Smoothbore accuracy?.

[tenngun]

Well you want to be able to hit what you shoot at, and should not take chances on ”˜is it in range, I reckon it’s close’nuff’ however any big hole tween backbone and sternum turns Bambi French.
Chances are if you can hit a paper plate at fifty yards your group will be smaller.

 

[BullRunBear]

I put a Green Mountain drop in barrel on a 50 caliber Renegade and had the original bored out to 20 gauge. To my surprise I could keep patched round ball groups under four inches at 50 yards, shooting offhand. I haven't tried shooting from a rest or at more distance yet. Having the original rear sight still in place could be helping a lot. I'm an okay marksman and decent wing shot but can drive tacks only by accident, so I was pleased with the group size.

Just for fun, one of my projects this summer is to see what this thing can do out to a hundred yards from a rest. I don't hunt anymore so this will be an attempt to terrify paper targets and steel gongs. Or amuse them. :grin:

Jeff

 

[hanshi]

My flintlock .62 smoothbore has a rear sight. With a prb I get 50 yard 3 shot groups under 3". I don't expect to have to shoot at a deer more than three times from my hide. I've got 8 shot groups of 2.75" at 50 yards with prb on occasion. My bare ball load goes around 4" to 5" for 5 shots at 50 yards. The last deer I killed with a prb in the smoothbore was a running shot; a rear sight does help. The large doe did not move from where it fell at the shot.

 

[akapennypincher]

PP,

With muskets, Accuracy fails a good bit before energy.

Richard.

I understand this but also mention the Newspaper thing to give people an idea on how to see what they can not experience.

Also the accuracy this is a skill set, people individual skill of shot placement. Grouping shows how good or consistant you are.

Most firearms are more accurate then the person shooting them.

As I got older and lost ability to be steady my accuracy offhand when to DooDoo.

 

[Skychief]

Alamosa, I've shot 3-4" groups with my fowler at 60 yards, sans a rear sight. These groups were made on a large gong from a less than stable rest.

Best of luck, Skychief.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

P-P,

Oh undoubtedly the newspaper thing is a very good indication. I wasn't meaning it was not, only that a musket (75 cal) is quite potent.
There are a lot of smaller bore smoothbores, and the test for these is ideal.

All the very best,
Richard.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Well I ain't so gifted a shooter as pretty much over the years and several smoothbores I seem to limit ball shooting abilities to 40yards.

There has been exceptions. Like a three band PH Enfield and Zoli Zouave. They would shot rabbit sized groups all day beyond 60yds

Some of my guns have been utterly useless with a ball. My Pedersoli Bess being one of them!

B.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

It might depend on load, Brit.
Bill Curtis' way was to use a full charge of powder, (say 125 grs) a thick felt wad, a ball near bore size, (.750") a great gob of lube. (I use "Udderly Smoothe") then another thick felt wad.
Mark over there has taken gold in national and international with his muskets, and has gone form this loaing to a lesser charge and a patched ball, so we can see there are different ways of getting them to shoot.
I'm useless off-hand and much prefer to take a lean!

Best,
Richard.

 

[nuttbush]

I surely appreciate all the comments and advice. The response was more than I had hoped for when I asked the question. I know all you seasoned hunters feel the same way as I, we respect the animals we hunt and will only take a shot if we can make a clean and humane kill.
I will be practicing and honing my skills with a smoothbore this Summer. Many thanks again for all the replies, you are all a great help.

 

[FiremanBrad]

All great advice above, but this one deserves a second!
Work up a good load, your gun and your shooting abilities will tell you your effective range!!!

 

[tenngun]

I like them smoothies. I would point out that rifles were invented before 1500, maybe in northern Italy, but would become popular in Central Europe. All the other nations played with them but they never became real popular.
Then they became popular in America. They did not become popular in French holdings in America or in English Canada.
Although Britain has deer and Red deer smaller game and shooting the flying was pretty important. However Scandinavia and all of the land and little nations that became part of the old USSR stayed with smoothies with lots of bigger game to hunt.
It was commented on that at rendezvous the French and the Indians used fusils while the American reached for his rifle.
Clearly the smoothies are good at getting game and many hunters preferred them then.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I had a rifle once, a CVA 45. Once broke in it was very good beyond 100yds and I shot a rabbit @140 paces once. Wow, I thought but soon after I thought,why bother!

I have shot alot of deer in Scotland with modern junk but in all honesty I bet a smooth bore muzzle loader would of easily taken more than 50% of them just the same!

B.

 

[Micah Clark]

I am building a Chamber PA fowler (in LH) . . .so just for fun, if you can, I'd love to see a picture of your fowler.

(I always have to post my pics on photo bucket then post the link via the image button to get it to show up.)