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Old April 26, 2012, 07:58 AM   #1
mikthestick
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 29, 2012
Location: Devon England
Posts: 177
Smoothbore Vs Rifle

The effective range of a Military musket is generally accepted to be 100yds. This may be due to a combination of pointing rather than aiming, a lack of proper sights, and poor quality barrels. Dueling pistols of decent quality can punch playing cards at around 25yds. Kentucky/yeager type rifles can be good out to 300yds if the shooter is an expert.
Due to the requirement for proper shot placement and the fact that a round ball slows down very quickly the articles I've read on the subject don't recommend taking game beyond about 150yds.
My question is if what I just printed is correct why bother with a rifle. You might be better with a double barreled flintlock in 62cal. (which is available from middlesex Village trading company) I assume these guns are just as happy firing round balls.
When I looked at the pictures of this gun I thought it might shoot good enough to hit a man sized target at perhaps 125yds. If the ball was patched tight, if its sighs are as good as they look, and the barrels are of good quality.
Before the advent of percussion caps the musket was the most common long arm.
I thought someone who shoots BP rifles and muskets might be able to tell me what I could expect from a 29" barrel in terms of accuracy. Perhaps I'm getting my fantasies mixed up with my realities again.
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