Sunt proiectile goale pe dinăuntru care se umpleau de obicei cu praf de pușcă pentru a exploda.

„Solid cannonballs (“shot”) did not need a fuse, but hollow munitions (“shells”) filled with something such as gunpowder to fragment the ball, needed a fuse,...”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_(projectile)

„Why is it that hollow cannonballs are more expensive than explosive cannonballs when they do less damage?”
http://en.board.bigpoint.com/seafight/showthread.php?t=7274