Roundball Accuracy and Distance

[Sharp Shooter]

How far are you guys shooting roundball out of your smoothbore with decent accuracy? What kind of groups are you getting and what is your load? Is your gun jug choked or not?

I just thought it would be interesting to see how far everyone is shooting while still getting decent accuracy out of their SB with roundballs.



Thanks


Kirk

 

[Dphar]

How far are you guys shooting roundball out of your smoothbore with decent accuracy? What kind of groups are you getting and what is your load? Is your gun jug choked or not?

I just thought it would be interesting to see how far everyone is shooting while still getting decent accuracy out of their SB with roundballs.



Thanks


Kirk

I have a 50 cal smooth rifle, actually a 50 caliber rifle with an extra Green Mountain smooth barrel, that will shoot into about 3.5" at 50 yards with 100 grains of FFG, .018 patch and .480 ball.
This was the best load and I did not go higher since this is significantly more than I use in the 50 rifles I have.

Dan

 

[cratwelder]

I have a TC renegade 56 caliber smooth rifle...530 roundbal, heavy denim patch, bore butter lube, and 70 grains of 2f goex.....

this is a 4" group at about 65 yds.

 

[Ranger1759]

I have a Early English Trade gun, flinter in .62/20ga smoothie with a 39 inch barrel, built about 5 years ago from TOTW parts...If I could figure out how to post pic on here...I kept 5 out of 6(one was in the 7 ring)in the black(roughly 7 inch) of a NMLRA 100 yard rifle target at 100 yards, bench rested...I use 70gr of 2f under a .15 patched .600 RB...this is a great (and straight) shooting gun..

 

[Grizzled Roberts]

At Friendship on the silly-wet range we shoot the NMLRA bear at 120 yards. Most folks hit a few of them. Even I hit them every once and a while!

 

[Toomuch_36]

My wife and I are using mid'60s Ultra-Hi flint trade muskets (.67 cal.)(straight cylinder bore).
Shooting a .017 patched .648 ball or a .662 bare ball over 70gr. of 3F both will hold a 6" grooup to about 60+ yds.
Also quite good game-getters with 1 1/8oz. half/half misture of #4&#5 shot or straight #8 shot over same charge to a similar distance.

Toomuch
........
Shoot Flint

 

[tiger13]

My wife and I are using mid'60s Ultra-Hi flint trade muskets (.67 cal.)(straight cylinder bore).
Shooting a .017 patched .648 ball or a .662 bare ball over 70gr. of 3F both will hold a 6" grooup to about 60+ yds.
Also quite good game-getters with 1 1/8oz. half/half misture of #4&#5 shot or straight #8 shot over same charge to a similar distance.

Toomuch
........
Shoot Flint

I also have one of these muskets that I built when I was 12 years old, I am 51 now, but still love that gun! best sparker I have ever had. problem with it now is a broken main spring, I hope to jury rig something up for it in the near future.

 

[tg]

On a good day with my .58 Fusil I can keep a 4" group at 50 yds I try to shoot closer when huntng, my .62 smoothrifle is good for another 10-15 yds with the rear sight, again I try to shoot well under what I feel is my limit, I have regularly hit a 100yd distant 8"wide x3'long cylinder with both on the trail walk, I aim at the top and the ball drops in about 2/3 or so down the cylinder.In theory I could hold a foot or so over a Deer at 100 yds and take it, but I will leave that theory on paper.

 

[Enfield1]

With my Pedersoli Bess and a dry balled .735 RB, I will hit point of aim out to 30 yards. At 50 yards I can keep 4 out of 5 on an FBI qualification human silouhette pistol target. I have not shot it any further than that.

 

[Greenmtnboy]

This was shot at 50 yrds

 

[renoman]

I like the look of that target Greenmtnboy,tonight Im starting to assemble my TVM fowler kit,hope it'll shoot that well.

 

[Greenmtnboy]

Make sure you get CoyoteJoe to choke it for ya,
Jug choke it that is!

 

[trdigger]

I shoot my .62 fusil for everything, it shoots well out to 75yds, under 6", which is fine for most trail walks and hunting. That took a lot of practice, and some work off the bench to get the load right. Pick up your smoothie and shoot nothing but it for a year, and you will be surprised how well you can shoot with it.

 

[BillinOregon]

Dang, Green Mountain Boy, that is a fine target! Have we seen the gun you shot it with?

 

[rabjr]

How far are you guys shooting roundball out of your smoothbore with decent accuracy? What kind of groups are you getting and what is your load? Is your gun jug choked or not?

I just thought it would be interesting to see how far everyone is shooting while still getting decent accuracy out of their SB with roundballs.



Thanks


Kirk

Took me a while to get there but I found a load in my .735 bore that will pretty much make a big ragged hole at 50 yards, beyond that I can't be to sure with these eyes but did put a ball just about where I wanted it on a nice Doe at 75 yards.

80 gr 2F Swiss with a bear greased lubed fiber wad cut in half and a .715 ball in a bear greased .015 patch. Mine is not jug chocked and a 32" barrel.

 

[David Teague]

My 24 ga trade gun can do a 5 shot cloverleaf at 25 yards if I do what I'm suppose to.