Shooting steel ball bearings out of a Pedersoli Bess

[Story]

by the time you see a wendigo it has already called your name.......

Meh, old squaws' tale. It's their teeth you have to worry about.
http://www.prairieghosts.com/wendigo.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO98NMMgp0Y

 

[Zonie]

I don't know about werewolves but I know that wendigos, day's gone. :grin:

As for the balls in ball bearings, they are just about as hard as steel can get, often ranging from Rockwell C 65 to 67.

Despite their hardness, I think if they are patched with cloth or leather that's at least 1/64" (.016) thick the patching would protect the bore from any damage unless the bore was choked.

Lead balls can be swaged to a smaller size as they pass thru the choke. Ball bearings can't.

 

[kingsax26]

It may or may not be an idea my friend, But you could just go to the local sporting goods store and buy a bag of fishing sinkers and melt them down. Here in NY i can get lead free weights at just about everywhere...It wouldnt be the most econimcal but you said that you arent shooting alot...may be cheaper than buying bismuth or other metals....IDK as of right now i can still use lead..

 

[Loyalist Dave]

No matter what you do..., if you have to make them or buy them and they are not obviously steel, tungsten, or brass..., especially if you cast them yourself, you will want to test the metal before casting or using. There are such Lead Testers available.

LD

 

[spudnut]

support grass roots movements to bring it back...ridiculous

 

[nit wit]

California really sucks! Just about as un-American as you can get. Folks have sold themselves for gold!
Nit Wit :shake:

 

[nkbj]

Well, cast from gold it would only be about 170 dollars per shot.
There's people pay a lot more than that for hunting trips all the time!

 

[BrownBear]

Well, cast from gold it would only be about 170 dollars per shot.

Would that be $1,700 per shot, based on an ounce of gold?

But still you're right about the prices folks are paying for hunting these days.

 

[Toomuch51]

Well, cast from gold it would only be about 170 dollars per shot.

This would of course depend on the caliber of your shot. :thumbsup:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Here in the far left state of California, lead has been outlawed for hunting. That means that I can't carry any lead ball on me in the forest. If a game warden stops me it's very unfortunate, and apparently often involves the loss of the firearm.

They make a bismuth ball for the .62 bores but nothing bigger, apparently.

A steel 11/16" ball bearing is .6875" and my Pedersoli Bess has a diameter of .72". Is there any reason why I can't shoot these with a good patch? Actually I'm not really looking to shoot lots, just carry my Bess on my woods walks without simply carrying a useless metal and wood bar around.

How would I test fire these?

Advice welcome. Thanks in advance.

Am I the only one smart enough to see what California's lead free projectile requirements are, before postulating possible substitutes?..............

 

[wahkahchimaol.com]

Apparently, yes. I've read the requirements, but perhaps I missed something. Please continue...

 

[Britsmoothy]

Another thing to consider with ball bearing material is what happens should a ball bounce skyward and strike a condor??

B.

 

[Hipshot]

It's just a another slick back door way to deter firearms ownership and hunting. The left at it's best. Makes some pencil neck wackos feel good about themselves. If you can, move away and take your tax dollars to a state that honors your rights. If that's not practical, spend several hours each week doing anything to make liberals who support this manure unhappy :rotf:

 

[azmntman]

Substitute tax! :shocked2:

 

[Claude Mathis]

CDFW and the California Fish and Game Commission have developed a process to certify projectiles as meeting the nonlead threshold (less than or equal to 1 percent lead content) for purposes of these regulations. A continuously updated list of certified nonlead ammunition for hunting is available on the CDFW website.

Manufacturers are required to undergo an application process to have their ammunition certified as legal for use. Information regarding the certification process is also available on the CDFW website.

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Nonlead-Ammunition/Certified

 

[Rifleman1776]

CDFW and the California Fish and Game Commission have developed a process to certify projectiles as meeting the nonlead threshold (less than or equal to 1 percent lead content) for purposes of these regulations. A continuously updated list of certified nonlead ammunition for hunting is available on the CDFW website.

Manufacturers are required to undergo an application process to have their ammunition certified as legal for use. Information regarding the certification process is also available on the CDFW website.

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Nonlead-Ammunition/Certified

A bloated bureaucracy gone wild. Especially sad this is in the U.S.

 

[coloradoclyde]

CDFW and the California Fish and Game Commission have developed a process to certify projectiles as meeting the nonlead threshold (less than or equal to 1 percent lead content) for purposes of these regulations. A continuously updated list of certified nonlead ammunition for hunting is available on the CDFW website.

Manufacturers are required to undergo an application process to have their ammunition certified as legal for use. Information regarding the certification process is also available on the CDFW website.

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Nonlead-Ammunition/Certified

That is to what I was referring.... :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

I do see one individual's name on the list appearing to make 38/55 bullets out of bismuth....But I don't see the OP's yet.

My understanding is that if it's not on the list, lead free or not it's still illegal.

 

[Zonie]

I admit I didn't open all of those PDF files and read them but I am sure they all were for bullets.

That's fine for the folks who shoot those modern things but nowhere have I ever seen a approved listing by the State of California for any approved roundballs for muzzleloaders.

If you hunt in California with a roundball, I believe whatever your shooting must be "On The List".

That leaves all the muzzleloading rifle shooters out in the cold.

 

[BrownBear]

Makes me wonder about "shot." ITX round balls come to mind.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I admit I didn't open all of those PDF files and read them but I am sure they all were for bullets.

That's fine for the folks who shoot those modern things but nowhere have I ever seen a approved listing by the State of California for any approved roundballs for muzzleloaders.

If you hunt in California with a roundball, I believe whatever your shooting must be "On The List".

That leaves all the muzzleloading rifle shooters out in the cold.

Tombob outdoors llc. is just one example that has the ITX round balls listed on the list..

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=91765&inline