NO LOGIC AT ALL. I THINK

[Dphar1950]

Turkey Shoot in Saratoga Springs done in 1879. IIRC it depicts a shoot from earlier years but I cannot give a citation. "Plank" matches were popular when the ground was wet or in winter.

Here is a better version
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/...rkey_Shoot_-_46.854_-_Museum_of_Fine_Arts.jpg

 

[SmokepoleSam]

Did anyone notice at least one man is lighting a cigar with another cigar?

 

[Dphar1950]

In regards to the early days of bench rest shooting.... "Stand on your hind legs and shoot like a man"... Mr. H Pope

Harry Pope was not born early enough for the early days of rest shooting. And he was a Schuetzen shooter. Different sport. AND he did his testing from a rest. so...

 

[Sun City]

Dutch

As long as I can get accuracy like this from 75 yards with three shots....don't think I'll be 'tubing'!!

.54 Hawken Flintlock by Sharps Man, on Flickr

 

[RAEDWALD]

Interesting. I wonder if the foil somehow got heated by the static charge and caused the ignition? This would be an interesting project for someone with the equipment to test it. I agree "never" can cause problems in almost any subject. But remember the British Navy at least from my readings, used wool felt powder bags for charges for ship board cannon. Army might have as well. But aluminum foil was hard to come by in those times. I suspect that felt was used because the bores would be wet from swabbing after the previous shot and the felt was pretty waterproof. I also suspect that felt is less prone to building static than wool fabric.

Woollen cloth cartridge bags (particularly shalloon) were used as wool will char rather than burn so there is less of a chance that an ember will be left behind to ignite the next charge. Silk was also used for the same reason.

When I used raw wool in unmentionable guns as a filler it would survive the experience and I could recover the wool and use it many times over being barely even singed.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Static electricity
Its dampness or lubrication that attracts powder to stick to the barrel wall. A gun is earthed more often than not and powder wont hold a charge either.