Cannonball



Cannonballs are ammunition used in the Dwarven 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 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 25.75 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.

Making cannonballs

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

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

Smelting cannonballs is very slow - 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 expenditure. That required patience is financially rewarding, however; 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 you make into cannonballs, you usually gain about 130 to 150 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 (e.g. making arrowtips or bolts, which loses less money than making armour), then to use the time saved to make up the money lost.

Trivia

 * The quick chat can tell players to smith cannonballs of other metals(not steel). This includes all metals that can be smithed. This made many players believe that Sailing would become a new skill, but as stated by Jagex, it will not.