Expectation for off hand accuracy with a Flintlock

[roundball]

Offhand shooting is something I've really never spent much time trying...wasn't satisfied with the results the couple times I tried it, and have always just shot from my typical seated/hunting position as a form of constant practice for hunting anyway.

Have had the thought that after retiring the end of this year, with more free time next year I might take up off hand shooting just for something different and stay with it until I can get at least reasonable at it.
My biggest unknown is what might be considered 'normal'...what I should expect to be able to do routinely.

I've seen the occasional post of people claiming they routinely shoot 1-2" groups at 100 yards offhand standing on their hind legs...personally I don't believe that for a minute, but even if true, I assume it would have to be an extremely rare individual and certainly out of my league.

Also, while I understand the accuracy benefits that can come from a 6 o'clock hold/aim-point at the bottom of a bullseye, I won't go that route...will stay with my normal hunting 'center hold' as I don't want to risk forgetting which style to use when out hunting one day.

I'm curious to know what to expect and a good way to start and move up through the learning curve.
Thinking of starting at a mere 15 yards but using tiny 1" aim point stickers...or I could push out to 30-40 yards with an A-Frame heavy duty 6" steel plate hanging down that's left over from my action pistol days.

So...reasonable expectations / goals for the average individual standing on his hind legs using a Flintlock and a center mass hold ??

 

[lonehunter]

Go for it. We shoot balloons blown up to about the size of a grapefruit at 50 yrds, Some days are better than others, but the good days leave ya feeling pretty good about yourself. If nothing else, I do have a lot more confidence in shooting offhand while hunting if I have no choice.:v

 

[gizamo]

On a really good day, I can get eight inches. But that is with constant practice...

 

[wattlebuster]

I practise offhand out to about 40 yds an sometimes I get lucky an shoot maybe a 2 inch group but most times its over that :idunno: I hunt thickets 99% of the time an 40 yds would be a long shot for me. I do like to hang a piece charcoal from a string an shoot at it out to yardages that I cant see it anymore which these days aint very far, but when you do hit it you dont have to guess, you will see the black smoke roll :thumbsup:

 

[123.DieselBenz]

Check out http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/260024/tp/1/ for some REAL numbers, these are at 25 yards, and of course most of these targets are shot unsupervised . . . but . . . I also trust the members to be honest! :grin:

I know that my 100 yard shooting really is not that good, of course I only have a little 36 cal, and only shot it out to 100 yards for Swampy's "Alien Match" down in the same area . . .

Join the fun! These postal matches are lots of FUN, and let you do something different, and also compare numbers!

 

[Carl Aldridge]

The sportsmans club I belong to now allows us to put clay targets downrange on the dirt back stop. I have been doing more off hand shooting than anything else this summer. I start with a rimfire at 25 then go to 50 yards and when I hit consistently I switch to bigger guns. While a rimfire is nothing like a muzzleloader,it will develop good muscle memory that will carry over to larger heavier firearms.

 

[mbokie]

Off hand shooting is what got me into it. My buddy handed me his flint and said hit that. I hit the bull twice and I was hooked.

Haven't done it since, but I don't mind.

 

[kbuck]

I presume you have attended some of your state's NMLRA shoots. If not, I might suggest a visit to one. There is an awful lot of off-hand shooting done, and some of the shooters do impressive work. Typically, one will shoot 25, 50, and 100 yard targets. Not only will you make friends with others who share your interest, but you should learn a lot about patch lubes, ball sizes, etc. At least, that was the case with me. I think you might change your mind about group size!

 

[Number19]

25yds, offhand, with iron sights is a good challenge to start. I didn't see any targets posted on the challenge thread and it still has a couple days before it concludes. Here's the results from an earlier challenge:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/258803/tp/19/

Somewhere around a 3" average, with the rare shooter punching 1".

With a lot of practice, sub 2" is possible for a 63 year old who wears tri-focals - me.

 

[biliff]

FWIW,
Our club has a monthly bullseye shoot. Mostly offhand, five shot relays. The 50yd and 100yd relays are shot on a NMLRA 100yd target. The ten ring is two inches in diameter, nine ring is 4", 8 ring 6", etc. ending at a 12" 5 ring. The black bull goes out to the 8 ring.

6 to 12 shooters compete every month. Usual mix of abilities and seriousness. We don't segregate flint from percussion.

At 50yds a score in the mid forties will usually take first. At 100 yds you need to be in the mid to high thirties. Break a 40 and its a wrap for first.

Flint seems to win as much as percussion. I just won our last 100yd shoot with a 41 shooting flint.

It takes some practice to work your way out to 100yds. I spent quite a while shooting offhand at 25yds before moving to 50, then 100yds. Still not really consistent, but at least I can keep 'em all on paper now.

 

[roundball]

I have rolls of 1", 2", and 3" round hot pink stickers I use a lot as aim point stickers...the 3" sticker in the middle of a white 6" paper dessert plate should be good for 25yds...

 

[Mike Brooks]

I spent from '80 to '00 shooting competitivly in off hand flint matches. These days when I shoot offf hand the results aren't nearly as impressive as they were 20 years ago. You have to practice to be on top, and I mean every day. You don't need to actually prctice at therange, you can dry fire at a spot on the wall in the house.

 

[123.DieselBenz]

25yds, offhand, with iron sights is a good challenge to start. I didn't see any targets posted on the challenge thread and it still has a couple days before it concludes. Here's the results from an earlier challenge:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/258803/tp/19/

Somewhere around a 3" average, with the rare shooter punching 1".

With a lot of practice, sub 2" is possible for a 63 year old who wears tri-focals - me.

Actually the "group size" was smaller than that, at least for me . . . those numbers listed are not "group size", but composed from a measurement taken from the center of the target, to the center of each shot, than added together . . . for instance my group was IIRC just under 1", but I was off center a tad . . . :idunno:

Here are two examples sent to me for the current Flint vs Percussion match:
45 cal

50 cal

And here is one that I shot just for fun, awhile ago:

Group size is good, but . . . it needs to be close to where you aim too! :grin:

 

[rabjr]

I rarely shoot offhand and never at 100 yards. Many moons ago with modern guns yes, I was accurate enough but never shot into 1 or 2 inch groups. I'm sure if I competed in matches things might have been different but I've mainly always been a hunter and the number of animals I shot offhand I could count on one hand. Always preferred to to hunt using a rest of some sort to shoot from so shooting at offhand targets, especially 100 yard targets were never a high priority and frankly I couldn't do it today.

 

[tg]

That would be the second step for most, as getting the best group is usualy the first step and the hardest, drifting filing sights is just a fine tuning of sorts

 

[Tony Logan]

I like small objects for practice. Shoot small targets at 12-15 yds like minature marshmallows,paint balls on golf tees, or what you would see at a novelty shoot. It really build the confidence when you start hitting them.It helps with concentration as well. There are many that can cut playing cards off hand.

 

[Burningprince]

The hardest part for me was getting over the flinch, was not used to the flash lol. But now i'm punching around 2.5" inch groups at 75 yards. i know it's not spectacular but i'm proud of it

 

[roundball]

6 O'clock hold at the bottom point of the bull's curve or something like that?

 

[hanshi]

Depending on the rifle I've shot enough 50yd 3" and under groups off hand to know I can do it if I hold my mouth just right. At 100yds it's almost a joke with only an occasional group under 7" or so. In fact from a sitting position getting a group of around 5" or 6" is very tough for me.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Lot of good responses so far. What you can do only you will be able to determine. I will say that at some shoots, particularly Friendship, some amazing targets are turned from the offhand matches. I always used to be in awe of some of the targets shot at the Hawken match on the primitive side. These guys shoot only aproximately knowing the range (about 135 yards) with tricky wind and light conditions. Ye wouldn't want to be an enemy injun with these guys throwing lead at ye.
Practice is everything.