Cannonball

Cannonballs are ammunition used for the Dwarf multicannon and can also be fired using the Barker toad familiar.

In order to create cannonballs, players must be members, have completed the Dwarf Cannon quest, possess an ammo mould in their inventory, and have one or more steel bars. Players must also have level 35 Smithing to make cannonballs. Cannonballs are made by using a steel bar on a furnace, yielding 4 cannonballs per bar. Players gain 25 Smithing experience per bar according to the manual, though it is actually 25.6 per bar.

Because cannonballs are made at a furnace, players can smelt iron ore and coal to make steel bars and then use the steel bars to make cannonballs without returning to a bank. Using this method, a maximum of 36 cannonballs can be made from the contents of a single inventory containing 9 iron ores, 18 lumps of coal, and an ammo mould. You could also just have the steel bars prepared and bring a full load of 27 with an ammo mould to make 108 cannonballs. A full load of 108 cannon balls takes exactly 3 minutes to make. Making a cannonball uses the same or a similar animation to when a player buries bones

Once shot, the cannonball will inflict its damage and disappear completely. Its maximum hit is 300.

Making cannonballs

 * See the Cannonball smithing calculator for latest profit calculations using a Grand Exchange Market Watch price.

Making cannonballs is a popular method for players to train Smithing for "free". Many players advertising free Smithing experience on the official RuneScape Forums use cannonballs as the method to gain experience.

Smelting cannonballs is very slow - a full load (27 bars) takes 2 minutes and 59 seconds to complete or about 2 times slower than making iron bars. Compared to smelting iron ore with a Ring of forging and then forging the results, for instance, it will deliver less experience overall for the same time spent. However, it is financially rewarding, even when players purchase the materials (either the iron and coal, or pre-made steel bars). They are able to, at a minimum, break even when they sell the cannonballs. For every steel bar made into cannonballs, players usually gain about 325 coins/bar plus 25.6 Smithing experience.

Note: Although this is true, players skilled at money-making may find that it is more efficient to use a quicker method to train Smithing (i.e. making arrowtips or bolts, which requires less money than making armour) than to use the time saved to make up for the money lost.

If using a pack familiar you can use BoB and not stop smithing.

It saves time if you are at a furnace that is near a bank. The Port Phasmatys furnace is an ideal location. It is recommended to wear an Amulet of Ghostspeak, and to have completed the quest Ghosts Ahoy for faster smelting.

Trivia

 * In the Quick Chat interface, there are options to smith cannonballs using all types of smithed metals, including mithril cannonballs and rune cannonballs. Currently, only steel and gold bars can be made into cannonballs.


 * Dondakan from the Between a Rock... quest has Rune, Adamant and Mithril Cannonballs, but they cannot be obtained, however, a gold cannonball is made during the quest. But, it would be unlikely to be useful or economical, as gold has a very high density, and would therefore not be able to be propelled very far. The argument that it is too soft to do damage is valid, but only if the cannon was firing at something like a warship. For a humanoid wearing relatively thin armour, the softness of gold would be negligible.