100 yard accuracy difference between smoothbore and rifle?

[leam]

I'm planning my 50 caliber Kibler Colonial build, and was wondering about the 100 yard accuracy difference between smooth bore and rifled,. Is there much of a difference, since I only hunt paper and really ain't that good of a shot?

 

[64Springer]

Smoothbore guns don't have rifling. Which cuts down on friction. And allows the bullet to travel down range with less resistance. Making smoothbore guns much more accurate at greater distances.

As for rifled barrels, I don't know why anyone even bothered. All they do is increase loading time. And they're in no way superior to smoothbore accuracy. Not to mention the fact that the rifling scars up a perfectly smooth projectile.

 

[leam]

Smooth bore guns don't have rifling. Which cuts down on friction. And allows the bullet to travel down range with less resistance. Making smooth bore guns much more accurate at greater distances.

As for rifled barrels, I don't know why anyone even bothered. All they do is increase loading time. And they're in no way superior to smooth bore accuracy. Not to mention the fact that the rifling scars up a perfectly smooth projectile.

I'm thinking (hoping?) that that's said in humor, though I don't know you well enough to be sure. Projectile spin is critical for long range, greatly off-setting bullet deformity or ballistic coefficient. Smacking down a patched round ball seems bad, until we recall that Bullseye shooters routinly use wadcutters out to 50 yards. The tight patch resistance helps build velocity, too, so the trajectory would be flatter in the given scenario.

Rifles are more accurate, but within my parameters (100 yards or less, not Olympic level shooting), is that accuracy noticeable?

 

[64Springer]

Your humor detection meter is functioning properly.


At no time would I entertain using a smoothbore at 100 yards.

Buy the rifle and feel secure in knowing that you'll actually hit what you're aiming at.

 

[leam]

At no time would I entertain using a smoothbore at 100 yards.

Buy the rifle and feel secure in knowing that you'll actually hit what you're aiming at.

Thanks! I *thought* that was the case, but I'm almost smart enough to realize how little I know.

 

[frankie]

Your humor detection meter is functioning properly.


At no time would I entertain using a smoothbore at 100 yards.

Buy the rifle and feel secure in knowing that you'll actually hit what you're aiming at.

That was great springer

 

[frankie]

Thanks! I *thought* that was the case, but I'm almost smart enough to realize how little I know.

You asked the question That a lot of people would like to but are afraid to ask.

 

[leam]

That was great springer

The best part, besides the humor, was that @64Springer gave a good metric; "no time", and "100 yards".

 

[hanshi]

I like smoothbores just fine and have a 20 ga I like. I don't think I've ever shot the gun much past 50 yards. Mine has a rear sight so I shoot it just like a rifle. At 50 yards my 3-shot groups average between 1.75" to 2.75" using patched ball and groups are not too shabby with bare-ball loads. Back when I could actually see the target that gun stayed under 3" all the time.

But still a smoothbore can't match rifle accuracy at 100 yards. At 25 yds they both shoot about the same and at 50 yds there is not all that much difference between groups. Here are two sample targets fired with bare-ball and prb.

 

[LME]

Smoothbore guns don't have rifling. Which cuts down on friction. And allows the bullet to travel down range with less resistance. Making smoothbore guns much more accurate at greater distances.

As for rifled barrels, I don't know why anyone even bothered. All they do is increase loading time. And they're in no way superior to smoothbore accuracy. Not to mention the fact that the rifling scars up a perfectly smooth projectile.

I.ve heard it all now?

 

[Art Caputo]

Based on my experience with my smoothbores, using PLRB’s, the two designs have demonstrated comparable accuracy of 2-3MOA out to about 50 yards or so. Beyond this range to 100-120 yards, my rifled barrels will maintain this level of accuracy, while the smoothbore deteriorates more then 2X this level of accuracy when using primitive iron sights on both. I would add that a relatively tight patch is necessary with my smoothbores to achieve this, and any benefits of the ease of reloading without swabbing are generally no different with smoothbores as with the rifled barrels. I have achieved 1 MOA at 100 yards with a couple of my rifles, but have never done so with a smoothbore. Just my observations….

 

[Pilgrim]

Traditional ML at 100 yds? Requires a lot of practice, patience, powder and lead. But it can be done with a rifle, smoothbore, anything is possible.

 

[Packrat]

I have read that during the AWI muskets were figured to hit a target 6" square somewhere, that is figuring when troops are in line, shoulder to shoulder, the musket should hit one of the opposing troops, somewhere , foot, shoulder, center mass etc.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

The British had a low opinion of smooth bore accuracy at distance and evidenced by this clip from a Timothy Murphy discussion.

“I do maintain that no man was ever killed at 200 yards by a common soldier’s musket by the person who aimed at him. A soldier’s musket, if not exceeding badly bored and very crooked as many are, will strike the figure of a man at 80 yards; it may even at 100 yards; but a soldier must be very unfortunate indeed who shall be wounded by a common musket at 150 yards, provided his antagonist aims at him; and as to firing at a man at 200 yards with a common musket, you may just as well fire at the moon and have the same hopes of hitting your object.”

https://frontierpartisans.com/14898/tim-murphy-and-the-legendary-kill-shot/

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Rifles are more accurate, but within my parameters (100 yards or less, not Olympic level shooting), is that accuracy noticeable?

So rifles may be more accurate. It depends on what you want to do with them, eh? If you're punching paper at 100 yards, and a point or two is the difference between you getting something off the prize table or just having had a good time, then YES you want a rifle. That of course also depends on the type of targets used....

If you're "ringing steel" and it's a 10" steel, maybe not so much of a problem...,


I've seen guys who couldn't hit a 6" steel from 100 yards from a bench with their flintlock. When another person tried their "bad" rifle, and dings that steel three times in a row..., sometimes "the nut behind the sites needs tightening" as the saying goes... One does need to practice.

If you drop down to 50 yards, and are talking deer hunting..., the deer don't know the difference between the rifle shooting under a 2" group, or the fusil shooting a 5" group..., either way the deer is down.

The guys with the smoothbores shooting single ball have to work a lot more on the range to get to where they can reach out past 50 yards with good results, but..., when they figure that out, they do very well on large game.

NOW with a rifle on small game, yes a head shot is very possible..., but so is a completely missed rabbit when a head shot was tried. Drop some shot into the smoothbore instead of a ball, and it's rabbit stew for supper boys!

Birds on the wing if I have a rifle then they are out of the question

LD

 

[Pratt]

I have cut paper and rang the gongs at 100yd with a 32 Tradition rifle.

 

[ColonialRifleSmith]

Smoothbore guns don't have rifling. Which cuts down on friction. And allows the bullet to travel down range with less resistance. Making smoothbore guns much more accurate at greater distances.

As for rifled barrels, I don't know why anyone even bothered. All they do is increase loading time. And they're in no way superior to smoothbore accuracy. Not to mention the fact that the rifling scars up a perfectly smooth projectile.

Well, Ya' learn something new every day. Actually, we have a saying in the Corps, "It's not the dope on the gun, it's the dope behind it". I personally like smoothbores out to about 100 yards. After that I have to go to the rifle. Semper Fi.

 

[user 922]

I have a .50 cal. Bucks Co. "smooth rifle" (smoothbore with rifle sights) that I used to shoot monthly with a local club. Cutting cards, short range targets, and large longer range targets are quite possible with the smoothie. A lead ball is not uniform and is gonna wabble as it travels. Rifling gives a spin that creates an artificial stability, thus providing much greater accuracy as distances increase. One thing I would recommend when shooting a smoothbore: Buy swaged bullets - they are much more uniform that cast balls that have the remnants of a sprue and parting lines from the mold. As there's no spin, the uniformity of the bullet is important. A well-lubed, tight patch is also important - and keeps the barrel clean between shots.

 

[rich pierce]

Rifling with a twist was invented and proven to increase accuracy.

 

[XVIIc Wheelock]

Believe it or not...there are military weapons today that are portable, muzzle loading and smooth bore in the vast majority. And they are used everyday in battle...even today! And darned accurate! Guess before looking at answer below:







Mortars!