I am a longtime blackpowder shooter, but have primarily owned and fired War Between the States era pieces. I have hunted with my rifled muskets and they do a fine job, but want a flinter for my hunting needs.
My primary use initially will be deer and wild hogs. I have been looking a builds for a Southern rifle in .50 - .54 for this need with the idea of getting a fowler and/or a smaller caliber rifle later for small game. Then it dawned on me that maybe a smooth rifle would be better! I generally hunt in the woods where it is thick and shots are short. The smooth rifle will work for small game and turkey.
My concern is the accuracy at distance. I'd like to be able to hit a shot at 100 yards consistently. How much accurate distance can I expect to gain from a rifle over a smooth rifle and in your collective experiences is it really worth it over the versatility of a smooth rifle?
I searched previous threads and read through a lot of piecemeal information but there didn't seem to be a specific answer to my question.
Thanks!
Patrick Ferringer
My primary use initially will be deer and wild hogs. I have been looking a builds for a Southern rifle in .50 - .54 for this need with the idea of getting a fowler and/or a smaller caliber rifle later for small game. Then it dawned on me that maybe a smooth rifle would be better! I generally hunt in the woods where it is thick and shots are short. The smooth rifle will work for small game and turkey.
My concern is the accuracy at distance. I'd like to be able to hit a shot at 100 yards consistently. How much accurate distance can I expect to gain from a rifle over a smooth rifle and in your collective experiences is it really worth it over the versatility of a smooth rifle?
I searched previous threads and read through a lot of piecemeal information but there didn't seem to be a specific answer to my question.
Thanks!
Patrick Ferringer