An experimental study has been carried out to determine how the behavior of an elastic pulse produced by step‐function pressure loading of a single‐crystal lead bar, depends on the orientation of the crystal relative to the axis of the bar. It was observed that the strain‐time records had the same general characteristics as in the case of an isotropic bar. The effect of varying the crystal orientation was to change the velocity of the pulse, the amount by which it disperses, and its amplitude. For lead, the velocity and amount of dispersion can be changed by a factor of approximately two and the amplitude by a factor of five. Reasonable predictions of this behavior result from an approximate equation of motion developed on the same assumptions as used by Love for an isotropic bar.