For those who just can’t shake off the myth of high velocity equalling better performance, it’s worth pointing out that with equal powder charges, a round ball will almost always have a higher velocity than a heavier conical bullet. There are two reasons for this: first, the ball is much lighter; and second, the ball has only a tangential bearing surface, while the conical has quite a bit of its surface engaging the rifling. A properly patched ball has the miminum amount of bore riding surface that is consistent with sealing the gases behind it, hence far lower friction against the rifling, than any conical.