Acceptable Accuracy with a Flintlock

[Larry Pletcher]

. . . . .
However, my "problem" is not with the accuracy of my rifle, but rather it's due to my "old" eyes and they're inability to see the iron sights as well as they once did.
Ron T.

Me too, Ron. I tried two things that help me. I made shaders from a piece of PVC pipe. one shader over the front sight and the other the rear. I spray-painted them black inside and out. Another thing that helps me is a piece of black tape with a small hole on my glasses. There are more expensive ways to do this last trick, but these help me. Oh, and a wider notch in the rear sight helps too.
Regards,
Pletch

 

[Shine]

This was with My Roy Stroh moravian rifle. First time out im sure it will do better.

 

[rich pierce]

Dang, that's some fine shooting. Must be a young feller with nerves of steel.

 

[hanshi]

That's a very subjective question and there are really two ways to answer: 1. What can the rifle do? 2. What can you do with the rifle?

I basically agree with the guys who indicate a quarter or less at 25, a lemon at 50 and a grapefruit at 100, or something along those lines. To me that's what I'd expect of the rifle.

REALITY: It has to be a very good day for me to do that especially from 50yds on. I do have some targets when everything fell together instead of apart. Those are becoming uncommon, however. The best I've ever done with the ML open sights is about 4" at 100yds. Not only can I not see the sights well anymore but I've become a bit shaky. When I was younger I was able to do 5 shots in 1" at 100yds with my 45/70 and receiver sights. Nowadays a squirrel's head at 25yds is a challenging target with my SMR.

5 shots 50yds with my .50 flint from sitting on an apple crate. Can't do it on demand, sorry.

 

[Shine]

:grin: Im 39 with nerves of jello,strawberry I think.

 

[damron]

So besides the very best groups what is a realistic average for a good flintlock? From what i am seeing some of you guys seem to feel 1"-1.5" at 100 is generally obtainable with round-ball and sporting rifles? I was of the assumption that only very heavy percussion guns with false muzzle shot round-ball this well.It looks like i have work to do.

 

[40calFlintlock]

Bench rested, I developed a load combination that consistantly gives a 3-shot group under 1/2inch at 25yds: .395 ball, 60grs FFg powder and .018 pillow-ticking patch using crisco.

This load combination was developed from a project I did for my masters degree in engineering.

 

[plastikosmd]

For me, .75-1" 5 shot off bags with redfield sights. As you said, bench RB with false muzzle. I'm sure I could do a touch better if scoped but IMHO sub 1" 5 shot groups are durn non- scoped. It is fun to outshoot modern stuff at the range

 

[damron]

very impressive.

 

[plastikosmd]

For me, .75-1" 5 shot off bags with redfield sights. As you said, bench RB with false muzzle. I'm sure I could do a touch better if scoped but IMHO sub 1" 5 shot groups are durn good for a non- scoped gun, even CF. It is fun to outshoot modern stuff at the range.

(edit as my iPad dropped some words, I blame technology!)

 

[HuntAway]

Some good shooting there fella's!!!
I can only hope to work up a load as accurate. I do agree that the sights are major holdback to accuracy. Open, Peeps, Scopes all escalate the possibilities as far as accuracy goes. I guess we must do the best we can with the tools at hand.

HA

 

[MSW]

so, really, the accuracy issue is not so much with the firearm, but the "nut behind the butt plate."

... i've seen a boatload of very expensive, very tricked out 'black ops' rifles at the range, usually fired by a bunch of Rambo wanna- be types, what can't hit the broad side of a barn from the inside if you gave them half an hour to set up the shot.

then again there was that scruffy old fella at the range in KY where i shot when my wife was stationed at Ft. Knox... had a beat up flinter which he used to pot soda cans at the fifty yard line, and would play "pinks" (that is, as in the old California car race game, where you race for the pink slip, or title) and he would get one of these hairy chesty guys going on about how great his battle rifle was, and say, "OK, i bet my gun against yours, and the first one who takes the soda can wins- one shot, off hand, no sling, iron sights." Saw him actually do this on two occasions, and he won both times. on neither occasion did the loser have the courtesy to offer the .223 up to the scruffy fellow as he had promised, and on both occasions the loser was asked to leave the range my the Safety Officer for raising a fuss about the old guy being a cheat and a fake.

having said that, mind you, i wouldn't grab my flintlock if a bunch of badguys were coming up the driveway, but i don't take the Heckler Koch into the woods where the shots are all thirty yarders, either.

just one guy's free opinion, and no doubt worth the price.

 

[HuntAway]

Agreed, you must have the skills to do the best that the tool in yor hand can offer. That being said most shooters would shoot better with peeps over open sights and scopes over peeps.

Good marksmanship is a skill. I remember when I was in the military we shot 600 m with peeps not well mind you and we were not consistent until we hit the 300m mark. Won lots of beer on range days. Then they started scoping those toy rifles and even the worst shots became good shots overnight. Still won beer though. :hatsoff:

HA

 

[USMA65]

Agreed, you must have the skills to do the best that the tool in yor hand can offer. That being said most shooters would shoot better with peeps over open sights and scopes over peeps.

Good marksmanship is a skill. I remember when I was in the military we shot 600 m with peeps not well mind you and we were not consistent until we hit the 300m mark. Won lots of beer on range days. Then they started scoping those toy rifles and even the worst shots became good shots overnight. Still won beer though. :hatsoff:

HA

Interesting discussion. When I was in college we won the National Championship at Camp Perry in several division, including the Herrick Trophy at 1000 yards with glass bedded M-1's,1/4 clicks and original peep sights. I really, really miss those eyes of fifty years ago !!!

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Any rifle should be as accurate as the shooter is capable of aiming and holding, flint, percussion or cartridge makes no difference. See what you can do with a known accurate rifle, say a good .22 with iron sights and you should expect your flintlock to do as well. Now I did say "should be", certainly not all are. With muzzleloaders the specific load components and technique are a great factor. Some rifles like heavy powder charges and some don't. Ball size and patch thickness are very big factors. Patch lube may also be a factor. Most often a tighter patch/ball combo will be more accurate than a loose fit. Some rifles may insist on being swabbed clean between shots while others will shoot just fine without any swabbing. It really takes a lot of range time to find the most accurate load your rifle will shoot.

 

[762subsonic]

My .40cal will consistently group 5 shots inside an inch at 50yds. At 100yds wind is more of an issue but on a calm day I can keep it between 2 and 3". My current load is .395 with .18 pillow thicking over 70gr ff.

 

[n8dawg6]

I can do about a 2" group at 50 yds with my TVM. usually don't get beyond that range with paper targets, at least, cause I get irritated trying to peer at the sights. any accuracy limitation is certainly with this shooter, not the rifle.

 

[Many Klatch]

All my shooting is offhand. I only bench to sight in when a get a new gun. I enjoy woods walks where there are gongs and odd things to shoot at varying ranges. If you want to be competitive in the woods walks you need to be able to split a playing card at 15 yards, hit a chain at 30 yards and a 6" round gong out to 75 yards. In practice the other day I center hit a golf ball at 25 yards with my .60 smoothbore. Don't know much about groups, but I usually hit what I aim at.

Many Klatch

 

[Dphar]

Hello All,

I own several Lyman flintlocks. My favourites are the 54 & 50 GPR's

What would you consider acceptable accuracy with the flintlocks (round ball or conicals) of today through various ranges. ie 25, 50, 75, 100,.....

125, 150 or further :youcrazy: :grin:

I've seen that fella on Shooting USA Mr Flintlock do some pretty good shooting so I was curious how the rest of us mere mortals make out.

HA

A good flintlock in 50-54 will shoot into about 6" at 200 yards with NO WIND. But it requires care in loading. Little errors that don't show at 50-100 become apparent at 200.
If you can feel a breeze it will probably go off the paper.

Dan