Long range shooting

[Magungo1066]

We always here about the incredible shots that the old timers made with their long rifles (Daniel Boone or Timothy Murphy). We have all seen and accomplished some crazy lucky shots but my question to you is, outside of lucky shots and exceptional individuals, how often do you think there were guys that really could shoot reliably at 200 yards+. I can shoot at a "red coat" sized target for fun, but hitting anything reliably with precision at that distance is a little beyond me. I ring the gong sometimes, but it is rare enough to keep it fun.

 

[Trapper-Jack]

I have a half of an oxygen cylinder hanging down my back ditch line. I ranged it at 113 yards with my range finder. I hit it about 50% of the time. Sometimes one out of three shots and sometimes two out of three. At that distance the wind will noticeably shift the ball off to the side. With 70 grains of powder, my impact is about 8-10" low from the aiming point.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

With a PJB beyond 100 yards much depends on the wind.

 

[Magungo1066]

With a PJB beyond 100 yards much depends on the wind.

I always think about their eyes too. Corrected vision was out of the reach of many/most, and I know personally that I would be useless with a rifle if my vision was uncorrected. I could shoot a deer without glasses to about 50 yards and that is it. If I lived back then a rifle would be wasted on me.

 

[LME]

We always here about the incredible shots that the old timers made with their long rifles (Daniel Boone or Timothy Murphy). We have all seen and accomplished some crazy lucky shots but my question to you is, outside of lucky shots and exceptional individuals, how often do you think there were guys that really could shoot reliably at 200 yards+. I can shoot at a "red coat" sized target for fun, but hitting anything reliably with precision at that distance is a little beyond me. I ring the gong sometimes, but it is rare enough to keep it fun.

Google up, "Idaho Lewis"

 

[Magungo1066]

Google up, "Idaho Lewis"

Sorry who was he? I didn't have luck on google. It kept wanting to give me things about Lewis and Clark in Idaho

 

[LME]

Sorry who was he? I didn't have luck on google. It kept wanting to give me things about Lewis and Clark in Idaho

Look him up on this forum. He has some excellent film of his long range shooting.

 

[Magungo1066]

Look him up on this forum. He has some excellent film of his long range shooting.

Thank you I will!

 

[Art Caputo]

Being a long range shooter(1000+ yards) for many years with modern rifles, I have spent some time applying the same principles with my 58 cal Kibler Colonial loaded with LRB’s out to 200 yards. With careful attention to load accuracy/consistency, wind conditions, and sight/target acquisition, I have been able to hit 18”steel targets with high consistency at 200 yards. IMO, the primitive sights are the limiting factor beyond 100 yards.

 

[TDM]

That’s nice shooting @Art Caputo

 

[Don Steele]

Very well done and documented Art. Thank you. I believe a lot of RB shooters will find that instructive. In my experience, as you say...primitive sights, and "aging eyes" are often the limiting factors when getting out beyond the "up close and personal" ranges. In my case, I have to confess that's somewhere between 50 and 100 yds anymore. With no changes in anything but distance..."One ragged hole" groups at 50 turn into mini-shotgun patterns at 100.

 

[reddogge]

I'm going back to the 80s but I shot on a 200 yard silhouette course one day with my homebuilt .50 flint mountain rifle and I could hit the pig silhouette at will. I used 80 grains black powder, .490 RB and aimed several inches over its back.

 

[Appowner]

I always think about their eyes too. Corrected vision was out of the reach of many/most, and I know personally that I would be useless with a rifle if my vision was uncorrected. I could shoot a deer without glasses to about 50 yards and that is it. If I lived back then a rifle would be wasted on me.

Ditto! I have been fortunate to be blessed with vision better than 20/20. IOW I see at 200 yards what most see at 100 yards. I easily see white tail at 1000 yards and more while those I'm with go "Huh? Where?". But I'm also convinced our shooting ancestors would make me appear blind.

 

[Harmonica Bob]

We always here about the incredible shots that the old timers made with their long rifles (Daniel Boone or Timothy Murphy). We have all seen and accomplished some crazy lucky shots but my question to you is, outside of lucky shots and exceptional individuals, how often do you think there were guys that really could shoot reliably at 200 yards+. I can shoot at a "red coat" sized target for fun, but hitting anything reliably with precision at that distance is a little beyond me. I ring the gong sometimes, but it is rare enough to keep it fun.

Good question. Whitworth designed his rifle in a 600 yd indoor range. Many Yankee officers fell to this rifle. During the battle of Saratoga, the whole squad of marksmen were ordered to shoot at General Frasier, on his horse. He was about 300 yds away. Tim Murphy was given credit for the kill, but there were many shots taken at the general. The BC of a round ball is too low for any consistant, presision hits beyond 125 yds. Miniballs and other bullets are capable of long range shots with the rifles most of us have. I had a deadly 150 yd load with a 385 gn Buffalo Bullet and 60 gns of Pirodex, in a 32 inch, 1 in 66, round ball barrel. My longest kill was a heart shot at 138 yds. but I could always hit a 150 yd gong. It's allot of work, but go for it! A tang sight will help allot. The wind will ruin accuracy. Good luck!

 

[Redlemur60]

Being a long range shooter(1000+ yards) for many years with modern rifles, I have spent some time applying the same principles with my 58 cal Kibler Colonial loaded with LRB’s out to 200 yards. With careful attention to load accuracy/consistency, wind conditions, and sight/target acquisition, I have been able to hit 18”steel targets with high consistency at 200 yards. IMO, the primitive sights are the limiting factor beyond 100 yards.

View attachment 177476View attachment 177477

They just squint better!

 

[Newtire]

I get consistent 1-hole grouping at 100 yards until I shoot the 2nd shot. Best I ever did with a .50 cal. round ball at 100 yards was a 4" group. This was with my Thomson Center "Hawken ". Mike Bellevue has a YouTube video of him hitting a gong (I forget the size) with his .54 at over 200. I once tried to hit a garbage can lid sized gong at 350 yds. Trying to hit it by holding off by the amount I missed by in the opposite direction, I still couldn't follow the seemingly random hitting. I figured the ball lost its stability by then. I always have wanted to try with a fast twist barrel and an elongated projectile but haven't gotten around to it.

 

[shorthair]

I always think about their eyes too. Corrected vision was out of the reach of many/most, and I know personally that I would be useless with a rifle if my vision was uncorrected. I could shoot a deer without glasses to about 50 yards and that is it. If I lived back then a rifle would be wasted on me.

I can't remember ever shooting a deer who was wearing glasses.

 

[Magungo1066]

I can't remember ever shooting a deer who was wearing glasses.

I wait until they take them off to sneak up. It is way better than using a flashlight at night…I kid

 

[Omahkapi'si]

I can consistently get on a 10” circle @100 yds on a good day with no wind. But I would not rely on that shot to put meat on the table. .50 cal Frontier flintlock.

 

[TDM]

I can consistently get on a 10” circle @100 yds on a good day with no wind. But I would not rely on that shot to put meat on the table. .50 cal Frontier flintlock.

I have good days and bad days shooting at 100 yds now. Yesterday I did fairly well with my .50 flint Kentucky. Maybe the light was just right, who knows. Sometimes I can't even see the target stand clearly!