Leg bone from the Ragsdale Gunshot Wound Study, 1984 Human distal femur shot with a 510-grain lead (Minie) ball fired from a .58 caliber Springfield Model 1862 rifle. The Ragsdale Gunshot Wound Study was conducted by pathologist Bruce D. Ragsdale in the 1980s to show the effects of different types of gunshots on human bone and tissue. He encased leg bones from cadavers in blocks of transparent gelatin and then fired different types of guns into the blocks. Each trial was filmed in slow motion so that the path of the bullet, shattering of bone, and shock waves could be analyzed in detail.