Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Round balls.

For hunting, i do believe a guy is better off with regular open sights, if you can Shoot them well you are FAR Better off 👍 Peep Sights SUCK in Low Light Conditions such as first light, and just before Dark, both of which are PRIME time for Game. I injured my right Eye many years ago working in the Timber industry, I can NOT shoot regular open sights worth a Darn! I see blurry, Even some double vision, When i look Through a Peep i can see CLEARLY again 👍 I just know that i am limited when it comes to Low light

It isn't legal in Missouri but I have targeted two patched round balls in a .58 barreled Remington rolling block converted to inline. It was done before you could get them from Cabellas in the '70s. A pair of Sharon rifled blanks were made to fit interchangeably so one could be a .45 target barrel and the other a .58 hunting barrel. The sights were never installed on the .45 but I used the 58 in a few whitetails seasons. I never targeted the double roundball load except at 50 yards. The two balls hit the target side by side. Wish I had saved that target. If it were legal I would hunt with it some more. I went to an altered minie' at 705 grains. The base plug had been reduced in size and the mould made quite a projectile. Guess I should get it back out and hunt with it. I have used a roundball on deer once. I was mainly squirrel hunting but carrying a Ruget Old Army for fun. Going down a trail and doe coming up. Stopped and made some noise and she kept on coming. I center punched the white spot on the throat and she dropped so fast I couldn't see for the white smoke. as it cleared I saw he flat on the ground not moving. The ball hit and went through the spine then followed the skin for a ways. It was some great meat. I will shoot a fat doe any year instead of a buck unless a large buck comes by and says please shoot me. Trophies are OK I guess but I sure like the meat. Good luck in the field with the round ball. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

I have an adjustable peep on two sights that will let in more light if you want it. I don't know how available they are these days. Could they help with low light shooting maybe? Or take out the peep insert and use it like a ghost ring. You could even put some whiteout on the outside visible surface of the ring to make it easier to find. Maybe it could assist in lower light shots? An idea to test one day. Dillonbuck I wish I had some photos for you. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

That has me curious? Is it a Hadley Eye cup? How does it adjust?

Like this?


Or like this?

Will hopefully be doing some more field research, this coming week, with a patched round ball in Wisconsin's muzzleloader season. I too have no problems with my 32" GM barrel in a tree stand.

Round balls are remarkable killers...contrary to conventional wisdom.

For sure and certain---

I was thinking a Ft Union soldier - but you may be right! (Ain't that far from Rayado, as the mountain man travels).

I have a quickly approaching date back up in Kansas, will try to give a big buck up there a 58 cal round ball for an early Christmas present.

Funny you mention Ft. Union. If they had any company riflemen there that were issued M1841 "American Yagers", the arsenal issue cartridges for that rifle had the patch hand sewed around a .54 calibre round ball!!!

Just some useless trivia for the morning!

I've shot several deer with my Traditions .50 caliber flintlock- - - - -36" barrel, 1:66" rifling twist, and pure lead .490" patched round balls over 80 grains of 3-F black powder. The furthest I 've ever had to track one was less than 50 yards. Most of them dropped within 10 yards or less.
Jerry

A couple of .40 calibre (.395") RB’s. One out of about a 120 lb hog. Other out of a deer.

Sand bank Backstop



You can actually see the Patch imprint

I wish I knew where it went, after he died - I'd like to measure it! I never heard of such a thing, Bob! Hand sewn? For speed reloading, maybe?

Well kinda like speed loading. More convienence. They had them rolled in their paper ctgs just like musket ctgs. Riflemen were issued a leather pouch much like a regular hunting pouch. And a powder horn( early on) which was replaced in the 1830’s by a metal powder flask. ( the paper ctgs were carried in a belly box on their waistbelt). They carried all the makins’ for the ctgs as well as traditional loading too. You know, the army has a particular way they like to do things.

The history and types of the early martial rifles in US service is very interesting. They devised some pretty neat firearms. I’m refering to the era before the adoption of the rifled-musket in the 1850’s.

It is a subject that has the potential to gets some early military purist into heated debates.

I never have recovered a round ball. But deer flop over when hit with one with a 54 caliber round ball. I don't know the energy either. The only thing I would say negative about the rouond ball is it is a bit wind sensitive.

I have not recovered a round ball but it was in the guts somewhere. .570" .. speer or hornady, I forget which. Launched by 120 grains of Goex FFg and an RWS magnum #11 cap. I shot the deer almost head on, slipped the ball into the crease at the base of the neck, punched the heart and liver, and went somewhere "south" beyond that without exiting. I have never seen so much blood, 'course, it was my first and only deer in the snow which made the red all that much more visible.

Tom

TOM,

I did just about the same thing to a dink spike about 40 years ago. Run up a hill right in front of me. Mebbe 6 or 7 yards away. .535 Hornady RB and 120 grns of FFG. Right thru top of brisket and right down the spine. Kinda filleted the backstraps.