Triple Se7en, I sort of suspected you were a ramrod shooter. That demonstration of yours might tend to lend even more credibility to what Cecil is doing. Most ramrods are pretty heavy compared to a bullet and since there is no powder to burn, the ramrod is flying out of that bore because of the pressure developed (even without a seal). So it isn' t much of a stretch that a bullet (and the powder) could be moved by that pressure even before the pressure developed by powder burn is sufficient to do the same.??? You would have to be looking at that aspect of the process in pico-seconds, but....

I think Cecil is onto something here, even if for the wrong reason. 209s are too hot. Musket caps are also too hot, IMHO. Something about 2-3 times the strength of a #11 with a design that would incorporate easy handling and easy, less problematic breech plug/nipple design might be just the ticket. But, the route Cecil takes is a bit too complex to become mainstream.