Percussion Shooting Punching Thru Steel - Is that possible?

[BlackPowderManiacShooter]

Trying my luck punching holes thru 1/8 inch steel using Swiss FFF powder in a Percussion rifle.

Enjoy:

[Bigsmoke]

Sure it's possible, but it takes big balls to do it.  Pardon the silly pun, there.
Back in my big bore rifle days I was invited to attend a Boy Scout gathering at Farragut Park in North Idaho.  That would have been around 2000 or 2001.  The reason for my presence there was to do a muzzleloading demonstration to various groups of kids at the rifle range located in the park.  They had classes for .22 rifle shooting, archery and I think they might also have had shotgun.
So, I took a Ruger revolver, my .54 rifle, my .69 caliber English Sporting Rifle and my 8 bore double rifle.  Also along for the ride was a piece of diamond plate that was maybe 18" x 30" or so.  I hung the diamond plate up at the 50 yard line.
The pistol slightly dented the plate, the .54 left a little better dent with 85 grains of Ffg.  Then I got out the interesting guns.  I loaded the .69 cal with 200 grains of Ffg and let fly.  During the course of the day, that really put some deep indentations in the steel.  But with the 8 bore with 300 grains of Fg, every ball punched a hole through the steel.
So, yep, a muzzleloader can indeed punch holes in steel.  I think if I had cast some hard .678 balls, the .69 would have also done it, but not with soft lead.  The 8 bore is just a beast.  Too bad I didn't have a 4 bore in the works yet, that would have really been a blast.
John (Bigsmoke)

[BlackPowderManiacShooter]

Sure it's possible, but it takes big balls to do it.  Pardon the silly pun, there.
Back in my big bore rifle days I was invited to attend a Boy Scout gathering at Farragut Park in North Idaho.  That would have been around 2000 or 2001.  The reason for my presence there was to do a muzzleloading demonstration to various groups of kids at the rifle range located in the park.  They had classes for .22 rifle shooting, archery and I think they might also have had shotgun.
So, I took a Ruger revolver, my .54 rifle, my .69 caliber English Sporting Rifle and my 8 bore double rifle.  Also along for the ride was a piece of diamond plate that was maybe 18" x 30" or so.  I hung the diamond plate up at the 50 yard line.
The pistol slightly dented the plate, the .54 left a little better dent with 85 grains of Ffg.  Then I got out the interesting guns.  I loaded the .69 cal with 200 grains of Ffg and let fly.  During the course of the day, that really put some deep indentations in the steel.  But with the 8 bore with 300 grains of Fg, every ball punched a hole through the steel.
So, yep, a muzzleloader can indeed punch holes in steel.  I think if I had cast some hard .678 balls, the .69 would have also done it, but not with soft lead.  The 8 bore is just a beast.  Too bad I didn't have a 4 bore in the works yet, that would have really been a blast.
John (Bigsmoke)

Wow...!
I bet those kids were impressed......at least I certainly am...!
Thanks for sharing.....

[Bigsmoke]

Well, to paraphrase an old commercial, "When the double 8 speaks, people listen!"
Here is a little free verse poem I wrote about it:

Ironically enough, one year we were exhibiting at the SHOT Show and I had the double there with this printed and a reporter for the Wall Street Journal came by, saw the gun, took a photo of it and the poem, and printed it in an article about the show.  Hah, so I guess I am a published poet.
John