Brown Bess Accuracy

[Many Klatch]

I was at a small event in Wisconsin two years ago. They set up a life sized (5'6" tall), painted cutout of a British Officer at an unknown distance. We were shooting from a bluff and were about 120 feet above the level of the officer. Each of us got 3 shots. I had my Pedersoli Bess Carbine with me. We were able to sit behind a large log (36" across) to shoot over. I put 240 grains of 2F in the Bess and blazed away. I actually hit the cutout in the right ankle with one of the shots.

After the shooting was done they let us know that the target was 234 yards away. The distance was measured by a surveyor with a laser.

At Friendship each year I shoot the smoothbore silhouette match. 20 shots, 20 minutes. The nearest target is 4 chickens at 25 yards, the farthest is 4 bears which are at 120 yards. The bears are shot last. I have hit the bear 2 out of 4 shots. That is with a smoking hot barrel, heat waves and a pretty good sized ring of crud in the barrel. All shots are with a measured load of powder and spit patch, all ball are .715. No cartridges are allowed in this match.

Now to be honest, one of those bears was knocked down by a ball that hit about 20 yards in front and then bounced up and hit the bear gong in the crotch, the gong went down so that counted as a hit.

Those big ball and that big heavy smoothbore are capable of a lot more accuracy than anyone normally gives them credit for.

Many Klatch

 

[Ike Godsey]

thats exactly what i said!

and yes, a bess has a slow lock and a long trigger pull if the gun is out of the box.

mine is made in 1979 - get it third hand . shot it and the old little thing has the nicest trigger on all of my smoothies. also the lock is pretty fast - maybe anyone of the former owners did something to it - i don't know. i love my bess and would never trade it against a french musket.

have been in hungary for hunting from a boat. fire in the front at night an the dears coming to the bank. hit one of them at aprox. 70 meters with one shot - bess is a good hunting gun too. :thumbsup: