How many shots?

How many shots could a soldier get off in a minute?I tried an experiment today,I got off 5 shots in 3 minutes using a 4 shot bullet block and 4 homemade brass powder charges.I have never tried this before and wondered how fast a rookie soldier could shoot.Of course no one was shooting back at me.

 

[faw3]

3 a min with ready made carts, thats for myself, most the time is cappig the Enfield. Fred :hatsoff:

 

[Zonie]

When you made your 5 shots in 3 minutes were you using a military type of gun or something like a caplock rifle?
IMO, there's a world of difference between the two.

With the old roundball military guns and the later Minie' rifled muskets, the projectile almost falls down the bore by itself. Makes loading much faster than the fairly hard to start, hard to ram patched balls used in rifles. :grin:
Zonie

 

[Gary]

Crowhop - as Fred pointed out, you have to use paper cartridges. Soldiers in the F&I carried paper cartridges which they bit to open. No messing around with loading blocks, short starters, powder horns or powder measures (unless they were riflemen). With practice though, it can be several rounds a minute and some British soldiers were trained to slam the butt against the ground to seat the powder & ball.

 

[faw3]

The slam on ground does work, Ive tryed it but always to chicken to not ck with the ramrod, if I was getting shot at...thats another story, as long as you got heavy minie's. Fred :hatsoff:

 

[mikee51848]

Gary,
I heard that the British used undersized balls to facilitate loading. And I thought it was 4 times a minute. :hmm:

 

[rebel727]

Three aimed shots a minute was the norm.

 

[BS]

If every thing is ready, and using a leather capper, you should be able to get off 7 shots in a minute. At the rate of 8 sec. per[url] shot....in[/url] perfect conditions.

 

When you made your 5 shots in 3 minutes were you using a military type of gun or something like a caplock rifle?
IMO, there's a world of difference between the two.

With the old roundball military guns and the later Minie' rifled muskets, the projectile almost falls down the bore by itself. Makes loading much faster than the fairly hard to start, hard to ram patched balls used in rifles. :grin:
Zonie

I was using a GPR.Wanted to see how fast I could get 5 shots off.I did take time to aim also.I was shooting at a 12x12 gong at 50 yards and managed to hit it all 5 shots.After reading these posts that was a slow 5 shots.The first time I tried, everything was in the wrong hand,I was dropping things ,what a mess.Innitially I went shooting to try the new hunting pouch I made for my belt,and I thought how fast can I shoot 5 shots to see how tangled up things would get when I was in a hurry.I bet those guys nerves were pretty shook up with lead and cannonballs wizzin by their heads.

 

[mikee51848]

Three aimed shots a minute was the norm.

They didn't aim. Massed point and fire. I'm getting confused as some here are talking cap locks?

 

[BS]

Three aimed shots a minute was the norm.

They didn't aim. Massed point and fire. I'm getting confused as some here are talking cap locks?

Sorry, that would be me...............not all Military guns were flinters, or were they?

 

[rebel727]

Three aimed shots a minute was the norm.

They didn't aim. Massed point and fire. I'm getting confused as some here are talking cap locks?

Sorry, that would be me...............not all Military guns were flinters, or were they?

Well this is the Civil War forum. not many flinters used after the first couple of battles

 

[BS]

Three aimed shots a minute was the norm.

They didn't aim. Massed point and fire. I'm getting confused as some here are talking cap locks?

Sorry, that would be me...............not all Military guns were flinters, or were they?

Well this is the Civil War forum. not many flinters used after the first couple of battles

"Well this is the Civil War forum" :hmm:

I got fooled again......... :grin:

 

[gmww]

Three aimed shots a minute was the norm.

They didn't aim. Massed point and fire. I'm getting confused as some here are talking cap locks?

Sorry, that would be me...............not all Military guns were flinters, or were they?

Well this is the Civil War forum. not many flinters used after the first couple of battles

"Well this is the Civil War forum" :hmm:

I got fooled again......... :grin:

You got me too. I've been reading this in the General Muzzleloading forum. I see it's also in the civil war forum too. :hmm:

 

[mikee51848]

You got me too. I've been reading this in the General Muzzleloading forum. I see it's also in the civil war forum too. :hmm:

Me too...and now I'm even more confused... I thought we were talking about real guns.. :haha: :hmm:

 

[faw3]

It got moved from CW. Fred :hatsoff:

 

[walruskid1]

fred, we used to have, as part of our bp matches, a five minute get as many shots off as you can. we stopped when the rods started going downrange. :nono: :shocked2:

 

[MikeChapin]

Twemty five years ago a person used to see a lot of stake cutting matches. I guess people were wary of all those ramrods going downrange and you don't see them anymore.