Battlefield Detectives

[Steppenwolf]

Did anyone watch Battlefield Detectives last night? Their comparison between the .577 cal minie ball verses the .69 cal round ball was very interesting. They shot both at ballistic jell, the depth of a human torso, at 60 yards. First shot, the round ball, that sucker ripped right through the jell and blew it in the air and it landed about 5 feet behind the stump it had been placed on. I couldn't believe the way the jell reacted, the compression and distortion. The minie was not as impressive as the round ball, it also zipped through with the compression and distortion, but it stayed on the stump. I cringe at the thought of being shot by either of them. It is no wonder the soldiers suffered such savage wounds. I was also surprized at the number of smoothbore muskets used by the Union forces. I had been aware of the fact that the South used every conceivable weapon they could find. A surprize was the amount of "buck and ball"(1x69cal + 3x.36cal) used in the smoothbores.


I will hazard to guess that everyone knows what a round ball looks like Here is a Minie ball.

 

[A-zone]

Saw it previously.

The "buck and ball" looked like a pretty nasty (albeit short range) combination.

 

[Colin]

I have seen what a brown Bess can do to a railway tie, short ranged and slow, but don't be in front of it!!!