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  1. W

    Civil War ballistics

    Good to know. Thank you.
  2. W

    Civil War ballistics

    Thanks for the responses so far. They have been very helpful. Here is a link to some ballistic wound comparisons between the two and apparently, though the rifle musket has a lower initial velocity and the wounds between it and a smoothbore fired at close range are very similar in soft tissue...
  3. W

    Civil War ballistics

    Another thing I am wondering about is how accurate the ballistic pendulum tests were. Shooting into a hanging block of wood and measuring its displacement seems to me to have some uncontrollable variables in it, such as how "square" the shot hit the block of wood, etc. I have an old Black Powder...
  4. W

    Civil War ballistics

    So would it be accurate to say that the Minie ball shoots "flatter" than the round ball out of a smooth bore? Also, at what point does the round ball out of the smooth bore lose enough force to be unlikely, if it hit, to kill a soldier or deer/bigger game?
  5. W

    Civil War ballistics

    Thank you for that response. It is very helpful. If the velocity of the smoothbore is higher, what about the muzzle energy? I shot my first Elk with a .54 caliber transfer Hawken at about 45 yards, and the bullet entered behind the shoulder (patched round ball)and turned the lungs to jelly. The...
  6. W

    Civil War ballistics

    I appreciate your response, but if that is so, then why do longer barrels generally equal higher velocity? If what you said is true, then a longer barrel would seem to equal less velocity and not greater. Longer barrels allow more powder to burn off and increase acceleration and rifling also...
  7. W

    Civil War ballistics

    Do you happen to recall what show it was on the History Channel?
  8. W

    Civil War ballistics

    Also, is there any data on the terminal ballistics? It seems to me that the Minie ball would expand more and cause more damage than the round ball. Anyone ever seen a ballistic test on these in ballistic gellatin? Addendum: I found this link with some good data...
  9. W

    Civil War ballistics

    Any chronographic data on this? How is this possible since there is gas escaping around a smoothbore projectile whereas the minie projectile seals itself in the rifling?
  10. W

    Civil War ballistics

    I am also interested in the ballistics of Civil War arms. I am astounded at the mistakes by historians who claim that the smoothbore had a greater muzzle velocity than the rifle musket! They also frequently misunderstand parabolic trajectory, assuming that a bullet arcs above the line of the...
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