Rifle vs. Smoothbore

[tenngun]

Maybe the guys with poor, uncorrected eyesight that made seeing rifle sights and animals in clear focus were big shot customers.

I think that the reason for smooth rifles. Everyone around had a rifle, but a nearsighted guy could take deer or small game just as well as a rifle. And didn’t have to pay for a rifle but his gun looks like every one else’s

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I think that the reason for smooth rifles. Everyone around had a rifle, but a nearsighted guy could take deer or small game just as well as a rifle. And didn’t have to pay for a rifle but his gun looks like every one else’s

I think you will find that the rifling was not what drove the pricing.

It was once thought that "smooth rifles" were once lower caliber and then as the rifle aged eventually the rifling would not be refreshed, but the barrel would be reamed. Today, it appears that most "smooth rifles" were made that way from day one. The question is what was the age range of the user ; were they bought by men with aging eyes later in life?

A Neat Fuzee was considerably cheaper than a rifle, at least according to the pricing of guns and rifles at George Morgan's store in the 1760 ledgers. He even had one of his hide hunters documented as having used one of those instead of a rifled piece. The rifle would cost almost two months pay for the hunter, while the fuzee [fusil] would cost less than two week's pay.

LD

 

[bpd303]

I think the main reason was for versatility. The owner could use round ball or shot, depending on what he was hunting.

 

[waksupi]

There's something to be said for buckshot.

Local landowners pretty much all forbid buckshot hunting on their land, way too many wounded deer get away.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Local landowners pretty much all forbid buckshot hunting on their land, way too many wounded deer get away.

Buckshot - Here its called spray&pray

 

[Banjoman]

Here’s my two cents worth (or less) on the matter. I have a Chambers .62 caliber flintlock smooth rifle. It’s a smooth bore (Getz barrel) with front and rear sights. Out to 50 yards, it will easily shoot a 4” group with a .600 round ball wadded with tow, if I do my part. The gun also shoots well using shot for small game since it’s a smooth bore.

Keep in mind, four inches is the average width of a man’s hand. And, a .600 round ball makes a big hole.

 

[NotDanielBoone]

Local landowners pretty much all forbid buckshot hunting on their land, way too many wounded deer get away.

What I find is that too many hunters can't shot worth a hoot. If you don't know your weapon nor your ability to use it you are going to have poor results. Buckshot kills, but you have to know how to use it.

 

[NotDanielBoone]

Buckshot - Here its called spray&pray

I hunted for years in New Jersey with a gang that only used buckshot. We never lost a deer.

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

I can get a 3" group with my .54 smooth rifle at 25yds. when I shoot at 100yds. they stretch out to 1-2 feet!

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

I hunted for years in New Jersey with a gang that only used buckshot. We never lost a deer.

Ohh I grew up in Michigan and it was the load of choice for deer drives, or my slow stalking through standing corn fields. Its effective if used properly. But thats the key part of it.