EiGBY — On the Velocity and Energy of Small Shot. 31 



remaining at 40 yards is still stronger, No. 1 having at that dis- 

 tance seven times the energy of No. 7, and fifteen times the energy 

 of No. 9. And, ag-ain, the energy of a pellet of No. 1 at 100 yards 

 is equal to that of one of No. 7 at 10 yards from the muzzle. 



This consideration of the action of single -pellets must not, how- 

 ever, be taken as proof that the killing power of equal charges of 

 these different sizes of shot varies in the same proportion as these 

 energies. That might obtain if the game were struck by an equal 

 number of pellets in each case ; but, in fact, the number striking at 

 a given distance is proportional to the number in the whole charge, 

 and is in inverse proportion to the weight of each pellet. 



To illustrate this, take the extreme sizes, No. 1 and. No. 9, in 

 which the diameters are as 2 to 1, and the weight as 8 to 1. At 

 20 yards the energies of the individual pellets are as 12*49 lbs. to 

 1'03 — say as 12 to 1 — but the number of pellets in the charge of 

 No, 9 being eight times greater than that in the charge of No. 1, 

 for each pellet of the latter eight of the former will strike a given 

 area, and the total energy expended on it is as 12-49 to 8'24, or as 

 3 to 2 only. At 40 yards, however, the pellet energies are as 8 '24 

 to '545 — say 15 to 1 — and the total striking energies on a given 

 surface as 8*24 to 4'36 — say as 2 to 1. We see, then, how pro- 

 nounced is the advantage of large shot at the longer ranges. 



To estimate the ejQB.ciency of different sizes of shot in practice is 

 a more complicated question than this, because the shock of a 

 number of blows delivered at the same time is found to disable 

 birds more suddenly than their complete perforation by one or two 

 pellets, which may leave the wing-power still active for a consi- 

 derable period. The necessary penetration is also a very important 

 condition, as it must be sufficient to carry the pellet through the 

 external defences of life, the feathers, flesh, &c. Penetration does 

 not march with energy, because resistance to it increases as the 

 square of the diameter of the pellets ; and, consequently, in com- 

 paring the penetration of pellets of different sizes striking with the 

 same velocity, their penetration may be roughly estimated to vary 

 simply as their diameters. It will thus be seen that the penetration 

 of No. 1 is only double that of No. 9 at those distances where they 

 have equal velocity, although their energies are as 8 to 1. It is 

 probable also that the resistance of flesh, &c., to the penetration of 

 projectiles varies as a high power of the velocity. There are no 



