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muzzleloader round balls #6176903
03/03/18 09:42 PM
03/03/18 09:42 PM
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 109
Cobleskill, NY
turkey Offline OP
trapper
turkey  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 109
Cobleskill, NY
does anybody have any luck with really good accuracy regarding hornady round balls diameter .490 in modern day inlines im paying about 1.25 just for a 50 cal powerbelt bullet alone when i can get 100 round balls for less than $20.basically its a budget thing, i basically only shoot 50 yards but would like the option of shooting 100 i dont and will not take any shots over 100 yards as of ethics regarding muzzleloader accuracy at longer ranges. i can load and shoot 6 powerbelts without cleaning my muzzleloader and have ease of loading and accuracy is the same regardless of how many shots i shoot through it. will i have to clean my muzzleloader more if i shoot patched round balls throu it? any help on what kinda lube and patches to use would be much appreciated as well

thanks turkey

Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6176921
03/03/18 10:09 PM
03/03/18 10:09 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 763
NW Oregon
R
remrogers Offline
trapper
remrogers  Offline
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R

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 763
NW Oregon
I shoot .490 balls in a flintlock that has only a 48" twist. Good accuracy out to 125 yards, but the first shot, with a clean barrel, is ALWAYS six inches high at 100 yards, with my rifle. You can try rounds in an inline, but I don't know what the accuracy would be. Most likely has a faster twist and more suited to conical bullets. Give it a try and see if it works. Can usually get around ten shots without running a rag down the barrel before there is enough residue to make loading difficult. Only use black powder, though.

Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6176927
03/03/18 10:14 PM
03/03/18 10:14 PM
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 109
Cobleskill, NY
turkey Offline OP
trapper
turkey  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 109
Cobleskill, NY
wb black powder substitutes like triple 7???

Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6176930
03/03/18 10:18 PM
03/03/18 10:18 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 763
NW Oregon
R
remrogers Offline
trapper
remrogers  Offline
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R

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 763
NW Oregon
Haven't ever shot anything but black powder. Maybe someone with knowledge of it will chime in.

Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6176935
03/03/18 10:25 PM
03/03/18 10:25 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,153
Alaska and Washington State
W
waggler Offline
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waggler  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,153
Alaska and Washington State
The advantage of something like a Powerbelt other than accuracy is that they are a lot heavier than a round ball and therefore can have greater killing power. If you are talking about muzzleloader hunting I would use a conical if legal and I wouldn't be too concerned about the economics when it comes to making sure you have the most lethal round possible.
If you're just shooting for fun then go for the round balls and see what load and patching works best with your rifle.


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6176939
03/03/18 10:29 PM
03/03/18 10:29 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,386
williams,mn
trapper les Offline
trapper
trapper les  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,386
williams,mn
The round ball does better in a longer twist barrel. Mine is a 54. caliber with a 1 in 60 twist. Very accurate . The tighter twist a barrel has the better in will stabilize the longer conical bullets .


"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not."
Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6176950
03/03/18 10:42 PM
03/03/18 10:42 PM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 10,404
Northeast Oklahoma
M
Mike in A-town Offline
trapper
Mike in A-town  Offline
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M

Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 10,404
Northeast Oklahoma
The twist in your barrel will likely be the biggest factor effecting your accuracy. I don't know what the twist is in your inline... Probably faster than a sidelock.

If it's a fast twist you might be able to reduce your powder charge some to keep a patched ball from stripping past the rifling... But I don't know how much advantage that would give you on shooting at game.

Mike


One man with a gun may control 100 others who have none.

Vladimir Lenin
Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6176965
03/03/18 10:55 PM
03/03/18 10:55 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,386
williams,mn
trapper les Offline
trapper
trapper les  Offline
trapper

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,386
williams,mn
Generally speaking, inlines aren't round ball shooters to begin with. They usually have shorter barrels with a faster twist and are intended to shoot a conical round that is longer and heavier . If you want to shoot round balls (because it's a whole lot cheaper) buy a gun with a long barrel and a slow twist that is made for that, like, say, my Lyman Plains Rifle in 54.


"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not."
Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6176967
03/03/18 10:57 PM
03/03/18 10:57 PM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,689
pa
H
hippie Offline
trapper
hippie  Offline
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H

Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,689
pa
If you shoot alot, you can buy just the sabot and then buy pistol bullets for in them.
50 sabots are around 10 bucks and pistol bullets are around a dime a piece.

I looked them up for ya.
https://www.cabelas.com/product/Harvester-Caliber-Sabots-Per/740368.uts


Last edited by hippie; 03/03/18 11:02 PM.
Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6176998
03/03/18 11:27 PM
03/03/18 11:27 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,105
Piney va. soon be 19
cotton Offline
trapper
cotton  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,105
Piney va. soon be 19
horaday xtp 250 grain bullet in a sabot, most deer are dead right there.


John 3/16

ifin your gonna be dumb ya gotta be tough
VTA life member

Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6177056
03/04/18 01:01 AM
03/04/18 01:01 AM
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5,101
Northern Michigan
J
J.Morse Offline
trapper
J.Morse  Offline
trapper
J

Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5,101
Northern Michigan
I agree with the conical bullet deal in an inline, so if budget is a concern, just buy a conical bullet mold and pour your own.


Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6177064
03/04/18 01:17 AM
03/04/18 01:17 AM
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,758
Arkansas
W
Wallace Offline
trapper
Wallace  Offline
trapper
W

Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,758
Arkansas
Try them round balls. If you can hit where you are aiming with em, idont see why you couldnt kill anything you wanted with em

Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6177067
03/04/18 01:40 AM
03/04/18 01:40 AM
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 776
MN, USA
star flakes Offline
trapper
star flakes  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 776
MN, USA
The short answer in this, is do not shoot round balls, as what is the price of shooting a deer with a 182 grain lead ball, which does not kill as efficiently as the loads available in the minnie balls or the sabots.
For deer, the sabot is the choice as components are affordable, and you can shoot a jacketed bullet which will penetrate and kill far more effectively.

There is the issue of twist in an inline is reamed faster than the old round balls in being 1 in 48. You should ask yourself why the old hunters threw those round balls away, as did the military for maxie and minnie balls, and the answer was range and killing power offered in the heavy bullet. With slower moving black powder, a major factor is the weight of the bullet for penetration as speed is not available.

If you had a chance to harvest a trophy buck of a lifetime which weighed 300 pounds, do you want to be standing there regretting you had an inferior round ball because it was cheaper as it ran off and you spend hours trying to find it.

Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6177174
03/04/18 08:57 AM
03/04/18 08:57 AM

K
krispcritter
Unregistered
krispcritter
Unregistered
K



Turkey sent you a PM. I have Lee R.e.a.l. bullets in 250 grain 50 cal I could send you to try.

Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6177208
03/04/18 09:43 AM
03/04/18 09:43 AM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,738
Iowa
C
coydog2 Offline
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,738
Iowa
I use a side lock and used round ball in it beside real bullet and yes you can take down a deer.but alot of times they do not stay down if the twist in your barrel is not made for the size and use of what you are usen.I found that out the hard way.If like stated if it is a fast twist like my side locks are then it is for sabot. If it is slow twist it is made for round ball and real bullet.So for the fast twist for my side lock is made for sabots and cast bullets of use for 45-70. It is over a 1" boolit.the mold is from Lee and say for the weight of about 405grs depend on the alloy you use.I use it this deer season during the early muzzle loader season and got a young 8 point at about 35yards and the deer drop in its tracks.Did not get that with round balls in the same rifle and same amount of powder by volume.I just buy the sabots and cast my own boolits.It works for me now.I did get a used side lock with a slow twist that will be able to use the round ball and patch and real bullets I got it already.If it takes 24" to do one complete turn when you pull the rod up. You have a fast twist in your barrel.It is for sabots. If it take 48" for one complete turn then it is for real bullet and round ball to get the best out of that barrel. If it is wrong for what I wrote then please correct it.


Life member of DAV,NTA,NRA,ITA.Also member of FTA,CBA
Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6177284
03/04/18 10:36 AM
03/04/18 10:36 AM
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,087
Wright county, Minnesota
Birch Tree Offline
trapper
Birch Tree  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,087
Wright county, Minnesota
I use the Hornady 240grn XTP .44 cal hollow points in green sabot sleeves, deadly bullet with very very good accuracy, longest kill on a deer with it for me was 125 yards from a CVA inline. I paid right around 20-22.00 per 100 plus another 7.00 or so for the sleeves.


Mark Skokan, Buffalo MN.

MTA and NTA Member.
Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6177499
03/04/18 01:11 PM
03/04/18 01:11 PM
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,892
new york
M
mike mason Offline
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mike mason  Offline
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M

Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,892
new york
My .54 Hawkens shoots round balls with great accuracy, but went to Power Belts for ease of loading just like you did.

Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6177610
03/04/18 03:03 PM
03/04/18 03:03 PM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,689
pa
H
hippie Offline
trapper
hippie  Offline
trapper
H

Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,689
pa
The twist will determine if you can shoot a round ball. anything faster than 1-48 and the ball will knuckle. You may be able to adjust your sights so that it hits dead on at a certain yardage, but 20 yards either way and it will probably be way off. Kinda like a baseball pitcher throwing a curve ball. Puts the spin to it, it looks way outside the zone until it gets to the plate.

Below 1-48, most in the 1-28 range are made for longer bullets. Above 1-48, closer to 1-60 are ideal round ball barrels. Sorry, but that's the law of physics.

1-48 twists are what we call "tweeners", will shoot both for the half.

Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: turkey] #6177668
03/04/18 04:10 PM
03/04/18 04:10 PM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,689
pa
H
hippie Offline
trapper
hippie  Offline
trapper
H

Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,689
pa
Not to hijack the thread, but does anyone shoot a gain-twist barrel?

Re: muzzleloader round balls [Re: star flakes] #6177707
03/04/18 04:46 PM
03/04/18 04:46 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,386
williams,mn
trapper les Offline
trapper
trapper les  Offline
trapper

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,386
williams,mn
Originally Posted By: star flakes
The short answer in this, is do not shoot round balls, as what is the price of shooting a deer with a 182 grain lead ball, which does not kill as efficiently as the loads available in the minnie balls or the sabots.
For deer, the sabot is the choice as components are affordable, and you can shoot a jacketed bullet which will penetrate and kill far more effectively.

There is the issue of twist in an inline is reamed faster than the old round balls in being 1 in 48. You should ask yourself why the old hunters threw those round balls away, as did the military for maxie and minnie balls, and the answer was range and killing power offered in the heavy bullet. With slower moving black powder, a major factor is the weight of the bullet for penetration as speed is not available.

If you had a chance to harvest a trophy buck of a lifetime which weighed 300 pounds, do you want to be standing there regretting you had an inferior round ball because it was cheaper as it ran off and you spend hours trying to find it.
Well, come on now, the whole idea of shooting the round ball in the first place is so that you can be proud of the work you did there, if you happen to be shooting a round ball shooter. My .54 is a 235 grain pill and will go through both front shoulders of any deer within the reasonable limits of this gun. I don't have to take that trophy buck at any cost if I have to lower my morals to do it.


"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not."
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