Remember the scene in LOTM?

[mikee51848]

You know, the one where Hawkeye is running and reloading his rifle at the same time? Fantasy? Well I came across this story from the book The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania:

"1763...the particulars of an engagement between twelve settlers and twenty-five Indians in the harvest time of that year. William Robinson was shot in the abdomen with buckshot. John Elliot, a boy of seventeen, fired his gun and then ran, loading his gun as best he could by pouring powder into it at random and then pushing in a ball with his finger, while he was pursued by an Indian with uplifted tomahawk; and when he was within a short distance of him, Elliot suddenly turned round and shot the Indian in the breast, who gave a cry of pain, turning, fled.”

 

[Rebel]

That scene isn't as unbeleiveable as the opening elk hunting footage. Who runs full speed through the woods thinking they can head off an elk? And even if he had, i bet he would have been breathing a bit heavier than he was and not likely to be able to make a running shot on an elk. Ahhh, Hollywierd. :grin:

 

[No Deer]

Actually not unbelievable at all. Lewis Wentzel is particularly famous for being able to do this. Also, Sam Brady and I am sure a bunch of others. If you spent a lot of time in the woods in hostile territory, you life could have depended on it.

 

[SAJones]

I agree with Rebel on the elk "hunt". Always did thing that was sorta unreal. As for loading on the run, there are other sources that mention it, even have some articles in the various muzzleloader mags. And I have done it myself, on Seneca runs & for fun. Just don't drop anything.

 

[Craig]

I love the opening elk hunting scene. Back when I was 40 and a runner, I think I could have done it. Well, maybe not the shooting straight part. The elk probably would have been spared death. But the running and shooting, yes, that I could have done.

If only I could do just the running now.

 

[musketman]

You know, the one where Hawkeye is running and reloading his rifle at the same time? Fantasy?

It is easier with a smoothbore, dangerous, yes! But easier...

However, when your life is in peril from being killed by hostiles, the furthest thing from your mind is hidden dangers that lerk by loading directly from your horn...

I read this a long time ago, can't remember where though...

While running, the fleeting trapper would place a handful of roundball in his mouth, he would then pour a charge down the barrel and then spit a roundball into the bore, then (as he is still running) thump the stock on the ground hard enough to seat the ball on top of the powder...

Prime, turn and shoot, repeat the process until he either win or looses...

 

[Geoff Jones]

If I remember correctly, (unlikely)....the technique and details of firing on "the run" were discussed and detailed very nicely in one of Allan Eckert's books. Either "The Frontiersman" or "Wilderness Empire". I'm sure it was in regards to Simon Kenton and his well documented shooting abilities.

Even if I'm wrong...both of these books are a must read and are done in the narrative. Eckert researches everything thoroughly and the books are a true history, albeit the narrrative is fiction.

Musketman...."The Frontiersman" is set in the southern Ohio valleys and northern Kentucky. Lot's of good Ohio history.
Geoff

 

[J.D.]

Schimmelsmith,
I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but none of Ekert's books are true history. Ekert did a lot of research for those books, but he took wild literary licence with true history.

Even some of the notes in the bibliography are questionable. Not a lot of those notes are questionalbe, but some certainly are.

That said, I would recommend Ekert's books to anyone. They are great reads, and do give a good over-all picture of the culture of the times, but they do not depict the true history.

Just keeping the record straight.
J.D.

 

[Geoff Jones]

J.D.

Yup, I'm absolutely certain you are correct. Please keep in mind I read these books shortly after they were in circulation. Must have been the late '60's or early '70's. I'm lucky I can remember the titles!!!

You are right, really excellent reads....with much literary license.......
geoff