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Would liek to get a M1816 smoothbore, but...

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garandman

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....as Larry Potterfield says "Only accurate rifles are interesting." (to me)

The historical aspect MIGHT be enuf to justify the purchase, but still, I like to at least be able to hit a 8" paperplate at 100 yards.

Is there anything people are doing with smoothbore muzzleloaders to make them accurate ?
 
Stumpkiller said:
I keep mine fairly accurate by sticking to 60 yards or closer. ;-)


What version of "accurate" does 60 yards get you?

Minute of man, or better?
 
Stumpkiller said:
4 to 5" pretty consistantly. Good enough for whitetail.

That's with no rear sight.


Hhhmmmm.... that'd work for me. Few things are quite as fun as shooting 150+ yo guns.

Can you describe your load(s)? thx
 
All my millitary smoothbore muskets have gone 4" or less at 40yds.

One would do less than 3" at 50yards regular!

All 58cal.

My 12g kinda' go around 4" plus at 40.

Interestingly, a shot measure set at 1 1/4oz or 90grns worth seems to work in both!(powder wise).

Enough for huntin'. I don't hunt paper plates just something to put on a plate :thumbsup:

B.
 
I had an original 1816 many moons ago. I was able to hit large steel gongs at 100 yards with it. I shot my musket in international matches. Our target was the huge 200 meter French target. We shot it at 50 meeters offhand. The 10 ring was three inches in diameter. really good shooters could keep their shots in the 10 ring with a couple in the 9 ring. Back then the world record was 95 I have no idea what it is now.
1816s and Charlievilles shoot well because it has a front sight and three barrel bands which help form a sight picture.
 
I have a relined original flint 1816. I consider it a max 50 yard gun with patched balls for hunting. I like to have them closer than that. A gut shot deer can go a long way with no blood trail.

Duane
 
I shoot an 1816 that was converted to cap in 1862. I will take 50 or so .678 round balls cast from anything from pure lead to wheel weights and put them in a coffee can. I will shake them like a mad man for 30 seconds. (lid on the coffee can of course) Once that is done they will have little dimples on them. I will put a small drop of lee Liquid alox in the can and just gently shake the can until each ball has a light coat of alox. I will let them dry over night. Once they are dry 50 grain of goex 3F will do the trick. Accuracy is about 2" at 25 yards and maybe 4 or so @ 50. I have never tried it past 50
 
ian45662 said:
I shoot an 1816 that was converted to cap in 1862. I will take 50 or so .678 round balls cast from anything from pure lead to wheel weights and put them in a coffee can. I will shake them like a mad man for 30 seconds. (lid on the coffee can of course) Once that is done they will have little dimples on them. I will put a small drop of lee Liquid alox in the can and just gently shake the can until each ball has a light coat of alox. I will let them dry over night. Once they are dry 50 grain of goex 3F will do the trick. Accuracy is about 2" at 25 yards and maybe 4 or so @ 50. I have never tried it past 50


That's one of several methods used by N-SSA smoothbore shooters. There are some recent posts in their site that are very informative and deal exclusively with "bare ball" loads since patched balls are not allowed.

Duane
 
Hi Duane! You mean that the N-SSA doesn't allow paper cartridges in smoothbore muskets? That would be contrary to history, wouldn't it? Just wondering.
 
wahkahchim said:
Hi Duane! You mean that the N-SSA doesn't allow paper cartridges in smoothbore muskets? That would be contrary to history, wouldn't it? Just wondering.

Not necessarily. After 2 or 3 rounds it became necessary to load the .65 caliber ball without paper due to powder fouling so....

The paper was loaded on top of the ball then.
 
You may find a smooth bored musket frustrating if your goal is consistent shot placement. Part of the fun of shooting my French trade gun is the lack of precision. No matter how carefully I load and fire it, sometimes the ball will bob and weave like a Tim Wakefield knuckleball. I accept the inherent variability. My rifles are a different story. I enjoy shooting them because I know if I do my part, the rifle will perform the same way shot after shot. If your goal is tight, consistent groups at 100 yards, get a rifle. If you decide on a musket, enjoy the historic aspect of shooting it and keep the range under 50 yards.

To get a ball from a smooth bore to perform consistently you have to drive it at speeds that make it uncomfortable, and even dangerous, to shoot -- especially in a musket-sized caliber.
 
wahkahchim said:
Hi Duane! You mean that the N-SSA doesn't allow paper cartridges in smoothbore muskets? That would be contrary to history, wouldn't it? Just wondering.

It's strictly a safety issue. With hundreds of shooters on the line, there's a chance of a grass fire from burning paper. Also from a personal safety standpoint, the possiblity of dumping powder down a bore where there may be a burning paper ember is not attractive. The matches are timed events so there's no time to swab the bore between shots.
 
Mostly, I'm looking at a gun to complete my original Springfield collection - something pre-1850.

The accuracy question wouldn't be a deciding factor. Mostly, I just wanted to know if the gun was minute of man or less at 60 yards. I prolly wouldn't fire it more than a half dozen times a year - if that.
 
If your interest is filling out a Springfield Armory collection, then by all means get an M1816. I'd love to have one myself, an original or a good repro. Man sized targets at 60 yards are within its capability - especially if you choose to load it with a patched ball instead of HC paper cartridges.

FWIW, the longer SA made them, the better they got. When the national armories started to convert 1816s to percussion, they picked only muskets made after 1822. Muskets made prior to that date weren't considered up to snuff.
 

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