Ball flattening on impact or no?

[GreyWhiskers]

I shot a pure lead .492" R/Ball into ballistic gel. It traveled 21" before stopping. It was somewhat flattened but lost less than a grain of it's original weight.

You can see the ball about half way down on the right side. The channel on the left was made by a hard bismuth/tin r/ball and it passed completely thru.

It's trajectory changed upward as it started to flatten.

I think that pure lead balls will expand in game even if they don't hit bone. Even so, r/balls have great penetration in deer size game. That's why we rarely retrieve them. GW

 

[Grumpa]

Well done, cc.

 

[Grumpa]

Very interesting information re brass balls.

 

[BrownBear]

How much powder was behind that ball, and what distance did you make the shots into gel?

 

[GreyWhiskers]

Bear, that was with 80 gr of 3f at about 20 yds from the muzzle. (1650 fps plus)

 

[roundball]

Well darn...the photo is changed on Photobucket, but the URL brings up the old photo...maybe the MLF and/or PB systems takes a while to catch up.

STUMPKILLER...If you'd be good enough to delete the photos with the calipers in it I'd appreciate it.

Looks like the systems finally got caught up so the caliper image can stay.

 

[BrownBear]

Bear, that was with 80 gr of 3f at about 20 yds from the muzzle. (1650 fps plus)

Huh....

Based on a number of deer killed with 90 grains of 3f under a .530 at 40-60 yards, I'd have expected more deformation. No balls recovered mind you (except one that severed the spine in the neck), but the exit holes in the hide made me think the ball had "opened" a fair bit.

Thanks for the edumacation! :grin:

 

[okawbow]

I rarely have a ball exit a deer when shot with my 54 flintlock. I use a 110 gr of 2 f black powder load. The ball is normally just under the hide on the offside shoulder.


photo (2) by

okawbow, on Flickr
This is a ball recovered from a small buck I killed in the December
Illinois muzzleloader season.

 

[tddeangelo]

Shot a doe last night, but she didn't stop the 0.600 ball!

The exit wound showed no obvious increase in size, though no major bone was contacted on the ball's passage.

 

[rodwha]

What was your load and the distance?

Congratulations!

 

[tddeangelo]

0.600" ball, 0.024" patch, 120gr 2F Goex. Distance was 42 yards.

 

[B.Habermehl]

It would take a highly unusual shot angle for a averaged sized deer to stop a .600 dia. Ball. I had a large old doe at 30 yards quartering towards me. I shot her with my .58 cal English rifle 28 inch barrel .562 dia ball, 80 grains fffg. The ball traveled diagonally through the deer stopping under the skin of the inside of the opposite ham. It is the only ball I have ever recovered from a deer. It was only slightly damaged with some slight flattening of the leading side. No doubt I get much lower velocity with my short barrel and lighter powder charge than you do with yours. The deer still think it's deadly poison though. My brother in law recovered a ball from his deer a broad side liver shot with a .45 cal rifle 80 gains fffg 38 in barrel. It was a classic coat button under the hide off side. I think that flattening is very velocity,alloy,and anatomy. dependent. BJH