Less lethal alternative to lead

[Janissary]

I'm looking to do some experimentation with historical shooting methods and would feel better if I could replace lead roundball with something lighter in my smoothbore. Of course, I'm still going to treat the piece as a deadly weapon and will not aim it anywhere near other people, but I still want a substitute for lead. It should be something sturdy enough to be loaded and rammed like a lead ball. I'm thinking of either getting a bullet mold and casting the balls out of wax (is that possible?), or buying the cork balls that are sold for fishing purposes. Any tips?

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

IDK Why?

 

[William Sublette]

Clay sling shot ammo.

Not very precise as far as diameter though.

 

[smo]

I'm looking to do some experimentation with historical shooting methods and would feel better if I could replace lead roundball with something lighter in my smoothbore. Of course, I'm still going to treat the piece as a deadly weapon and will not aim it anywhere near other people, but I still want a substitute for lead. It should be something sturdy enough to be loaded and rammed like a lead ball. I'm thinking of either getting a bullet mold and casting the balls out of wax (is that possible?), or buying the cork balls that are sold for fishing purposes. Any tips?

Look up former member named Roundball..
He did a lot of experimenting with different projectiles..

 

[Antelope Pete]

No idea what their dia. is but maybe paint ball ammo.

 

[Jappo]

They sell hard plastic reusable balls. Don't know if they have the right size though.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

Zinc.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Dried corn is fun or popcorn kernels (they don’t make popcorn though when shot)

 

[SDSmlf]

Look up former member named Roundball..
He did a lot of experimenting with different projectiles..

Remember @roundball experimenting and testing brass roundballs. Non-Lead projectiles for hunting

I could replace lead roundball with something lighter in my smoothbore.

How much lighter are you looking for? Maybe try marbles if wanting something real light.

 

[Janissary]

Thanks for all the responses. I should have been more specific. I'm looking for something light enough that it probably won't kill someone or blow through my hand if something goes terribly wrong. Hence, my thoughts about cork or wax. Zinc and brass are still mostly as dense as lead, so not worth the trouble. Clay, plastic, maybe. With paintballs, I worry that they'd shatter and get paint everywhere, but maybe worth a try.

Smaller projectiles like corn kernels will lose their energy quickly, but won't allow me to replicate the loading of a single roundball.

Of course, the side benefit of anything besides lead is that it's non-toxic.

 

[SDSmlf]

I'm looking for something light enough that it probably won't kill someone or blow through my hand if something goes terribly wrong.

Anything in the bore is dangerous and needs to be treated accordingly. Folks have been killed with blank charges at short range.

 

[oldwood]

When I was a kid , on cold winter nights , in the early 1950"s , I used to warm up a brick of Mom's canning wax , use a hunk of copper pipe the right dimension , or close to caliber , warm the wax cake , and press out wax bullets. With a brass ctg. , I put a new primer , then inserted the wax slug. I could shoot all winter using Dad's primer supply , right in the cellar w/o damaging anything. Why wouldn't that work with a m/l and a light charge of FFFFg black???......Out side , of course.

 

[Janissary]

Anything in the bore is dangerous and needs to be treated accordingly. Folks have been killed with blank charges at short range.

Yes, not going to point it at anyone. But there are risks like the gun going off accidentally while pointing upward and sending a ball in an artillery arc beyond the shooting range. This is not something I normally worry about, but only if I'm doing something like a mad minute where mistakes are more likely.

 

[SDSmlf]

This is not something I normally worry about, but only if I'm doing something like a mad minute where mistakes are more likely.

Might be time to go slower. I’d be more worried about a burn off, which takes some effort to accomplish.

As previously suggested, consider going to a very light powder charge. In my 32 caliber guns I use 12-15 grains of 4F or 3F pretty much exclusively. About like a 22RF, but roundball velocity drops off much quicker.

 

[stubshaft]

Hot glue "gluits". Just cast them in your current mold.

 

[Janissary]

Might be time to go slower. I’d be more worried about a burn off, which takes some effort to accomplish.

As previously suggested, consider going to a very light powder charge. In my 32 caliber guns I use 12-15 grains of 4F or 3F pretty much exclusively. About like a 22RF, but roundball velocity drops off much quicker.

I haven't learned about burn off before, what is that?

Indeed I will try to go with the lightest charge, but there is another problem, one of my guns has too much space between the touch hole and the breech face, so I think I need at least 40 grains for it to ignite. I also posed this question https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/cutting-powder-to-make-it-weaker.189379/

 

[SDSmlf]

if I'm doing something like a mad minute

I haven't learned about burn off before, what is that?

Guessing your ‘mad minute’ reference is to loading and shooting as quickly as possible? If that’s the case, dumping powder down the bore as quickly as possible after the previous shot increases the potential for an ember from the previous shot igniting the next charge of powder as it’s poured down the bore (actually a very rare event, but that seems to be the type of events you are concerned with), causing singed eyebrows and fingers.

 

[smo]

Remember @roundball experimenting and testing brass roundballs. Non-Lead projectiles for hunting

How much lighter are you looking for? Maybe try marbles if wanting something real light.

Yea, seems like he ordered glass marbles once from overseas ( prior to Amazon) and cork too if I’m not mistaken…

 

[smo]

The wax ball would probably be best option for the OP..
But 40 grns of powders gonna leave a mark!

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Hot glue "gluits". Just cast them in your current mold.

with a glue gun they could be injected into the sprue hole?