ile ▁inside ▁the ▁bar rel ▁as ▁they ▁are ▁fired . ▁The ▁project iles ▁part ▁in ▁flight , ▁but ▁are ▁held ▁in ▁formation ▁by ▁t eth ers ▁that ▁keep ▁the ▁individual ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁" bullet " ▁from ▁flying ▁too ▁far ▁away ▁from ▁each ▁other . ▁The ▁intention ▁of ▁such ▁am mo ▁is ▁to ▁increase ▁hit ▁chance ▁by ▁giving ▁a ▁shot - like ▁spread ▁to ▁rif led ▁sl ug ▁firing ▁guns , ▁while ▁maintain ing ▁a ▁consist ency ▁in ▁shot ▁group ings . ▁Multiple ▁impact ▁bul lets ▁may ▁be ▁less ▁stable ▁in ▁flight ▁than ▁conventional ▁solid ▁bul lets ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁added ▁aer od ynamic ▁drag ▁from ▁the ▁t ether ▁line ▁holding ▁the ▁pieces ▁in ▁formation , ▁and ▁each ▁project ile ▁affect s ▁the ▁flight ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁others . ▁This ▁may ▁limit ▁the ▁benefit ▁provided ▁by ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁each ▁bullet ▁at ▁longer ▁ranges . ▁ ▁Tre aties ▁and ▁prohib itions ▁Po ison ous ▁bul lets ▁were ▁a ▁subject ▁to ▁an ▁international ▁agreement ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁Str as bourg ▁Ag re ement ▁( 1 6 7 5 ). ▁ ▁The ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁Dec laration ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 8 ▁prohib ited ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁explos ive ▁project iles ▁we igh ing ▁less ▁than ▁ 4 0 0   gram s . The ▁reasoning ▁was ▁that ▁they ▁figured ▁if ▁bul lets ▁were ▁more ▁dead ly ▁there ▁would ▁be ▁less ▁suffering . ▁ ▁The ▁H ague ▁Convention ▁prohib its ▁certain ▁kinds ▁of ▁am mun ition ▁for ▁use ▁by ▁uniform ed ▁military ▁personnel