"It does bring up the question of the better performance of a hollow based bullet against the solid base Austrian."

A fellow by the name of Greg Edington would probably dispute that. Greg hangs around the North South Skirmish web page, also on the Civil War Guns web site. He's worked with a bullet that is like the "Wilkinson" bullet design, http://www.southronrelics.com/images/mm106_041008.jpg simular to the Austrian, that uses a base that compresses into the rifling when fired. I have heard it outperforms the standard minnie bullet design.

Some years back Greg explained it to me in an email...
” Because the Wilkinson bullet for the Lorenz rifle musket was solid based it could withstand higher pressures than a minie' ball
and had a muzzle velocity of 1200 FPS with the Austrian military loads. This was the highest velocity of any of the muzzleloading
rifle muskets used by a major power in the 1850's - 1860's. The bullet also shortened considerably upon firing, greatly increasing
its stability in the slow twist 1-83" barrels used in the Lorenz rifle musket. The M-1854 type I fixed sight seems to have been
made use of the flat trajectory and simple site for use with lesser-trained troops from outlying states and provinces such as
Bosnia, or Transylvannia. The Lorenz 250-yard battle site guaranteed that a well-aimed shot would hit a man-sized target out to
300 yards. Any Austrian weapon had to be simple enough to train illiterate conscripts with little or no weapons experience.”

I will agree the long range sites on Enfield Rifles were much better than on the Lorenz.

Kevin Dally