someone in his workshop with a center punch tapping away at his round balls! Why not try it and see if someone will make a round ball mold for you (lmao).

I would love to see someone shooting them with dimples. Slice!!! fourrrr.... Lmbo... I would say if the weren't perfectly concentric in the bore that's exactly what would happen. Imo

You'd have to put side spin on the ball like in golf. Can a barrel do that?

On the range I have used spit as a lube for the patch and ball. Even dish water soap. All of them worked good. Have swabbed the bore with the same. At one Rendezvous shoot there was a team that stood there with patch material hanging out of their mouth. That was their patch lube and swab material. They did real good with it too.

I still like moose milk. Cheap to make and works good in my rifles. As for dimples on the ball ... well I never heard of it or tried it.

Muley Hunter, not completely correct. The underspin created from the angle of the drivers, woods, irons, or wedges will give a golf ball a bit of lift but that isn't the reason they go longer, well most of the reason anyway. It is mostly because of the buffering effect that reduces drag that gives a golf ball more distance. I just wonder what kind of effect rifling would have on a ball. You think it would make it hook or slice? Shoot at a deer, yell FOUR, just in case I guess.

A golf club hitting the ball obviously put back spin on the ball, but if you don't hit the ball square you put side spin also on it. That's what puts the curve whether slice of hook on the ball. A barrel from a gun can't do that. All it can do is revolve the ball.

Now we know the dimples create less drag. The ball should maintain velocity better than an undimpled ball.

Muley, wouldn't the rifling combined with the dimples cause the bullet to spin excessively and as the velocity drops the drag would increase and cause the round to act similar to spin drift with a smooth bullet? The golf ball will go straight for a while but starts curving as velocity drops. I think I'll just stick with what I know flies straight for me.

I forget who did the testing, but some one, years ago, before I was born most likely, did this golf ball test and found it to be a myth. Even someone with a car tried it! LOL.

It's hard to say what would happen. Since it's so new to us. I know the sprue doesn't seem to affect flight of the ball. I guess the old lead ball is just going to fly straight no matter what we do with it.

Some guys pound the crap out of them when loading and still shoot a good target. Others are real delicate loading and can't shoot for beans.

Bottom line........learn to shoot and don't worry about the ball. ;)

So true. I think some people try to substitute technology for woodsmanship and skill. Like one of my buddies next door. First morning of deer season he wait to get to his stand and in the dark he loaded it and exactly one hour later he was at my stand because he didn't put no powder in it cause he dumped it on the ground. I finally got the breech plug out and he had disformed the bullet so bad it was just a chunk of lead bore diameter. It shoots purdy good after he gets the rust blowed out. He runs around in the woods playing with all kind of gadgets. He scored 0 deer and 0 elk. I took 4 bucks and didn't elk hunt.

I am curious as how to get the dimples in a round ball without a custom mold and even how uniform it would be?

Kinda seems to me like a bunch of dimples would be a place for gas to get ahead of the ball while it is moving out of the barrel because causing loss of velocity.

If you molded the ball that way it would be lighter.

Some sort of press would be better. A hand press should be enough with soft lead.

Oldtimr, the ball doesn't make the seal. The patch does.

I personally try not to deform any Bullet whether round ball or conical and will continue with that til I die . If Someone wants to beat their balls flat I guess they can do that . Not me though .

I know that, I only shoot patched round balls out of my flintlock. However when there is a void in the ball, ie. dimple, I don't think the patch will make as good a seal especially at the groves and allow gas to escape . I see the dimples the same way I see an out of round ball.