So cannonballs can bounce. Another myth busted! ... Hosts for the Discovery Channel show fired the cannonball Tuesday as they filmed an episode testing whether other types of projectiles shot from a cannon would pick up the same speed and have the same impact as the steel ball.

Are cannonballs explosive?

Contrary to Hollywood films and popular lore, these cannonballs did not explode on contact. Percussion fuses were not used on spherical projectiles. These shells and spherical case shot were designed to explode only when a flame reached the interior charge.

Why did cannonballs bounce off USS Constitution?

The multiple layers of wood absorbed the cannonballs' impacts of the and dissipated the forces quickly. Extra ribbing and bracketing on the internal walls also contributed to making the Constitution so sturdy. By the end of the battle, the Guerriere was beyond salvage, much to the disappointment of Hull.