To: CrazyIvan
I remember reading about one settler that reused a rifle ball forty some times before loosing it to a miss. Son, I do believe some country feller has succeeded in retailing you a tall tale! Can you imagine how flat that bullet would be, after only 20 hits? Never mind 40.
16 posted on
02/12/2004 7:01:08 AM PST by
lentulusgracchus
(Et praeterea caeterum censeo, delenda est Carthago. -- M. Porcius Cato)
To: lentulusgracchus
But they could have melted and recast the lead.
19 posted on
02/12/2004 7:12:09 AM PST by
Pharmboy
(History's greatest agent for freedom: The US Armed Forces)
To: lentulusgracchus
Recasting the lead ball each time.
Part of the shootist's kit was a mould designed for his custom rifle.
All arms were custom made because mass production was not yet invented.
28 posted on
02/12/2004 10:34:50 AM PST by
SevenDaysInMay
(Federal judges and justices serve for periods of good behavior, not life. Article III sec. 1)
To: lentulusgracchus
I believe he was hunting rabbit. A patched, hard cast round ball with a light load would both stop inside the game and deform little. I've hunted with a .54 Hawkins replica and even with the soft lead balls I use they stay fairly round if they don't hit bone. Wonder if I could do a little ballistics testing on this?
32 posted on
02/13/2004 9:20:55 AM PST by
CrazyIvan
(Death before dishonor, open bar after 6:00)
To: lentulusgracchus
Can you imagine how flat that bullet would be, after only 20 hits? Never mind 40. True. Might've been melted and re-cast over and over, though. I don't doubt that whenever lead might be recovered, they went looking for it.
36 posted on
02/13/2004 1:54:22 PM PST by
Charles Martel
(Liberals are the crab grass in the lawn of life.)
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