Smoothbore ?

[Huntinshep]

Only have hunted deer with ML rifles. How accurate are smoothbores and what is effective range? I limit my range to 100 yds or less. Thanks

 

[Grimord]

I sometimes shoot a .56 caliber smooth bore rifle from T/C. My best hunting load will do 3" at 50 yards. I limit myself to less than that. The effective range will be determined by the load and the sights. If no rear sight, then the range may be limited by the accuracy of the load.

 

[tenngun]

I like to stay in fifty yards.
I’ve got targets that border on rifle accuracy and then much less, but still good deer killing. Beyond fifty for me the groups open to much to make me feel safe.... but there are shooters that do bette then thes at seventy five or more.
Duelist .54 posted a you tube with a hundred and twentyfive target that would kill a deer but not cleanly

 

[BV]

My .62 trade gun will group 4" or a little less consistently at 75 yards with 85 gr of 2F off a bench, but is absolutely wild at 100, so my hunting limit is somewhere around 50-60 yards. The two deer I've killed with that gun were about 30 yard shots.

 

[tenngun]

A HBC man wrote in 1847 that there was no point in buying a rifle as a fusil loaded with a patched ball will shoot ‘as well as a rifle to sixty yards, and most game is taken in that range. The patching he wrote about was the finger tips of worn out gloves. As I’m sure he would shoot more then ten shots till he wore out gloves I think it safe to assume he used regular or maybe thin leather patches at times.
of course it doesn’t shoot as close as a rifle, but shoots better then many shooters get from modern guns when in the woods and easily as well as slug shooters with a shotgun.

 

[Bob McBride]

I agree with about 60y. Some can shoot game-getting accurate a bit farther but I’ve never had one that couldn’t be made to shoot good less than that.