He then acquired two high-quality photocopies of the respective bullets and precisely measured the lands and grooves of each bullet, which is the markings made on a bullet from contact with the barrel's rifling as it is fired, and is what makes the bullet spin. The measurements revealed the two bullets were fired from different rifles and were in fact, different bullets. Cakebread sent two copies of the Exhibit Photos to me for another opinion. In the meantime, and in anticipation of such verification, I am prepared to offer up the results of my own preliminary analysis. All measurements were made with Starret Precision Instruments.
All figures reflect the enlarged dimensions of the respective photos.
Hell, I could pretty much reload either bullet as they are and fire them again. That these diverse measurements could be obtained from different photos of the same bullet, when size and base profile is otherwise equal, is an abject impossibility. Around the bullets near their bases is a cut, ridged groove called the cannelure. When passing through the blood and tissue of a live body, it will invariably become packed with organic stuff. Had either bullet passed through a live body they would show evidence of that passing.