Well, I'm not sure if you can call this a range report or not, but I did put some smoke through this beauty yesterday (Saturday). I went up to land I own, and had quite a few people join me. That means I didn't really have a chance to work up a load or do any serious shooting. Everyone wanted a turn or twelve with it. Can you believe that my 93 year old grandmother actually shot it? :shocked2: Well, she did. I loaded it very light with powder and birdshot, and she loved it! Of course, I held her and the gun, and we had someone on each side of her, but she did do it. Little Granny Oakley! :rotf:
Anyway, the gun is fantastic. With shot it's a no-brainer. Comes up to shoulder and points almost without effort. No actual patterning, but those cans and plastic bottles sure went flying with a balanced load at about 25 yards.
The patching I had with me was too heavy for the round balls, so I used a wad over 70 grains and more or less bare balled it. Over-shot card to hold it in place. Even with that load a friend and I were hitting roughly ragged holes about 1 or 2 inches to the side of the bullseye of a pistol target. He actually hit a dead-on bullseye. (With my gun! The rotten no good... :cursing: :wink: )
We moved back to about 35 or maybe 40 yards for the round ball shooting. (Some land work I've had done knocked my stakes out of the ground, so I'm really guessing here, based on landmarks I remember. Could be off.)
The lock action was extremely fast, it was a breeze to hold & point, and I didn't find the loading to be difficult. (Well, one time... But you promised not to tell about that, right Roy? :shake: :blah: )
So, though my first experience with this Roy Stroh English trade gun was a non scientific "fun shoot", I can absolutely say I love it. I believe I could take a deer right now with it, with just the improvised load I used yesterday, at 40 yards or so. With shot she's even more of a natural.
Once I've worked up actual loads and patterned her, I've got no doubt this will be one helluva hunting gun for any game. And it sure is fun, even just killing paper and pop bottles! :thumbsup: