Has anyone tried Nylon or Rubber round ball?

[Aldarith]

At the risk of sounding crazy, has anyone tried shooting the ballistic rubber/nylon round balls that you can get in all manner of calibers out of a smoothbore?

I discovered them today and am all sorts of curious.

 

[Brokennock]

Why?

 

[deerstalkert]

Why?

beat me to it!

 

[Aldarith]

It's incredibly cheap and I'm curious!

 

[deerstalkert]

ok, i'll play. what is their weight and density? maybe , just maybe a alternative projectile for poking holes in paper.
dang! now you have me curious! what is that saying about a dead cat and curiosity?

 

[Aldarith]

Good question - you can get all sorts of types, even (evil of evils) RUBBER. Imagine the bounce

I am truly curious about the nylon ones though as I don't imagine they don't have so much bounce in them and it would be really interesting to see if they are viable for paper targets.

The best bit is that they are 500 for $100 so should they prove(or if already proven) viable, they would be incredibly inexpensive.

 

[SDSmlf]

Maybe like shooting paintballs? Imagine they would loose velocity very fast and only be a very short range option. Would definitely fall into a ‘less lethal’ category. Try and let us know.

 

[Aldarith]

Well I'd be interested in being the guinea pig as long as nobody expects it would be hazardous to the gun.
Being plastic I'd be slightly concerned that they might not behave quite the same in that lead collapses and these rebound, so my only concern is that they and the gases come out the barrel and nothing blows up
I'm a newbie, so perhaps that explains both my interest in the unconventional AND my inexperience with the potential repercussions.

 

[hawkeye2]

Give it a try, knock yourself out!

 

[Stantheman86]

It's all good until they bounce back at 800fps

 

[sgtsquid]

That would make a great Jackass stunt! A line of redcoats firing rubber balls at a brick wall from 20 yards!

 

[sgtsquid]

Better yet, when I finish Guenevieve I can fire a load of rubber buckshot at a wall and see if it works!

 

[necchi]

I discovered them today and am all sorts of curious.

I'm curious too,
For what intention would these projectiles be?
Target? Hunting?
I mean I learned real early too that ML's are kinda like a neat little mini cannon that can launch stuff,, I mean most of what your gonna stuff in there is gonna come out,, but to what end? What reason?
We did have one guy here that experimented with marbles, and then he moved on to brass bearings,,
,, but something that is "made" to bounce??

 

[andy52]

I suppose they could be used to take small game similar to blunt arrow tips which I have used to kill rabbits a time or two.

 

[Notchy Bob]

I would be concerned about bounce-back as well as plastic residue in the barrel. Paintballs, I believe, are normally shot with compressed air. Black powder generates a good deal of heat, which may affect the structural integrity of the projectile. I wouldn't shoot them in any of my guns, nor would I want to be nearby if someone else is shooting them. The result could very well be harmless, or even humorous. However, we don't know that.

This may be a good time to point out that steel ball bearings are also very dangerous, due to the risk of ricochet and bounce-back. There is some cautious experimentation in the industry with non-lead projectiles, due to lead prohibitions in some areas. Plastic-saboted "Eco-Slugs" and the TomBob ITX (iron-tungsten matrix) balls are examples, but these can be very hard on your rifle bore if the sabot or patch slips.

We had a thread going a few months ago about shooting rock salt and even okra seed out of smooth bored muzzleloaders. These are lightweight, so won't carry far or bounce back, and won't melt in your barrel. However, these are typically "special purpose" loads used to deter pests.

As @necchi pointed out, some people apparently feel a compulsion to poke things down muzzleloader barrels. The park staff at Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, here in Florida, have described finding trash, golf balls, tennis balls, and all sorts of junk stuffed in the cannon barrels. These guns are used for blank firings over the waterway, and the have to be carefully examined before every demonstration, primarily because of the idiotic pranks of tourists.

I'm not one to rain on anybody's parade, but I am a "traditionalist." Rubber or paintball projectiles in a muzzleloader may very well be harmless, or might even provide material for some good jokes and stories. However, I think I'll stick with lead.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[deermanok]

You'll shoot your eye out.

 

[Bassdog1]

I dont know why it just seems like a bad idea to me. I imagine someone will try it and a thread will get started about "I have a rubber ball stuck in my barrel" I think I will stick with lead.

 

[Justin.44]

The best bit is that they are 500 for $100 so should they prove(or if already proven) viable, they would be incredibly inexpensive.

A box of 100 Hornady .490 balls is about $16, so 500 lead balls would be $80. Cheaper and already proven viable!

 

[3Setters]

How small are these balls, shot size? Could this lead to shoot & release hunting?

 

[fleener]

I would worry about them burning and leaving residue in your barrel. I also would think that they would be eradicate after leaving the barrel.

Sounds like you are determined to give it a try! Your time, money and ML, so go for it!

Fleener