[Oldnamvet]

My Speer #11 manual lists loads for .44 and .45 Colt of a round ball in the case with a light powder charge to give velocities of around 550 fps. It seems like a very nice load to use for plinking or knocking off the occasional rabbit or squirrel. Anyone ever used these? Accuracy? Leading of the barrel? And how far in do you seat the ball? Is it crimped?

[bakert]

I've looked at those loads but to tell the truth the idea of using those small powder charges in those big cases kinda scares me. Think I'd personally rather use a smaller caliber or even a .22. Others here may think differently though.

[griz]

The only thing I have tried that is close was using individual buckshot in a 243. As I remember it, it was #4 buck, and I seated it over a very small charge of Bullseye, with a smear of grease along the case neck for lube. I did not crimp them since I fired them single shot. They made an acceptable cheap plinking round for off hand practice with the same rifle I hunted with. Never clocked the rounds but it was as quiet as a 22 short so I'm sure it was subsonic. I had no problems with the small charge drifting around in the big case, but can make no gaurentees since this is outside the book data.

[444]

Yes, I have tried those loads.
Yes, they were reasonably accurate out to maybe 15 yards.
Barrel leading is much more severe on the internet than it is in real life but to answer your question, no, at 550 fps I didn't experience barrel leading.
I seated the ball so the largest part (the circumference ? ) is at the case mouth.
Yes, it is crimped.

[Gewehr98]

On top of both WW231 and black powder, no less. I fired them from a 3" S&W Model 696, and was rather surprised by the accuracy. Even the Wonder Wads in the black powder versions grouped fairly tight, out to about 25 feet. I didn't have a chronograph with me, and with all the smoke I don't even know if the chrono would work, but the Speer .433" lead round balls worked just fine, I crimped the brass over the ball after the widest part of the ball had been seated. The forcing cone took care of swaging the ball down to bore dimensions upon firing. Leading wasn't a problem, they were probably moving way too slow. ;)

[blackhawk44]

Just for grins, I always sloshed my round balls in diluted Liquid Alox. Those I carried in my pockets for field reloads, I crimped on the circumference. Just plinking, balls were pushed in the case with my thumb and fired. Old timers used to use even lighter charges them seat the ball down into the case stopping level with the case mouth. They didn't have alox and just smeared grease in the gap, like I used to do.
Be careful using hard backstops at close ranges, even plywood. These things don't have enough speed for serious penetration and often bounce back, just like BB's off a hard tin can.