Shooting to 200 yards

[ike]

I am shooting a 32 cal flintlock rifle with a 40 inch barrel. This is a heavy barrel rifle. Not yet a bench gun. I purchased this rifle from a friend who can no longer shoot. He was a very good marksman in his day. The load he gave me was 65 gr FFF goex powder 320 round ball and Pillow ticking patch. I will be shooting targets from 50 Yds to 200 Yds. from cross sticks. I am not to worried about distances to 100 Yds. I am currently shooting 1.5 inch groups at 50 yds. Next week I will be working on the 100 yard targets. My question is how much velocity will I loose out to the 200 yd mark and how much drop can I expect. I thank you in advance for your comments and advice. Ike

 

[stikshooter]

I am shooting a 32 cal flintlock rifle with a 40 inch barrel. This is a heavy barrel rifle. Not yet a bench gun. I purchased this rifle from a friend who can no longer shoot. He was a very good marksman in his day. The load he gave me was 65 gr FFF goex powder 320 round ball and Pillow ticking patch. I will be shooting targets from 50 Yds to 200 Yds. from cross sticks. I am not to worried about distances to 100 Yds. I am currently shooting 1.5 inch groups at 50 yds. Next week I will be working on the 100 yard targets. My question is how much velocity will I loose out to the 200 yd mark and how much drop can I expect. I thank you in advance for your comments and advice. Ike

With what your shooting ,at 200 yds bring seed @ 150 you might disturb the ground enough to plant beans
but I doubt it ! My Renegade @ 700 yds makes furrows for corn behind the target , but that is a 45 cal 530gr paper patched rocket courtesy of BACO and 80 grains 1 1/2 F Swiss /Ed

 

[new2bp]

Not quite an apples to bananas comparison, but I flung a few at teh 200 yard steel this weekend using my new-to-me .54 (.530 rb w/ pillow ticking, 90gr 3Fg Schutzen). Sights had it pretty dead on elevation wise at 20 yards, and at 200 yards we had to hold 30 inches or so above the desired impact point (missed... to the right. need to work on the windage settings)

That said, getting there is simply a matter of working your way out with sighters (tip - rolls of cheap wrapping paper make great tall/wide targets) and building a dope sheet, either of sight adjustments or perhaps references on sides of front sight for simple hold overs.

spoiler - unmentionables mentioned

if i can do it with 22lr and subsonic 300 blackout, you can do it with your .32!!

 

[Grenadier1758]

Your biggest problem at 200 yards will be the wind blowing that tiny ball across the range.

Load development will be your challenge.

One of us will have to review our old Lyman Black Powder manual with the velocity tables to get your answer. The velocity will drop quite a bit.

 

[Ballshooter]

With what your shooting ,at 200 yds bring seed @ 150 you might disturb the ground enough to plant beans
but I doubt it !

Now that was funny

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I'm not sure a .32 peashooter will go 200 yards. Might have the terminal ballistics of a slingshot. ( Kidding )

Conventional wisdom says that heavier projectiles retain more velocity at long range. As new2bp says above the drop of a .530 rb at 200 yards is rather significant. With my .54 Issac Haines and 110 grain load I have to raise up the entire height of the front blade over the rear notch to get on target at 200.

According to the RB ballistics calculator a .32 ball sighted at 50 yards will drop 105 inches at 200.

200 488 26 -105.3 0.0 0.788

 

[M. De Land]

I am shooting a 32 cal flintlock rifle with a 40 inch barrel. This is a heavy barrel rifle. Not yet a bench gun. I purchased this rifle from a friend who can no longer shoot. He was a very good marksman in his day. The load he gave me was 65 gr FFF goex powder 320 round ball and Pillow ticking patch. I will be shooting targets from 50 Yds to 200 Yds. from cross sticks. I am not to worried about distances to 100 Yds. I am currently shooting 1.5 inch groups at 50 yds. Next week I will be working on the 100 yard targets. My question is how much velocity will I loose out to the 200 yd mark and how much drop can I expect. I thank you in advance for your comments and advice. Ike

I believe the .32 cal round ball is going to be pretty frustrating for you when a windy condition shows up! A conical would be much better if you have twist enough to stabilize it.
I got out my Lyman ball velocity tables and they only go down to .36 cal but should give you an idea of what your looking at in a .32 cal.
A .350 ball with a muzzle velocity of 2200fps is down to 670 fps at 200 yards, drop of 64 inches and will wind deflect 27 inches in only a 5 mph cross wind. A .32 caL ball should be considerably worse.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

65 grains of fffg in a .32 calibre rifle…shooting a PRB. Pretty stout load.

Think about a Maxi-Ball for that distance, a .32 calibre Maxi-Ball with that much powder behind it should be interesting at 200 yrds.

 

[SDSmlf]

I am shooting a 32 cal flintlock rifle with a 40 inch barrel. This is a heavy barrel rifle. Not yet a bench gun. I purchased this rifle from a friend who can no longer shoot. He was a very good marksman in his day. The load he gave me was 65 gr FFF goex powder 320 round ball and Pillow ticking patch. I will be shooting targets from 50 Yds to 200 Yds. from cross sticks. I am not to worried about distances to 100 Yds. I am currently shooting 1.5 inch groups at 50 yds. Next week I will be working on the 100 yard targets. My question is how much velocity will I loose out to the 200 yd mark and how much drop can I expect. I thank you in advance for your comments and advice. Ike

Any idea what your velocity is at the muzzle? I shoot a couple of 32s with lighter charges (12-15 grains of 3F that get about 1200 FPS MV). In no wind conditions can usually get less than one inch groups at 50 yards, however, the local environment rarely is agreeable. At 100 yards my 1-1/2 buckshot bounces off of plywood…. The ballistic calculators say a 1200 FPS load at the muzzle is chugging along at 715 FPS at 100 yards and 430 FPS at 200.

Let assume (we all know what that means) your muzzle velocity is 2500 FPS with your .320” caliber patched round ball over 65 grains of Goex 3F and it sighted in at 50 yards as you suggest. According to my ballisics calculator it will be traveling at 980 FPS at 100 yards and about 5-1/2” low. At 200 yards it will be a bit over 5 feet low while arriving at about 625 FPS. A 10 mph crosswind will move your 32 caliber ball just over 5 feet. Look forward to hearing about your actual range results.

 

[Flintandsteel]

You picked the wrong caliber for 200 yds. A round ball just doesn’t have the ballistics to carry a 32 cal sphere, with any kind of accuracy at those distances.
A .32 has trouble knocking down silhouettes at 50, 75, and definitely 100.

 

[SPQR70AD]

a round ball has the BC of a badminton birdie and a 32 is the worst

 

[Freedom]

It is so much fun shooting longer ranges with the round ball! I hope more people try it and share their experiences.

Pictures show my 200yrd setup attempt.

 

[Crooked Creek]

This site may help you a bit.
I have used this calculator to find the ball drop at various distances.
Just open their calculator and put in your data.

Round Ball Ballistics Web Application for Muzzleloaders

 

[R Ellis]

This site may help you a bit.
I have used this calculator to find the ball drop at various distances.
Just open their calculator and put in your data.

Round Ball Ballistics Web Application for Muzzleloaders

THX for posting the link I will use it to check my loads

 

[Ninering62]

I am shooting a 32 cal flintlock rifle with a 40 inch barrel. This is a heavy barrel rifle. Not yet a bench gun. I purchased this rifle from a friend who can no longer shoot. He was a very good marksman in his day. The load he gave me was 65 gr FFF goex powder 320 round ball and Pillow ticking patch. I will be shooting targets from 50 Yds to 200 Yds. from cross sticks. I am not to worried about distances to 100 Yds. I am currently shooting 1.5 inch groups at 50 yds. Next week I will be working on the 100 yard targets. My question is how much velocity will I loose out to the 200 yd mark and how much drop can I expect. I thank you in advance for your comments and advice. Ike

I don't know anything about how to plug in the load with a roundball for a ballistics drop chart only for bullets. There are variables that would really require you to shoot your gun & build your own drop chart regardless of what info you might hear here.
I'd suggest zeroing your gun in at.... say - 50yds. Then put targets at 25 or 50yd intervals out to the max range you intend to shoot & calculate your drop & build your drop chart that way. Thats simple & easy & it gets you shooting your gun more & learning it firsthand.
There are factors that come into play that will vary that as well, weather/ambient temps will change your POI. Get yourself a nice notebook & start keeping records of ambient temp/ humidity levels, wind direction & speed, your current geographical elevation etc..... everything.
I'm just in the last few yrs starting to get into mid range 200-500yds muzzleloader shooting with my inlines & the new .50 1:24 percussion I recently got. I am doing exactly what I suggested to you. I have notebooks for all 4 diff guns I'm shooting at my bench. I have a 400yd range in my backyard with a nice shooting bench to do all this at in peace. I hope this was helpful & enjoy shooting at 200yds with your flinter. Thats pretty cool. I got my 1st .40 cal muzzleloader 3 yrs ago, I'll have my 3rd very soon. But I'd never want to mess with roundballs in it instead of conicals. But you don't have the right twist rate for conicals I'm sure. Thats where a .40 really shines IMHO for being able to use long high BC bullets in at faster velocities & flatter trajectories.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

It is so much fun shooting longer ranges with the round ball! I hope more people try it and share their experiences.

Pictures show my 200yrd setup attempt.
View attachment 150703

View attachment 150704

What an ideal place to shoot a traditional muzzleloader…what kind of hide is that? At first I thought it was Elk, but the body color’s not right….looks too dark.

Bison maybe?

 

[LME]

Not quite an apples to bananas comparison, but I flung a few at teh 200 yard steel this weekend using my new-to-me .54 (.530 rb w/ pillow ticking, 90gr 3Fg Schutzen). Sights had it pretty dead on elevation wise at 20 yards, and at 200 yards we had to hold 30 inches or so above the desired impact point (missed... to the right. need to work on the windage settings)

That said, getting there is simply a matter of working your way out with sighters (tip - rolls of cheap wrapping paper make great tall/wide targets) and building a dope sheet, either of sight adjustments or perhaps references on sides of front sight for simple hold overs.

spoiler - unmentionables mentioned

if i can do it with 22lr and subsonic 300 blackout, you can do it with your .32!!

I shoot my .54 1in 66 twist, using a 530 ball and 80 grains of powder at 200 yards. I have to hold over 8 feet to hit the target.Why is our results so different?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I wonder what the barrel lengths are on those guns…36 inches, 42 inches, 44 inches…

 

[Ninering62]

This site may help you a bit.
I have used this calculator to find the ball drop at various distances.
Just open their calculator and put in your data.

Round Ball Ballistics Web Application for Muzzleloaders

Thanks for posting the link to the roundball ballistics calc. Though I don't shoot any roundball its still good to learn about & to now be able to pass along to someone else that it will help. I love the JIm Varney quote. With my Appalachian roots, I resemble that remark.

 

[Ninering62]

It is so much fun shooting longer ranges with the round ball! I hope more people try it and share their experiences.

Pictures show my 200yrd setup attempt.
View attachment 150703

View attachment 150704

Thanks for the pics. Thats beautiful there & your smokepole is absolutely beautiful as well.