Bill_Curtis
Full Member
Posts: 137
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The Heavy Navy took a belted ball suitable to the calibre with an initial loading of 3.5 drams of powder (96 grains) which was later reduced to 2.5 drams (70 grains) the standard rifle load. In other words, a large ball travelling rather slowly. As it was never used in action, any discussion on this rather useless object is not very relevant. I used to own one for very many years and had a mould constructed on the Ordnance records specification. I found that with both the original loads it would not hold a six feet square target at 200 yards. I suppose one could have landed a ball somewhere on a three-decker at the estimated maximum sight setting of 470 yards, but to plonk a mid-19th century Nelson successor, well, perhaps, if you were above the victim and dropped the thing on him.
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