You are correct Dan. Harder balls make these guns work extremely well on elk and moose. On deer it doesn't seem to make much difference. Ordinary wheel weights work fine for elk, and if you want ever better penetration, (for moose or any game over 1000 pounds) just water drop them and roll them on files to texture the surface. The texture keeps them from slipping in the patch, and they shoot just as well as soft lead.

I shot through both shoulders of a moose a few years ago with a hard .62 cal ball. It was the only moose I have ever shot that dropped at the shot. I have killed 2 with a 375H&H and one with a 348 Winchester, and all died within a minute or less, but none dropped at the shot. My flintlock dropped the moose. A 66 would be better still.

I am going to start a 12 bore in the not-to-distant future. I bet it's REALLY going to be a meat maker.