Long range

[torpedo]

After reading posts about long range shooting, I thought I would give it a try. This a 3 shot group at 100 yards. Found it most difficult to see the target. Shooting my .54 cap hawken, GM barrel, with 100 grains gfafs 3f, .018 patch, 530 ball. Open sights, not great but I did hit the paper.

 

[nkbj]

With my eyes these days I might attribute that group to good luck!

 

[Jim Wag]

Those are all
Kill shots

Jim in La Luz

 

[torpedo]

Thanks all, I now know I will not be again shooting 100 grains of 3f anytime soon. My shoulder is not as young as it used to be!

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

After reading posts about long range shooting, I thought I would give it a try. This a 3 shot group at 100 yards. Found it most difficult to see the target. Shooting my .54 cap hawken, GM barrel, with 100 grains gfafs 3f, .018 patch, 530 ball. Open sights, not great but I did hit the paper.

Ha, no offense meant, but 100 yards is not long range. It is for me and lots of others, but they shoot 1,000 yards at Friendship. Now that is long range!
The main trouble most of us have at a longer distance is of course sight and target alignment. You can have the most accurate rifle in the world, but still have a bad target with poor target/sight alignment. Eyes, yes our eyes need help with smaller objects. Try making (2) 18" X 1.5" black lines, one vertical and a horizontal bisecting the vertical. A cross if you will.
Larry

 

[torpedo]

Ha, no offense meant, but 100 yards is not long range. It is for me and lots of others, but they shoot 1,000 yards at Friendship. Now that is long range!
The main trouble most of us have at a longer distance is of course sight and target alignment. You can have the most accurate rifle in the world, but still have a bad target with poor target/sight alignment. Eyes, yes our eyes need help with smaller objects. Try making (2) 18" X 1.5" black lines, one vertical and a horizontal bisecting the vertical. A cross if you will.
Larry

I understand 100 is not really long rang, but it is as far as I care to attempt a kill shot. 1000 yards? Just how big is the target and how can you even see it ? I would need optics after 300.

 

[.36Rooster]

After reading posts about long range shooting, I thought I would give it a try. This a 3 shot group at 100 yards. Found it most difficult to see the target. Shooting my .54 cap hawken, GM barrel, with 100 grains gfafs 3f, .018 patch, 530 ball. Open sights, not great but I did hit the paper.

Looks like you hit the paper AND killed the deer.

You could probably tap your rear sight a hair to the right, though. Funny how being a little bit off doesn't seem to show up at 25 and 50 yds...

 

[.36Rooster]

I really think these guns are more accurate than we are. I sat there one november when i was still a teenager sighting in on a pie plate at 100yds. Id aim, and aim, and aim, trying to hit the damn thing, and after 3 or 4 shots, id run up to the target to see how far off my holes were and just end up standing there in disbelief because they were all inside the plate.

 

[torpedo]

Thanks .36rooster, my rear sight is a screw on type, drop in TC type barrel. All adjustment is done with front sight.

 

[torpedo]

I just realized 1000 yards is over a half mile! Holy cow that is LONG RANGE! Tomorrow I am going to set my target at 1000 yards and see if I can even see it, should be fun.

 

[ResearchPress]

1000 yards? Just how big is the target and how can you even see it ?

I don’t have US target dimensions to hand, but in the U.K. the long range target has a 48” diameter black circular aiming mark. The bull’s-eye is 24” diameter (scoring 5) with a 14.4” dia. V-bull used for tie-breaking. The target is 118” wide by 70” high. The same target is used 800 - 1200 yards, so by the time you’re way out at 1200 the aiming mark does appear quite small! This target is also used for MLAIC World Long Range Championship matches and is the NRA(UK) standard target for full-bore / high power target rifle.

Picture is shooting at 900 yards with 19thC British long range match rifles (a mix of original and repro). Rifling twist 1:18 - 1:20. Typical load in the .45 cal rifles will be 90 grains of FFg with a 530 grain paper patch bullet. The bullets are usually a lead:tin alloy, around 30:1 - some go a little harder, some less so. Shooting is prone, and at long range (distances over 600 yards) a sling and/or wrist rest can be used for support. At mid-range (200-600 yards) the only permitted support is a sling.

David

 

[Britsmoothy]

That's normal range Torpedo but I know what you mean about eye sight degrading.
Nice group. Was it off hand?

 

[Art Caputo]

That would be a dead deer Torpedo!
IMO, “long range” is a relative term when it come to shooting, and defined by the equipment and application. Given that I’m predominantly a deer hunter with my flintlock rifles, equipped with traditional sights, and shooting PLRB’s, a “long range shot” on game is 80-120 yards. It is at this range that I can still be “on hair” and hit the vitals. While these long shots on deer have been very few and far between for the terrain I hunt, over decades of hunting, when conditions were right and I could get a solid rest/position, it has worked out. I find larger calibers(+54 cal), with lots of load refinement, and shooting practice at distance is important. A 10 MPH crosswind can push an LRB 8-10” off POI at 100 yards!

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I understand 100 is not really long rang, but it is as far as I care to attempt a kill shot. 1000 yards? Just how big is the target and how can you even see it ? I would need optics after 300.

I got this off the net:
The 2019 National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association (NMLRA) All 1,000 yards Black Powder Target Rifle Match will be held at Camp Atterbury, IN., on 14-15 September 2019.

Shooting is at 1,000 yards. Permitted rifles: Any safe original or reproduction traditional muzzleloading style of firearms fired from the shoulder in the mid - late 1800’s era of International Rifle Matches or breech loading single shot rifle chambered in an original black powder cartridge.

Targets are 6’ high by 10’ wide.
Larry

 

[torpedo]

I got this off the net:
The 2019 National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association (NMLRA) All 1,000 yards Black Powder Target Rifle Match will be held at Camp Atterbury, IN., on 14-15 September 2019.

Shooting is at 1,000 yards. Permitted rifles: Any safe original or reproduction traditional muzzleloading style of firearms fired from the shoulder in the mid - late 1800’s era of International Rifle Matches or breech loading single shot rifle chambered in an original black powder cartridge.

Targets are 6’ high by 10’ wide.
Larry

Thanks Larry, at that size I may be able to at least see it.

 

[torpedo]

That's normal range Torpedo but I know what you mean about eye sight degrading.
Nice group. Was it off hand?

Yes.

 

[hanshi]

100 yards certainly isn't "long range" but is about the farthest I ever shoot - that includes targets AND deer hunting. Was a time I could put 5 prb in a palm size group; Now I can't even see a palm size group.

 

[deerstalkert]

100 yards certainly isn't "long range" but is about the farthest I ever shoot - that includes targets AND deer hunting. Was a time I could put 5 prb in a palm size group; Now I can't even see a palm size group.

that is why i have a spotting scope next to me when i shoot!
Bang, wave off the smoke and focus the scope!
and thats at 25 yards!!!!!!!!!!
i truly believe the muzzleloader is vastly under estimated. look at what Idaho Lewis does.
a muzzle loader uses a propellent, it has a rifled barrel, it projects a bullet/ball at speed. what is really different than a cartridge gun, other than velocities and RECOIL..
hunting, i haven't shot anything over 125 yards in 50 years. i hunt like i am bow hunting. slow and easy, all i can manage.

as soon as i have recovered enough i have a 1200 yard range across an alfalfa field and am going to give it a try. starting half way i may be able to see a 4x8 piece of plywood.

 

[hanshi]

I also use a small spotting scope, deerstalkert. But at 50 yards I can't see holes much smaller than .45 even with that!

I've had retinal surgery and still can't see worth a hoot anymore. So you can imagine how bad my dominant eye was before the surgery. Now I shoot mostly by sense of smell.

 

[deerstalkert]

Braille works! muzzle contacting target! just think of the one hole groups!!