Jaeger Rifle or Long Rifle ?

[Packrat]

I have both, a 50 cal. long rifle, 44" Bbl. I Had it made about 8 years ago. 5 years ago I had a 62 Cal Jaeger made. I like the looks of the long rifle but it's to heavy for me now, I'm 76 years young. The Jaeger on the other hand has a Swamped Bbl. Everyone who has handled it says how comfortable it is and how well it points.
I don't hunt any more so I can't answer your questions on hunting, but In my opinion I would go with the shorter Jaeger

 

[Wildrangeringreen]

Shorter rifles all the way. If I wanted to carry a 5+ foot long weapon around the woods, I would bring my longbow. In most circumstances, the overwhelming majority of BP is consumed within 4-20" of barrel (charge weight, bore size, projectile weight, and granulation play into that). Once the powder stops burning, you aren't creating any more gas, and the pressure rapidly falls as the volume in the bore between the breech plug and the ball rapidly increases. At about 25" of barrel, you are getting most of the velocity out of the pressure you created, going up to 30" gains you another 100-150fps, but going up to 35" only gets you 50-100fps in most cases, and in going up to 40", you are lucky to get another 50fps, ect. Rapidly diminishing returns. Why are most unmentionable ML's out there running 25-30" barrels? Because that's where you generally get the most velocity for the bulk/weight. Then there's balance, with most long rifles being noticeably muzzle heavy, which sounds great until you have to haul it around all day and then hold it steady enough to shoot something. As far as caliber is concerned, Europeans made ML rifles in everything from sub .32 all the way up to 4 bore+

Nothing wrong with a longer barrel, but I don't need be able to fit a bayonet to it and fend off cavalry, lol (not that most long rifles had the ability anyways). Unless it's a bench gun, always opt for a swamped or tapered barrel (I prefer tapered).

Just my take on it.

 

[Rifleman1776]

As others have said, the style that appeals to you is the one to go with. Both have different 'feels' and balance, neither one better or worse than the other, just different. Hunting calibers and charges are not an issue with either of these.

 

[flntlokr]

Don't spend big $$ on your first rifle. Find a factory Hawken style in .50 or.54 percussion and work up a good load for what you want to do with it. Add a sling for ease of carrying, and do lots of your range practising loading out of your pouch and shooting off hand so you will be comfortable (and efficient) when in the field. Good luck!

 

[oldwood]

I have built , and hunted with about every type rifle. Nowadays , i find long barrel Jaeger rifles work good for me. Octagon to round 36" or 38" , whatever cal. best for you.

 

[Zapadach]

Recently ive been on an almost literal hunt for my first muzzleloading rifle. Most shops either have nothing new or they are selling used consignment rifles for the price of a racehorse. Anyhow Ive been doing some searching online and have come across two sets of rifles I am interested in. My question is what are the Pros and Cons of both a Jaeger Style Rifle or a Long Rifle of the same caliber ? It would be a hunting rifle whatever I choose and it will be Whitetail Deer that will be hunted. Range would typically be shots of a maximum of 85 yards (maybe 100 when I get very very good one day). The land I hunt is mostly flat and the woods arent very thick so movement is easy. That being said I cant really find anything on the two as comparisons besides everyone mentioning overall length or arguing period correctness. If anyone has recommedations for exact rifles i.e. brand, type, caliber or length that they prefer please do feel free to comment. Thank you to all who reply.

Since you have not mentioned whether you want a caplock or a flintlock, I will tell you my experience. My first rifle was a .58 cal. Civil War replica of Zouve rifle musket. I shot and hunted with that gun for about two years, then I got bitten by the flintlock bug. I then purchased a Tennessee mountain rifle from dixie gun works and I have to say that I loved both of them. I have also owned a 54 .cal Lyman plains rifle which is a good choice for a hunting rifle.

 

[andy52]

.45 cal long rifle if White Tail is as large as your hunting, they're light and nimble. If you're going for something larger a .58 cal jaeger wouldn't be a bad choice.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

My question is what are the Pros and Cons of both a Jaeger Style Rifle or a Long Rifle of the same caliber ? Thank you to all who reply.

Greetings to a fellow Marylander!

.54 Pedersoli Jaeger Pro
They are short, and while where you hunt right now may be moderately wooded, where the deer goes if it isn't immediately down when hit, might be "thick". Getting to the downed deer might mean into some tight brush.
The Jaeger is set up to take a sling. Easier to free up both hands if you can sling that rifle without having to have it modified to take a sling.
.54 will slam whitetails in Maryland, no worries.
Rifling is 1:24. Contrary to what some may say the depth of the rifling makes this rifle fine with patched round ball, AND it will shoot a conical very well. There are some opportunities in neighboring states, and a conical REAL bullet from this would make a very good boar rifle.
They can be found as a kit. You can save some money if you can finish wood.

.54 Pedersoli Jaeger Con
Short sight distance. Depending on how good your eyesight, a farther apart set of iron sights will make it easier for you to be accurate.
1:24 twist rate. Yes this is also listed under "pro" but some folks find that fast a twist makes the recoil seem harsher to them. I've not found this to be true for me, but different folks have different body shapes,
Cost. Even the kits tend to be higher priced that a factory long rifle.

.54 Pedersoli Frontier aka Cabela's Blue Ridge rifle, Pro
Slow twist rate on barrel. 1:65 twist rate, means it's meant for round ball. Less recoil than when using a conical, and if needed a heavy powder charge may be used.
Longer sight distance than the Jaeger. Makes it easier for the shooter to be accurate using open, iron sights
Super easy to remove the barrel from the stock if you need to do so.
Lower cost than the jaeger

.54 Pedersoli Frontier aka Cabela's Blue Ridge rifle. Con
The front sight tends to be too thick, so you really need to swap it out with a thin front sight blade to get the most out of the barrel
Not sling capable. You would need to ad some sort of sling swivels, or some other arrangement if you decided that you need a sling

The reason that I compared these two, is that they are factory rifles, by the same company. You really cannot compare semi-custom rifles, or custom rifles, as there are a great many features that you can choose on them. Jaegers traditionally are more like .58-.62 caliber for example, and often use much larger powder charges, Semi-custom and custom rifles are rather more expensive, as well.

LD

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Fit is perhaps the most important criterion in selection of a rifle. If it doesn't fit, then you won't like it and it won't shoot on target.

Truer words have yet to be spoken

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Greetings to a fellow Marylander!

.54 Pedersoli Jaeger Pro
They are short, and while where you hunt right now may be moderately wooded, where the deer goes if it isn't immediately down when hit, might be "thick". Getting to the downed deer might mean into some tight brush.
The Jaeger is set up to take a sling. Easier to free up both hands if you can sling that rifle without having to have it modified to take a sling.
.54 will slam whitetails in Maryland, no worries.
Rifling is 1:24. Contrary to what some may say the depth of the rifling makes this rifle fine with patched round ball, AND it will shoot a conical very well. There are some opportunities in neighboring states, and a conical REAL bullet from this would make a very good boar rifle.
They can be found as a kit. You can save some money if you can finish wood.

.54 Pedersoli Jaeger Con
Short sight distance. Depending on how good your eyesight, a farther apart set of iron sights will make it easier for you to be accurate.
1:24 twist rate. Yes this is also listed under "pro" but some folks find that fast a twist makes the recoil seem harsher to them. I've not found this to be true for me, but different folks have different body shapes,
Cost. Even the kits tend to be higher priced that a factory long rifle.

.54 Pedersoli Frontier aka Cabela's Blue Ridge rifle, Pro
Slow twist rate on barrel. 1:65 twist rate, means it's meant for round ball. Less recoil than when using a conical, and if needed a heavy powder charge may be used.
Longer sight distance than the Jaeger. Makes it easier for the shooter to be accurate using open, iron sights
Super easy to remove the barrel from the stock if you need to do so.
Lower cost than the jaeger

.54 Pedersoli Frontier aka Cabela's Blue Ridge rifle. Con
The front sight tends to be too thick, so you really need to swap it out with a thin front sight blade to get the most out of the barrel
Not sling capable. You would need to ad some sort of sling swivels, or some other arrangement if you decided that you need a sling

The reason that I compared these two, is that they are factory rifles, by the same company. You really cannot compare semi-custom rifles, or custom rifles, as there are a great many features that you can choose on them. Jaegers traditionally are more like .58-.62 caliber for example, and often use much larger powder charges, Semi-custom and custom rifles are rather more expensive, as well.

LD

Gosh, I always seem to find so much good usable information in your posts…it’s infuriating. Every time I see one of your posts, I HAVE TO READ IT…OMG!!!!!!!

 

[smoothshooter]

Recently ive been on an almost literal hunt for my first muzzleloading rifle. Most shops either have nothing new or they are selling used consignment rifles for the price of a racehorse. Anyhow Ive been doing some searching online and have come across two sets of rifles I am interested in. My question is what are the Pros and Cons of both a Jaeger Style Rifle or a Long Rifle of the same caliber ? It would be a hunting rifle whatever I choose and it will be Whitetail Deer that will be hunted. Range would typically be shots of a maximum of 85 yards (maybe 100 when I get very very good one day). The land I hunt is mostly flat and the woods arent very thick so movement is easy. That being said I cant really find anything on the two as comparisons besides everyone mentioning overall length or arguing period correctness. If anyone has recommedations for exact rifles i.e. brand, type, caliber or length that they prefer please do feel free to comment. Thank you to all who reply.

I have both.
An advantage to the Jaeger is that in inclement weather it fits under a poncho better.
I have always suspected that is the very reason they were so popular in rainy, snowy, and windy central and northern Europe.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I have both.
An advantage to the Jaeger is that in inclement weather it fits under a poncho better.
I have always suspected that is the very reason they were so popular in rainy, snowy, and windy central and northern Europe.

Under the Poncho or cloak or what have you....., NEVER thought of that but that's a good point too!

I always suspected that the shortness of the rifle was easier handling from horseback, as a huge portion of the Germanic woodlands were not "old growth" by the time flintlock rifles appeared (charcoal for forges), and a lot of their hunting was from horseback....and or..., I've noticed that some original Jaegers would be easily reloaded by a mounted man, with a lot less trouble than a long rifle, and the Germans had long rifles, the Jaegers were just popular, not unknown or a rarity.

LD

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I actually have two barrels. One is a rifled 72 caliber. I use a .715 patched round ball. The other barrel is a 12 gauge smoothbore (shotgun) barrel. I was turkey hunting with the smoothbore barrel (no luck) but got the squirrel as a consolation prize.

Oh wonderful you have a cape rifle favoured by South African farmers Got one a holts auction covered in fine rust but now beautiful. 12 g shot & .6 ball two grove cannot shoot it in uk. It’s a police state , Comes in at 11 lb Bet it’s great for bear. , maker Reilly 1853 git french walnut Reilly is very well documented on google right back to like 1810

Here’s our little bear below They took my shotguns away as at a very fit 79 they said I might shoot intruders. I can borrow guns though. You need a difficult to get S1. Police cert to shoot it. Such is hunting in this green and pleasant land. I am great with Hoyt bows but you cannot hunt with them either since 1963 in UK hunters are an outcast in UK Such is life.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Bear uk.

 

[Siringo]

I hunt in dense northern MN forest where brush abounds. These days I walk aimlessly carrying a 44 inch barreled 54 caliber Flintlock long rifle. I can weave through brush with easy as long as I am carrying the rifle. While I do have a sling, it’s not useful in the woods because it hits low overhangs. But carrying is not a problem because it is so well balanced.

 

[SciAggie]

Oh wonderful you have a cape rifle favoured by South African farmers Got one a holts auction covered in fine rust but now beautiful. 12 g shot & .6 ball two grove cannot shoot it in uk. It’s a police state , Comes in at 11 lb Bet it’s great for bear. , maker Reilly 1853 git french walnut Reilly is very well documented on google right back to like 1810

Here’s our little bear below They took my shotguns away as at a very fit 79 they said I might shoot intruders. I can borrow guns though. You need a difficult to get S1. Police cert to shoot it. Such is hunting in this green and pleasant land. I am great with Hoyt bows but you cannot hunt with them either since 1963 in UK hunters are an outcast in UK Such is life.

I need to clarify. I have 2 separate barrles - it's a single barrel rifle. It would be way cool to have a SxS...

 

[Tenring]

The stoutness of the Jaegers are nice to maneuver around but the Long rifle holds a place in the hart of us all.

 

[smoothshooter]

Under the Poncho or cloak or what have you....., NEVER thought of that but that's a good point too!

I always suspected that the shortness of the rifle was easier handling from horseback, as a huge portion of the Germanic woodlands were not "old growth" by the time flintlock rifles appeared (charcoal for forges), and a lot of their hunting was from horseback....and or..., I've noticed that some original Jaegers would be easily reloaded by a mounted man, with a lot less trouble than a long rifle, and the Germans had long rifles, the Jaegers were just popular, not unknown or a rarity.

LD

Yet another advantage of a short rifle is that it could be carried on a sling under a long cloak when going in and out of European inns and hotels, or even just walking around, without attracting the attention of thieves who would always be on the lookout for something that might be worth way more than a year’s wages of a member of the working class.
Easier to transport in a coach too.
When you get right down to it, there are almost no disadvantages in using the short Jaeger rifle.
The only ones I can think of are that longer barrels burn inferior powder a little more efficiently, and the shorter sight radius.

 

[DuncNZ]

If you want to use a traditional American flintlock with a shorter barrel what about This one I copied from Jim Chambers Catalogue , or one like it as there other makers of both rifles and kits .
Christians Spring - Edward Marshall
circa 1760-1770
Model RK-5
Our Christians Spring rifle is probably the earliest gun we offer. Andreas Albrecht, who opened a gun shop in the Moravian settlement of Christians Spring in 1762, arrived in the Colonies in 1750. This rifle could have been made soon after he arrived or later by him or another gunmaker in the shop at Christians Spring. It definitely has early features related to rifles produced in Germany during the mid-18th century.

The rifle was supposedly owned by Edward Marshall in his later years. Marshall and two other men were involved in the "Walking Purchase" in which land in eastern Pennsylvania along the Delaware River was bought from the Indians in 1737.

Many copies of this famous rifle have been made over the years. Ours is probably the most accurate, having been made from very precise measurements taken from the original 58 caliber rifle. The rifle is very pleasant to shoot and very handy as a hunting gun. I personally hunt with the rifle pictured here.

Stock Dimensions:	Barrel Dimensions:
Trigger Pull: 13 3/4" to 13 7/8" Drop At Heel: 2 3/8" Butt Width: 2 3/16" Drop At Comb: 1 7/16" Butt Height: 5" Cast Off: 1/4" Overall Length: 52 1/2" Weight in 58 cal.: 8 1/2 lbs. Lock: Early Germanic	37" tapered and flared barrel Breech: 1 1/8" Small: 7/8" Muzzle: 1 1/32" Rifling: round groove .016 deep Calibers: 54 and 58

 

[Harry Collins]

I purchased a Jaeger Kit from Dixie gun works in .54 caliber. I hunt mostly woods for deer and of all the deer I've shot there were only a handful that were over 100 yards. I like the look and feel of the Jaeger. In fact, I find it quite handy. The kit was not hard and I found that those little blocks of sandpaper on a sponge made shaping the stock a breeze. I really like the idea of a musket, however. The ability to shoot booth hoof or fowl with one gun appeals to me.