More on Small Shot for Smoothbores.

5.7mm - 5.8mm diameter (o/all length of strip is 78mm)." River Thames find.

http://www.bagseals.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1590;

The above I suspect is swan shot. It is about the same size that I make myself for use in my fusil & pistol, about 5/16 th of an inch.

Author's pouch of swan shot.

Shot was the term used for any made ammunition fired from a muzzle-loading gun or cannon. What we are concerned with in this article is the shot commonly known as "swan-shot" & "goose-shot". During my research I have come across much misinformation, & other information that I think is suspect & which has no references to back up the claim.
The first "shot tower" was invented & patented by William Watts in 1782, so before that date, there must have been other method/s of producing shot for fowling purposes. All evidence so far points to the use of moulds, as sprues have been found, & only moulding produces such sprues. However, this is not to say that rough shot was not made from hammering out lead ball & cutting pieces of lead from the resulting small sheet of lead. This method certainly works as I have done it myself & would be a suitable method to use in the wilderness if there were a need.

I must also make it clear that the terms "swan shot" & "goose shot" refer to the size of the shot, not the appearance, or the method of production. The shot available at the time recieved the name of the particular animal for which it was best suited.

http://www.fortdobbs.org/history-artifacts.htm

Shot.

During the early years of the colony each Englishman who planned to

emigrate to Virginia was advised to supply himself with the following

"Armes":

    "One Armour compleat, light.

    One long Peece, five foot or five and a halfe, neere

      Musket bore.

    One sword.

    One bandaleere [a bandoleer was a belt worn to carry the

      cases which held the powder charges].

    Twenty pound of powder.

    Sixty pound of shot or lead, Pistoll and Goose shot."

Contemporary records indicate that hunting game birds and animals was a

popular New World diversion. Such sport served a twofold purpose, as it

offered recreation to the settler and helped provide food for his table.

Parts of early fowling pieces and numerous lead birdshot (called goose

or swan shot during the early years of the 17th century) have been

recovered.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16277/16277.txt

In the ash and burned soil of this hearth area, lead casting sprues for swan shot were found,

http://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1184&context=sciaa_staffpub

“every one shall be completely furnished with arms, a musket, a sword, bandoleers, a rest, a pound of powder, 20 bullets fitted to their musket, or 4 pound of pistol shot or swan shot at least.”101
Charles J. Hoadly, The Public records of the Colony of Connecticut (Hartford, 1857) V. 25, 26.

https://fortyninthparalleljournal.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/solomonsmithautumn2014.pdf

A box of goose shot, 1-2 a box of swan shot.
New York merchant 1731.
History of New Paltz, New York and Its Old Families (from 1678 to 1820 

https://books.google.com.au/books?id=FW6dkGRXuo0C&pg=RA1-PA59&lpg=RA1-PA59&dq=~%22swan-shot%22+and+%22goose-shot%22&source=bl&ots=1SupuNOsi8&sig=IHxfKwo5yajI2Txj3hAl2m3y7S4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj406KjnfHLAhVk36YKHU8IDVcQ6AEIKTAC#v=onepage&q=~%22swan-shot%22%20%20%22goose-shot%22&f=false

Hammered Slug Probably the most common slug is that created from normal lead balls, which were modified by hammering to substantially reduce their caliber. The final shape, whether square, hexagonal or round in section depends on the number of times they were hammered. The length of a slug is irrelevant to the function of the bullet, being determined simply by the caliber of the original ball and the intended final caliber. The caliber of the original bullet can be determined by the weight.
http://www.heritagescience.ac.uk/Research_Projects/projects/Projectposters/Conservation_of_Battlefield_Archaeology_project_report_-_Appendix_3

Location: St. Augustine	Site: Fountain of Youth
Period: 1560 - 1570	Group: Military items
Description: Lead shot

https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/histarch/photoout1.asp?id=110

"They [the Indians] have also their moulds to make shotte, of all sorts, as Musket bullets, pistoll bullets, swane and gose shotte, and smaler sorts;....."

Bradford, 1648. Plymouth plantation.

“with some flints, lead, swan-shot, and a barrel of gunpowder”.

Benjamin Franklin 1755. The Writings of Benjamin Franklin, Volume 4

The dropped shot ranged from 0.22 to 0.71 inches (5.54 to 17.94mm). The cast shot ranged from 0.22 to 0.71 inches (5.54 to 17.94mm).

http://www.mountvernonmidden.org/content/Shot.html

The presence of handfuls of casting sprues and lead fragments from making swan shot….

Archaeological Pathways to Historic Site Development By Stanley South

https://books.google.com.au/books?id=xydKAjTkkmcC&pg=PA119&lpg=PA119&dq=making+swan-shot+in+the+18th+century&source=bl&ots=s4QJnP3auL&sig=KRneEcE9EhyRo2DtcWB6pJRcFCE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwizjIX53vHLAhXFMKYKHTfpARwQ6AEIKDAB#v=onepage&q=making%20swan-shot%20in%20the%2018th%20century&f=false

Lead shot from the 'Bronze Bell' wreck, early 18th century

http://education.gtj.org.uk/en/item1/25487;

http://www.mountvernonmidden.org/content/Shot.html;

http://www.mountvernonmidden.org/content/Shot.html;

I have been unable to define the term "drop shot", as these lists pre date the use of William Watts shot tower.

http://www.mountvernonmidden.org/content/Shot.html;

From an English civil war site.

https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/249124;

This is possibly a swan shot gang mould.

http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/wilkinsons-auctioneers-ltd/catalogue-id-srwil10010/lot-f1e4e4ac-00b0-491e-8e0e-a456006b774a;

Various types of round shot made from stone, iron and lead found on board the 16th century carrack Mary Rose.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_shot;

Lead shot assemblage from the 1650 attack on Castledonovan Castle, Co. Cork .

http://www.rubiconheritage.com/2011/12/16/biting-the-bullet-the-archaeology-of-musketballs/#lightbox/1/

Lead shot from the 1601 English Lord Deputy's Siege Camp at Kinsale, Co. Cork. 

http://www.rubiconheritage.com/2011/12/16/biting-the-bullet-the-archaeology-of-musketballs/#lightbox/1/

Muzzle-Loader Choices. Rifle or Smoothbore. VIDEOS.

The Weight Of Lead Versus Gunpowder.

Lead is heavy, and it is probably the heaviest item I carry in my knapsack other than my brass trade kettle. However, I limit how much lead I carry, and I carry more gunpowder in my powder horn and in my gunpowder wallets than is needed for the amount of lead that I carry. Why more gunpowder than lead? Because every time I shoot game, I retrieve the lead from the animal during the skinning and butchering process, and I then remould this lead so I can use it again. So the more gunpowder I carry, the longer I can remain in the wilderness without having to seek out a trader. I only have to carry this pack until I get to my destination.
A good trap line also saves on powder and lead. I hunt on the way back each day after checking my trap line. If I have meat enough to eat from the trap line, then I don't need to hunt. But if my traps for larger game are empty, then there is still a chance of getting something on the way back home.
Also I always carry some fishing tackle for set lines or regular fishing with a pole.

My Powder Horn.

Two of five Gunpowder Wallets.

The Ball Bag which I carry in my shot pouch.

Lead carried in the knapsack.

Lead ladle and two moulds. One for ball, and one for goose shot.

Fishing tackle carried in my belt pouch.

Moulding Round ball. Videos.

Round Ball Moulds Of All Sizes.

Someone recently contacted me looking for a round ball mould. Some moulds only come in certain sizes, & the size you need may not be available. Dixie Gun Works sell round ball moulds, one of which is made from a 1950s hair straightener! It has no sprue cutter, but other than that it is perfect. You simply order the size you want.
I bought one many years ago as a single buckshot mould. Time is something I have in camp, room for a multi ball mould I don't have. I cut off the loops of the scissor like handles, & trimmed the head square of any access metal. I have seen originals that look just like it!

Ball moulds get pretty hot after a while of use, so you need to wrap the handles in leather to protect your hands.

Lead Pig.

Description

Weighing in at 134 kg this great lead pig was found in August 1975 in a gravel pit near Colwick, just over 100m west of the old course of the River Trent. Because this old course of the Trent was abandoned in 1801 the ingot can be dated to the eighteenth century. The lead is thought to be from Derbyshire, but the marks on the pig have not been identified.


Registration number NCM 1995-209
Date 18th Century
Maker possibly Derbyshire made
Country found Nottingham, England

http://gossweb.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/www/collections12/Archaeology/fulldetails.asp?id=123

Moulding Round Ball 1 & 2. Or Running Ball.

It is generally accepted that when moulding lead it is a good idea to add beeswax to help clear the lead. In this video I do not use beeswax because I am only using a small amount of lead at any one time. If you are dipping from a lead pot, then using beeswax is a good idea. DO NOT breath in the fumes from the lead. I am doing this in an open fireplace & I have windows & doors open. This is best done in the open air using a camp fire, but DO NOT do this in the rain. Water hitting the hot lead will make the moulten lead explode.

On Powder & Lead.

On Powder & Lead.

What are the heaviest items that we carry on a trek? I would think it was water, lead, & food. Food we can cut back on. I don’t mean that we should all start just carrying flour, bread or corn & hunt for our meat, but we can cut our provisions back to just two items, perhaps bread & hard cheese, or bread & meat. That should be fairly light & last us for a weekend or more.

Water we can’t do anything about, unless you know that you have good water where you are going. I carry water anyway, & either boil any water I find, or I collect rainwater in my kettle.

Lead can be reduced in weight because we can retrieve spent lead from shot game & remould it. By reducing the amount of lead we carry we can carry more gunpowder.

My fusil takes 60 grains of gunpowder. 60 grains = 1 Dram.


1LB of gunpowder = 256 Drams. So that is 256 shots from just one pound of gunpowder. My powder horn holds roughly one pound, & my gunpowder bag roughly two pounds. So if I only took my horn & gunpowder bag, I would still have 768 shots to hunt with. That is a lot of meat when hunting large game, & most of the meat would come from a trap line. So barring any skirmishing, I could take one shot per day for 2 years, or one shot per week for 14 years from just 3 pounds of gunpowder!

Interesting Historical Info.

Hogarth.
There is an old Hotel/Pub in Marble Arch, London, which used to have a gallows adjacent to it. Prisoners were taken to the gallows, (after a fair trial of course) to be hanged. The horse drawn dray, carting the prisoner, was accompanied by an armed guard, who would stop the dray outside the pub and ask the prisoner if he would like ''ONE LAST DRINK''. If he said YES, it was referred to as “ONE FOR THE ROAD” If he declined, that prisoner was “ON THE WAGON”

Tanning Pits

 They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & sold to the tannery.. If you had to do this to survive you were, "Piss Poor", but worse than that, were the really poor folk, who couldn’t even afford to buy a pot, they "Didn’t have a pot to Piss in" & were the lowest of the low.

This is how I was bathed as a child in front of the open kitchen fire. Our 18th century family home was very cold on the upper floors.

                                     
Here are some facts about the 1500’s: Most people got married in June, because they took their yearly bath in May and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell, brides carried a bouquet of flowers, to hide the body odour. Hence the custom today, of carrying a bouquet when getting married... Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs, thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

 There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom, where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top, afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

 The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt... Hence the saying, "Dirt Poor." The wealthy had slate floors, that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh, until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a thresh hold.

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day, they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight, then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: ''Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot, nine days old''

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon, to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "Bring home the Bacon." They would cut off a little, to share with guests and would all sit around talking and ''Chew the fat''.

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning & death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided, according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or ''The Upper Crust''.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road, would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of ''Holding a Wake''.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So, they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, thread it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night, (the graveyard shift) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, ''Saved by the Bell'' or was considered a ''Dead Ringer''.

This information was sent to me by a close friend in England.
Thanks Gwyn, much appreciated.

Running Ball. Part Two.