revolver targets and ball retrieval

Newton24b · November 9, 2011, 12:50 AM

im trying to figure out what a good target for a 1860 35 grains pyrodex p and a round ball is, when you actually want to get the bullet back for a little curio keepsake for yourself?

i know lots of people like phone books, but getting them is pretty hard for some reason once everyone starts using them for kindling.

**4V50 Gary** · November 9, 2011, 01:34 AM

Sand. Lots of it.

Hawg · November 9, 2011, 06:45 AM

Just shoot one into soft ground. Not too steep an angle tho.

wogpotter · November 9, 2011, 08:11 AM

5-liter wine boxes.
Drink wine.
sober up.
pull tap.
refill with tap water.
push tap back in.
stack deep & shoot.

Shotgun Willy · November 9, 2011, 08:22 AM

I've used a cardboard box full of newspapers. Stack them in tight, and it's as good as phone books.

Newton24b · November 9, 2011, 11:32 PM

at what ranges are we talking about for the cardboard box though? next time ill be able to get out and practice is going to be in december and well, the ground is going to be frozen for at least 36 inches deep.

i had thought of water jugs backed by a box of paper but im just absolutely not sureon dimensions of it.

the rifleer · November 9, 2011, 11:38 PM

wood stumps work well.

arcticap · November 10, 2011, 12:10 AM

Five 1 gallon plastic containers filled with water should be enough to stop it.
The ball probably won't make it through the fourth jug and will come to a rest inside of it.

Hellgate · November 10, 2011, 01:11 AM

I'd say 3 gallon milk jugs of water lined up would do it.

wogpotter · November 10, 2011, 09:02 AM

Figure 15 yds for the distance & about 18" max depth of penetration into water.
When I tested the 125 Gr .357 @ 1350 FPS it penetrated 3 of the wine boxes & stopped after just breaking into the 4th one. A friend fired a jacketed .45 ACP & it penetrated 3~4 milk jugs at about 15 yds.

briandg · November 10, 2011, 11:15 AM

how much are you willing to spend on it? I believe that you could probably buy a 5 gallon bucket of drywall cement, cut a small hole through the lid, and fire your ball down into the bucket. It will almost certainly stop against the bottom of the bucket with next to no damage at all.

Hawg · November 10, 2011, 11:40 AM

Ground is everywhere and free to use with no work other than following the hole to find it and digging it up.

briandg · November 10, 2011, 01:19 PM

I'd agree with all of the methods, but the soft ball is going to deform. Water and mud could stop it without damaging it as much.

a bucket of drywall mud can trap .22 lr rounds, I suspect that it will stop a low velocity round ball just as easily. I'd expect that shot into a mud stream bank or other gunky place it will go about 15" or so deep.

Legionnaire · November 10, 2011, 05:14 PM

Waterbed?

And why does it have to be 35gr of powder? Wouldn't it be easier if you fired a light load?

briandg · November 10, 2011, 06:17 PM

I'm not sure that you can reduce the load. Don't you have to have a cylinder full of powder with no air space?

mykeal · November 10, 2011, 06:43 PM

Quote:

I'm not sure that you can reduce the load. Don't you have to have a cylinder full of powder with no air space?

Uh, no, you don't.

It IS NECESSARY that there be no air space between the ball and the powder. But that can certainly be accomplished without a full chamber (not cylinder) of powder.

wogpotter · November 11, 2011, 10:02 AM

Most .44 pistols like a load of somewhere between 27~30 grains of B/P. To seat the ball you just use the rammer till you feel the ball bottom out on the charge. The chamber may not be full, but there is no air space to cause problems, the ball is just seated a hair deeper in the chamber.

briandg · November 11, 2011, 04:34 PM

I had been told way back when I was a kid that the powder chamber was slightly smaller than the throat of the cylinder, that the chamber had to be full, and that the ball could only be put in to a cylinder to a minimal depth.

Must be wrong.

wogpotter · November 11, 2011, 04:41 PM

A quick test of mine with a ball mic says it's pretty much identical all the way back.
You will run out of rammer though if you go too much on the light side. I once loaded a 15 Gr charge to check something & badly needed a felt wad to make up the distance with such a small charge in a .44 chamber.

Hawg · November 11, 2011, 04:51 PM

I think original Colt chambers are tapered but not so much the ball won't swage down.

mykeal · November 11, 2011, 07:48 PM

Quote:

I had been told way back when I was a kid that the powder chamber was slightly smaller than the throat of the cylinder, that the chamber had to be full, and that the ball could only be put in to a cylinder to a minimal depth.

Must be wrong.

Yep. Wrong.

Black Powder · November 22, 2011, 07:00 PM

Newton24b
Try my method.
For cal.36 = 2gr. BP +samp +Pb ball +lubricant.
For cal.44 = 3gr. BP +samp +Pb ball +lubricant.
Shoot at 10yd in cardboard box full wipes.
Projectile you will find undamaged.

BConklin · November 23, 2011, 04:25 PM

"I had been told way back when I was a kid that the powder chamber was slightly smaller than the throat of the cylinder, that the chamber had to be full, and that the ball could only be put in to a cylinder to a minimal depth.

Must be wrong. "

It's not necessary but many folks feel it is a good idea to fill the chamber until the ball sits just below the rim.

You don't need to fill it with black powder though. Lots of us use cornmeal or coarse semolina as a filler over the powder leaving just enough room to ram the ball in and have it recessed a hair so the cylinder can cycle.

Shotgun693 · November 23, 2011, 05:42 PM

How about a Rapist?

wogpotter · November 23, 2011, 06:36 PM

Huh? What?

November 9, 2011, 12:50 AM	#1
Newton24b Junior member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Posts: 974	revolver targets and ball retrieval im trying to figure out what a good target for a 1860 35 grains pyrodex p and a round ball is, when you actually want to get the bullet back for a little curio keepsake for yourself? i know lots of people like phone books, but getting them is pretty hard for some reason once everyone starts using them for kindling.

November 9, 2011, 01:34 AM	#2
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,841	Sand. Lots of it. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

November 9, 2011, 08:11 AM	#4
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	5-liter wine boxes. Drink wine. sober up. pull tap. refill with tap water. push tap back in. stack deep & shoot. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

November 9, 2011, 11:38 PM	#7
the rifleer Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2008 Location: Sunny California Posts: 1,281	wood stumps work well. __________________ There is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people.

November 10, 2011, 01:11 AM	#9
Hellgate Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2010 Location: Orygun Posts: 869	I'd say 3 gallon milk jugs of water lined up would do it. __________________ With over 15 perCUSSIN' revolvers, I've been called the Imelda Marcos of cap & ball. SASS#3302 (Life), SASS Regulator, NRA (Life), Dirty Gamey Bastards #129 Wolverton Mtn. Peacekeepers (WA), former Orygun Cowboy (Ranger, Posse from Hell)

November 9, 2011, 06:45 AM	#3
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,190	Just shoot one into soft ground. Not too steep an angle tho.

November 9, 2011, 08:22 AM	#5
Shotgun Willy Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Oklahoma Territory Posts: 98	I've used a cardboard box full of newspapers. Stack them in tight, and it's as good as phone books.

November 9, 2011, 11:32 PM	#6
Newton24b Junior member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Posts: 974	at what ranges are we talking about for the cardboard box though? next time ill be able to get out and practice is going to be in december and well, the ground is going to be frozen for at least 36 inches deep. i had thought of water jugs backed by a box of paper but im just absolutely not sureon dimensions of it.

November 10, 2011, 12:10 AM	#8
arcticap Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2005 Location: Central Connecticut Posts: 3,166	Five 1 gallon plastic containers filled with water should be enough to stop it. The ball probably won't make it through the fourth jug and will come to a rest inside of it.

November 10, 2011, 09:02 AM	#10
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Figure 15 yds for the distance & about 18" max depth of penetration into water. When I tested the 125 Gr .357 @ 1350 FPS it penetrated 3 of the wine boxes & stopped after just breaking into the 4th one. A friend fired a jacketed .45 ACP & it penetrated 3~4 milk jugs at about 15 yds. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

November 10, 2011, 11:15 AM	#11
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	how much are you willing to spend on it? I believe that you could probably buy a 5 gallon bucket of drywall cement, cut a small hole through the lid, and fire your ball down into the bucket. It will almost certainly stop against the bottom of the bucket with next to no damage at all.

November 10, 2011, 11:40 AM	#12
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,190	Ground is everywhere and free to use with no work other than following the hole to find it and digging it up.

November 10, 2011, 01:19 PM	#13
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	I'd agree with all of the methods, but the soft ball is going to deform. Water and mud could stop it without damaging it as much. a bucket of drywall mud can trap .22 lr rounds, I suspect that it will stop a low velocity round ball just as easily. I'd expect that shot into a mud stream bank or other gunky place it will go about 15" or so deep.

November 10, 2011, 05:14 PM	#14
Legionnaire Senior Member Join Date: July 25, 2000 Location: Central TX Posts: 1,503	Waterbed? And why does it have to be 35gr of powder? Wouldn't it be easier if you fired a light load? __________________ Cogito, ergo armatus sum.

November 10, 2011, 06:17 PM	#15
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	I'm not sure that you can reduce the load. Don't you have to have a cylinder full of powder with no air space?

November 11, 2011, 10:02 AM	#17
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Most .44 pistols like a load of somewhere between 27~30 grains of B/P. To seat the ball you just use the rammer till you feel the ball bottom out on the charge. The chamber may not be full, but there is no air space to cause problems, the ball is just seated a hair deeper in the chamber. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

November 11, 2011, 04:34 PM	#18
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	I had been told way back when I was a kid that the powder chamber was slightly smaller than the throat of the cylinder, that the chamber had to be full, and that the ball could only be put in to a cylinder to a minimal depth. Must be wrong.

November 11, 2011, 04:41 PM	#19
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	A quick test of mine with a ball mic says it's pretty much identical all the way back. You will run out of rammer though if you go too much on the light side. I once loaded a 15 Gr charge to check something & badly needed a felt wad to make up the distance with such a small charge in a .44 chamber. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

November 11, 2011, 04:51 PM	#20
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,190	I think original Colt chambers are tapered but not so much the ball won't swage down.

November 22, 2011, 07:00 PM	#22
Black Powder Member Join Date: October 2, 2010 Location: Slovakia Posts: 15	Newton24b Try my method. For cal.36 = 2gr. BP +samp +Pb ball +lubricant. For cal.44 = 3gr. BP +samp +Pb ball +lubricant. Shoot at 10yd in cardboard box full wipes. Projectile you will find undamaged. __________________ I am sorry for grammar, I write over PC Translator. Starr SA 1863 .44 org.,Whitney Navy .36 org.,Colt Lightning .44-40 org., Bozard & Co. Hammerless 12ga org.,Colt 12ga.org.,GEW 88,Tryon .45 DP,Sharps Carbine and Sporting .45 IAB,D.H.Hilliard .40,Barlow .40,Cub Dixie DeLux .32 DP,Colt 1861 Special Musket .58,Undehammer Billinghurst .40 &.451,Gallager .54,Hatfield .32 Carb.& Long DP,Shotgun Coach 12ga.DP, Tingle Pallmetto.36

November 23, 2011, 04:25 PM	#23
BConklin Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2010 Posts: 136	"I had been told way back when I was a kid that the powder chamber was slightly smaller than the throat of the cylinder, that the chamber had to be full, and that the ball could only be put in to a cylinder to a minimal depth. Must be wrong. " It's not necessary but many folks feel it is a good idea to fill the chamber until the ball sits just below the rim. You don't need to fill it with black powder though. Lots of us use cornmeal or coarse semolina as a filler over the powder leaving just enough room to ram the ball in and have it recessed a hair so the cylinder can cycle.

November 23, 2011, 05:42 PM	#24
Shotgun693 Senior Member Join Date: September 3, 2011 Location: Poteet, Texas Posts: 959	How about a Rapist?

November 23, 2011, 06:36 PM	#25
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Huh? What? __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”