Buck and ball

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Buck and ball was a common load for muzzle-loading muskets, and was very commonly used in the early days of the U.S. Civil War. The load consisted of a full caliber round lead ball combined with three buckshot pellets.

Buck and ball was issued in paper cartridges that combined the projectiles with the black powder propellant charge to facilitate rapid loading of the weapon.

The intent of the buck and ball load was to combine the devastating impact of the full-size (normally .69 caliber) ball with the spreading pattern of a shotgun, and served to greatly improve the hit probability of a musket used in combat, especially at close range.

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