Author Topic: Cannon ball sinkers (Read 791 times)

dominick · « **on:** June 20, 2005, 01:07:00 PM »

Has anyone tried using cannon ball sinkers for shot? Check out the below web-site and you will see that some of the sinker sizes correspond with the more popular bore sizes. Example 3 oz. sinker = .960" diameter. 16 oz. = 1.69" dia. 4 lb. = 2.67". They also have molds available. Just have to remember to cut off the wire loop and recess the portion thats imbedded. I saw some at Cabela's Sporting Goods and it appears that they are perfectly round. Any thoughts on this?

http://www.luremaking.com/catalogue/catalogue-index/catalogue-items/molds/cannon_ball_sinker_molds.htm

jeeper1 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 20, 2005, 03:28:37 PM »

I have been eyeballing them at wally world and thinking about using them. I just don't have anything to shoot them from.

Terry C. · « **Reply #2 on:** June 21, 2005, 02:10:14 AM »

I considered ordering some five-ounce cannonball sinkers for my cannon, before I got my mold from JT Moulds. They would have been the correct diameter and probably would have been fine, but I was just wary of them for some reason.

Will Bison · « **Reply #3 on:** June 21, 2005, 07:08:55 AM »

I and another cannon shooter friend have used them over the years. Our results have been less than satisfactory. I think the thin aluminium walls of the moulds disipates heat too quickly and they are a bit difficult to handle.

We have both gone to custom moulds for our guns.

Blaster · « **Reply #4 on:** June 29, 2005, 02:27:21 PM »

Yes, what Will Bison said. I just got finished using a sinker mold to cast fourteen 2 lb balls and it took just about a 2 1/2 gallon pail of wheel weights to do this. The aluminum mold gets mighty hot since each half of the mold is also the handle which is totally unprotected from the heat. I used a big C-clamp to get the molds to tighten up to avoid a lot of lead flowing out the bottom where the two halves join. Of course, I used thick leather gloves to handle the operation but the gloves were not enough protection from the massive heat produced by those molds. They stay HOT for a long long time too. These aluminum sinker molds are inexpensive but REAL cannon ball molds would certainly be worth their price. My 2 cents only. Blaster (Bob in So. CO)

P.S.... I leave the sprue on so I can easily lower it into my mortar and in the unlikely event of a mis-fire, could easily withdraw the ball by that intact sprue. Hope I don't ever have to resort to this though..