Anyone try ball-ets

[Billhuntz]

Has anyone tried the Buffalo Bullet Ball-ets? I am wondering how they would work in a slow twist rifle. I like the idea of extra mass in a hunting situation.

 

[Rebel]

I've tried them on Mule deer here in Ore. I went back to rd balls. Have had faster, cleaner kills with the rd balls. Just my experience.

 

[Slamfire]

I use the 245 grainers in my .50, they shoot almost as small groups as the prbs. :applause:

 

[Maynerd62411]

My brother-in-law swears by them in his Traditions .50.

 

[Bolink654]

Heres a few I dug outta a old dead tree. Along with maxi-balls and round ball. I cut them all in half with a knife... I had to wear a leather glove, pad the back of the knife, and put all my weight on it to cut the ball-ets. They are surely harder than roundball. Not a WHOLE lot, but harder.

True, a tree isnt like flesh. In fact, my grandpa shot a deer once, we went to the truck to get knife, pen, and take off some clothes. When we got back he was sitting up, looking around. In an effort to not lose meat, I shot it again in the neck with a PRB. RB followed its spine, ended up in the opposite side, just under the skin, flattened out at least as big as a quarter.

OTOH, I've found some that barely expanded. I reckon it all has to do with wether they went though the chest, hitting soft lungs, or someplace else, hitting lots of bone and such.

Anyway, the tree still shows that the ball-et probably wont expand as much as a roundball. All of them were out of a .50

EDIT: For a bit bigger pic, click here I wasnt aware the forum re-sizes them.

 

[lockjaw]

...i recently tried them in my .50 renegade...out to 50 yds they were deadly accurate, but at 100yds they were all over the place... :shake:

 

[ryoung14]

Extra mass is good, so is a quick reload at times.

While shooting yesterday, I was surprised to find that the .54 295 gr. Black Belt bullet (they call 'em Powerbelts now) goes to virtually the same point of aim and groups just as well as a PRB when shot from my T/C Hawken with .54 GM slow-twist roundball barrel. Only tried it at 65 yards with 90 gr. RS, so further investigation is needed....but those things sure load easy. Might be the answer for a quick follow-up shot. The Greenhill formula seems to indicate that they'll stabilize OK in a 1-in-70 twist barrel.
Bob

 

Tried the 240 grn Hornady PA conicals in my 50 cal with a 1 in 70 twist and they did fine at 75 yards. Only tried them on paper so I could'nt give you a account on their performance on live game.

 

[playfarmers]

I used the 245g 50 cal Bal-ets for one season and went back to prb's. I haven't found any of the bullets that kill as good as the prb. Just my humble opinion.

 

[Elkinde]

I just bought a box of them and about to try them out in a couple of differant Hawken rifles. One a 1:66 twist and the other a 1:48 . I'll try to remember to post the results. Basically have used round balls 80% of the time. I'm planning on experimenting with lots of stuff soon.

 

[Bolink654]

I'll be tryin some of everything[url] blackjackhill.com[/url] carries, soon as I get it. Well, except his roundball. But the REAL, Minies, Maxi-hunters, and that .501 450 Grain RF BP they got that was meant to be loaded in the .500 S&W cartridge.
I'll be sure ta dig a few of everything out of a tree :haha: Thats half the fun! I've dug bullets from everthing I've got out of trees. Most impressive expansion - 12 guage slug. Most impressive penetration... the 7.62x54r Czech steel core 148gr silvertip. In fact, never did find any of them, even tried stacking up 30" of hickory blocks. Clean through.

 

Let us know of your results. I'd be interested in hearing of them.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

I might get to go shoot my muzzleloader tomarrow. I got a thing of the 310gr Baffalo Ball-ets to try out of the 54. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[sdakotadoug]

My experience with the Ball-ets and Triple 7 in a 50 cal. with 1 in 66 twist is the first 25 rounds were very accurate, the next 25 good and the next 25 horrible. Is it leading, is it the Triple 7, is it the combo, or is it just me? Went back to the round ball. Although I did kill a buffalo with one, shot through the neck, never recovered the Ball-et.Doug

 

[leadball]

I got a bear permit this past fall and was going to use the ballets but some local people said that they have used the 50 prb for bear over bait and the bear fell soon after being hit with the prb. Good stout loads. and close range. Sadly, I didnt get a bear this fall to prove that theory....maybe next year

 

[John Wasmuth]

I tried em in my .32, the .45, and the .50. I'm stickin ta round ball.

 

[Bountyhunter]

I typically use PRB. However, when I want for brutal knock down power, I use the Hornady Great Plains 390 gr bullet in my Santa Fe Hawken. It is a 1:66 twist .53 cal and I set that GP over 120 gr of FFg. It shoots fine out to about 70 yards, but will begin to spread after that.

When serious hunting, I always load and fire a fouling shot before swabbing and reloading for good. That way, any oil or lube in the barrel gets burned out and I have basically a clean barrel. That's just what works best for my rifle.

Typical deer hunting out to 100 yards, I have never had a buck need a second shot after hitting him with my hunting load of 120gr/FFg and a .520 prb. Typical bucks get knocked off their feet and stay down. If I am seriously hunting for a particular large buck, then I drop in a Great Plains bullet. They are essentially square, being not much longer than they are wide, and seem to do well in my rifle barrel. When they go in, they blow the hair out of the hide for a half an inch around the entry hole, and they leave an inch and a half hole on the other side where they come out, so I cant really say how they expand, but I know the animal drops in its tracks. I think you just have to try different things and see what will/will not work in your rifle barrel, they are all different.

Bill