How far will a BP cannon shoot a golf ball?

[Baxter]

Similarly, "shooting pool"; what's the deal with the wooden stick, anyhow? baxter

 

[Billnpatti]

It will all be a function of the size of the charge and the elevation of the muzzle. In any event, a half mile would not be out of the question.

 

[robinghewitt]

When talking cannon, the answer is, "Further than you think is possible" :rotf:

If you think it won't reach over the lake, over the hill, to that house etc. It will always surprise you :thumbsup:

 

[Rifleman1776]

This guy I know has a BP cannon that has a bore just right for a golf ball.

He lives 1/2 mile from a peice of property where I shoot and he said that he was shooting in my direction with golf balls in that cannon and he wondered if I ever found any of them.

I told him that I didn't think a golf ball would carry 1/2 mile, but he seems to think it will.

Do any of you know what the range of something like that would be? :surrender:

In fact he was shooting AT you. :shocked2: If I were you, I would be tempted to shoot back at him from close range with something far more accurate. :cursing:

 

[hawkeye2]

This is really scary! If he felt a golf ball would carry a half mile why was he shooting in a direction where you might be? :idunno: That would be similar to me firing an '06 at a high elevation in the direction of my neighbor's house (about 1/4 mile) and then going over and asking if he had observed any strikes in his yard.

"You'd be surprised. It all depends on the load, windage and elevation." Claypipe
You are correct there and factor in barrel length too and, no I wouldn't be supprised.

"My Navel cannon tosses a golf ball 830 yards using 90 gr of ff powder." crgabel
There is your half mile and I don't believe I would stand there with a baseball glove waiting to catch them.

I hope you won't think I'm preaching to the choir and I realize that those on this forum are knowledgeable and very safety oriented but some of the things I have heard and seen when it comes to small artillery are truly frightening. "It's only a golf ball and it's not a real cannon". I guess many out there don't believe a .45 or .50 caliber cannon model with a 4" or 5" barrel is the equal of one of Colt's .44 caliber revolving pistols or maybe those aren't real guns either.

"I think the "game" of golf would be immensely improved if cannons were employed." CProkopp
Specialty when playing through! :rotf:

 

[buzz]

In my GB bore cannon barrel is 19'' deep powder chamber
1'' x 3'' it toss a GB over the hill past 1000 yards target with 400 grains

 

Hey, look up the cannon incident with the Mythbusters knuckleheads.
https://www.google.com/search?q=my...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

 

[buzz]

Over the hill i was talking about is navy's gun range for jets itsa go at your own risk area

 

[No Powder]

You won't need a Driver. When you try it make sure you have a clear view and a clear area for a long, long ways. We tried it on a friends property along a river we had people up stream watching from behind trees for the splash, we were in touch with radios so we new when it was safe to fire. Our longest went over a half mile this was done years ago and I know longer know the charge. How ever the little cannon always did a back flip.

 

[Many Klatch]

Years ago we shot a golf ball mortar on a day when the wind was blowing pretty hard. The golf ball got up and then the wind caught it. It landed 60 yards to our right and 20 yards behind where we stood. So I proved to myself that even a cannon can't shoot a golf ball in a straight line.

Many Klatch

 

[M. De Land]

I remember one time when I took my bowling ball mortar down to Soldotna Alaska to visit my dieing brother-in- law and finally talked him into going with me a few miles from the house to shoot bowling balls.
He had terminal cancer and did not feel very good at the time but since it was a nice day and I had traveled 140 miles to see him he decided to get in the truck and go with me. His wife and son went along too. We set up on a ridge top over looking a swamp and river valley.
We were firing the bowling ball at about a 35-40 degree angle as I remember and it would arc up just about out of sight and land roughly a 1/4 of a mile, perhaps a bit more away and blow a guiser of muck up in the air 20 feet or so when it struck. Flight time was just about 17 seconds.
That put a smile on Robs face and he said he really appreciated me coming all the way down to show him that.
We fired off perhaps half a dozen balls or so and the whole family seemed enjoy the outing and to get a break from the pressure of dealing with the impending loss. I miss you Rob but will surely see you again where sickness and death are no more. MD
P.S. I don't think a golf ball will travel a half mile , regardless how much powder is behind it to begin with, but I could be wrong.

 

[buzz]

GB will go close to a mile if condition are right but they are all over the place in direction why i given up on them