Capt. Jas.
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It shouldn't as swan shot was cast and a pretty good size also.
Use of fine shot in colonial America
- Thread starter ligonierbill
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Not much when your hungry.
Correct, Most of the Swan shot I've seen would be considered a smaller buck shot by today's standards.
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The "K" in this instance does indeed stand for "Kilo". But not the kilo you are thinking of (kilogram). "Kilo" is Greek for 1000, and "K" was and still is used to indicate "1000" of whatever measurement you are talking about. Jet fuel, for example, is measured this way, in pounds. This Bill of Lading was indicating 450,000 pounds, or ounces or drams of shot being shipped to New Boston.
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Hmmm? James Fenimore Cooper was born in 1789.
Rifled muskets weren't devised until the invention of conical projectiles in the mid 19th century.
I believe William Watts developed the first shot tower in England in the 1780's and patented the process. Prior to his patent shot was chopped or larger sizes cast. The type of shot we use today in sport shooting; water fowling and upland game hunting was unknown before the American Revolution.
Capt. Jas.
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You also need to add Rupert shot to that. Much prior to the American Revolution.
Here's some out of Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge
https://www.qaronline.org/blog/2021-04-01/artifact-month-rupert-shot
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People shot anything they could with whatever they had. "Punt Guns" harvested waterfowl by the cart load with one shot. Game was sold to feed hunters' families. Netting spring waterfowl was an accepted means - when molting or nesting. It was a business as well as subsistence living in those early days. Pigeons were so plentiful they darkened the sky and were "hunted" with sticks.
Even some of the "man portable" waterfowl guns were so large they had to be rested on shooting sticks, tripods, or such. The really large "waterfowl guns" (punt) fired charges weighing pounds, not ounces and sometimes took up a lot of the boat space as well. Different world than today.
Even some of the "man portable" waterfowl guns were so large they had to be rested on shooting sticks, tripods, or such. The really large "waterfowl guns" (punt) fired charges weighing pounds, not ounces and sometimes took up a lot of the boat space as well. Different world than today.
The Rupert shot from the Queen Anne’s revenge is a lot more round and uniform than what most people describe. I bet it shot pretty well. Our forefathers might not have our technology but they weren’t stupid, I’m sure they made it work for them and as pointed out by many many original archives it was extremely common place in the colonies. I won’t mention the company but I have shot a brand of steel shot for years, that is about as uniform as Rupert shot it kills ducks just as well as the perfectly round stuff. Decent patterns too.
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