You fired the last wadding shot at too low of an angle 26° degree. Range loss increases below 27° degree. The optimum range is achieved at ~35° degree angle due to air resistance. In your previous video the barrel appeared very rough & rusted, so you should sand it smoother & wax it. The ball is very loose & needs a sabot. You should be able to get it to go a ~mile then.
Sound like a guy I knew who got on my ass for not knowing the twists of my handgun and rifle and the precise powder. I used my hand gun and rifle to protect myself and others. Irritating lol
My dad shot black powder for decades, a Polished and clean barrel is the key to get consistent accuracy. Shooting for distance is fun and relaxed, try to hit a object is very vary hard. Things like a few grams of powder less or over, dirty barrel, gust of wind, the holes in the ball in different orientations, getting the Jeep exactly in the same spot as the last shot. Great video very fun to watch. Thanks for sharing.
well, this looks fun. Fun to blast big round things a half a mile away, but also, having the whole gang there just seems like such a good time for everyone involved. I know that when I was a kid, I woulda loved to have been on one of those chase dirtbikes. Heck, I would probably enjoy it now too.
Very fun and interesting and it got me thinking. I think you may be able to get a mile or more out of your cannon by finding out the best angle to use for distance. Maybe computer modeling would be of help in this regard. Anyway, thanks for a great vid!
I think it would be neat to hollow out a ball and fill it with powder so we can get a "tracer" bowling ball. Also maybe a 3d printed an aerodynamic projectile. Thanks for the vids I'm a new sub
All you'd need is the muzzle velocity, ball drag coefficient, and local weather conditions and with a ballistic calculator you could factor the best barrel angle to achieve the most distance per a given charge.
That affects aerodynamics and distance as the holes cause drag...I bet if you use an undrlled ball with the same parameters you will get more distance. Just saying
Great fun! Am I wrong in my assumption that extra distance would also be achieved if the Jeep was anchored firmly therefore not sacrificing the thrust taken to move the vehicle?
Shaun had a plan so we went for it! In all fairness, there was a significant headwind up high and the other beals were reaching altitude and then just hanging there as the wind pushed on the. So the goal was to try to keep it a little lower and under the shear winds up high.
@@BealsScience So, it wasn't a fair test of the wadding. Both the greater recoil and the flame coming out of the fuse port indicates that the muzzle velocity and chamber pressures were both much higher.
We definitely hope to get a mile out there! But I think I am going to have to find a longer pipe with a tighter fit! That poor old Jeep could use some parts, we had a lot of things break at the last shoot.
Maximum distance is achieved with the barrel set at 45 degrees. When set at 0 degrees (parallel to the ground) whatever distance the projectile travels will be 10 times greater at 45 degrees.
Thanks for a great video which has provided some very interesting black powder ballistics information, as well as great entertainment. Do you have any idea of muzzle velocity? My guess is 700 to 800 FPS. With an accurate figure I would love to know what the muzzle energy is.
The reason for not using wadding was the barrel was just a length of pipe. Would welding 5 ribs of 1/2" strips of steel the length of the barrel stiffen the barrel?
@@BealsScience Maybe instead of paint, use some gravy? It's almost the same consistency and wouldn't be a problem to leave on the ground, as opposed to having to clean up a paint spill. I just checked and you can get gravy in 5 gallons for about $66 USD. So, probably cheaper than paint as well.
That is a great question! I never even thought to calculate it for this launch. I think I have some unused footage from the side that is in 120 fps so I should be able to calculate it. I will do some digging and see.
Enjoyed the video, thanks for putting it up. I would suggest that when you have changed the barrel for a somewhat longer one, I would suggest a wooden disc cut just shy of the bores diameter with a dished to fit against the ball held in place with some light glue (not strong stuff as you want it to separate as soon as it leave the barrel - watch out though as it can fly off at odd angles. one of the things that is limiting your range is the jeep, if you watch bach you will see the jeep go down on its suspension before the ball leaves the barrel, this lowers the angle and absorbs a lot of energy that could be used to propel the ball. look at old artillery cannons and mortars and they are on ridged frames. Good luck with the record and try a frangible containerl filled with steel ball bearings or nuts fired horizontally against some wooden shuttering at about 100 yards to see the effect cannister shot would have. get the search crew to paint some soldier outlines on it in old line regiment formation for the woo effect!
I found a bowling ball imbedded in the ground on my homestead property last year after a rain. It looked like a funky colored river rock at first, I poked at it with my boot then tried digging around it with a stick then got my shovel and found that it was a bowling ball. It was cracked by a large sharp rock in the bottom of the hole. The previous owners of the property were pigs and I've been cleaning the property for the past four years but this definitely didn't look like buried trash. I could see scorching and a ring of scuffing around it indicating it had been fired by a cannon and could even speculate where it came from since it didn't bounce and just embedded itself in the ground getting cracked by the big rock under it. Had to be something from 50 years ago or more when this area was more remote and the spot where it hit had been occupied off and on since the late 80's. The nearest road that was around back then from the direction it was most likely fired from is just about a mile as a bowling ball flies. I'd say it is doable.
Thats a very good video! Now i have a really stupid idea and with the risk involved i doubt it will ever be done (unless there is a 10 minute fuse) to basically point the cannon directly towards the sky! Im a dad of 3 and thats my inner child telling me its dangerous but im genuinely curious to the outcome and the trouble is safety and also being able to track the height it reaches, also theres the risk to the cannon and whether enough propulsion will generate.
It is super critical, when shooting Blackpowder from any tube, from pistol to cannon, that there be as near a ZERO air gap between the charge and sabot/projectile as possible. Any air gap creates a shockwave induced over-pressure that can turn the very stoutest barrel into a pip boom.
I think that you should have always fired with a 45 degree angle for maximum distance rather than varying it for each firing. Any angle other than 45 degrees is less than optimum for distance
A very late reply, however, 45 degrees for maximum range would only apply in a perfect vacuum. Drag means any projectile is decelerating on exit. In simple terms you need to get it down range before it slows too much , the more "draggy" a projectile is the lower the initial angle will be for maximum range.@@kenadler777
I'm a bit late on this one, but i have an idea. In which financial realms are we speaking, if you would take a higher grade, or thicker steel pipe with more length, to increase pressure in the chamber and maintain longer? During WW2 the range of artillery and AT cannons increased significantly when adding barrel length. Cheers!
All that flame comes out as waste of powder or energy so you are right a longer barrel would use more of that but it would increase the breach Pressure
my buddy's a cannoneer We've had so much fun on the farm aiming at old cars. We made our own balls. Your bowling ball is quiet the challenge.. fun stuff.
Well bcs they were for short range practice in a field and he was a Civil War Rein actor / they were concrete with something to smooth the edges and bind it together. It's been years I played with the big guns. @@BealsScience
People wanted to test various angles because the jeep was flexing so much during the shoot they thought the Andre was too high. Personally, I think it was just fine! What do you think?
drill a core plug and insert a tracking device also use a cloth bag packed with the gunpowder the bag acts as the waddage. In the old days they used straw as the waddage and up the gund powder to 2,5 pounds in the bag and pack in the barrel.
Lets see, the Army has/had a M110 howitzer, mounted on a mobile chassis, sorta like yours. The projectile is about 8in, close to your 16lb BB. They can lob a M106HE shell that weights about 200lbs about 10 miles. Barrell length is about 10ft. Something to shoot for? Pardon the pun.
Could shoot for it, but in order to do so you would essentially have to build a military grade howitzer, and the ATF is generally not a big fan of people doing that.
We did the same thing but the cannon is a lot bigger. And instead of bowling balls, we shoot things like appliances and car parts. We just sent a dryer about a mile and a half. Pretty cool.
Proper wadding is not a rag stuffed into the barrel on top of the powder charge. You have to wrap the projectile in the wadding, only to the length of the projectile. No excess wadding needed. At the same time, the wadding needs to seal between the barrel and the projectile. In a sense, putting the bowling ball in a cardboard box, then ramming it down the barrel would do. Thanks for the video. Jon
Agreed. Like shooting a patched round ball in a muzzleloader. I would coat the patch in Crisco oil, set the ball on it, then start it into the barrel. Then cut the excess patch off. Should make a nice tight seal especially if you use someone else's suggestion and have a touch hole for the fuse in the back.
fun experiment. I'd echo the other commenter that you performance isn't bad but could easily be improved with some barrel prep and a sabot. It's significantly underpowered for the ball's weight, smooth bore 16lbers were typically fired with `6LB of powder, though you'd need something to manage recoil as I don't think your jeep will take it... cannon walls are very thing as well too so might want to just call it good before Ian accident occurs!
The Jeep's shocks are absorbing a lot of energy If you want the bowling ball to go further... Maybe try lifting the Jeep up and placing the Jeep's frame on some solid cinder blocks. Four of them, at each corner of the frame. Just sayin'.
it's awesome, but there's a problem: after a lot of shots the geep may be destroyed by the recoil, why don't try to put the cannon a little further on the geep and try to put a big spring as a recoil control system, it can be usefull and really cool to see when shoot with it it might be difficult because you would have to change the position and shape of the gun but it can be done
If it's those dudes at an old mine linked here: th-cam.com/video/kxj7n-M-IYE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=UmN7j5qVCze-CCn9 I think it's clickbait, they have no idea where it landed and for me the barrel is too short to get that distance...this setup is better all round than what they had.
On an overcast day like this testing had, you need to paint the ball yellow to pick it up better in the sky. That's why they make yellow gold balls for. Red is for the bright sky because it makes it look blacker against it.
Thanks very fun and enjoyable. My concern is that as you add more powder, then at some point you will break the ball into pieces before you get to the one mile distance. Guess time will tell, be safe!
Hey Craig. How do? Why 26°? The others were 40-45°. I've almost always found that a 40° angle is best. Also, I don't know if you need to, but clean up the inside of your canon. Now use appropriate wadding like maybe pvc foam(nice n firm whatever it's called) & some cloth with maybe a piece of ¾" plywood in between. Last thing I swear, stabilize your jeep better so it won't move (at least not as much). The more solid the canon base the better your shotput or shot or whatever. I know everything I mentioned will make this even awesomer🤠 Your neighbor & friend, Chris of Spokane Valley, Wa
@@BealsScience Thnx for your quick reply Craig. Just want you to understand, I wasn't being a critic, just wish I could be there to have fun & help. I think I'd be helpful & it'd be a blast. Anyway, best regards Chris
very well thought out, i feel ya stressed the tube though. im a mechanical engineer, hands on plus a welder. i think, ya need a new tube and no wadding. perhaps a simple recoil cradle with a total loss water system, cheap and no pollution.
My bowling ball mortars are made from K size oxygen tanks. One is quite close fitting & out shoots the other one easily. I've been considering fins. I've come up with fins on 3 of my smaller mortars, an 81mm, 76.2mm & 70mm. I fire them backwards fin first. It goes about 100 ft. Or so then turns around & goes like hell. Right away i started getting nice groups & got first place at our cannon shoot. They are fired with shotgun primers, one is fired with musket caps & a lanyard. Dixie gun works has cannon locks for this. Its safer & more reliable than fuze😊
@@BealsScience I use loose powder, there is no chamber just the bottom of the tank w/ball on top of that. Both shotgun primers & musket caps are fired with a lanyard & cannon lock. We fired one with 2 lbs pdr & 16lb ball, it's still going strong after a rebuild, the legs went flying, the 3/8" base plate folded around its base, it was shoved over a foot into hard rocky ground. I put the Dixie gun works cannon locks on the lower bottom side of the bbl to insure ignition, they were unreliable on top & on the side. Does this help?😊
Great question. I wanted to keep the angle but the rest of the crew wanted to switch things up…so…I let them have their fun. We planned to try it my way but we had a charge that didn’t light. Later found out that the fuse was damaged. It took a few hours to take care of that issue and then it was dark. But, we will try it next time!
Looks like so much fun! I'm thinking that probably wasn't the best method to use wadding in there, but then again, always safety first. If the barrel is just a heavy-duty piece of pipe, what's it current rating for bursting strength? I guess you could load up something like a mesh garbage can with a bunch of tennis balls or golf balls, and see if you have the largest shotgun in the world :) Mark Rober, on his TH-cam channel, made a large air-powered T-shirt cannon to see how far he could launch a tee-shirt; you might be able to launch an entire tuxedo even further. And learning about ballistics and trajectories was always a blast in school!
I agree. Part of the crew wanted to try the lower angle because they thought the flex of the frame was causing the ball to exit at somewhere between 45-80 degrees (I disagreed) but thought I would let the have their fun. We didn’t have time for another shot that day so we will have to try again next time we go out.
If you use bigger power loud you need a bigger jeep. Use weights in front are in back of jeep were ever its needed. it will help so much kick back so much, I think right.
The real deal is to use sack cloth soaked in burnt oil for wadding and oil the barrel of the cannon as well .That will allow for more powder and your on to a supremo.
Basic physics disregarding wind resistance suggests the optimal angle of the gun is 45 degrees. 26 degrees or 54 degrees will shorten the distance. Why 26 degrees on shot 4??????
You fired the last wadding shot at too low of an angle 26° degree. Range loss increases below 27° degree. The optimum range is achieved at ~35° degree angle due to air resistance. In your previous video the barrel appeared very rough & rusted, so you should sand it smoother & wax it. The ball is very loose & needs a sabot. You should be able to get it to go a ~mile then.
Um. Lemme guess. Former artillery guy right😂👍
Sound like a guy I knew who got on my ass for not knowing the twists of my handgun and rifle and the precise powder. I used my hand gun and rifle to protect myself and others. Irritating lol
DAGBY
🤣🤣🤣
Fuck yeah
Excellent info .
Real science.
My dad shot black powder for decades, a Polished and clean barrel is the key to get consistent accuracy. Shooting for distance is fun and relaxed, try to hit a object is very vary hard. Things like a few grams of powder less or over, dirty barrel, gust of wind, the holes in the ball in different orientations, getting the Jeep exactly in the same spot as the last shot. Great video very fun to watch. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching and for the comment!!
We definitely need to clean our barrel....
45 degrees, 2ft longer barrel, aluminum foil wadding, 2 lbs powder... will easily get you a mile.
Great Videos!
I’ve never thought of using aluminum foil for wadding! That is a great idea!
Thanks!
That jeep cannon is just absolutely amazing! Awesome shot on #3!
Thank you!!
Wow! What a shot. Congrats, I'm looking forward to the next.
Thank you! I’m looking forward to the next one too. I am ready to shoot it at some stuff!
well, this looks fun.
Fun to blast big round things a half a mile away, but also, having the whole gang there just seems like such a good time for everyone involved. I know that when I was a kid, I woulda loved to have been on one of those chase dirtbikes. Heck, I would probably enjoy it now too.
It is fun for all ages!!
Thanks for the comment!
Tell me what you think! What should we do next with the Bowling Ball Cannon?!
Thank you for watching!
~Craig
More toilets
@@gregoryfilar1783 I agree!!! Definitely need more toilets!
Very fun and interesting and it got me thinking. I think you may be able to get a mile or more out of your cannon by finding out the best angle to use for distance. Maybe computer modeling would be of help in this regard. Anyway, thanks for a great vid!
I think it would be neat to hollow out a ball and fill it with powder so we can get a "tracer" bowling ball. Also maybe a 3d printed an aerodynamic projectile. Thanks for the vids I'm a new sub
@@DGA2000 I agree! Computer modeling would help this print immensely!
All you'd need is the muzzle velocity, ball drag coefficient, and local weather conditions and with a ballistic calculator you could factor the best barrel angle to achieve the most distance per a given charge.
Thanks for the tip!
@@BealsScience Ballistics is a great interest of mine, but I'm more used to small arms information than bowling balls Hahaha
are there fingerholes drillrd in the ball ?
Yes
That affects aerodynamics and distance as the holes cause drag...I bet if you use an undrlled ball with the same parameters you will get more distance. Just saying
New subscriber, thanks to the collaboration with the Slo-mo guys and How Ridiculous.
Thank you for the sub!!!
I am honored that you came here after watching their videos - it has been such an amazing thing to be a part of!
Why did you divert from the 45 degrees?
That should be optimal.
Some of the crew wanted to experiment. So we tried it out.
Great fun! Am I wrong in my assumption that extra distance would also be achieved if the Jeep was anchored firmly therefore not sacrificing the thrust taken to move the vehicle?
I agree. Some of the energy that would push the ball even further is being lost to the vehicle.
Would like to know how far when the ball is slightly smaller than the barrel .
I don’t understand why you shot at 26 degrees with the wadding when the others were at 40-45. Won’t that affect it? Ideal is 40/45 no?
Shaun had a plan so we went for it! In all fairness, there was a significant headwind up high and the other beals were reaching altitude and then just hanging there as the wind pushed on the. So the goal was to try to keep it a little lower and under the shear winds up high.
Ok. Was just curious. I would have thought you would have beat the distance with the wadding. Thanks
@@BealsScience So, it wasn't a fair test of the wadding. Both the greater recoil and the flame coming out of the fuse port indicates that the muzzle velocity and chamber pressures were both much higher.
@@winstonsmith478 I agree!
The most efficient angle is 45 degrees of elevation. The last shot was 26 degrees.
I agree!
Build a castle breeching cannon. aim at a cinder block wall or small structure. Test accuracy. or a 30 foor by 30 foot wall.
I love that idea!
I forgot to mention what a great video that was. I hope you attempt a mile shot. And please put it on U-tube.
Thank you!!
how fast is the ball traveling?
Depending on the powder and ball weight it can be moving 300 mph!
I know that area. I also have jeep parts for you. Are you going to go back out there and go for more than a mile?
We definitely hope to get a mile out there! But I think I am going to have to find a longer pipe with a tighter fit!
That poor old Jeep could use some parts, we had a lot of things break at the last shoot.
I was going to ask about the wadding, but i figured id let it play and, as expected, you gave the answer i thought you might. Excellent video!👍
Thank you!!
Great video sir, was waiting since a long time.
Thank you!!!
Wadding was the right idea ,, but the 26 degree angle of attack wasn't , the 45 degree angle was better for range
Why did you only use an elevation angle of 26° instead of the optimal 45° angle for that last shot?
The group wanted to see what would happen at 26 deg. I wanted to try 45 degrees.
Needs more views . The lord bowling ball cannon is pleased .
Thank you!!
Maximum distance is achieved with the barrel set at 45 degrees. When set at 0 degrees (parallel to the ground) whatever distance the projectile travels will be 10 times greater at 45 degrees.
Yeah, I don't understand why they are changing the angle.
Is that exact? That's pretty neat
Thanks for a great video which has provided some very interesting black powder ballistics information, as well as great entertainment. Do you have any idea of muzzle velocity? My guess is 700 to 800 FPS. With an accurate figure I would love to know what the muzzle energy is.
OK, well a 16.1lb projectile with muzzle velocity of 750ft/sec would equal a muzzle energy of 9,110 ft/lb.
The reason for not using wadding was the barrel was just a length of pipe. Would welding 5 ribs of 1/2" strips of steel the length of the barrel stiffen the barrel?
That would probably help!
Thanks!
Have you tried using a golf ball tracker?
No. But that is a really good idea!!
Would be cool to see you guys blast a capped 55 gallon drum of water. Like your other vids, this one was excellent!
I like that idea! I thought some 5 gallon paint buckets in slow motion could be pretty cool too!
@@BealsScience Maybe instead of paint, use some gravy? It's almost the same consistency and wouldn't be a problem to leave on the ground, as opposed to having to clean up a paint spill. I just checked and you can get gravy in 5 gallons for about $66 USD. So, probably cheaper than paint as well.
Good wholesome family fun. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
Very informative thanks for a great video.
Thanks for the comment!
any estimates on muzzle velocity?
That is a great question! I never even thought to calculate it for this launch. I think I have some unused footage from the side that is in 120 fps so I should be able to calculate it. I will do some digging and see.
Enjoyed the video, thanks for putting it up. I would suggest that when you have changed the barrel for a somewhat longer one, I would suggest a wooden disc cut just shy of the bores diameter with a dished to fit against the ball held in place with some light glue (not strong stuff as you want it to separate as soon as it leave the barrel - watch out though as it can fly off at odd angles.
one of the things that is limiting your range is the jeep, if you watch bach you will see the jeep go down on its suspension before the ball leaves the barrel, this lowers the angle and absorbs a lot of energy that could be used to propel the ball. look at old artillery cannons and mortars and they are on ridged frames. Good luck with the record and try a frangible containerl filled with steel ball bearings or nuts fired horizontally against some wooden shuttering at about 100 yards to see the effect cannister shot would have. get the search crew to paint some soldier outlines on it in old line regiment formation for the woo effect!
Thank you for the extended comment and all of the great ideas!!!
I found a bowling ball imbedded in the ground on my homestead property last year after a rain. It looked like a funky colored river rock at first, I poked at it with my boot then tried digging around it with a stick then got my shovel and found that it was a bowling ball. It was cracked by a large sharp rock in the bottom of the hole. The previous owners of the property were pigs and I've been cleaning the property for the past four years but this definitely didn't look like buried trash. I could see scorching and a ring of scuffing around it indicating it had been fired by a cannon and could even speculate where it came from since it didn't bounce and just embedded itself in the ground getting cracked by the big rock under it. Had to be something from 50 years ago or more when this area was more remote and the spot where it hit had been occupied off and on since the late 80's. The nearest road that was around back then from the direction it was most likely fired from is just about a mile as a bowling ball flies. I'd say it is doable.
There is something pleasant about firing 16lb bowling balls 👍
I agree!
Thats a very good video! Now i have a really stupid idea and with the risk involved i doubt it will ever be done (unless there is a 10 minute fuse) to basically point the cannon directly towards the sky! Im a dad of 3 and thats my inner child telling me its dangerous but im genuinely curious to the outcome and the trouble is safety and also being able to track the height it reaches, also theres the risk to the cannon and whether enough propulsion will generate.
I’ve wanted to do this while the Jeep is moving to prove the physics!
But…it’s probably not the best idea I’ve ever had…
It is super critical, when shooting Blackpowder from any tube, from pistol to cannon, that there be as near a ZERO air gap between the charge and sabot/projectile as possible. Any air gap creates a shockwave induced over-pressure that can turn the very stoutest barrel into a pip boom.
Thank you for the info!
I am not sure if it will work but how about a GPS device installed and just drill and adjust weight to compensate wish I was there looks like fun
Thanks for the tip!
Loved the video.
Thank you!
Do you need a license/permit to build and shoot that awesome thing?
Not in the free states of America.
I think that you should have always fired with a 45 degree angle for maximum distance rather than varying it for each firing. Any angle other than 45 degrees is less than optimum for distance
I agree.
@@BealsScience If you agree (and I assume you already knew this) - why wasn't it done? Why were you shooting at 40 and 26 degrees?
A very late reply, however, 45 degrees for maximum range would only apply in a perfect vacuum.
Drag means any projectile is decelerating on exit. In simple terms you need to get it down range before it slows too much , the more "draggy" a projectile is the lower the initial angle will be for maximum range.@@kenadler777
To achieve maximum range on a mortar or cannon I always thought elevating the tube to 45 degrees was optimal. Why did you use 40 degrees?
As the powder explodes it compresses the shocks on the Jeep, more so on the front. So as the ball exits we are pretty close to 45 degrees.
Great video! Please keep your cannon on the other side of the Montana mountains. Looks a little dangerous. :)
Thank you!!
I will keep it pointed east!
But don’t you think Bozeman would appreciate a little cannon blast too?!
Maybe for homecoming?!
I'm a bit late on this one, but i have an idea. In which financial realms are we speaking, if you would take a higher grade, or thicker steel pipe with more length, to increase pressure in the chamber and maintain longer? During WW2 the range of artillery and AT cannons increased significantly when adding barrel length. Cheers!
@@0QualityOverQuantity No, it is literally written down and very clearly observable. Nice try at being a dumbass though.
All that flame comes out as waste of powder or energy so you are right a longer barrel would use more of that but it would increase the breach Pressure
my buddy's a cannoneer We've had so much fun on the farm aiming at old cars. We made our own balls. Your bowling ball is quiet the challenge.. fun stuff.
What do you make the cannon balls out of?
Well bcs they were for short range practice in a field and he was a Civil War Rein actor / they were concrete with something to smooth the edges and bind it together. It's been years I played with the big guns. @@BealsScience
He had 3 cannons and one was special replica of Civil War (his favorite) so different balls for different walls.
@@dferrantiJfr concrete is a great idea!!
Thanks for sharing!
@@dferrantiJfr 👍
You should try a angles from say 20° up to 45° in 5° increments with wadding but don't fill the barrel, just enough to prevent gases escaping
Great idea!
Why did the launch angle keep getting lower?
People wanted to test various angles because the jeep was flexing so much during the shoot they thought the Andre was too high.
Personally, I think it was just fine!
What do you think?
@@BealsScience I recommend 45 degrees for maximum distance.
drill a core plug and insert a tracking device also use a cloth bag packed with the gunpowder the bag acts as the waddage. In the old days they used straw as the waddage and up the gund powder to 2,5 pounds in the bag and pack in the barrel.
Thanks for the tips!
Lets see, the Army has/had a M110 howitzer, mounted on a mobile chassis, sorta like yours. The projectile is about 8in, close to your 16lb BB. They can lob a M106HE shell that weights about 200lbs about 10 miles. Barrell length is about 10ft. Something to shoot for? Pardon the pun.
I think it is time for a new barrel. Longer and closer to the actual diameter of the bowling ball.
Then…look out downrange!!
Could shoot for it, but in order to do so you would essentially have to build a military grade howitzer, and the ATF is generally not a big fan of people doing that.
I wonder if any of those bowling balls went supersonic (Mach 1), around 1,125 fps at sea level.
No, there was no Crack in the air. They were all subsonic.
We did the same thing but the cannon is a lot bigger. And instead of bowling balls, we shoot things like appliances and car parts. We just sent a dryer about a mile and a half. Pretty cool.
Awesome!
Great Video
Thank you!!
Ohhhh boy. This, is gonna be good.
I hope so! 🤞🤞
@@BealsScience you don't need wadding... you need a sabo.
@@HopefulPessimist I should definitely build one and see how well it works!
Proper wadding is not a rag stuffed into the barrel on top of the powder charge. You have to wrap the projectile in the wadding, only to the length of the projectile. No excess wadding needed. At the same time, the wadding needs to seal between the barrel and the projectile. In a sense, putting the bowling ball in a cardboard box, then ramming it down the barrel would do. Thanks for the video. Jon
Agreed. Like shooting a patched round ball in a muzzleloader. I would coat the patch in Crisco oil, set the ball on it, then start it into the barrel. Then cut the excess patch off. Should make a nice tight seal especially if you use someone else's suggestion and have a touch hole for the fuse in the back.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Thanks for the suggestions!
@@craigsturman6661 This idea sounds best to me, along with possibly polishing the inside of the barrel, but IDK how rough it is in there.
sub here from the slow mo guys and how ridiculous. you have got to make more videos with this thing.
Thanks for finding your way to my channel and thanks for the sub!!
More videos to come with the cannon!
fun experiment. I'd echo the other commenter that you performance isn't bad but could easily be improved with some barrel prep and a sabot. It's significantly underpowered for the ball's weight, smooth bore 16lbers were typically fired with `6LB of powder, though you'd need something to manage recoil as I don't think your jeep will take it... cannon walls are very thing as well too so might want to just call it good before Ian accident occurs!
Thanks for the info!
I just built a new barrel with nearly double the thickness of steel at the ‘chamber’. Will be testing it next week!
It’s back!
Finally!!!!
Not that I’ve been checking weekly for months or anything. 🤨
Just great ,keep goin. I'll need oNE of those. 4 motherinlaw's home.gracias for ur videos.
The Jeep's shocks are absorbing a lot of energy If you want the bowling ball to go further... Maybe try lifting the Jeep up and placing the Jeep's frame on some solid cinder blocks. Four of them, at each corner of the frame. Just sayin'.
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it's awesome, but there's a problem: after a lot of shots the geep may be destroyed by the recoil, why don't try to put the cannon a little further on the geep and try to put a big spring as a recoil control system, it can be usefull and really cool to see when shoot with it
it might be difficult because you would have to change the position and shape of the gun but it can be done
theres a guy on here that has hit 3 miles with his bowling ball canon
Awesome!
Can you share a link? I’d love to see it.
If it's those dudes at an old mine linked here: th-cam.com/video/kxj7n-M-IYE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=UmN7j5qVCze-CCn9
I think it's clickbait, they have no idea where it landed and for me the barrel is too short to get that distance...this setup is better all round than what they had.
On an overcast day like this testing had, you need to paint the ball yellow to pick it up better in the sky. That's why they make yellow gold balls for. Red is for the bright sky because it makes it look blacker against it.
Thanks for the tip!
Use the cloth around the ball like a muzzle loading rifle would , you would need a ramer then to insure good contact with the powder .
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I wonder if you could put a 15-20’ streamer on it somehow?
Good idea!!
Now that’s entertainment!👍
Thanks!!
Hi guys how about cannon shooting an old vw komby
That would be pretty wild!!
To bad you couldn't shoot at old safe? Like big gun safe?
If I can find one we would shoot at it!
Lmfao!!!!!
If you’re going for distance attempt the record with the first or second shot. Before the metal used for your barrel has a chance to fatigue.
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Counts as a technical?
Thanks very fun and enjoyable. My concern is that as you add more powder, then at some point you will break the ball into pieces before you get to the one mile distance. Guess time will tell, be safe!
Thanks!
Obviously the bowling ball must be pretty good matter👍
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Hey Craig. How do?
Why 26°? The others were 40-45°. I've almost always found that a 40° angle is best. Also, I don't know if you need to, but clean up the inside of your canon. Now use appropriate wadding like maybe pvc foam(nice n firm whatever it's called) & some cloth with maybe a piece of ¾" plywood in between. Last thing I swear, stabilize your jeep better so it won't move (at least not as much). The more solid the canon base the better your shotput or shot or whatever.
I know everything I mentioned will make this even awesomer🤠
Your neighbor & friend, Chris of Spokane Valley, Wa
Thanks for the tips Chris!
And thanks for watching!
@@BealsScience Thnx for your quick reply Craig. Just want you to understand, I wasn't being a critic, just wish I could be there to have fun & help. I think I'd be helpful & it'd be a blast.
Anyway, best regards Chris
@@chris_758 no worries! I appreciate your feedback!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
why 26 degrees?
Optimum angle for distance is 33 degree. Most bowling ball cannons are made from used 'K' bottles, so line your barrel with a 'K' gas bottle.
Thanks for the tips!
That 2 lb black powder shot of a 16 pound bowling ball that went 4099 feet is very impressive.
Thanks!!
You need a sabot. A round wooden block behind the bowling ball. If you use one, you will lose less wind windage and you'll easily pass the mile.
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very well thought out, i feel ya stressed the tube though. im a mechanical engineer, hands on plus a welder. i think, ya need a new tube and no wadding. perhaps a simple recoil cradle with a total loss water system, cheap and no pollution.
Can you tell me more about what a total water loss system is?
I use to build cannons 50 years ago I used news paper for wadding. I shot a 4 lb piece of steel round like a piston 3 1/2 miles at a 45 degree angle.
That sounds incredible!!
Yankee doodle playing while you shoot a bowling ball out of a cannon. I have never been more proud to be an American.
💥🇺🇸🎉😉
My bowling ball mortars are made from K size oxygen tanks. One is quite close fitting & out shoots the other one easily. I've been considering fins. I've come up with fins on 3 of my smaller mortars, an 81mm, 76.2mm & 70mm. I fire them backwards fin first. It goes about 100 ft. Or so then turns around & goes like hell. Right away i started getting nice groups & got first place at our cannon shoot. They are fired with shotgun primers, one is fired with musket caps & a lanyard. Dixie gun works has cannon locks for this. Its safer & more reliable than fuze😊
Thank you for the info!
For ignition, are you using loose powder in an ignition chamber to ignite with caps?
@@BealsScience I use loose powder, there is no chamber just the bottom of the tank w/ball on top of that. Both shotgun primers & musket caps are fired with a lanyard & cannon lock. We fired one with 2 lbs pdr & 16lb ball, it's still going strong after a rebuild, the legs went flying, the 3/8" base plate folded around its base, it was shoved over a foot into hard rocky ground. I put the Dixie gun works cannon locks on the lower bottom side of the bbl to insure ignition, they were unreliable on top & on the side. Does this help?😊
@@michaelpierson7256 Yes! Thank you for the info!!!
Why change the angle on the last shot with wadding. That eliminates it from the results to see effect of the wadding.
Great question. I wanted to keep the angle but the rest of the crew wanted to switch things up…so…I let them have their fun.
We planned to try it my way but we had a charge that didn’t light. Later found out that the fuse was damaged. It took a few hours to take care of that issue and then it was dark.
But, we will try it next time!
Why 40 degrees? Wouldn't 45 give the most distance?
Initially it was 45 degrees but the weight and multiple times shooting have crushed the shocks and springs and now it doesn’t sit very level.
Looks like so much fun! I'm thinking that probably wasn't the best method to use wadding in there, but then again, always safety first. If the barrel is just a heavy-duty piece of pipe, what's it current rating for bursting strength? I guess you could load up something like a mesh garbage can with a bunch of tennis balls or golf balls, and see if you have the largest shotgun in the world :) Mark Rober, on his TH-cam channel, made a large air-powered T-shirt cannon to see how far he could launch a tee-shirt; you might be able to launch an entire tuxedo even further. And learning about ballistics and trajectories was always a blast in school!
Thank you! I’ve got a bucket full of gold balls that I am going to shoot out of it next time!
I was also wondering about the burst strength and over-pressures.
While it's a semi-thick pipe, it's not a cannon.
Awesome keep it coming
Thanks! Will do!
Why wouldnt you always shoot at a 45 degree angle to maximize distance?
I agree. Part of the crew wanted to try the lower angle because they thought the flex of the frame was causing the ball to exit at somewhere between 45-80 degrees (I disagreed) but thought I would let the have their fun.
We didn’t have time for another shot that day so we will have to try again next time we go out.
You know, this is awesome.
Thank you!
Big fun... I'm concerned about pressures in your tube exceeding it's strength. Be safe.
Me too!!!
Piękne zabawy 😉😁🤠
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U need to stick to about 33° for max range though😊
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Bullshit!! 45 degrees.
Why are you filming the jeep?
If you use bigger power loud you need a bigger jeep. Use weights in front are in back of jeep were ever its needed. it will help so much kick back so much, I think right.
Thanks!
That's a pretty incredible distance:)
It is incredibly hard to keep track of them at that distance! I am thinking of putting a smoke canister inside one next time so we can watch it fly.
@@BealsScience Ever consider painting them with glow paint like at a night golf course? Might be a little dangerous at night haha
@@canadajim I agree! It might be dangerous but it sure would look cool!!
The real deal is to use sack cloth soaked in burnt oil for wadding and oil the barrel of the cannon as well .That will allow for more powder and your on to a supremo.
Thanks!
Brave of you to try it with the wadding, with something that isn't exactly a cannon barrel you don't know how it would handle that pressure haha
I will try again but with a little different setup and 1 pound of powder.
And 45 degrees. It should really fly!
@@BealsScience Styrafoam circle about an inch or two thick and tight to the cannon walls between the powder and the ball would work much better
Cool video
Thanks!!
How much force is lost from the jeep moving? That’s got to take away from it.
Good question! I’m not sure how much force is lost.
Imagine firing this cannon inside a real bowling alley. What a great way to score a strike.
I might finally be able to get a strike!
Basic physics disregarding wind resistance suggests the optimal angle of the gun is 45 degrees. 26 degrees or 54 degrees will shorten the distance. Why 26 degrees on shot 4??????
I let the other boys have their fun and try something new. I told them 45 would be best.
Lol... i was commenting about wadding and youve just said it 😅
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This is soo cool 👍
Thanks!!
45 degrees would be the best angle if there was no air resistance. But with it a lower angle is necessary, probably 35 to 40 degrees.
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