[hoppinglark]

about a year ago I was at an outdoor range and met an elderly gentleman who was sighting in his rifle. As we started to talk he got out his shotgun and had me shoot it with a few "Pumpin Ball" shots...basically a musket ball for a 12 gauge...

Does anyone know where to get these?

[Doug S]

In my experience (growing up in small town southwestern PA) many locals refer to slug shotgun rounds as Pumpkin Balls.

[huntsman]

what he called punkin-balls were just Foster slugs. buy the rem or winchesters that go on sale in the fall $1.99 a box before deer season.

[Dave Markowitz]

what he called punkin-balls were just Foster slugs.

Maybe, maybe not.

There used to be factory-loaded roundball ammo for shotguns. It would have to be fairly old, but this ammo does exist.

[444]

I concur. When I was a kid, I saw, had, and fired shotgun shells loaded with round ball. I haven't seen them for years. I am fairly certain they are no longer made. If the idea appeals to you for some reason I am sure you could handload them.
But I also agree that "punkin ball" is a hillbilly term commonly used as a name for a rifled slug.

[Bix]

I've never seen any factory round-ball slugs; however, components are available for reloaders:

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/a1BPHome/t2-prodcatagories/Prod_components/t3components/Prod_Shot/t4-slug/Slugs/slugs.htm


FWIW, I've always known "pumpkin ball" to mean "rifled slug".

[Dave McCracken]

"Pumpkin Ball" was originally applied to round balls. When the Forster slugs were introduced in the 20s, the moniker carried over.

BP carries a .690" round ball that can be loaded into a standard 12 gauge hull with a standard BP wad behind it. I've sure they have reloading data available.

Note that the ball is 16 gauge, and PROBABLY small enough to not bulge a tight choke. I'd not use these in a tight choke though.

[huntsman]

yes there were soild balls loaded in shotshells , I found refrence to this in Don Zutz's Shotgun Stuff. But if I remember correctly the Foster slug was by 1935 or so the standard. If the old gent had the real roundball they were some really old loads.
I guess I assumed he like other old timers were useing old slang for foster loads. this has got me thinking about cutting open an old 16 ga shell from well before WWII to see what's inside.

[49hudson]

Being an old gent , I can assure you ball loads were made and every common in the South.
When the rifled slug was first sold they came with a star embossed on the nose of the slug, so you could tell them from the ball shot, which had no marking/

[foghornl]

I sort of vaugely remember the 20-GA "punkin ball' loads...last time I saw them on the shelf was sometime in the mid-'60's. Don't know who made them, though.

Seems there was a caution on the box not to use in barrels tighter than modified choke.