270 MY SOMALI BOOK 



effect that greater injury is caused by enlargement of 

 the wound-channel while the passage of the bullet 

 is retarded by mcreased resistance. On the other 

 hand, certam types of expanding bullets have proved 

 defective by reason of their tendency to break up to 

 such an extent, especially on striking a bone, that they 

 fail in penetration and consequently inflict a wound 

 that is likely to enrage without causing material 

 damage. And some even of the more successful 

 patterns cannot be depended upon to expand con- 

 sistently on ever}^ occasion without breaking up too 

 much or ever giving excess of penetration. Of course 

 absolute consistency cannot be expected with any 

 bullet, considering how the resistance which the bullet 

 is called upon to meet must vary with different shots, 

 even at a single animal, and much more with animals 

 of varying size and build. 



The ferfect bullet under any giveri conditions is the 

 one that, with sufficient power and stability of composition 

 to penetrate to the further side of an animal tvithout going 

 beyond, and so ivasting energy, will, at the same time, by 

 reason of its large diameter or expansion, or both com- 

 bined, make a wound-channel which will cause a suffi- 

 ciently wide extent of injury to be most rapidly fatal, 

 and also — what is specially important if no vital injury 

 is inflicted — to produce the greatest immediate shock- 

 effect. 



Now, generally speaking, the requisite penetrative 

 power is obtained from the energy of the bullet — the 

 product of its combined weight and velocity. Other 

 things being equal, the lighter bullet with the greater 

 velocity has a lower trajectory, and is therefore 



