[4V50 Gary]

100 yards was pushing it for a musket. Try 75 yards for a patched round ball. The main difficulty with muskets is that most soldiers drilled with their guns. Shooting was rarely practiced as it was felt volume of fire would break the enemy so the shock weapon, the bayonet, could be brought to play. There are instances where soldiers were allowed some marksmanship practice, but it wasn't common.

The average rifleman could hit a man at 200 yards. The better shots at 300 and the exceptional shots at 400 yds. The longest shot here in America was at about 600 yards and supposedly the longest ever with a flintlock was at 700 between two Corsicans.

Why the rifle? Placed shots with greater certainty of hits. This was better than the (three) buck (shots) and (musket) ball which could or could not hit.

Hunters using smooth bores had to have good woodcraft skills. Stalking, camouflage and knowledge of the game (bedding areas, lay spots, feeding areas, watering holes, trails and runs) to harvest. Good Indians could touch an animal and if they wanted to kill one with a bow, the arrow would do its work before the fletching passed the bowstring's position of rest.

Wallace Gusler (the gunsmith who started the gunsmith shop at Colonial Williamsburg) told me the Germans got it right the first time with their 32" or so jäger rifle.

For real distance, get a minie rifle. they reach out to 500 yards.