ITX non-toxic round balls

[roundball]

Couldn't afford to shoot it year round every weekend, but at least there will be an alternative for hunting if/when lead is ever banned.
http://www.tomboboutdoors.com/hunting-products.php

 

[RickD]

Interesting..Thanks for posting

 

[dbutch]

Roundball
How much per pound or per box ? couldn't find a price

 

[roundball]

To tell the truth I didn't even search for a price...but judging from the cost of ITX shot, it'll certainly be expensive...I guess we'll have to place a premium on planning our sight-in work to use a few as possible, then for deer hunting only a few are normally used anyway.

Haven't researched it so I don't know the purpose of the little flat belt around each birdshot...but then was REALLY surprised to see it around the round balls too. Seems like there could be different / inconsistent interference with the lands from one shot to the next depending on how it got loaded.

 

[dbutch]

Round ball ...I believe all steel shot has a belt around it before it's finished..this shot comes as is no finish...Black Cloud is the same way.i just looked up ITX shot in Ballistic products web site..129.50 for 7 pounds of shot.

 

[jethro224]

129.50 for 7 pounds of shot.

:hmm: At those prices, wouldn't it be just as cost-effective to just pay the fine and use lead? :haha:

 

[roundball]

129.50 for 7 pounds of shot.

:hmm: At those prices, wouldn't it be just as cost-effective to just pay the fine and use lead? :haha:

:grin:

 

[BrownBear]

I'm assuming that you'd load them with that larger ring as your bearing surface. I wonder what kind of variables that introduces, based on how accurately you orient the ball shot after shot.

 

[roundball]

Wondered that myself...a guy on another forum has done some testing and posted that it makes no difference whatsoever.

Ballistics Products now has them in their catalog:

ITX .50cal / 160grn Round Balls
A 12 pack cost $11.99

(But no sweat...the 12 pack includes 12 "free" patches :shake: )

 

[dbutch]

129.50 for 7 pounds of shot.

:hmm: At those prices, wouldn't it be just as cost-effective to just pay the fine and use lead? :haha:

Jethro..Funny you should mention that.I was at the range yesterday and another shooter about my age(older than dirt) got to talking bout hunting waterfowl- he said he just uses lead shot..says he would rather pay the fine?goes on to say he only uses it for field hunting and never over water..Ya-Right! I bluntly told him I don't want to hear it! :cursing: ..If you have ever seen what ducks and geese look like during the different stages of lead poisoning you would think differently. :shocked2: .it's not pretty!..Rant over! :yakyak:
I put more than my share of lead into the marshes when it was legal..lets hope it has all settled in the muck below the feed line.
Thanks for pulling my chain! :youcrazy:

 

[Jason Lewis]

on one hand, it's nice to see the industry making an attempt at non toxic round balls. on the other hand it's a pretty lame attempt. that's nice if you have a .50, but someone needs to find a replacement that can easily be cast into different calibers. i suppose you could use bismuth/tin and then pass out once you see your checking account balance.

 

[GreyWhiskers]

Thanks for posting this. CA has a large lead-free zone and at least this gives the traditional guys an alternative to lead roundballs.

GW

 

[DEWB]

I wonder if it shoots and penatrates the same as lead? At a buck a shot it ought to!

 

[roundball]

Thanks for posting this. CA has a large lead-free zone and at least this gives the traditional guys an alternative to lead roundballs.
GW

A guy at another site posted he'd done some range testing and was pleasantly surprised with the acuracy, that the flat belt around the ITS projectiles caused no accuracy issues in a rifled bore, etc.

And I wouldn't think the difference on game between a 160grn ball and one that normally weighs 175grns would be very noticeable.

 

[Skychief]

I haven't read this thread, so hopefully my comments aren't misplaced.

I HATE the idea of someday having lead taken out of the muzzleloading equation, even if just for hunting. Just another freedom down the drain! I am sick and tired of all these "smarter than thee" types mandating freedoms such as this.

If I live long enough, I can envision a day where I will need 4 or 5 battery charges for my enviro-car (read: tin can-mobile) enrout to Friendship to shoot my matches with hard rubber balls! That is if the people miles downwind aren't clamoring that our blackpowder smoke is creating 3-headed calves, 5-legged frogs or whatnot. :bull:

What ever happened to 'Don't tread on me' ? :idunno:

 

[roundball]

No arguement out of me...but reality is that the lead ban thing is starting to slide down that slippery slope a little.
But thankfuly, SOMEBODY is looking at a non-toxic lead ball alternative for hunting...otherwise, a lot of side locks might start gathering dust during hunting seasons.

 

[BrownBear]

Amen to that. A good fight might turn it around, but there could be a lot of years between a ban and winning the fight against the ban. I prefer to keep shooting (legally) while mounting the fight.

Good info. Let us know if you get to try shooting them. Performance is the ultimate measure. If you need letters of support for 54 and 58 cal balls, count on this correspondent for help.

 

[tg]

I suspect that now is the time to fight it, once you accept it you will likely be stuck with it.

 

[roundball]

A national organization for muzzleloading would be an excellent vehicle to step up to the plate on issues like this but none exist that are dedicated to such things...and since we're only talking about a small niche hunting segment using lead round balls its not anything that's big enough for the NRA to bother with

 

[Skychief]

I have wondered if the NMLRA has any lobbying power in Washington D.C.? I know the NRA does but what about the NMLRA?