Effectiveness of Chewed Balls in 18th Century Forest Warfare

[@Pootycat8359]

Golf balls were mentioned in some of the engineering classes I took. The purpose of the dimples is not to make them more accurate, but to reduce drag, allowing them to travel farther. They cause the air-flow over the ball to be turbulent, rather than laminar. With laminar flow, the fluid "adheres" to the surface, causing more drag, than the more "scattered," swirling, molecules of turbulent flow.

[@MrGary1948]

Wow! Thanks.

[@WilliamCollins-sh6lm]

Pretty close to what I was going to say...

[@corneliussulla9963]

I love how Mike can barely hold back his giggling when hes talking about chewed balls.

[@dennislloyd494]

Bare balls and dimpled balls have a similar effect

[@SootHead]

Reminds me of the "Schweddy Balls" skit on SNL.

[@tomritter493]

He did lol

[@357Dejavu]

Indeed! 😂

[@sasqetshenkley1190]

I did *not* hold back. Mike shaking his chewed balls out of context: kzbin.infoUgkxMgAd_c9PBA-j6qkhFFWjHtO4t6qNx-z5

[@denisdegamon8224]

Wishing you Mike, a very happy birthday. As a long time (since 1975) muzzle loader aficionado, rendezvous participant, and living history reenactor, I throughly enjoy your videos and content. You sir are a true gentleman and American patriot.

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@KevinSmith-yh6tl]

HERE, HERE 👏👏

[@sasqetshenkley1190]

Happy Birthday to Mike and his balls 🏀🏀 🎂 Words to live by: kzbin.infoUgkxOwvaSi6WlQXaC9HWnUr-cgWvsv_rWWfI

[@killerkraut9179]

@@duelist1954 Maybe with pistols are the chewed balls better ?

[@FirebaII0]

Happy birthday

[@someguy2741]

Watching mike explain his balls and play with them on camera on his birthday no less! is a great way to start a morning!

[@duelist1954]

LOL

[@BeetleBuns]

roughing up balls is extremely effective, it's a great information-gathering technique

[@arbhall7572]

My immediate thought is some farmer was trying his hardest to make the most of every single shot, but also knowing they had to practice. So we got a farmer looking downrange, looking for used bullets. Learning if they skimp on powder, it made the bullets easier to recover. I can also picture new cast bullets getting handled roughly with cold hands when they clip them, or handle with tongs.

[@jamesvatter5729]

Happy belated birthday, Mike!

[@davefellhoelter1343]

Darn fast Lock! Nice Job! Tuck loaded, heading out with the BP Saturday! Thanks AGAIN!

[@nicklewis7291]

I always figured the chewed balls or chewed bullets were referring to balls or bullets that were fired or used when hearing that piece you read. My thoughts were, the ammunition was chewed or marred after going through their intended targets or by being embedded in not intended targets. I didn't know people had chewed or marred them before shooting. And, while it may not improve accuracy, it does look like it can be a way to get around using a wad. Thanks for bringing the history of these guns and how they were used to us.

[@timothystone4998]

Happy Birthday and God Bless You and your Family

[@ArnoSchmidt70]

Happy Birthday, Mike!

[@1.forestrunner]

Happy Birthday Mike! Good test.

[@FelixstoweFoamForge]

Happy Birthday Mike.

[@SilverSaxon]

Happy birthday, Mike!

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@MatttheMustard]

Happy birthday buddy. Another great video

[@ssb73q]

Hi Mike, good video. In the past I have done extensive experiments shooting golf balls using a pneumatic potato launcher. Launching golf balls at over ~300fps showed no benefit to accuracy. At 300fps or less, the golf balls performed very well. However, when faster than 300fps the golf balls sailed way off target.

[@daisymae6561]

Very interesting. Been working with Daisy BB guns, velocity/accuracy experiments. The faster u drive the bb, the bigger the group size. 325 seems about the break point. Course, no dimples on bbs. Thx for the info.

[@russbilzing5348]

@@daisymae6561 I have a good many BB guns, but the first I grab is the old, reliable "Red Ryder". Dead accurate when in range.

[@franksmodels29]

Ah morning coffee and watching Mike nothing better 👍🏻👍🏻☕️

[@SootHead]

Love this "Duelist Busts Vintage Myths" format!

[@classicgunstoday1972]

Happy Birthday! Everytime I see a delayed fire on a flintlock, I always think of the Bugs Bunny cartoon Hillbilly Hare in which two mountain men in the Ozarks are shooting at him and their long guns have this long vibrating delayed reaction between when the hammer strikes and the gun goes off. To the point where Bugs finally ties a knot in the barrel during the delay. Looks like you had a fun time

[@richdoherty64]

Have a wonderful birthday Duelist. Thanks for your videos, not many other channels devoted to historical firearms.

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@kbjerke]

Happy birthday, Mike! Keep on shooting!!

[@someguy2741]

Happy Birthday to Mike!

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@markstoodley9139]

Happy Biirthday mate great vid best wishes from Cornwall🤠

[@Snuffy03]

Once again a fine informative video on my favorite firearms. I have probably fired most types of firearms in my life, but the flintlock holds a special attraction to me. Especially the fowling pieces. My pick being the fusil de chasse.in 20 bore. Thanks.

[@josephwalukonis9934]

Happy Birthday Mike!!!

[@1248dl]

Happy Birthday, youngster! I enjoyed the comparison.

[@dennisatkins9837]

Great Video Mike! Happy Birthday!

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@jeffstevens156]

Thank You for this video! I had never even heard of them before! But then, with all the decades of shooting behind me, I’m working backwards by going from modern to percussion, and finally flintlock. I haven’t gotten as far as a smooth bore. Again, I appreciate even a video that doesn’t gives the expected results. That takes guts to not trash a loser but, thank You for being a truthful reporter. That’s why I am a subscriber. Keep up the great work!

[@1boortzfan]

Happy birthday Mike. May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live. Thank you for your unbiased reporting on all the issues you research.

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@catyear75]

Happy Birthday Mr Bellevue! Those Longrifles are so beautiful...! A Functional Work of Art, if you will ...!

[@dennislloyd494]

Happy Birthday Mike and many more, I enjoy you having fun, great video, thank you.

[@stevesheller9223]

You are without a doubt the very best narrator, story teller, descriptive firearms U-Tuber on the internet Bar none. I’ve been watching you for years, love everything you do and can’t thank you enough for the knowledge you freely share with us. Being approximately the same age ( I’m 5 years older ) we have a lot of shared interest. You my friend have HOWEVER RUINED ME. After watching everything you show us on top breaks , I now have a 6” Iver Johnson in .32, a 4” S&W in .38 and I’m looking very hard at a 5” 44-40. Also, black powder ? Never thought I’d switch to the “ dark side “. Mike, you’re breaking the bank, wife wants to know who this Mike is. All kidding aside, thanks again for all you do, it’s greatly appreciated. Have a great Thanksgiving. Steve in Iowa.

[@wootang9292]

Great experimental video Mike! You really had me laughing when you realized you shot 4 shots instead of 5. That is a mistake that I could see myself doing! Happy 68th birthday brother!

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@georgenelson8917]

I am a 75 yr old retired Archaeogist that worked at both prehistoric and early historical periods. During a excavation in 1980 at a historic 1848-68 US Army Fort in SW Texas that was also a deep prehistoric site with artifacts going back to Spanish colonial1680s- c 9,000 years . I excavated a real human chewed lead ball. At the time I did not know of the idea that it maybe for more accurate shooting . I had heard that before morphine etc easily available on the frontier, during surgery to stand the pain a man would bite on a lead ball to stand the pain of extracting a arrow head or other situations. As by the deep human occupation of the site by both historical native tribes of the site that did have muskets in the 1700~ 1800s and Spanish, Mexicans and early Anglos; perhaps the biting the balls to stand pain maybe a better explanation.

[@frankeasterling3402]

Have a Model of 1842, made in 1848, .69 smooth bore musket and use roughed up or filed balls. My understanding is that the roughed area hold lube better in order to keep the fouling soft. I shoot 55 grains of 2f in N-SSA matches.

[@1straightcut]

Happy Birthday, Mike. You’re a good man - I appreciate all of your videos!

[@galenhisler396]

Happy birthday! And thank you for making my Thursday as always great stuff 🤠

[@vikingindependent7919]

appreciate the extra testing. very interesting and gr8 targets

[@timothylew9775]

Happy birthday, Mike. Hope you enjoyed your day.

[@randiegadberry5448]

Happy Birthday Mike! Hopefully you had a great day!

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@moosephilotus4671]

This was much easier to watch than I thought it was going to be.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Happy birthday Mike! Great video as usual

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@JakobElbaek]

Happy birthday sir! Thank you for making videos like this.

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@sgtmajtrapp3391]

Looks pretty potent from the recoil impulse on your shoulder. Happy birthday hope it was very nice. Enjoyed your video very interesting.

[@waynestadtler7702]

Happy Belated Birthday Mike, hope you had a great day.

[@Jimmy_Watt]

Six minutes in, this is great content. Subscribed. Thank you.

[@stevelemmen7048]

Bare balls? That was some really great shooting! The hangfire issue would flinch away most shooters, but 50 yards offhand? Very well done!

[@royseifert3078]

Happy birthday Mike.

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@AFpaleoCon]

Now these are the types of videos I love. Duelists den, flintlock, autumn, very nice.

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@bigjim8872]

Happy Birthday Mr. Mike! Great video as always! Keep up the good work!

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@thefeatheredfrontiersman8135]

I can only imagine how many dislikes. That sucks because he's just talking about the reality of history. And he's doing a great job at it.

[@TheGunfighter45acp]

Happy Birthday! Interesting results. From a warrior's perspective, bare balls seem to get the job done good enough, freeing one to devote precious time to tasks other than roughing the balls or wadding usage.

[@mattlee3526]

Great video thank you I like your content and watch a lot of your videos

[@DaleRaby]

One advantage I could see is loading without a patch might be quicker in combat, but at 25 yards, you could get hour head split by a tomahawk before you could reload unless your buddies were providing cover fore. Nice experiment, but I will be sticking with my .690 patched round balls.

[@Tornado1861]

I was thinking the same thing. It also saves having to carry one more item.

[@GovtWatchdog]

Happy Birthday Mike! Can't think of a better way to celebrate.

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@peteandresenfamilyadventur8742]

Thanks for covering the questions about historical use of firearms! Amazing what we DON’T know!

[@earlshaner4441]

Good morning from Syracuse NY brother thank you for sharing your adventures in history and firearms and weapons

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@earlshaner4441]

You are welcome my friend

[@mylennyuym]

H.F.B. young man, hope you have a great day !!! Keep up the good vids, I always enjoy your work. Thanx, Sam

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@Ostenjager]

I thought I had heard/read an account from the Battle of Bunker Hill which referenced chewed balls being shot by the Colonists, however in this context it said "the Colonials chewed and poisoned their balls" which left me with the understanding that the bullets were chewed in order to enhance their lethality rather than their accuracy. Given your accuracy results in this tests, the Bunker Hill story makes more sense as to why one would do this.

[@johncashwell1024]

Happy Birthday Mike! I hope you enjoy many more birthdays & rangedays! I am a few months away from the end of my 1st year at 50 and I am feeling it. I hope do be as active as you are at your age. Unfortunately, I only just discovered how much fun historical blackpowder arms can be. This channel has been a tremendous help to me in getting started. I started with revolvers and now I really want to get my hands on a 12 gauge percussion shotgun but they are a lot more expensive than most reproduction rifles, it seems. What gives? Note: I have zero interest in modern blackpowder muzzleloaders or blackpowder substitutes.

[@jamesyoung1547]

Happy birthday. Love watching your videos

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@ricktaylor5744]

Thanks Mike

[@shawnecaster]

It’s my Birthday today too!! 51 y.o. Still giggled a bit at this one 🤣

[@chrisgibson6960]

Happy birthday Mike. Great video.

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@scrappybobbarker5224]

Happy birthday and happy Thanksgiving to you.

[@J_C_Firelocks]

Happy Birthday Mike! I have been looking forward to this video. I have made some up for my .62 fowler to try. Very interesting. Thanks for the research!

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@wildeyshere5189]

Happy birthday Mike

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@brandonobaza8610]

Happy Birthday, sir! Assuming the 1954 in your channel name is your birth year, you're the same age as my father, just a whiff younger. Glad to have you both in equally good spirit and health 🙂 18:14 "That woulda been ugly" 😁

[@user-kj6zo3os5n]

Great video, thank you Mike!

[@wireman4029]

Happy birthday! That looks like a lot of fun! I've always been curious about black powder arms.

[@jeffgrier8488]

That looked like a pretty darn good test to me, and i would probably just go with the regular round balls. Happy Birthday!

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@davidgiffordsr.930]

Well done. Thank you.

[@JohnSmith-dt6ls]

Once again great job. always enjoy your videos.

[@allencampbell4460]

Great test. Thank you.

[@billbearback2591]

happy birthday mike , i was thinkin of your lee enfield 303 sporter video and you were planning on gifting it to your son , i also seem to recall seeing him or a pic of him at some time in your vids , i thought he was in his early teens , im now 57 and have a 14 yr son , man time is flying by , cheers big ears from down under

[@justjoe942]

Thanks, dude, I enjoyed that.

[@russbilzing5348]

In discussions on this subject, I have held the opinion that chewed balls held an advantage over bare balls. My thought was that soft lead deforms easily and that tooth impressions might at as hollow points and that having many of them might increase (however incrementally), the chance of a kill, whether two legged or four. I have never seen anybody use a file for this task, but one hunter I met would use the tip of his patch knife to put 5 or 6 small craters in a couple of balls for the next day's forays. I never saw him kill an animal but he was absolute hell on trees. Good ideo, thanks.

[@tomcurran8470]

Happy birthday 🎉. About your Mohawk target: Just pretend you're on the west side of Lake Champlain. I'll email you a story about Tamanend (the name of my Jr. High in Bucks County) and Tecumseh as related to the Naval Academy. Great technical and historical info in this video. I've used 110 grains of 2f in my .54 GPR and its like shooting a 300 Win. Mag.! I'd like to get a smoothbore for spring turkey here in NC.

[@plummerjw]

Happy Birthday and many more of them!

[@wingzofsteel]

I learn so much from your videos . Thank you , Mike.

[@ckbass32]

Happy Birthday Mike! Any day out in nature making smoke is way better than any day in the office, so I know you had a good one. As always, love the videos! Keep 'em coming.

[@loymedic]

Well done test overall, and pretty entertaining as well. Nice work.

[@rharthart9477]

Happy Bday! As always - enjoyed the vid. Just my opinion, but I feel a ransom rest or something approximating one would be best for theses kinds of tests in order to minimize the human effects (can see the barrel wobbling slightly before you fire). At the very least a bench rest could minimize the effects of natural human processes (breathing, natural tremors, etc.) enough to be able to confidently make a call concerning differences. Keep up the good work!

[@duelist1954]

I have trouble shooting a smoothbore well from the bench. I think my eye is in the wrong position.

[@northumbriabushcraft1208]

All the talk of bare balls, chewed balls, loads, ramming, holes and the like makes me giggle, and shooting black powder is my favourite kind of shooting, especially muzzleloaders and single shot breechloaders, so i'm used to such talk haha. I got my first muzzleloader recently, a original 18th century Indian toradar. Great video btw and cool targets, as a Englishman, shooting Scotsmen and Native Americans is in my blood haha. You just need to shoot a Frenchman, a Spaniard and a Russian next.

[@scottbaird1160]

Happy birthday mike. Thanks for the video. Interesting outcome.

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@seanhartman6496]

Happy Birthday Mike and thanks for another great video!

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@knallis.hjemmelading]

Great video Mike, a lot of interesting information happy birthday

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@cameronmccreary4758]

Mike you could try repeating the tests while resting the musket.

[@duellgunn1249]

Another interesting video. Thanks Mike. Happy birthday and have a good one.

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@crazycoyote1738]

Happy birthday, and wishing you many more good years!! Thanks for sharing this experiment, I was sure you’ll be chewing led balls, and wasn’t easy about the poisoning outcome.. god bless!!

[@idarolaflsvik9230]

Thank you Mike! Yes, I hear you talk about it in your video. Same principle with the golf ball. A golf ball with dents/dimples goes further than a round smooth golf ball, and more precisely.

[@graypatriot1299]

Thank you

[@Walter-wo5sz]

Happy birthday.

[@blackpowderfirearmenthusia3194]

I really liked the video, thank you.

[@kentowens2179]

I always enjoy your videos, and the history that you share. Thank you for doing them.

[@alfonsedente9679]

There used to a company a long time ago that sold chewed lead wadcutter bullets in .38

[@andycecil5213]

Happy birthday I loved you video thank you

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@Matzah1982]

Feliz compleaño mi amigo! Happy birthday my friend! I empathize with you on aging affecting your shooting. I’m 40 and I notice a slight difference from when I was 25. In another 28 years when I’m your age I might be really off because at 50 yards with a smoothbore fowling piece shooting bare balls you do about how I can only do at 20 yards maximum. I’m better with long barreled revolvers than with long guns. With my Uberti 1858 Remington style new model army using my Howell .45 colt conversion cylinder from about 15 yards away I can turn a cantaloupe into pulp hitting it with at least 10 of the 20 shots I fired but it hits about 4 to 8 inches high at that distance using the conversion cylinder and the HSM .45 colt 200 grain cowboy loads so after adjusting how I aim because with the black powder cylinder if I lined the front sight up flush with the rear sight I would hit low so I learned to shoot it by lining up the middle of the front sight with the rear sight and that’s how I was still doing it in my pumpkin shooting video but with my recent shooting with the cantaloupe I reckoned since I was hitting so high at 12 yards with the large pumpkin I should align the sights flush and I tried my first couple of shots aiming spot on with the cantaloupe from 15 yards but missed. When I started aiming under the cantaloupe with the sights aligned flush I started hitting more

[@DaleErnieMichael]

17:33 you can see the flaming wad leaving a trail that looks like he's shooting the sniper rifle in Halo. Never seen a real life bullet trail like that before, that was cool. Edit: Actually you can see it in most of those shots. Neato.

[@timothydurkan]

Happy birthday, Mike!!!

[@duelist1954]

Thanks!

[@dorzak975]

Happy Birthday!