Live volley firing-virgin no longer!

My re-enacting regiment had a training/fun event this past weekend where we fired ball from our Pedersoli 2cd Model muskets. First, we setup some milk jugs filled with water, at 35 yards we tried to hit 'em.
Well, this was my very first time shooting actual ball from my Bess... first shot hit the jug at the neck!!! 2nd shot missed entirely. We all took turns and out of 10 other shooters only one other hit anything!
Then we did a volley firing from 2 ranks.
We had a large wooden 'backstop' thingy to fire at, and it was impressive. 10 muskets, loaded with ball, fired at the same time, I'm sure all the critters for miles around took to their heels and beat it the heck out of there!
There were 7 holes in the wood, so 7 out of 10 hit it. Not too bad actually, there would have been quite a few dead/hurt rebels laying on the ground after that one.
We did a 2nd volley fire, and we think all 10 hit the wood.
We filmed the whole thing, and perhaps after it gets edited I can post a clip.
Man, was I geeked!!
:redthumb:

It's a whole different game when you're pushing lead...

I'm just the opposite, I have yet to fire a blank in my bess...

::

It's a whole different game when you're pushing lead...

I'm just the opposite, I have yet to fire a blank in my bess...

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:crackup: I've tried to fire without the powder a few times, and once without taking the ramrod out, but never without lead :m2c:
Soggy

:crackup: I've tried to fire without the powder a few times, and once without taking the ramrod out, but never without lead :m2c:
Soggy

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A brown bess's ramrod is basicly a 42 inch dart...

My re-enacting regiment had a training/fun event this past weekend where we fired ball from our Pedersoli 2cd Model muskets. First, we setup some milk jugs filled with water, at 35 yards we tried to hit 'em.

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Pvt_David_42d_RHR:
What size roundball and patch were you using for your live fire?

Did you use the same charge of powder as your blanks?

All without a lot of practice! :crackup:

Well, this was my very first time shooting actual ball from my Bess...

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Reminds me of an old Sensi joke.

Student: "Will you teach me to shoot the bow?"

Sensi: "Of course. We will begin now. Observe how I pull it to full draw. Now you take it and practice for one year."

Student: "May I have an arrow?"

Sensi: "Patience. Come back in one year and show me you are ready for lesson two."



You need to be doing more homework wit that poor, neglected Bess. ::

moose-kitman,
We used .73 ball, and the exact same charge of powder as we use shooting blanks. Patches?? We don't need no steenkin' patches!!
Actually, we just used the paper from the cartrages and rammed it down behind the ball. Dry. :what:
Yes, I know, thats not the way to REALLY do it now-a-days, but thats how the Brits did it back then, so we just tried copying that.
Wanted to really fire my new Murdoch pistol, but it turns out it's a 50 caliber, and the pistol shot we had was 54 Cal.
Disappointment is my closest friend :cry:
:redthumb:

There were 7 holes in the wood, so 7 out of 10 hit it. Not too bad actually, there would have been quite a few dead/hurt rebels laying on the ground after that one.
We did a 2nd volley fire, and we think all 10 hit the wood.

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Sounds like you had some fun, but no where do I read that the backstop was shooting back at you.

Then we did a volley firing from 2 ranks.

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Just curious, David, as to when this tactic was developed?
:hmm:

I could look it up, but we generally do our drill from about 1760's era. We've done some with the front rank kneeling before, but this time it was with both ranks standing, you basically put your elbow/forearm on the back of the rank in front of you.

Then we did a volley firing from 2 ranks.

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Just curious, David, as to when this tactic was developed?
:hmm:

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Pert near all the tactics manuals of the time called for firing from two, or even three ranks. Two raks was the standard all the way from von Steuben's "Blue Book" through Upton's post-CW revisions to the Infantry Tactics, though when the companies numbered 70 men or more, they formed line of battle in three ranks.

Not bad, Not bad, 7 out of 10 Torys actually hit the backstop from 35 yards. :crackup:

If we had of known this 229 years ago we could have just mooned them from 50 yards until they ran out of ammo. :blah: