I don’t think belted balls ever really caught on, over here. I believe John Palliser, an Irish sportsman and adventurer, mentioned them in his book about hunting on the northern plains. James Carnegie, Earl of Southesk, said something about shooting “skirted” bullets, but it was unclear to me whether he was referring to belted balls or hollow based bullets.
I’m assuming belted balls would be like those used with the Brunswick rifles. If I am mistaken in that regard, by all means set me straight!
So, as far as I know, belted balls, and the rifles that shot them, were brought in and used by sportsmen from abroad, but I don’t think they saw much use on this continent otherwise.
This is not a topic I know much about, though. I will look forward to reading responses from other forum members.
Best regards,
Notchy Bob