Cannon shooting at the range

[Rich44]

Wow, been a long time since I fired a cannon at the range...YOU FORGOT TO CHOCK THE WHEELS!!!

Oh, it's so tiny, and Darn Cute!!

Thank you.

It doesn't cost much to feed it.
Can be moved around single handedly.
Makes a nice bang.
Cleans up rather easily.
Can keep it in the living room.
Was fun to make.
And helps keep my sanity in this world of perplexity today.

 

[Mad L]

Thank you.

It doesn't cost much to feed it.
Can be moved around single handedly.
Makes a nice bang.
Cleans up rather easily.
Can keep it in the living room.
Was fun to make.
And helps keep my sanity in this world of perplexity today.

We have an old timer here with a full scale Civil War cannon he hand built, I guess from his stories back in the 60s. I love visiting him and looking at all the miniatures he has all over his livingroom, says most can be fired. Unfortunately he is not not doing well, especially after his dog died about a year ago.
Last one I fired, full scale, was maybe 5 years ago, but I will never forget the day at a public range when three women pulled up with a full scale CW....none of us knew they where coming until suddenly *SHE BELLOWED OUT* - that day suddenly got exciting!! (Was also the day my wife and I first met...go figure...summer of 2008)

 

[JeffG]

A little camera work and your imagination takes over.

Dahlgren video

 

[Captndan]

Not much poof. Was that a light load?

 

[JeffG]

Yes, later on I was shooting steel Fox balls. Cast the gun into the breaching ropes, much better.

 

[Rich44]

that day suddenly got exciting!! (Was also the day my wife and I first met...go figure...summer of 2008)

Was your wife one of those cannon girls.?

A little camera work and your imagination takes over.

Your still picture for sure lets it look bigger, and your second shot was very nice. Did you hit the target?

 

[JeffG]

The target was elusive, but all the shots landed in the backstop.

 

[Mad L]

Was your wife one of those cannon girls.?

No, we were from two differen crews that just happened to get together for some live fire and safety training. The three women with the cannon just snuck up on us, we knew them however...the other 'funny' part was when the wife of the cannon owner said "My husband doesn't know we are here...."

 

[Rich44]

A little camera work and your imagination takes over.

This is one of those pictures the more you look at it the more it grows on you. Like how you took the picture at eye level. That is a nice looking cannon. Also like that shooting board you have made,. Can you tell us a little more about your cannon?

 

[JeffG]

It's a golf ball bore Dahlgren, made by Dom Carpenter. It weighs about 30 pounds. I am a huge Dahlgren fan, so getting it on a deck, with breaching rope was paramount. The deck started out as a kitchen type drawer, that I built the deck on it. The whole thing is hinged, there is storage "below decks".

I started out shooting blanks and golf balls. Upping the powder charge made golf balls pretty unpredictable in flight. I started using Fox, or Rotometal steel balls. I can't remember, I bought a bucket of them. They fly pretty straight, ricochet less, and I recover them, wash them off and reuse them. A good charge is right around 200 grs FFFG.

 

[1971fx]

Taking the cannon down to the range and blasting some 55 gallon drums is always fun. But then you have the chore of loading it back onto the truck again. But I can handle it.

Worcester NY cannon shoot

 

[1971fx]

Worcester NY cannon shoot

The round hits to the right of the far targets

 

[Rich44]

Worcester NY cannon shoot

Nice weather, cannons all lined up, I can see this would be a fun day, thanks.