Effectiveness of Chewed Balls in 18th Century Forest Warfare

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  • čas přidán 16. 11. 2022
  • In this historical documentary video, I’m going to perform some experimental archeology in an attempt to determine the effectiveness of chewed balls in a 12-gauge flintlock fowler in forest warfare on the 18th century American frontier.
    Mike Beliveau links
    / duelist
    mikebeliveau.com/
    Video Channels:
    You Tube:
    / @duelist1954
    Rumble:
    rumble.com/c/c-1886155
  • Sport

Komentáře • 676

  • @corneliussulla9963
    @corneliussulla9963 Před rokem +153

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

    • @dennislloyd494
      @dennislloyd494 Před rokem +10

      Bare balls and dimpled balls have a similar effect

    • @SootHead
      @SootHead Před rokem +9

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

    • @tomritter493
      @tomritter493 Před rokem +2

      He did lol

    • @357Dejavu
      @357Dejavu Před rokem +2

      Indeed! 😂

    • @sasqetshenkley1190
      @sasqetshenkley1190 Před rokem +1

      I did *not* hold back.
      Mike shaking his chewed balls out of context: czcams.com/users/clipUgkxMgAd_c9PBA-j6qkhFFWjHtO4t6qNx-z5

  • @Pootycat8359
    @Pootycat8359 Před rokem +33

    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.

  • @someguy2741
    @someguy2741 Před rokem +33

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

  • @denisdegamon8224
    @denisdegamon8224 Před rokem +68

    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
      @duelist1954  Před rokem +10

      Thanks!

    • @KevinSmith-yh6tl
      @KevinSmith-yh6tl Před rokem +4

      HERE, HERE
      👏👏

    • @sasqetshenkley1190
      @sasqetshenkley1190 Před rokem

      Happy Birthday to Mike and his balls 🏀🏀 🎂
      Words to live by: czcams.com/users/clipUgkxOwvaSi6WlQXaC9HWnUr-cgWvsv_rWWfI

    • @killerkraut9179
      @killerkraut9179 Před rokem +1

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

    • @FirebaII0
      @FirebaII0 Před rokem

      Happy birthday

  • @jamesvatter5729
    @jamesvatter5729 Před rokem +4

    Happy belated birthday, Mike!

  • @ssb73q
    @ssb73q Před rokem +27

    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
      @daisymae6561 Před rokem +5

      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
      @russbilzing5348 Před rokem

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

  • @ArnoSchmidt70
    @ArnoSchmidt70 Před rokem +3

    Happy Birthday, Mike!

  • @SootHead
    @SootHead Před rokem +7

    Love this "Duelist Busts Vintage Myths" format!

  • @jeffstevens156
    @jeffstevens156 Před rokem +3

    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!

  • @1straightcut
    @1straightcut Před rokem +2

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

  • @georgenelson8917
    @georgenelson8917 Před rokem +10

    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.

  • @franksmodels29
    @franksmodels29 Před rokem +3

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

  • @dennislloyd494
    @dennislloyd494 Před rokem +3

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

  • @classicgunstoday1972
    @classicgunstoday1972 Před rokem +2

    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

  • @ckbass32
    @ckbass32 Před rokem +2

    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.

  • @Snuffy03
    @Snuffy03 Před rokem +19

    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.

  • @richdoherty64
    @richdoherty64 Před rokem +8

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

  • @galenhisler396
    @galenhisler396 Před rokem +3

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

  • @johncashwell1024
    @johncashwell1024 Před rokem +10

    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.

  • @wingzofsteel
    @wingzofsteel Před rokem +5

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

  • @frankeasterling3402
    @frankeasterling3402 Před rokem +5

    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.

  • @DaleRaby
    @DaleRaby Před rokem +9

    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
      @Tornado1861 Před rokem +1

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

  • @MatttheMustard
    @MatttheMustard Před rokem +2

    Happy birthday buddy. Another great video

  • @bigjim8872
    @bigjim8872 Před rokem +2

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

  • @catyear75
    @catyear75 Před rokem +2

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

  • @peteandresenfamilyadventur8742

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

  • @kentowens2179
    @kentowens2179 Před rokem +1

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

  • @stephenhodges5162
    @stephenhodges5162 Před rokem +1

    Great video Mike. Interesting to look at history and see what it actually was like. Thank you! Happy birthday too!

  • @1boortzfan
    @1boortzfan Před rokem +2

    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.

  • @kbjerke
    @kbjerke Před rokem +3

    Happy birthday, Mike! Keep on shooting!!

  • @JohnSmith-dt6ls
    @JohnSmith-dt6ls Před rokem +2

    Once again great job. always enjoy your videos.

  • @loymedic
    @loymedic Před rokem +1

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

  • @wootang9292
    @wootang9292 Před rokem +6

    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!

  • @mattlee3526
    @mattlee3526 Před rokem +3

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

  • @jimgriffin464
    @jimgriffin464 Před rokem +4

    I am and had been an avid black powder shooter and I have never heard of this . Good of you to have found this out and resourced it to this point . I have a friend that insists on ruffing up his round ball for his .36 colt . I never understood why . Still

  • @1248dl
    @1248dl Před rokem +1

    Happy Birthday, youngster! I enjoyed the comparison.

  • @seanhartman6496
    @seanhartman6496 Před rokem +1

    Happy Birthday Mike and thanks for another great video!

  • @AFpaleoCon
    @AFpaleoCon Před rokem +2

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

  • @J_C_Firelocks
    @J_C_Firelocks Před rokem +2

    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!

  • @1.forestrunner
    @1.forestrunner Před rokem +1

    Happy Birthday Mike! Good test.

  • @GovtWatchdog
    @GovtWatchdog Před rokem +2

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

  • @Ostenjager
    @Ostenjager Před rokem +2

    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.

  • @sgtmajtrapp3391
    @sgtmajtrapp3391 Před rokem +2

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

  • @user-kj6zo3os5n
    @user-kj6zo3os5n Před rokem +3

    Great video, thank you Mike!

  • @wireman4029
    @wireman4029 Před rokem +1

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

  • @dennisatkins9837
    @dennisatkins9837 Před rokem +3

    Great Video Mike! Happy Birthday!

  • @crazycoyote1738
    @crazycoyote1738 Před rokem +1

    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!!

  • @duellgunn1249
    @duellgunn1249 Před rokem +1

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

  • @Everythingblackpowder
    @Everythingblackpowder Před rokem +1

    Happy birthday Mike! Great video as usual

  • @JakobElbaek
    @JakobElbaek Před rokem +1

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

  • @timothylew9775
    @timothylew9775 Před rokem +1

    Happy birthday, Mike. Hope you enjoyed your day.

  • @waynestadtler7702
    @waynestadtler7702 Před rokem +1

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

  • @smithp67
    @smithp67 Před rokem +1

    Always great information and a historical lesson. Thanks.

  • @mylennyuym
    @mylennyuym Před rokem +1

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

  • @Jimmy_Watt
    @Jimmy_Watt Před rokem +1

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

  • @davefellhoelter1343
    @davefellhoelter1343 Před rokem +1

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

  • @vikingindependent7919
    @vikingindependent7919 Před rokem +1

    appreciate the extra testing. very interesting and gr8 targets

  • @stevesheller9223
    @stevesheller9223 Před rokem +1

    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.

  • @scottbaird1160
    @scottbaird1160 Před rokem +1

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

  • @Miohunter444
    @Miohunter444 Před rokem +1

    Happy Birthday Mike!!

  • @billbearback2591
    @billbearback2591 Před rokem +1

    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

  • @jamesyoung1547
    @jamesyoung1547 Před rokem +1

    Happy birthday. Love watching your videos

  • @knallis.hjemmelading
    @knallis.hjemmelading Před rokem +2

    Great video Mike, a lot of interesting information happy birthday

  • @idarolaflsvik9230
    @idarolaflsvik9230 Před rokem +3

    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.

  • @timothystone4998
    @timothystone4998 Před rokem +1

    Happy Birthday and God Bless You and your Family

  • @Flintlock85
    @Flintlock85 Před rokem

    Nice work Mike!!👍

  • @chrisgibson6960
    @chrisgibson6960 Před rokem +1

    Happy birthday Mike. Great video.

  • @ThomasRonnberg
    @ThomasRonnberg Před rokem

    Absolutely wonderful episode. Learned so much.

  • @TheGunfighter45acp
    @TheGunfighter45acp Před rokem +26

    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.

  • @rudynorvelle2870
    @rudynorvelle2870 Před rokem +2

    Another great video, your shooting experiments are always very good. By the way, Happy Birthday. 👍🎂

  • @tomcurran8470
    @tomcurran8470 Před rokem +3

    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.

  • @jamessnodgrass7360
    @jamessnodgrass7360 Před rokem +1

    I hope you're having a wonderful birthday Mike it is a very interesting test keep up the good work

  • @NDFlyFisher
    @NDFlyFisher Před rokem +3

    Great test! Thanks for making this video.
    I don’t have a smoothbore but would like to get one.

  • @stevelemmen7048
    @stevelemmen7048 Před rokem +2

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

  • @jackdelvo2702
    @jackdelvo2702 Před rokem +10

    I think with the early abundance of game a 15 to 20 yard shot would have been the norm. As game became less common the rifle became more in demand while the smoothbore was regulated to shot gun status. As far as early woodland warfare fast loading at short range would be more desirable.

  • @brandonobaza8610
    @brandonobaza8610 Před rokem +2

    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" 😁

  • @FelixstoweFoamForge
    @FelixstoweFoamForge Před rokem +1

    Happy Birthday Mike.

  • @nikitamckeever5403
    @nikitamckeever5403 Před rokem +2

    As usual very entertaining and in my humble opinion bare balls beat all including conicals etc . Easy to load and after casting no preparation . Happy birthday Mike 🎉

  • @plummerjw
    @plummerjw Před rokem

    Happy Birthday and many more of them!

  • @randiegadberry5448
    @randiegadberry5448 Před rokem +1

    Happy Birthday Mike! Hopefully you had a great day!

  • @rharthart9477
    @rharthart9477 Před rokem +5

    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
      @duelist1954  Před rokem +1

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

  • @woodsmanforlife1677
    @woodsmanforlife1677 Před rokem

    Great video, good info! Happy Birthday!

  • @jeffgrier8488
    @jeffgrier8488 Před rokem +2

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

  • @markstoodley9139
    @markstoodley9139 Před rokem +1

    Happy Biirthday mate great vid best wishes from Cornwall🤠

  • @Rs64
    @Rs64 Před rokem +10

    Thanks so much for taking the time to produce and upload these videos. You explains firearms and "bullets" like no other. Keep em coming.

  • @JRB781
    @JRB781 Před rokem +4

    Happy Birthday!
    Despite its lower accuracy, the chewed round ball idea sounds like it could be very useful when shooting round ball loads in a double barrel muzzleloading shotgun. Its tighter fit would most likely keep the recoil of the first barrel from jarring the ball loose in the second barrel.
    Another possibility of why the chewed ball was used was so the ball would have more of a meat hammer effect and cause more flesh/tissue damage.

    • @ColonelSandersLite
      @ColonelSandersLite Před rokem +1

      Could also just be the 18th century version of tacticool too.

  • @jamesnauert7844
    @jamesnauert7844 Před rokem

    Great video Mike, thank you sir.

  • @Matzah1982
    @Matzah1982 Před rokem +2

    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

  • @moosephilotus4671
    @moosephilotus4671 Před rokem +1

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

  • @flintandball6093
    @flintandball6093 Před rokem

    Finally more flintlock content! Day is off to a good start

  • @SilverSaxon
    @SilverSaxon Před rokem +1

    Happy birthday, Mike!

  • @timothydurkan
    @timothydurkan Před rokem

    Happy birthday, Mike!!!

  • @scrappybobbarker5224
    @scrappybobbarker5224 Před rokem

    Happy birthday and happy Thanksgiving to you.

  • @earlshaner4441
    @earlshaner4441 Před rokem +1

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

  • @alexgeorge2993
    @alexgeorge2993 Před rokem +1

    🤣 Happy Birthday mate, I do not know how you kept a straight face throughout this video, I am in my 50's and still childish 😂

    • @tomcurran8470
      @tomcurran8470 Před rokem +1

      Yeah, he's always talking about chewed balls, bare balls, Italian nipples, etc. LOL.

  • @johnnottahcal5725
    @johnnottahcal5725 Před rokem

    Happy Birthday Mike!
    I really thought those rasp chewed balls were gonna group ever so slightly better. I’ll have to test mine alittle more but I do enjoy the fast loading of the chewed.

  • @heavy6355
    @heavy6355 Před rokem +2

    Awesome video!

  • @someguy2741
    @someguy2741 Před rokem +2

    Happy Birthday to Mike!

  • @oldschooljack3479
    @oldschooljack3479 Před rokem +2

    Happy birthday Mike. Here's to many more.
    I am still struggling to get acceptable performance from my .62/20. I may back off on powder... Lower/slower and see if it helps.

  • @pbp6741
    @pbp6741 Před rokem

    Happy birthday, Mike! 🎉