dimples on a round ball?

[Darkgael]

I just read a post on another forum written by a fellow who loads his.600 rbs without a patch. He "dimples" them with a rasp before loading ala golf ball dimples. He found improved accuracy from his gun.
Has anyone here tried this?
I tried a search for this "dimpling" idea on this forum but got too many replies to process.

Pete

 

[Claude Mathis]

This might help. Previous discussions...
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/240116/post/782922/
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/233366/
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?fid/16/tid/201938/
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/28285/

 

[59sharps]

A LOT OF THE N-SSA guys do it.Not sure if it help. But then anything to please the Smoothbore gods! I throw mine in the tumbler and let them have at it for a while. mostly to help them hold the lube a little better. buy the way N-SSA dose not allow the use of patched ball unless they are alum foil.

 

[Grizzled Roberts]

Back many moons ago when I was on the US International Muzzle Loading team I used to "frost" the balls for my original 1816 musket. I had to do this to keep the patch from being pulled off the ball by the tiny pits in the barrel. I would also frost balls near bore diameter which would raise the outer diameter of the ball. Such a ball would have to be short started into the barrel. These shot very well in the old barrels. I haven't needed to frost a ball in years as I don't shoot the old original musket barrels any more.

 

[matt denison]

If you could figure out a way to put back spin on your round ball like what happens when you hit a golf ball you might get a little more distance. The dimples on a golf ball don't make it more accurate, only fly farther. If you want more distance there are a couple things you can do instead.

1. use more powder

2. cut your patches from your girlfriend's petticoat - silk, gives you forty more yards :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[Darkgael]

Thanks for the replies.

If you could figure out a way to put back spin on your round ball like what happens when you hit a golf ball you might get a little more distance. The dimples on a golf ball don't make it more accurate, only fly farther.

That's good info. I did not know that.

Pete

 

[Rifleman1776]

I just read a post on another forum written by a fellow who loads his.600 rbs without a patch. He "dimples" them with a rasp before loading ala golf ball dimples. He found improved accuracy from his gun.
Has anyone here tried this?
I tried a search for this "dimpling" idea on this forum but got too many replies to process.

Pete

On another ml forum the dimpling issue was well discussed at one time. Several members did experiments and reported improvement in accuracy. This was with smoothbores. I dunno. Just wat I read. There were also advocates of putting 'tails' on smoothie balls which, reportedly, also improved accuracy. I'm probably going to experiment with the tails and mebbe even the dimple thing.

 

[MSW]

if i remember correctly, the Bevel Brothers did a piece on this a while back. The had some sort of super scientific method of applying the dimples, which i can't recall.

The accuracy improvement they were able to obtain wasn't that dramatic, but if it makes your gun shoot better, and you're willing to go to the trouble, I can't see the harm in it.

good luck with your project, and let us know how things work out for you.

 

[troutabout]

If you could figure out a way to put back spin on your round ball like what happens when you hit a golf ball you might get a little more distance. The dimples on a golf ball don't make it more accurate, only fly farther. If you want more distance there are a couple things you can do instead.
rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

I played golf for years and you are SO wrong ! The dimples on a golf ball have everything to do with accuracy. Right to left spin imparts draw or hook to the left. Left to right spin impart slice to the right or "banana ball". Dead steady reverse spin will make it climb and forward spin or "topping it" will drive it into the ground.

If a lead ball from a barrel comes out with dimples and spinning then it will bend in the direction of the spin. To what degree depends on the size of the dimple and the speed of the spin.

This is not opinion. Your mileage will not vary.

 

[necchi]

I just figger if it was a grand improvment, it would already be common practice,
just sayin, :idunno:

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

I just figger if it was a grand improvment, it would already be common practice,
just sayin, :idunno:

Ditto, another hair-brained scheme. Someone is thinking too much and trying to make more work for themselves. :shake:

Forget about such "improvements" and go out and have fun.

 

[troutabout]

My response about accuracy only had to do with golf. Putting dimples on a lead ball is is over-thinking the problem in my opinion. I can see rasp marks gripping the patch better or even increasing the overall diameter to help the patch seal better. But dimples, ears or anything extending beyond the smooth surface of the ball just creates more aerodynamic drag.

 

[matt denison]

Spinning a golf ball left or right will surely affect the directiion it goes. They don't call me "Slicer" for nuthin'. (FOUR!!!) BUT, the dimples aren't the reason that a ball slices or shanks. A spinning ball with dimples reduces the drag only. This is scientifically proven.

My friend "M" shoots a Furgason rifle which loads from the breech. There is no possibillity of using a patch when loading this way. So, he "dimples" his .650" balls so that they will hold lube (beeswax) The dimples don't have anythiing to do with gaining accuracy either real or percievd.

 

[troutabout]

"A spinning ball with dimples reduces the drag only. This is scientifically proven."

You need to research further into why un-dimpled balls are banned from USGA play. They fly farther and don't slice.