-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
ballets
- Thread starter packer75
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
cowpoke1955
58 Cal.
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
- Messages
- 2,090
- Reaction score
- 6
Welcome to the forum. I haven't tried them, but have heard that they work well in rifles with slow twist barrels. I'm sure others will chim in. Good luck.
playfarmers
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2005
- Messages
- 647
- Reaction score
- 1
I used them one year in a Lyman Deerstalker with a 1 in 48" twist and got good accuracy with them, but I couldn't see any advantage over the round ball. I wanted more power so I got a .54, and still shoot round balls.
paulvallandigham
Passed On
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2006
- Messages
- 17,538
- Reaction score
- 80
I have not personally shot them, because my rifle is designed for shooting ONLY Round Balls. However, the Ballettes, are designed to be used in 1:48 to 1:66 ROT barrels, which are often sold to shoot RBs. They work well. They are not needed nor desired for deer hunting. But, if you are likely to hunt Black Bear, or Wild Boar, they make a better choice of projectile to use to penetrate heavy hide and body tissue. If you hunt Elk, and think its more likely that you will have to shoot through a shoulder bone, the ballette is a better choice than any round ball of similar caliber.
However, if you only shoot round balls, and want more penetration, you can cast balls from Wheel Weights, or other lead alloys and get a harder ball that will mushroom less, but penetrate further than a pure lead ball will.
Welcome to the forum. :thumbsup:
However, if you only shoot round balls, and want more penetration, you can cast balls from Wheel Weights, or other lead alloys and get a harder ball that will mushroom less, but penetrate further than a pure lead ball will.
Welcome to the forum. :thumbsup:
Welcome to the Forum. 
As the others have said, these Ball-Et's, unlike heavy bullets or sabots with heavy bullets are intended to be used in slow twist barrels.
They are loaded without patches are rely on obturation to expand them when the powder charge ignites.
Because they are not loaded with patches, the lubricated lead will be right against the inside of the barrel so, if you choose to shoot these you may want to scrub the bore a little more diligently than you would if your were shooting roundballs to remove any lead that may be left behind.
As for their accuracy, it is impossible to say how well they will shoot in your gun.
Muzzleloading rifles (and pistols) are each unique. One gun may shoot them very well and a seemingly identical gun won't shoot them for beans.
If you try them, don't forget to try several different powder loads. Sometimes a 5 or 10 grain change in the amount of powder will change the guns accuracy a great deal turning something that is just scattering the shots into something that puts them all in the X ring.
As the others have said, these Ball-Et's, unlike heavy bullets or sabots with heavy bullets are intended to be used in slow twist barrels.
They are loaded without patches are rely on obturation to expand them when the powder charge ignites.
Because they are not loaded with patches, the lubricated lead will be right against the inside of the barrel so, if you choose to shoot these you may want to scrub the bore a little more diligently than you would if your were shooting roundballs to remove any lead that may be left behind.
As for their accuracy, it is impossible to say how well they will shoot in your gun.
Muzzleloading rifles (and pistols) are each unique. One gun may shoot them very well and a seemingly identical gun won't shoot them for beans.
If you try them, don't forget to try several different powder loads. Sometimes a 5 or 10 grain change in the amount of powder will change the guns accuracy a great deal turning something that is just scattering the shots into something that puts them all in the X ring.
Many years ago I set up a Browning Mtn. Rifle for Antelope hunting. The Rifle had a .50 caliber 1-66 barrel. The rifle had a tang rear and a globe front sight. The loads were the Buffalo Ballets pushed along with 100 and 120 gr. loads of 3F.
The accuracy was out standing and 1 Antelope was taken at 297 yards one shot kill. This shot was from cross sticks. The Ballets worked well for the most part.
The down side was a leading problem that was terrible. The rifle had to be scrubbed after every 3 or 4 rounds or things turned ugly. I went on to other projects and gave up on the long range ballet experiment. :hmm:
The accuracy was out standing and 1 Antelope was taken at 297 yards one shot kill. This shot was from cross sticks. The Ballets worked well for the most part.
The down side was a leading problem that was terrible. The rifle had to be scrubbed after every 3 or 4 rounds or things turned ugly. I went on to other projects and gave up on the long range ballet experiment. :hmm:
Ken Rummer
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2008
- Messages
- 266
- Reaction score
- 0
I think the Ball-ets would shoot better than the PRB from a 1:66 barrel. (Slightly higher Greenhill number) The .490 PRB is 175 gr and the Ball-et is 245 gr which will produce a little extra whack on the target.
The downside that I worry about is that the Ball-et can shake loose while being carried in the woods and can slide away from the powder charge and move down the barrel. This can be dangerous. I had one fall out the end of the barrel while I was carring it. However the PRB is tight and won't move.
I will start a new post on this subject.
The downside that I worry about is that the Ball-et can shake loose while being carried in the woods and can slide away from the powder charge and move down the barrel. This can be dangerous. I had one fall out the end of the barrel while I was carring it. However the PRB is tight and won't move.
I will start a new post on this subject.
They work great for me, have been using about five years. The 270 grain 50 cal. I couldn't get the 245 grain to group for me. I would watch for the ballet coming off the powder, I haven't had an issue with them, but it is possible.
tjohnson56
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2008
- Messages
- 310
- Reaction score
- 1
Check the gun works muzzleloading emporium, last time I looked they still had them. Probably other places as well. BTW I've never ordered from them so your kinda on your own there.
Similar threads
