BULLETS: EXPLOSIVE, EXPANSIVE, ETC. 339 



almost entirely upon the diameter, depth, and shape of 

 the hole in its front. If a ball be made with a wide deep 

 hole as wide at the bottom as at the top, so that the 

 wall of lead around the hole is thin, stands only on a 

 thin butt and has only a thin attachment to that butt, 

 it will fly into flinders the instant it strikes the softest 

 flesh, even if the velocity be quite moderate. On the 

 other hand, if the hole be small, shallow, and tapering 

 to a point at the bottom, the ball cannot be driven 

 into splinters by any velocity that can be given it. It 

 will merely fold back over its base like a mushroom. 

 Bone of course would splinter it somewhat, as it would 

 a solid ball. But upon soft flesh it would not splinter. 



The effect of these different balls can be almost pre- 

 dicted. Suppose you have a fair shot at an animal, 

 and hit it behind the shoulder, in the chest, or in the 

 kidneys with the ^first bullet. The effect of a ball 

 thus dashed into a hundred splinters upon the most 

 vital organs must be terrific. We can readily see how 

 persons can talk of the terrific effect of " express 

 shock" upon even such an animal as the tiger. It is 

 practically a charge of small shot fired directly into 

 the seat of life. 



But suppose you do not have a fair shot, and you 

 strike your animal where penetration is necessary. 

 Suppose your little hollow ball hits a bone heavy 

 enough to tear a solid ball in two. What then ? As 

 there is a limit to the penetration of fine shot beyond 

 which no powder can drive it, so is there a limit to 

 the penetration of ball-splinters to pass which no 

 "express" power will avail. If the ball is to pene- 

 trate or crush very far, it must have momentum. To 

 have momentum it must have weight. To have 

 weight it must hold together. 



