what is the biggest thing you can kill with that?

[whitetrash078]

Just how big a critter can you really kill with .69 or .75 caliber smoothbore? I have a .54 cal GPR so I know what it'll do. I cant imagine what 3/4 of an inch slug would do to anything unlucky enough to get in its way

 

I would guess that opinions are about the nly thing I've got. I know they absolutely slay Moose & from that, I know they are plenty for the big bears. The Military ctg. load for the .69 musket at either 165gr.(early) or 130gr. (late) charges are quite effective as one of the exerps in the book I have, has some quotes about a non-expect attack one cmpany received - wild cattle.
: One giant black bull charged from 100 yds. away, and one of the stgs. took careful aim. he held fire until the bull was 25yds. away, and upon firing the bull collapsed. These were Texas longhorns I believe due to one instance whre one charged the wagon, knocked it out of the rutts, then hit one of the mules, his right horn reaching to the one on the other side, ripping it's entrails out.
: Even the small balls used in the .69's weighed in the 400 gr. range, with the .735 runing around 620 to 630gr. A .684 ball, that I used in my .69 weighed 484gr. in pure, and 465 in WW.
: Lt. James Forsyth (in India, 1858) tells of the .69(14bore smooth double shotgun or single or double rifle)being perfect for tiger, water buffalo, bear and elephant, wheras in Africa, the 12 bore(.725cal) was the favoured gun for it's large game. So the .75 is a bit better, even, and is the size ball used in a 10 bore rifle, being .77 cal.
: Bullets much like the .69 Minnie were used in 14bore rifles, but generally had 2 parts to them, being screwed together and being explosive "Shells" as they were called. These would, in his words, blow a tigers head or neck to pieces. They must have had a goood charge of BP or some sort of fulminate in them.
: I guess this could have been answered - for anything on this planet, but I've always felt a story is better!
Daryl

 

[musketman]

I guess this could have been answered - for anything on this planet, but I've always felt a story is better!
Daryl

And when hunting season opens up on other planets, I sure the big bores will follow... :winking: :haha:

Could the .69's and .75's have killed a T-rex?

Don't know, but I bet it could have knocked the socks off of a Veloca Raptor...

 

[whitetrash078]

So if I get the bess or the 42 Springfield I'll never be under gunned! Now what to get,the bess or the 42, oh the decisions. ::

 

Who sells the M1842 ercussion .69 smoothbore or is it rifled?
: Either rifled or smooth, it is a part of US history. On the other hand, they also had English Muskets in storage or use, quite late in the flint period, and entering the 40's.
Daryl

 

[whitetrash078]

The 42 is a Armisport smoothbore and as far as a bess goes I don't know who makes a good one.
On that 1842 could I safely use 130gr of 2f? or is that to much for modern black powder?

 

130gr 2F would be just fine. The large bores don't develope pressure like the small bores. You will never see 15,000LUP or CUP from a musket. Actually, 130gr. GOEX 3F could also be used, but will lack accuracy. their powder, even at taht time of 1800 was still superior to ours today. the standard charge for the .69's was 130gr. to[url] 165gr.in[/url] paper ctgs.with from .63 to .65" balls, cast or swaged.
: The pressure would only be in the neighbourhood of 5,000 to 6,000LUP.at the very most, perhaps only with Swiss powder.
: At the end of the barrel, where it is thinnest, the pressure would most likely be much less than 600LUP, practically non-measureable by the crusher method.
: This low pressure trait is why they work so well with paper ctgs. and thin muzzles are so common.
: Check out the http://www.militaryheritage.com site as well as the http://loyalistarms.Freeservers.com. both dites have English and French muskets. See the militaryheritage postings on this site, as well at the loyalist site mentioned here somewhere.
: Personally, I will be buying the Sea Service musket from the mil. her. site. I have back trouble with long barrels & their attendent muzzle weight, so the 37" barrel along with no entry pipe will help in that regard. Otherwise, I'd be buying the 1756 1st model Bess.I do believe these are the best muskets for the price you'll find anywhere.
: The French musket, 1728 is actually the 1746 version with steel rod and lack of pan bridle. A lighter one would be the 1777 calvary carbine, both being .69 cal which is more accurately a standard US arm of the Revolutionary Period, although they did use captured Bess'. The 1777 cabine was used in your war as was the 1728/46 model, along with a 63 model that I haven't found anywhere(probably). That one became your US M1795, still with the steel pan of the 1728/46. Some contractors preferred the brass pan of the various '77 models and used that for the 95's. The leeways(tolerances allowed) were great.
; The 1777 Charelville wasn't used during your revolutionary war, at least not in any large number.
: Any of these muskets are higher quality than what your countymen had to fight with, both from finnish and bore size and consistancy & therefore will be more accurate with the same ammo.
Daryl

 

[whitetrash078]

The military heritage bess carbine is calling my name, but how hard is this thing to clean?

 

[Stumpkiller]

I had a .66 cal flintlock musket that I would confidently use on anything that walked on this continent in the last 10,000 years or so. I'm not sure I'd want to have tried it on an elephant because I don't know enough about their skull for a head shot and I'd need to be pretty close, so a good chest wound in the vitals would still allow enough time for a batch of Charlie-Butter before it expired.

Bell preferred 7x57mm and .303 Rimmed FMJ to brain-shoot elephants, and he killed hundreds with a single, well placed shot. A .54 ball has similar energy, but the bullet construction and upset on impact are much different.

I'd hunt anything in America with a .54 as long as I had a level headed partner with a back-up shot; or at least someone who couldn't run as fast as me. But then, I'm stupid enough to be willing to try it with a 65# recurve bow, too. The key is to wait for the perfect opportunity. I wouldn't want to jump up in front of a snot-snortin, riled up bison or grizzly and then start choosing the right spot with any single shot firearm loaded with a round lead ball.

 

[Stumpkiller]

The military heritage bess carbine is calling my name, but how hard is this thing to clean?

Half as difficult as a rifled barrelled firearm using barrel pins to hold barrel to stock. Smoothbores clean up very easy with hot, soapy water. You just have to use care not to soak the wood with anything leaking out the vent.

 

When I'm hunting with a partner I ALWAYS make sure I can outrun him! ::
That way if a beastie is chewing on him I can reload and save what's left of his arse.