Buck and ball loads

[George]

I don't know about the British military in the AWI, but others are recorded as having loaded loose ball, not always cartridges. In the F&I war Rogers' Rangers did that.

AN HISTORICAL JOURNAL OF THE CAMPAIGNS IN NORTH AMERICA, 1757-1760 by Captain John Knox:

"A body of rangers, under the command of Captain Rogers, who arrived with the other troops from the southward, march out every day to scour the country;.... a bullock's horn full of powder hangs under their right arm by a belt from the left shoulder; and a leathern, or seal's skin bag, buckled round their waist, which hangs down before, contains bullets, and a smaller shot of the size of full green peas: six or seven of which, with a ball they generally load;"

Spence

 

[George]

From the invoice of material on Board the British store ship Nancy, captured in November, 1775 on its way to deliver supplies to the British troops holding Boston:

Shot: Musket, 31 tons, 500 pounds, in six hundred and twenty-five boxes. Buck, 1,200 pounds, in eight barrels and four boxes.

Spence

 

[Zonie]

Obviously, they heard about the fantastic duck, goose and deer hunting in New England. :rotf:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I am not saying that it was not available, but it was simply not used here even if the Tower prepared for its use.

This was responding to Spence's reference,
"I'm not saying it [buckshot] was not available, but it was simply not used here even if the Tower prepared for its [buckshot] use" based again on the reference that it was molded in The Tower.

I also did point out that Militia used to Indian fighting in the woods, would've used it (or perhaps straight buckshot), when I replied in previous posts.

So unless you find a reference to British commanders odering it issued to the men to supplement their standard ball (dropping some down after the ball was rammed or dropping it then ramming the ball), or you find where it was directly issued to the men or better yet, to the men making the cartridges, you only have supposition on how much the regulars used it.

I also mentioned that with militia vs militia there's no telling and there was a lot of bloody fighting when Rebel Militia opposed Loyalist Militia. :wink:

LD

 

[Artificer]

So unless you find a reference to British commanders odering it issued to the men to supplement their standard ball (dropping some down after the ball was rammed or dropping it then ramming the ball), or you find where it was directly issued to the men or better yet, to the men making the cartridges, you only have supposition on how much the regulars used it.
LD

OK. I knew it was available, just took me a little time to remember where I had read it.

Probably the best documentation that can be found to show British Regulars used Buckshot from the very beginning of the AWI and in HUGE quantities.

From Small Arms of the British Forces 1664-1815 [De Witt Bailey], Page 250, Under the section entitled “Buckshot.”

“General Cleaveland, writing from Boston in May 1776, noted that the troops there had made up 600,000 cartridges containing 4 buckshot each, and requested five tons be sent out, which was complied with by September.” *40

(Footnote: 40) WO/47/86, 9-10 July 1776. The Board said three Buckshot lay in the same circumference as a musket ball.

Brigadier General Samuel Cleaveland, RA, was the Commander of the Royal Artillery during the American Revolution, 1776-1781.

Gus

 

[toot]

The article didn't make full disclosure about that Bess x-ray. Just a bit further down the bore there are what appear to be swan shot, 5 of them, on top of the buck and ball load shown.



Spence

now that is NASTY!!

 

[Stantheman86]

I also started a thread about this, it seems Rogers' Rangers carried everything loose so they could load full Buckshot if they needed to.

I just got done with my first Buck and Ball experience 2 days ago, I just loaded it loose.

I tried 3, 6, 12 or more .31 buck over and also under the ball. The spread is pretty wide except when you load a lot of them, then it tends to stay together more. 3 of them hit in a group , probably just by chance. I'd imagine it would be very effective if you're at close range and shooting at a bunch of men.

I fired a few more shots at the target, most of the Buck missed the target backer and some hit in a scattered pattern.

Buck and Ball was so effective apparently that some Units in the Civil War refused to give up their percussion .69 Smoothbores, like the Irish Brigade and some NJ units. Because most combat happened under 100 yards and they knew the devastating effect of the Buck and Ball.

 

[ML48]

Sorry, I couldn't really tell you.....I wasn't there