Here's a question which follows on from me loading my Enfield without powder on Saturday (groan).

Rather than blow it out with powder through the nipple hole, for some reason I decided to extract it with the screw from the tool attached to the ramrod. This was a big mistake and I had to retire and get the bullet out at home.

Examining the bullet afterwards. the 5 grooves were well engraved on the length of the bullet and not just the skirt area. So I was wondering whether this is what happens during a normal shot, ie. does the whole bullet deform to fit the barrel and engage the rifling or is it just the skirt area?

Pickups from the bullet catcher are usually so splatted that its hard to tell much at all.

Steve.