refiring lead round balls

[Elkhorse]

I pick them up at the zoo bottoms and if they are round, I shoot them again.
Done that dozens of times with no problem.

Not familiar with the term "zoo Bottoms" What does it mean?
And Howdy from NH!

 

[Sidney Smith]

May as well just load rocks down the bore then.

 

[russellshaffer]

If you have, you need to use more powder.

wm

Exactly right. I fired a 50 caliber cannon at about 15 feet at a cardboard target face. The ball bounced back and landed by my feet. I reused the ball with double the charge. I have heard that African tribesmen would recover balls from kills and roll them round for reuse. Probably good enough for a smoothbore at very close range??

 

[Whitworth]

But the question begs, would you reshoot them?

In a heartbeat if I couldn't make new ones, but that's not a problem

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Not familiar with the term "zoo Bottoms" What does it mean?
And Howdy from NH!

The "zoo bottoms" is an area in eastern KY near my home where I shoot most videos for the Black Powder Maniac Shooter Youtube channel. I shoot a lot of steel animal cut out targets for video in a flood zone, so, the zoo bottoms is a good name to call it. Here's one example of the silly fun I do with the shooting zoo critters at the zoo bottoms:

 

[Elkhorse]

I always watch your vids!
I guess when you patch it, you don't scratch it!

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

I always watch your vids!
I guess when you patch it, you don't scratch it!

Yep.....that's what I believe.....thanks for watching the videos.
I try to post unusual shooting fun you will have a hard time finding elsewhere the net.

 

[hrt4me]

I pick them up at the zoo bottoms and if they are round, I shoot them again.
Done that dozens of times with no problem.

@B P Maniac Shooter, would you make a future video about that?

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

@B P Maniac Shooter, would you make a future video about that?

Yep...I'll be glad too. Give me a week or so.....going to Pennsylvania soon & when I get back, I'll go find one or two Round balls in the hillside to reload and shoot them right on the spot!

 

[Notchy Bob]

Have you ever recovered a lead round ball in good enough condition to stuff down the front of your muzzleloader (rifle, pistol, revolver) and fire again without having to melt and recast in a mold?

I have not, but I ran across this interesting passage concerning a buffalo hunt in James R. Mead's Hunting and Trading on the Great Plains 1859-1875 (paper back edition): "I ran out of bullets, and the last five or six I killed with bullets cut out of dead buffalo. These bullets I whittled with my knife until I could load them. A buffalo usually dies lying on the side at which the ball has entered. The bullet, battered and flattened by striking bones, would frequently lodge under the skin on the opposite side, pressing it out into a prominence that was easily noticed. Thus the bullet could be recovered and used again, if needed. Once I had several hundred balls, each of which had killed a buffalo" (p. 144).

Mead was using muzzleloaders shooting patched round balls during that period, and he mentions loading and shooting techniques frequently in his book.

I would not hesitate to re-use a round ball if I needed to, if it was clean and still of a diameter that could be loaded. I have recovered a lot of bullets and balls (not necessarily my own) at the local range, and they are always dirty, but the dirt can be brushed off. If there is any embedded grit, the patch should protect the bore.

Notchy Bob

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

@B P Maniac Shooter, would you make a future video about that?

Here you go....

 

[hrt4me]

Here you go....

thank you for taking the time and effort to make this video for us (and your online audience)

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

thank you for taking the time and effort to make this video for us (and your online audience)

Enjoy...and thanks for the request. This one was fun to put together.

 

[Crow-Feather]

a

 

[Crow-Feather]

thank you for taking the time and effort to make this video for us (and your online audience)

While we are a group that helps new shooters learn the proper way to shoot a black powder rifle, this person is exactly the opposite. In the first minute, he 1. He loads his rifle while it is laying on his chest under his face. 2, He puts his palm over the ramrod to lower the ball. 3. He rests his hand on top of a loaded barrel. I quit watching after that. Someone should tell this person that being charismatic, new young shooters might copy his loading practices. There are some ranges that would eject a shooter that unsafe.

OK, I had to write it, now I will dig my hole and climb in waiting for his followers to scoop in the dirt. Sorry, it had to be said.

 

[Dibbuk]

All of the recovered balls and minis that I have found had far too much dirt and sand pressed into them to reuse as-is. The recovered round lead balls can be recast into excellent new round balls, though.

 

[Whughett]

I pick them up at the zoo bottoms and if they are round, I shoot them again.
Done that dozens of times with no problem.

“Zoo Bottoms” ??

 

[Woody Morgan]

With 60 grains of powder, a mini bullet flares it's rear to seal the bore. Other lead projectiles "bump up" to seal the bore when fired. You might be able to reshoot your lead, however it is not kosher to advise new shooters that read your post to try the same.

Sure it is.
Round balls don't particularly obturate hence patching.

wm

 

[Crow-Feather]

Sure it is.
Round balls don't particularly obturate hence patching.

wm

A round ball could be made to be large enough to engage the riffling. The reason it isn't, IMO, is that the faster speed of the ball would cause leading in the barrel. Thus the need for patching. Also, the patching cleans the grooves on the way down. I would believe that all pure lead obturates with the pressure of a large enough charge with a tightly loaded ball. It might not bump up the ball, but it will probably compress the powder side of the ball.

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

“Zoo Bottoms” ??

The "zoo bottoms" is the nickname I gave to the location I shoot most of these videos. I have 10-12 different animal critters I shoot in videos often...so..I just named the place the "zoo bottoms"....Thanks for watching...