Bess+ .357" balls.

[Britsmoothy]

Down my local toy store today I picked up some bore butter, some .445" balls and in a corner was an opened box of .375" ball with a label 'free to a good home' written on it. I asked if could have them and took them.

Now, next time I take greedy Bess out, how many of them balls should I roll down the fat girl??

B.

 

[tenngun]

One with a real thick patch :wink:
Half a dozen, or make a cartridge with a few and corn meal as a filler.

 

[azmntman]

No no no Brit! This was meant to be. Now you, by obligation, will need a .36 revolver. Even Mrs Brit can't stop fate as strong as this!! :thumbsup:

 

[Britsmoothy]

No no no Brit! This was meant to be. Now you, by obligation, will need a .36 revolver. Even Mrs Brit can't stop fate as strong as this!! :thumbsup:

:haha: :hatsoff:

 

[Britsmoothy]

One with a real thick patch :wink:
Half a dozen, or make a cartridge with a few and corn meal as a filler.

Six! I was thinking eight or ten!

B :thumbsup:

 

[Britsmoothy]

My booboo. .375". Not .357" :youcrazy: :redface:

 

[tenngun]

They are about 65 grains each, so you should be able to go up to 6-800 grains, 1-1/2 to near 2 oz. Ten to sixteen??? Should hit like the flat of an axe. Can you hunt the Queens deer? :grin:

 

[Britsmoothy]

They are about 65 grains each, so you should be able to go up to 6-800 grains, 1-1/2 to near 2 oz. Ten to sixteen??? Should hit like the flat of an axe. Can you hunt the Queens deer? :grin:

If she ain't watching :wink:

B.

 

[BrownBear]

Not sure about .375" or the bore diameter of your Bess. But with the largish bore of my Bess 3 of my .360" balls easily fit into a tier with a little room to spare. Three tiers of three is a devastating "buckshot" load. But 4 tiers of 3 patterned better, but almost certainly at a lower velocity.

I'd sure see if you can fit 3 into the the bore side by side. If so, you're sitting on the edge of a great performing buckshot combo.

 

[tenngun]

They are about 65 grains each, so you should be able to go up to 6-800 grains, 1-1/2 to near 2 oz. Ten to sixteen??? Should hit like the flat of an axe. Can you hunt the Queens deer? :grin:

If she ain't watching :wink:

B.

:haha:

 

[Britsmoothy]

Not sure about .375" or the bore diameter of your Bess. But with the largish bore of my Bess 3 of my .360" balls easily fit into a tier with a little room to spare. Three tiers of three is a devastating "buckshot" load. But 4 tiers of 3 patterned better, but almost certainly at a lower velocity.

I'd sure see if you can fit 3 into the the bore side by side. If so, you're sitting on the edge of a great performing buckshot combo.

Thanks BB.
.750" is guttsy Bess.

B.

 

[Britsmoothy]

They don't quite sit in a layer of three, more like 2&1/2!
Possibly under firing pressure they will compress enough to become three abreast!

B.

 

[tenngun]

That’s why I recommended the filler in a cartridge. I don’t know that soft lead balls under pressure would form an obstruction or not. Buck&ball was often loaded with the ball on top.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I would just toss into the lead pot and make them into balls the size you need.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Seven .375 balls weigh just about as much as 1 .710 ball ... and should corrispond to your loads with a single ball in the bess.

LD

 

[azmntman]

:shocked2: Like getting shot by Wild Bill Hickock with all cylinders plus 1....... ALL AT ONCE :surrender:

 

[Stumpkiller]

My Bess would hold three 0.315" balls in a "layer" and I added nine total for a fun "mayhem" use. Would be good outdoors at night - like for picket duty. Sure upset the region 30 yards out. Not much hope of calling any hits, though.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Thanks y'all.
Just going to have to test it all I guess :hatsoff:

B.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I tested (casually) the .375" balls out of fat Bess yesterday.
No pictures sorry but hay what a blast!

Nine X .375" was weak on 90grains of powder but 12x and hey, wow. Now greedy Bess start to talk!
Now we are into Deer medicine and capable to 25yds +!
Looking at the spreads from 5 shots (2x12) anything fox or larger is in trouble.

I also found it needs at least 5 OS cards as a wad or more. Certainly no less.

B.

 

[BrownBear]

Big Medicine!

If a single 40 cal ball will kill a deer, 12 of them is mobetta.