Chewed balls.

mikthestick · August 14, 2014, 10:04 AM

In a moment of boredum I clicked on a U tube video "Chewed balls". The idea is run a ball between two wood rasps and you basically get get a spikey ball which is easy to load. When loaded between wads it shoots more accurate than a patched round ball in a smoothbore Indian trade gun. It works on the golf ball principle. I believe this ball is period correct according to the video.
I cannot try it, but I wondered if the chewed ball was patched (which is quicker to do than loading wads) what the result might be. I think the patch would give a good seal (therefore more velocity) , fall away at the muzzle leaving the ball to fly more accurately to the target.
The video gave me the impression "chewed balls" are a forgotten secret which should be shared.

Mik

maillemaker · August 14, 2014, 10:20 AM

Many N-SSA shooters do this with their round balls shot in smoothbores. But they do not use patches.

Steve

Wyosmith · August 14, 2014, 10:42 AM

I have been giving that advice to shooter for years now.
Cast balls .010" smaller than bore size and use a thick patch with plenty of lube. Use wheel weight metal for the balls and if you'd like you can even water drop them. That makes a ball that is MUCH harder than pure lead.
The old "wisdom" was that you need pure lead to cast balls with. NOT TRUE!
I use hard balls and roll them between 2 pieces of plate steel with 80 grit metal cutting paper glued to them. That gives the surface of the ball a "grip" on the patch so it holds the rifling perfectly and doesn't slip inside the patch.
I have won many ribbons and trophies in years past shooting my flintlock rifles in competition and I ALWAYS use hard balls.
The beauty of a hard ball on game animals over 125 pounds is the penetration you get.
They don't veer off inside the animal so you can shoot at (and hit) what you want to destroy on the inside of the deer, antelope, bear elk or moose.

They don't flatten out into a disk as pure lead balls sometimes do. Pure lead can veer off on impact, and it also penetrates about 1/3 as much as hard balls do.

mikthestick · August 14, 2014, 11:20 AM

So chewed balls are not the secret I thought they were. Nice to know they work on rifles.

Pahoo · August 14, 2014, 07:12 PM

Quote:

That gives the surface of the ball a "grip" on the patch so it holds the rifling perfectly and doesn't slip inside the patch.

I'm seeing some confusing information here about chewed balls, whose documented use is in smooth bores. I can accept that but to say that pure lead balls "slip" inside patches will only happen if you have the wrong combination. When properly used, the patch actually bights into the pure lead and ride out together. Again, you can get a P/B combination to "skip" over the rifling but again, it's applications problem. ....

I too have cast hard-balls and used them in poly patches. I'll even agree with the use of a stippled/chewed "hard-cast" ball in a thick patch. I feel that this use of hard-cast and chewed balls are similar but not the same on application. I See absolutely no advantage to "chew" a pure lead ball for use with a patch. ...

Be Safe !!!

mikthestick · August 15, 2014, 02:10 PM

I'm no expert on chewed ball but I see an advantage. Once the ball and patch separate the lead ball acts as a golf ball. The dimples on a golf ball act as turbulators they make the golf ball go further. The spikes on the lead ball would do the same. Accuracy is also improved

maillemaker · August 15, 2014, 03:03 PM

I believe ruffing up the ball is of advantage in N-SSA shooting because patches are not allowed. The raised dimples are deformable during ramming and cause an interference fit, eliminating windage.

Steve

mikthestick · August 15, 2014, 06:43 PM

N-SSA Don't know what that stands for. Why would patches not be allowed.

maillemaker · August 15, 2014, 07:23 PM

N-SSA is the North-South Skirmish Association http://www.n-ssa.org.

They do not allow combustible materials down the barrel (except the powder, of course). Probably for fear of smoldering remnants causing a cook-off during loading.

Period paper-patched Enfield-style bullets are not allowed, either.

Steve

kwhi43 · August 15, 2014, 07:31 PM

It would really shake them up if they ever went to Friendship where thousands
and thousands of people use cloth patches. And have since 1933.

August 14, 2014, 10:04 AM	#1
mikthestick Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2012 Location: Devon England Posts: 177	Chewed balls. In a moment of boredum I clicked on a U tube video "Chewed balls". The idea is run a ball between two wood rasps and you basically get get a spikey ball which is easy to load. When loaded between wads it shoots more accurate than a patched round ball in a smoothbore Indian trade gun. It works on the golf ball principle. I believe this ball is period correct according to the video. I cannot try it, but I wondered if the chewed ball was patched (which is quicker to do than loading wads) what the result might be. I think the patch would give a good seal (therefore more velocity) , fall away at the muzzle leaving the ball to fly more accurately to the target. The video gave me the impression "chewed balls" are a forgotten secret which should be shared. Mik

August 14, 2014, 10:20 AM	#2
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	Many N-SSA shooters do this with their round balls shot in smoothbores. But they do not use patches. Steve

August 14, 2014, 10:42 AM	#3
Wyosmith Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2010 Location: Shoshoni Wyoming Posts: 2,713	I have been giving that advice to shooter for years now. Cast balls .010" smaller than bore size and use a thick patch with plenty of lube. Use wheel weight metal for the balls and if you'd like you can even water drop them. That makes a ball that is MUCH harder than pure lead. The old "wisdom" was that you need pure lead to cast balls with. NOT TRUE! I use hard balls and roll them between 2 pieces of plate steel with 80 grit metal cutting paper glued to them. That gives the surface of the ball a "grip" on the patch so it holds the rifling perfectly and doesn't slip inside the patch. I have won many ribbons and trophies in years past shooting my flintlock rifles in competition and I ALWAYS use hard balls. The beauty of a hard ball on game animals over 125 pounds is the penetration you get. They don't veer off inside the animal so you can shoot at (and hit) what you want to destroy on the inside of the deer, antelope, bear elk or moose. They don't flatten out into a disk as pure lead balls sometimes do. Pure lead can veer off on impact, and it also penetrates about 1/3 as much as hard balls do.

August 14, 2014, 11:20 AM	#4
mikthestick Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2012 Location: Devon England Posts: 177	So chewed balls are not the secret I thought they were. Nice to know they work on rifles.

August 15, 2014, 02:10 PM	#6
mikthestick Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2012 Location: Devon England Posts: 177	I'm no expert on chewed ball but I see an advantage. Once the ball and patch separate the lead ball acts as a golf ball. The dimples on a golf ball act as turbulators they make the golf ball go further. The spikes on the lead ball would do the same. Accuracy is also improved

August 15, 2014, 03:03 PM	#7
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	I believe ruffing up the ball is of advantage in N-SSA shooting because patches are not allowed. The raised dimples are deformable during ramming and cause an interference fit, eliminating windage. Steve

August 15, 2014, 06:43 PM	#8
mikthestick Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2012 Location: Devon England Posts: 177	N-SSA Don't know what that stands for. Why would patches not be allowed.

August 15, 2014, 07:23 PM	#9
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	N-SSA is the North-South Skirmish Association http://www.n-ssa.org. They do not allow combustible materials down the barrel (except the powder, of course). Probably for fear of smoldering remnants causing a cook-off during loading. Period paper-patched Enfield-style bullets are not allowed, either. Steve

August 15, 2014, 07:31 PM	#10
kwhi43 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,393	It would really shake them up if they ever went to Friendship where thousands and thousands of people use cloth patches. And have since 1933.