My latest Big Bore

[elk hunter]

A 5/8ths scale field howitzer to shoot golf balls. 1 3/4" bore, with 200 grains of 2-FF you never see the golf ball in the air. We need to wait for the ground to dry some so we can see the dust fly when the ball strikes the ground so we can see how far and where it shoots.

PS: I forgot to say that I spent about $300.00 on materials and put in 150 hours building it. I started on it just before my shop fire in 2015 and just now finished it. Didn't have the lathe or milling machines running until a couple of months ago.

[HollowPoint]

I wonder if this mini canon could take down an elk, and if so, what would be its effective range using one of those same golf balls?

In Arizona, we have to be above a certain caliber in order to hunt a specific type of game. I think that for large game it has to be above 22 caliber but I'm not sure. If the same holds true in your neck of the woods this bore size should make it legal. You just need a good set of sights on it.

HollowPoint

[17nut]

http://www.buckstix.com/howitzer.htm

Scroll almost to the bottom of the page.

[John Taylor]

I use to shoot golf balls out of a canon and they don't go strait. If you stand behind the canon you can watch them go down range.

[KCSO]

Too much powder... the balls will veer off after about 100-150 yards they hook something terrible. When they drop to a certain velocity they go crazy. For best results mould up some balls from rockcrete, thy fly straight out to 1/4 mile or so. If you have kids make an adapter to use compressed air and use a bare golf ball. Tons of fun for the back yard.

[funnyjim014]

Make a mold for the ball use some of the zink WW everyone has a abundance of

[webradbury]

We used to shoot a golf ball cannon that size. It will shoot "D" cell batteries nicely. We shot across a field that was about 800 yards to the woods. Those batteries would splinter good size limbs out of the tops of the trees. I don't recall the load size.

[C. Latch]

Fore!

[missionary5155]

That link to "Hunting Deer.... was very interesting ! Not sure if the DNR in ILLinois would approve though.
Mike in Peru

[HollowPoint]

http://www.buckstix.com/howitzer.htm

Scroll almost to the bottom of the page.

These are excellent tutorials for all you cannon and mortar hunting guys. I especially enjoyed the feral cat-mortal round hunting how-to. All this time I've been using a pellet gun.

HollowPoint

[Drm50]

I got one, don't know much about it. It's suppose to be a replica made in 50s in St. Louis. It has
a brass barrel, and bore is like a mirror. Pic of it below, any info about it would be appreciated.Attachment 191438

[RP]

Interesting I have a GB cannon smooth bore if I load it light it just spits the ball out and it bounces down the field maybe a hundred yards. A little more powder it goes boom instead of poof and we are unable to see the ball in the air or down range. We were in a open field shooting towards some trees 600 yards away changed angles never could find a ball or see where it hit. Now I am wonder if they were going out a few hundred yards and hooking and we were looking in the wrong place. I was thinking the dents in the balls were to improve there flight.

[Dryball]

Ill try got get up a picture of mine later. I use old t-shirts as patch lubed with moose milk. I shoot golfballs and steel bearings with remarkable accuracy. The cannon is set on a cherry wood Naval-type carriage. Great fun at functions and parties. It'll go through cars and trees so I don't think deer would be a problem. It's so accurate I made a holder (to go in the muzzle) for a high intensity lazer pointer to use as an aiming device. Depending on projectile the charges run from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of 2F. Building a Napolion now to shoot beer cans...it ought to be fun