I spoke at length with Tom Roster this afternoon by telephone. I was really appreciative, and little surprised, that when he answered he took the time to talk, but he did. I asked him if anybody had ever done scientific testing on lead shot loads to determine if lead shot deformation, due to setback at ignition, was greater in any area of the shot load than any other area. I told him I thought I remembered reading about some such testing many years ago, and had searched the 'net for the last several days trying to find such, but had struck out. He said that someone had indeed done that, about 30 years ago, and that someone was him. What he did was basically this: Tom, who doing a research paper at an institute of technology somewhere, painted lead shot, from the same bag, three different colors. He then loaded it into a regular shotshell load in three layers ..... one color for the bottom third of the shot column, one third for the middle, and one third at the top ... each layer a different color. He then fired the loads (more than one) into a tank of water. (He paused to remind me that water will NOT deform a lead shot pellet when fired into it). Then, he recovered the pellets and segregated them by color. He said it was VERY obvious that the pellets that were on the bottom of the load were much more deformed than the one-third layer above it, and that the top third were the least deformed.
I had remembered reading about this test long ago, but could not put a finger on who did it and when, could not find evidence of it on the 'net, so did not mention it earlier in this thread. It just so happens that the one I called was the one who actually did the testing. Tom said the tests were not ON the net, because the net had not been invented when he did the tests, and he had never put the results on there.
He went on to tell me about two other tests he had done concerning lead shot pellet shape ballistics, but they do not pertain to this particular issue.
I refused to discuss this with the arrogant, and ill mannered individual who has replied several times here, but this may be interesting to some other cogent, and truly, sane board members here. What the other individual thinks of it really doesn't matter to me.
SRH
