How accurate can patched round ball be?

[TNGhost]

I am 66 years old and I can not reliably see the bulls eye at 100 yards without optics. Am I the only one?

Depends on the size of the bullseye.

 

[tenngun]

I am 66 years old and I can not reliably see the bulls eye at 100 yards without optics. Am I the only one?

No

 

[PastorB]

Can it be done, sure, but I don't think with any regularity on purpose. The pic I attached is fired at 125 yards with a .54 Pedersoli Rocky Mountain Hawken, about 1.25" CTC. Usually shoots 2.5" or so at 100 yards. I think the hard part is wind. I get 1 hole groups consistently at 50 yards, .5" or better, but by the time it travels another 50 the wind has messed everything up. On a dead calm day, from a bench, my RMH will usually keep all shots on a playing card, with an occasional group like the one pictured.

 

[PastorB]

Here is a link that shows the difficulty of shooting tiny groups at 100 yards with a PRB. For example, a .530 PRB @ 1600fps and a 5 mile per hour wind, drifts 7 inches at 100 yards. 5 MPH would feel like nothing and unusually calm, more wind, more drift.

http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/rbballistics/web_apps/rb_ballistics.html

 

[MSW]

wow- some phenomenal shooting skill here. once upon a time i could hit an e- type offhand with a rack grade M16 at 350 yards, but that was a long time ago ... now, if i can just keep it inside 6 or 7 inches at 100 yards, i'm happy

 

[flntlokr]

Is it possible to have a patched round ball rifle shoot 1" groups at 100 yards?

at a Provincial match, one of the shooters made a 49XXX. 100 yards, offhand; prb from a Fraser River Hawken 50 cal. Set a record that I doubt will ever be broken. Possibly a tiny bit over 1". Off a rest, I'm sure someone with eyes like that could beat 1".

 

[Bledfor Days]

This is the best I can do standing at 100 yds with a .45 TC Seneca with a .440 ball, 45 gr 3F, .018 patch. I was aiming approx 6 inches high.

 

[tenngun]

I bet off hand most of us would be proud of that. I don’t shoot off hand for a reason. And a hundred yards is fifty yards beyond my shooting these last twenty years

 

[Herb]

.54 Bridger Hawken I made. Bench rest at 100 yards. No wiping between shots. Charges from weight-corrected measures. Shot on the plain paper at top to check for lateral zero. Then on to the other two groups.

 

[shorthair]

On good days.

 

[cositrike]

Is it possible to have a patched round ball rifle shoot 1" groups at 100 yards?

Every one of my rifles, might be able to do that. Problem is, I can’t. They’re all much more accurate than my eyes are. Lol

 

[Britsmoothy]

.54 Bridger Hawken I made. Bench rest at 100 yards. No wiping between shots. Charges from weight-corrected measures. Shot on the plain paper at top to check for lateral zero. Then on to the other two groups.View attachment 49282View attachment 49286

Drew blood too!

 

[Eterry]

Ned Roberts and Walter Cline, both their books show 20 and 40 rod range. 110 to 220 yards. Maybe some are using conicals, but they are incredibly impressive groups.
Im sitting in a deer blind, when I get home i'll post a few pics from their books.

Is it POSSIBLE? Yes. Can most shooters do it? NO.

 

[Irishmusket]

patched round ball fired from good rifle with iron sights properly loaded with an experienced shooter can easily shoot as good at one hundred yards as any rifle .

 

[Boomerang]

I shot this 3 shot group at 100yds off a bench with my 54 GPR. 75gr 3f Goex.

 

[FishDFly]

Can it be done, sure, but I don't think with any regularity on purpose. The pic I attached is fired at 125 yards with a .54 Pedersoli Rocky Mountain Hawken, about 1.25" CTC. Usually shoots 2.5" or so at 100 yards. I think the hard part is wind. I get 1 hole groups consistently at 50 yards, .5" or better, but by the time it travels another 50 the wind has messed everything up. On a dead calm day, from a bench, my RMH will usually keep all shots on a playing card, with an occasional group like the one pictured.

I like your target!!

 

[boker]

I had a Tennessee poor boy that shot better with a patch rd ball at 100 yards than some of my center fired rifles.

I am confident it shot close to 1”@100yards with the right shooter.