Author Topic: Todays GB Mortar Steel Ball Shoot (Read 2559 times)

1Southpaw · « **on:** January 29, 2010, 08:10:16 PM »

got some pictures up loaded to my ISP so here goes ......

We were like 2 naughty little boys playing with forbiden fruit ......

#1 .The Tool Used This was made for me by DD

#2. The Mortar loaded ready to go . Firing off platform

#3. DD doing the honors ... after all he made the Mortar , and when company comes , mother makes me share the toys ......

#4. The recoil off the shooting platform .

#5. The roll out after a nice bounce off the frozen ground.

#6.The Proud builder displaying the found round.

#7. The recoil fired off the packed snow. DD's toe as marker

1Southpaw · « **Reply #1 on:** January 29, 2010, 08:25:03 PM »

The steel ball I have had around here for years , finally found it yesterday while cleaning out a mouse nest in a drawer in the shop .

It is as mentioned by Doug , a check ball used in a down hole pump in the oil field here . Not many wells use that size of ball . Most are much smaller . Ball size in the pumps is determined by the flow of well . Most of the old wells here are classified as stripper wells . Production under 10 barrels . So most of the balls available from the re builder are 15/16" , 1.125" , 1.375". The one fired today was 1.745" but fit the tube with a nice rattle .
Like I said , naughty boys playing no scientific data recorded .

Now DD has the hots for one of his very own

They do make a nice report , and a nice visible arc , and did I mention bounce off the power line ?

The last shot fired was the best as I aimed it .

Definitely a fun shooter , more so than green golf balls or any other color for that matter.......

lostintexas · « **Reply #2 on:** January 29, 2010, 08:42:27 PM »

So what kind of range were you gettng with the steel ball? Are the specs on the mortar posted in another thread?

BTW - It looks cold there!

Double D · « **Reply #3 on:** January 30, 2010, 12:50:38 AM »

It's a dry cold!!

The mortar plans are posted in the sticky at the top of the board "safe loads and cannnon plans".

Range with 24 grains of Fg was 80-90 paced yards, depending on who was pacing.

We didn't hit the power line, the ball went between the lines.

Zulu · « **Reply #4 on:** January 30, 2010, 03:38:12 AM »

What's all that white stuff? I went into the pool for the first time last week.

Zulu

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #5 on:** January 30, 2010, 05:02:24 AM »

Ahhh yes. It's good to see SOMEONE ELSE out there in the snow!

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #6 on:** January 30, 2010, 05:04:00 AM »

So, which design for the SLEDGE (SLED) for the mortar are you going to use?

1Southpaw · « **Reply #7 on:** January 30, 2010, 06:06:03 AM »

Not sure who the question is for ? The sledge in the picture I built for last fall's meet @ Cutbank
The GB mortar never came off the sledge with a full load firing the golf ball.

I need to weigh the ball and do a precise measurement of its diameter .

I'm totally enthused about shooting the steel balls . The golf balls just do not have the same quality experience as the Steel Ball .

Now when will the buckets of steel balls be available ?

1Southpaw · « **Reply #8 on:** January 30, 2010, 06:16:26 AM »

No we did not "hot " the power line , it was already hot !

Possibilities of hitting it were nil , we are both so very safety conscious , especially when we are doing scientific research .

Never mind the little kid excitement @ shooting a "Real Steel "

1Southpaw · « **Reply #9 on:** January 30, 2010, 06:23:49 AM »

Two old guys out there playing .

I'm on the ground taking pictures

Me..."DD , did you see where that landed ?"

DD..."yes "

We walk the 80 or 90 yards down there .......

Me .... "Where is it ? "

DD ... "I forgot "

Double D · « **Reply #10 on:** January 30, 2010, 07:44:46 AM »

Down side to shooting steel!

We had one ball.

we had to walk down range after every shot to find the ball.

Then walk back.

Then we shot again!

Zulu · « **Reply #11 on:** January 30, 2010, 07:52:27 AM »

You would have lost the war.

Zulu

Double D · « **Reply #12 on:** January 30, 2010, 07:59:32 AM »

We are both Cold War Era Warriors and are very familiar with training exercises and reduced defense budgets!!! Get that Pun?

Double D · « **Reply #13 on:** January 30, 2010, 08:03:56 AM »

Quote from: Zulu on January 30, 2010, 03:38:12 AM

What's all that white stuff? I went into the pool for the first time last week.
Zulu

White Sands test range!!!?

Pool? Is it Saturday night?

Zulu · « **Reply #14 on:** January 30, 2010, 08:11:00 AM »

Actually, I dropped something in the pool that I had to get out. Then I got out as fast as I could.
Zulu

1Southpaw · « **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2010, 08:54:49 AM »

The advantage of one steel ball is ..... Two old guys get exercise !

We walked an extra 600 yards on a 4 shot run . $:-\$

Clever eh ?

Cancel the bucket of balls order , I'm feeling better already .

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #16 on:** January 30, 2010, 10:49:25 AM »

Quote from: 1Southpaw on January 30, 2010, 06:23:49 AM

Two old guys out there playing .

I'm on the ground taking pictures

Me..."DD , did you see where that landed ?"

DD..."yes "

We walk the 80 or 90 yards down there .......

Me .... "Where is it ? "

DD ... "I forgot "

I'm jealous! You guys are having too much fun. I know you are right about heavier projectiles in mortars. They are more fun and fly more realistically than GBs. As for the excerpt above, I really hate to admit it, DD, but, you sound just like me!! As for getting lots of exercise, we all have perfected ways to do that. Mike, Gary and I all got the bug to gather up some of those Parrott and Brooke bolts we had shot at targets on the prairie one day. Out of about two hundred precision turned projectiles shot, we found 3 in about four hours. They were found between 800 and 2,300 yards out. With all the left and right search patterns, THAT was a lot of walking! It was fun though, in a different sort of way.

Nice looking mortar too!

Tracy and Mike

Frank46 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 30, 2010, 06:28:09 PM »

Tracey & Mike, think you need to invest in a metal detector. Maybe start painting your bolts a bright color even. Frank

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #18 on:** January 31, 2010, 11:44:35 AM »

Hi Frank, Our friend Bruce had two of them out there one time we searched. It's way too slow, Frank. You can cover 4 times the ground visually. These things are easy to spot if you are in the right area. I'm beginning to think that Mike and Gary and Bruce are right, that is the conjecture that most of these fired projectiles are dug in to the ultimate back-up hill, backstop at the far end of our prairie range. It is right at 2 miles or 3,500 yards. We will search this area in the springtime after the weather moderates a bit. The photos below show what happens to a Brooke bolt after only 8 months on the prairie. I'm afraid any paint you use would be blasted and stripped off upon firing or rusted off relatively quickly. Maybe we will try day-glow orange paint that the surveyors use, after all, I do have two family members in that profession.

Tracy and Mike

Oxidation procedes quickly on the Brooke rifled bolt with extreme temp. variation, heavy summertime humidity and exposure to snow, snow melt, scorching sun, etc.

The rusty Brooke Bolt's milled base with 100% rifling engagement. Found at 2,300 yards.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #19 on:** January 31, 2010, 12:33:17 PM »

2300 YARDS! WHEW!

Did you hit the milk jug?

One of the engineering mags a year or so ago had an article on a radio data transmitter INSIDE a 20mm round. (It was for measuring acceleration INSIDE the barrel.)

Shouldn't cost over several hundred dollars a round to fit those to your bolts!

Should be MUCH easier to find.

Double D · « **Reply #20 on:** January 31, 2010, 02:21:43 PM »

Wasn't that the big problem with electronic artillery shells. accelration and centrifigal force destraoy the electonics.

Well I can assure you we didn't have the problem with our littel mortar the other day.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #21 on:** January 31, 2010, 02:45:13 PM »

Quote from: Double D on January 31, 2010, 02:21:43 PM

Wasn't that the big problem with electronic artillery shells. accelration and centrifigal force destraoy the electonics.
...

Which is to say, they've come a LONG way. Imagine measuring the acceleration INSIDE the barrel of the cannon!

Double D · « **Reply #22 on:** January 31, 2010, 04:02:24 PM »

The mother board died--again on my laptop. I am stuck using the wifes laptop or the desk top. Keyboards are way different. typo rate may higher than norma.

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #23 on:** January 31, 2010, 06:55:13 PM »

Quote from: Double D on January 31, 2010, 04:02:24 PM

The mother board died--again on my laptop. I am stuck using the wifes laptop or the desk top. Keyboards are way different. typo rate may higher than norma.

Don't sweat it, DD. We know what you're trying to say.

M&T Make 'em out of depleted uranium. Find 'em with a geiger counter.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #24 on:** February 01, 2010, 12:35:37 AM »

Quote from: Double D on January 31, 2010, 04:02:24 PM

The mother board died--again on my laptop. I am stuck using the wifes laptop or the desk top. Keyboards are way different. typo rate may higher than norma.

You may be able to plug your keyboard into the back of the laptop, maybe not.

Double D · « **Reply #25 on:** February 01, 2010, 02:42:32 AM »

I need to plug the laptop key board into eveything else.

1Southpaw · « **Reply #26 on:** February 01, 2010, 08:53:36 AM »

Radio shack is in order .
I run 2 computers with only one monitor and key board and mouse . Works slick . Just double click the scroll lock key to switch back and forth . amazed me how I ever got it to work !

lostintexas · « **Reply #27 on:** February 01, 2010, 10:11:36 AM »

Quote from: 1Southpaw on February 01, 2010, 08:53:36 AM

Radio shack is in order .
I run 2 computers with only one monitor and key board and mouse . Works slick . Just double click the scroll lock key to switch back and forth . amazed me how I ever got it to work !

That would be a KVM switch. You can control up to 8 (possibly more) computers with a single mouse/keyboard. In Double D's case, he's used to his laptop and its keyboard. You are stuck with the others until you get the motherboard replaced.

Frank46 · « **Reply #28 on:** February 02, 2010, 05:45:30 PM »

Tracy & Mike, Look at it this way. In a couple hundred years someone will start finding these rare, vintage, antique artifacts
and wonder just what took place. Maybe end up on ebay even. Frank

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #29 on:** February 02, 2010, 07:59:14 PM »

Tim, I doubt that we will ever fit a transmitter into a 9 oz. bolt, but Ex 49'er had an interesting idea about using depleted uranium which could be found easily by using a geiger counter and Mike even has a geiger counter! However, because of where I once worked, I know a little about depleted uranium. It's pretty nasty stuff and a machinist I knew, who turned some of the first 30mm rounds for A-10's GAU Gatling Gun told me it was spooky stuff and it would hiss and crackle as you withdrew a 5 foot pc. of round stock off the metal shelving. He said you DID NOT want your lathe bit to even do one rotation without a full flood of coolant cascading over the lathe bit and the work. The phosphor effect was something you wanted to see in an A-10 gun camera film, NOT two feet in front of you on your lathe!! Frank, you might be correct; wouldn't it be fun to be there when they find those rusty old bolts. Maybe a full-fledged archaeological dig would be initiated?

We will continue with the visual method of finding these bolts, I think. Forgot to mention that Gary found one of his GB, steel balls fired from his Dom built Confederate Parrott way out at 800 yards, a real hobby-horse cannon ball with all those ricochets. The snow is almost gone, our excuses for not going shooting are dwindling. It's the temps have been so low, not a day above 50 in months. I will try to pry Mike out of the nice warm shop on the next over 46 deg. day.

Tracy and Mike