Low recoil balls?

[Turtle]

 Might sound crazy, but has anybody ever used lighter (alloy?) roundballs to reduce recoil shooting a big bore at targets?
                            Turtle

[Jerry V Lape]

Don't know what you would use that would load without greater effort or hold the rifling.  Why not just shoot a small powder charge or get a smaller caliber?

[stuart cee dub]

While I would never recommend it I know someone who used to shoot marbles
I would think these would shatter and never be the right size .
My Uncle Charles was quite a miniature cannon maker and favored industrial ball bearings.
Turtle did you have a shoulder injury ?

[Turtle]

 yep,surgury on the works! When I have reduced powder charges,accuracy always suffers. may be there is a remedy for that?
                                    Thanks,Turtle

[Hungry Horse]

 Turtle;

  If you can't see this as a good reason to build, or buy, a new smaller caliber rifle, you're on the wrong forum. Besides alloys shrink less than lead, and therefore cast a larger ball. Oh, and once you pound that fat little ball half way down the barrel, before you finally decide it absolutely will never seat, it doesn't like to play well with most bullet pullers either.

   Hungry Horse

[bob in the woods]

If you require the larger cal. for accuracy, I'm assuming longer range targets ??
You mention that dropping the powder charge affects the accuracy, but I'm thinking that lightening the projectile will do the same. I believe that you would be much better off just using a smaller caliber rifle.  When I had a torn rotator cuff, and was healing, I used a .45 rifle instead of my usual .54 target rifle, and actually won the match.
Recoil was minuscule.

[OldMtnMan]

More shoulder padding.

[Turtle]

 OK, I said it might be a crazy question. I have a .32 I love to shoot. I was looking for a more pleasant way to shoot my .50 deer rifle between seasons.
                                       Turtle

[OldMtnMan]

Most guns have a target load, and a hunting load that they like. The target load is usually pretty light.

How light a load of powder in the .50 is comfortable for you?

[Daryl]

More shoulder padding.

Whit the torn cartilage in my right shoulder, I concentrated on building up the muscle and wore a P.A.S.T. shoulder protector. I found I could easily shoot my 14 bore rifle with the pad then. I used it that year to win 4 out of 5 events entered with that rifle, using powder charges from 82gr. to 165gr.  The pad made ALL the difference.

I sort of apologize for finding yet another reason for posting these pictures.
Here she is, yet again. Before and after pictures. After that match, I found I could get almost the same accuracy, by only using 140gr. instead of 165gr. 2F GOEX.

140gr. 2F GOEX load recoil shown below.

[OldMtnMan]

I have a bum shoulder too. I wish I could use the PAST shoulder pad. I have one. The problem is I shoot a plains rifle with a curved butt plate. The PAST doesn't work for it.

I just grit my teeth, and suck up the hunting loads. The target loads are much more friendly.

[OldMtnMan]

After I made the above post I got to thinking about it. I always mount traditional muzzleloaders more to the outside of my shoulder in the pocket between the bicep and shoulder. Especially, with curved butt plates. That's to the outside of the PAST pad. I got to thinking what would happen if I shouldered the gun like a modern CF/shotgun further in on the shoulder.

So, I put on the pad, and started to shoulder it in the new position. It felt strange at first, but I adjusted fast. The butt plate just stays on the pad, but it's on it solid. I'll have to get used to this, but it's going to make the hunting loads a lot more comfortable. As an added benefit the LOP was always a bit short for me, and now it's perfect with the pad thickness.

Thanks for bringing it up. I had given up on the pad, and I never would  have tried it again.

[bob in the woods]

Somehow your question prompted  visions of a much larger bore than .50 
I had a target load for mine that only used 50 gr of powder.  Hardly any recoil at all.

[Eric Krewson]

I had my shoulder rebuilt and bought the thickest PAST pad they sold. I can shoot my 12ga fowler with a monster load and not feel a thing.

[Daryl]

A nice, wide, deep and quite flat butt makes ALL the difference. Stock geometry is also vitally important.

[Leatherbark]

A slip on recoil pad  and do all the shooting offhand and that .50 will be a pussycat.

Bob

[Virginiarifleman]

Ditto on the wide flat butt plate. makes a world of difference on the recoil.

[Barnstormer]

When I am sighting in on the bench, catch myself sitting leaning into the gun instead of sitting strait up.  My .50 Hawken kicks like a mule with the 340 gr bullets That I shoot.  It kicks harder when I lean into it.  I bought a Limbsaver slip on butt pad for it but haven't tried it yet but know it will help alot as the cheepy slip on pad that I had before it was ripped, help alot.   I found the Limbsaver at Amazon. 

[Old Ford2]

Styrofoam balls!
Light weight,low recoil, high velocity! 
And they won't hurt anything!
Don't come better than that.
Fred

[axelp]

styro will melt and make mess of your bore. the best and lightest recoil projectile I can think of is a cotton ball?  

[OldMtnMan]

Air balls.

[bob in the woods]

stop shooting bullets, and switch to round balls. About 1/2 the weight of what you're now shooting.

[Old Ford2]

Air balls.

Did you say hair balls???
Never thought of that!?!?
Fred

[OldMtnMan]

Air balls.

Did you say hair balls???
Never thought of that!?!?
Fred

Those are much heavier than air balls. The recoil will kill you.

[Bob Roller]

Air balls.

Did you say hair balls???
Never thought of that!?!?
Fred

Those are much heavier than air balls. The recoil will kill you.

Cut the powder charge and use dust bunnies for a wad.

Bob Roller