The use of buckshot in earlier firearms history?

[user 56333]

I haven't really seen any references to "buckshot" loads in firearms before the late 1700s. Now "birdshot" or "fowl shot" I can find referenced earlier, possibly in to the 1500s. Do you folks have any idea if buckshot existed in some form before circa 1750? If so, any idea how commonly used it was and whether they made any distinctions between sizes of this load like we have today (e.g. 00, #4, etc?)

 

[Loyalist Dave]

All that I have that is early is this..., sorry that it isn't old enough,

From: An Historical Journal of the Campaigns in North America for the years 1757, 1758, 1759, and 1760. by Captain John Knox

p. 232

There were likewise in the trunk some damaged powder, musket-balls, buck-shot, and several square slugs, three inches long, of lead and iron, with a scalping knife and some other immaterial trumpery.

p. 371

Accordingly, they [the New England men] advanced, very spiritedly, to the enemy, who were endeavoring to steal upon them ; gave them a regular discharge of a brace of balls, besides buck-shot from each piece, and sent them flying.

Interesting that the second reference seems to say the New Englanders (likely Rangers, perhaps Goreham's) were shooting double-ball & buckshot.

LD

 

[Daveboone]

I always though "buck shot" was a slang term anyway. Keep in mind, out of need...gravel, whatever odd pieces of metal, odd lead....out of necessity, almost anything sometimes went down the smooth bore, and home/locally poured shot was very frequently very irregular in size.

 

[user 56333]

All that I have that is early is this..., sorry that it isn't old enough,

From: An Historical Journal of the Campaigns in North America for the years 1757, 1758, 1759, and 1760. by Captain John Knox

p. 232

There were likewise in the trunk some damaged powder, musket-balls, buck-shot, and several square slugs, three inches long, of lead and iron, with a scalping knife and some other immaterial trumpery.

p. 371

Accordingly, they [the New England men] advanced, very spiritedly, to the enemy, who were endeavoring to steal upon them ; gave them a regular discharge of a brace of balls, besides buck-shot from each piece, and sent them flying.

Interesting that the second reference seems to say the New Englanders (likely Rangers, perhaps Goreham's) were shooting double-ball & buckshot.

LD

Thanks for that. Yes the period your source is from (circa 1750s-60s) is about the earliest I've been able to find direct reference to "buckshot". Anything pre-1750 seems to be elusive, which started making me wonder whether the distinction for this type of load simply didn't exist in the earlier period?
Regardless, interesting sources, thanks for sharing!

I always though "buck shot" was a slang term anyway. Keep in mind, out of need...gravel, whatever odd pieces of metal, odd lead....out of necessity, almost anything sometimes went down the smooth bore, and home/locally poured shot was very frequently very irregular in size.

True, but stuff like gravel and scrap metal was an emergency/ad-hoc thing, not a proper load you'd use on a regular basis (unless you wanted to royally screw up the barrel of your firearm). I'm curious when the idea of "buckshot" as a distinct load actually came in to being, and what guys were putting in their blunderbusses/shotguns in the earlier generations...

I've seen a couple references to "hail shot" from pre-18th century sources, but from the description of its use this seems to have been some early form of birdshot, so possibly smaller projectiles than what we'd think of for buckshot.

 

[tenngun]

I’m thinking there was a gun removed from a pirate ship wreck cr 1650. ( Bellamy?) X-rayed it had palm wading, ball and buck shot.

 

[sheriff john]

Interesting question. Small diameter gang molds certainly go back many years. Honestly, never gave it much thought.

 

[user 56333]

I’m thinking there was a gun removed from a pirate ship wreck cr 1650. ( Bellamy?) X-rayed it had palm wading, ball and buck shot.

If you ever find the source please do share, I'd be interested to read it!

Interesting question. Small diameter gang molds certainly go back many years. Honestly, never gave it much thought.

True, I've seen some that were dated back to the early 17th century, although there was no indication as to what the balls were intended for. The ones I saw could have just been for a small-caliber pistol.