From the book "A Treatise on the Rifle, Musket, Pistol, and Fowling piece: embracing Projectiles and sharp-shooting:" by N. Bosworth, 1846: 'It has been ascertained, that a musket-ball of one ounce (437 grains, .685 inch in diameter, about 14 1/2 gauge, HGT), possessing a velocity of sixteen hundred feet per second, at the angle of forty-five degrees, in vacuo (in a vacuum, HGT) would range seventeen miles; whereas, such a ball in atmospheric air, would range not over three quarters of a mile.'
'One of the principal changes in modern gunnery, from the old practice, is in the degree of elevation to effect the greatest range. According to the former parabolic theory, all projectiles were said to range farthest, at an angle of forty-five degrees. This has been found to be a mistake. It is still practiced, however, with large shells, and slow velocities; but with smaller shells, and greater velocities, an angle of about thirty degrees is found to range furthest; and with guns, at a still lower angle, according to the increased specific gravity of the ball, and an increase of velocity, until we come down to the ordinary rifle with leaden balls, when the greatest range is found to be at an angle of about twenty-five degrees. The greater the specific gravity of the ball, and the greater the velocity, the lower must be the elevation to produce the greatest range. These changes of elevation date their origin at the siege of Cadiz. After the great range of Napoleon at that place, the English went through a rigid experiment, in respect to elevation and ranges, which resulted in the discovery, that for the higher velocities, a lower angle of elevation would give the greater range.'
'The nearest point of Cadiz to the French batteries was distant forty-two hundred yards; but it became an object to annoy the heart of the city, which was six thousand yards from the French works. For this purpose, Napoleon ordered a peculiar kind of brass howitzer to be cast at Seville, to throw shells of eleven inches in diameter. The specific gravity of the shells was considerably increased by nearly filling it with lead, leaving a small space to be filled with fulminating silver, to explode the shell. (He calculated the weight of the ball to be 218 pounds, HGT). This howitzer, with an elevation of thirty degrees, and a charge of thirty pounds of powder, accomplished the range of six thousand yards!! being three miles, seven hundred and twenty yards!!!'
'Napoleon was deeply versed in physical science, and capable of the most exact appliances of what constitutes proportion.'
