BULLETS: EXPLOSIVE, EXPANSIVE, ETC. 331 



same killing power to rifles of smaller caliber. Thus 

 a flat-headed .44 bullet will have as much killing 

 power where excessive penetration is not required as 

 a sharp-pointed ball of .50 caliber. Th sharp ball 

 will not spread at all upon mere flesh, while the flat- 

 headed one on striking will spread at once to more 

 than the diameter of the other. Flat-headed balls 

 cannot, however, be shot accurately for any distance. 

 The head must be only half flat or rounded or merely 

 blunt, and this is rarely made blunt enough to flatten 

 a ball traveling at the low velocity of nearly all the 

 long balls, especially when hardened as they generally 

 are. For a very little tin makes a great difference in 

 preventing the flattening of a ball. 



Of all solid balls none flattens like the round ball 

 When made of soft lead and driven at a high velocity 

 this is the most killing solid form in which any given 

 amount of lead can be cast, unless great penetration, 

 is needed. And when large enough its penetration is 

 sufficient for all game. And this can be much in- 

 creased by hardening it. 



The flattening power of any ball may be vastly in- 

 creased by making a hole in the front. This is com- 

 monly called the " express ball." An express ball is, 

 however, more properly a short swift ball fired with 

 an enormous charge of powder, and may be hollow 

 or not. 



The killing effect of a ball is largely influenced by 

 its velocity. And this entirely aside from the question 

 of penetration. Velocity increases the flattening and 

 also the rotation of the ball; which latter has a 

 decided tearing effect. A .44 round ball with ten 

 grains of powder will make in a rabbit a hole but a 

 trifle larger than itself, and if through the "paunch" 



