Any Brown Bess Experts?

[mark/wi]

I just shot 45 rounds at a trap shoot and felt fine, and I 'am 63 years old. I was using a Bess with 80gr. 2ff and same measure for shot. I think you are talking to a story teller(BS). I must be in super shape. I really thought I was getting old. Mark

 

[slowpokebr549]

I walked through a rendevous not long ago and witnessed an "expert" showing a group of fifth graders his Bess. I stopped and listened in disbelief as he spewed misinformation. He claimed shoulder breaking kicks and horrible accuracy. He blamed the British loss of the revelutionary war on its inaccuracy.I spoke to him after the kids left and told him that he was way off with his info and should stop repeating it. He, of course, got all huffy and repeated his little speach for me. I told him that my smoothbore would hit a pie plate at fifty yards and that I could scare hell out of him with it at 75 or 80. He outright called me a liar.Claimed that no smoothbore would hit a man much past point blank.He didnt have an answer for me when I asked him why the Brits had used them for so long.I asked this fool what load he was using and he sorta mumbles and changes the subject. Turns out he never loads ball, only blanks and looking at the bore on his bess, it looks like he never cleans it either. Excuse me for changing the subject, but if I have heard this load of manure once, I have heard it a thousand times. They even repeat it on the History channel.I would like to see that guy stand out in front the guys answering the questions on this subject, and let them throw a few rounds at him.

 

[mr.fudd]

A friend told me that most people could only fire about 7 shots from their bess before there shoulder started to cane. He said it was like 8 times more recoil than a 12gauge shotgun with hunting loads.

I was thinking of getting one for target aswell :shake:

I'm a novice when it comes to muzzleloaders, but I was shooting mine with 80 grains of FFG and .735 RB's and I found the recoil to be similar to a 12g shooting light loads. I find it to be a very slow, thumping sort of recoil and actually kind of pleasant to shoot. Now 80 grains is a relatively light load, but not that light. I wouldn't have any problem shooting it all day.

 

[dukewellington]

I picked up a long land pattern brown bess at the storeo once. It seemed like it would be real fun to shoot.

 

[mark/wi]

They are lots of fun to shoot. Mark

 

[TxRambler]

And they will draw a crowd at the range. It doesn't kick all that bad. I like shooting 50 yard targets with 75 grains. I usually fire 30-35 rounds in a morning at the range. I use a .735 ball and thin patch, and may buy a smaller sized mold and thicken the patch up.

 

[Many Klatch]

My Bess with 90 grains pushes a bit, but I can shoot all day long in a linen shirt with little or no bruise. The bruises usually are the result of trying to shoot skeet or trap with the Bess and since I shoot low gun I sometimes don't get the butt seated correctly before ignition.

I wouldn't shoot it if it hurt. The recoil is noticeable, but blackpowder pushes you back where as modern smokeless slams you back.

Many Klatch

 

[paulvallandigham]

I should think a 75 grains( 2 3/4 Dram) load of powder under your shot load should be more than adequate for skeet shooting, and it won't bruise the shoulder so much. The longest shot is only 22 yards from muzzle to clay target.

 

[poordevil]

Somewhere else here someone mentioned that the b
Brit Mil. Load was 160 gr of powder, so that might be a kicker. I don't know if that is the right load, but the U S musket for the .69cal was 130 then 110-120gr for percussion

I thought 75 gr of powder is 3 1/2 drams
P.

 

[paulvallandigham]

A dram is 27.34 grains of powder. Most people just round that up to 27.5 grains. 3 1/2 drams is 96 grains! Those are 10 gauge loads, for sure. I cannot see any need for such a heavy powder charge on a skeet range. Some shooters might use such in a 10 gauge at Trap, but even there, its a heavy powder charge, and unnecessary for breaking clay targets. Without a choked barrel, such a powder charge is likely to blow the patterns( spread the shot pellets ) out too wide, to be effective much beyond 25 yards.