LEAD SHOT MAKER SYSTEMS - ANYONE USED ONE?

[Muley Gil]

The lead was melted at the top, fueled with firewood, then poured through a sieve. The Jackson Ferry shot tower is only 75' high, but is built on a bluff above the New River. The vertical shaft is also 75' high., for a 150' fall. The shot is cooled at the bottom with water from the New.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Ferry_Shot_Tower

 

[Muley Gil]

Shot was also made from chopping sheet lead into tiny cubes.

 

[Timber Wolf]

The lead was melted at the top, fueled with firewood, then poured through a sieve. The Jackson Ferry shot tower is only 75' high, but is built on a bluff above the New River. The vertical shaft is also 75' high., for a 150' fall. The shot is cooled at the bottom with water from the New.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Ferry_Shot_Tower

I would love to see details of the foundation and part of the “tower” dug into the cliff as well as the termination at the bottom.

 

[Muley Gil]

Here's a couple of youtube videos about the Jackson Ferry shot tower:

https://video.search.yahoo.com/sear...0cd536b73e931ff7ca956172c1a46bbf&action=click
https://video.search.yahoo.com/sear...=bc1245219739490611b2ed3512e6714a&action=view
https://video.search.yahoo.com/sear...=90a16d23160e5321445b625039b05676&action=view
The shot tower is located near Lead Mines, Virginia. The mines were discovered in 1756 and lead and zinc were taken out until 1981. One of the many owners/developers of the lead mines was Moses Austin. A town was named after him, Austinville, and a son, Stephen F. Austin, one of the Texas pioneers, was born there.

 

[DuncNZ]

Captain Cook and other explorers refer to shooting natives with "swan shot" . I have never figured out if that was just large shot or more likely the "shot" one gets by pouring molten lead into water from a few feet , then picking out the roundest pieces , more likely tear drop shaped , it would be full of edges and points and make nasty wounds .