Short barrel muzzleloaders and accuracy.

[Uncle Miltie]

The most accurate muzzleloaders ever made have barrels under 30".....

 

[Texas Gil]

Have a Traditions Tennessee Rifle 50 cal flint 1/66 twist that is a tack driver with rb

 

[user 53846]

Yes. My 24", 12 gauge canoe gun, is a beast out to 70 yards. It works great for big game in thick cover. Also casts a nice pattern with birdshot. Her name is "Sweet Baby Jane", and is legend in my part of the world.

 

[springfield art]

Is there anyone here that owns a short barrel muzzleloader(24 in or less) and can shoot it accurately?

There are a lot of discussions online about ML barrel length and projectile speed, ability not to waste powder, long barrels offering longer distance between sights (or ability to install rear sight further from shooter's eye) etc.

However, I suspect it is not the whole picture. I have few ML rifles and smoothbores in various calibers. Some have long and very long barrels.

In general I can shoot all my MLs with long barrels fairly well(for me) . A good example is my 38 cal 44 inch barrel squirrel gun (Pedersoli plainsman). Shooting it seated at a bench(no wiping between shots) I get holes touching if I do my part.

Shooting my 54 cal long barreled Pedersoli "Pennsylvania" flinter at the bench on a good day I can stay in the (8in)black at 100m (sure this is not national championship winning shooting, but I'm quite happy with it).

However, shooting MLs with 24 inch and shorter barrels I can just about get it on (20x20in)paper at 100m. Shooting another ML with barrel slightly less than half the length - a .58 cal 11inch barrel howdah I get same results, but at half the distance! (meaning I can just get it on paper at 50m). Same with my 7 inch barrel 45 cal revolver. Then halving barrel length again (from 7 to 3.5inch) with my little "snub nose" 45 cal revolver I can only get it on paper at 25m.

I would very much like to find out if this is typical and if there is anyone who does shoot short barrel muzzleloaders accurately. I define "accuracy" as equal to whatever your results are when shooting 28inch+ long barreled rifles.

If that's you, do you have any special advice for shooting technique for short barrel rifles?

Well, pistols have short barrels and guys can hit at 75 yds. pretty regularly.

 

[Ballsout]

"As one ages lighter rifles rule while hunting "
I loved packing & my tack driving 7.25 lb .70 cal Jaeger with it's swamped barrel while hunting big game in Idaho's mountains. View attachment 173564

Beautiful piece. Damn

 

[Relic shooter]

Yes. My 24", 12 gauge canoe gun, is a beast out to 70 yards. It works great for big game in thick cover. Also casts a nice pattern with birdshot. Her name is "Sweet Baby Jane", and is legend in my part of the world.

Nice set, the flint pistol looks like one Curly Gratomsky was selling a few years back.
relic shooter

 

[ryoung14]

As a hunter, the long barrels are OK for sitting in a tree stand. They are a liability when still hunting in thick stuff (where I hunt). For hunting through heavy brush, the carbines rule. Less barrel to get hung up in grapevines, rose bushes, berry bushes and the other junk. My favourites are a .50 Greyhawk, a .54 Lyman Deerstalker, and a .50 Cabela carbine (all 24" or less). For the kind of ranges seen in heavy brush, they're more than accurate enough. Actually they do well to at least 100 yds, which is my ML limit.

The forests must've been a different place back in the day of the long hunter. Don't know how they got through the woods with their 40+" longrifles.

 

[Rudyard]

As a hunter, the long barrels are OK for sitting in a tree stand. They are a liability when still hunting in thick stuff (where I hunt). For hunting through heavy brush, the carbines rule. Less barrel to get hung up in grapevines, rose bushes, berry bushes and the other junk. My favourites are a .50 Greyhawk, a .54 Lyman Deerstalker, and a .50 Cabela carbine (all 24" or less). For the kind of ranges seen in heavy brush, they're more than accurate enough. Actually they do well to at least 100 yds, which is my ML limit.

The forests must've been a different place back in the day of the long hunter. Don't know how they got through the woods with their 40+" longrifles.

I believe most East Coast forests where logged & today its second growth in many cases The original Virgin timber didn't let much' light into the swamp' as loggers termed it . denying under growth to reach the sunny tops . Short barrels generally l figure 26 "28" & max 30 Few forest here let you see much beyound 30 yards , I once hauled a 42" long rifle flint in the 'Nimpkish Valley School (Only I expect !) through Vancouver Island bush quite unsuited too heavy & ponderous particularly though Coastal Salal bush . So I knocked up a rude Raft and became a' Gunboat' & paddled from the Tisitika River to Beaver Cove watching killer whales & big cruise ships neither troubled me An urchin at the landing liked my gunboat so I gave it him I was working at Nimpish Lake Canfor logging Camp .1973 from memory made the rifle in the Carpenter shop being a chippy Myself I only mention I because so often by Quirk of fate some reader recalls such odd occasions .
Regards Rudyard

 

[user 53846]

Nice set, the flint pistol looks like one Curly Gratomsky was selling a few years back.
relic shooter

Built By Corey Stewart, from North Carolina, actually, but does resemble an older Northstar.

 

[ryoung14]

Thanks for that, Rudyard. Always enjoy hearing of your exploits.

 

[Rudyard]

Your very welcome ..Any one that writes likes to get feed back , I do seem to have had a few trips and have a good memory still . Life in the wilds always has an intensity not found in city's , As does the open road and I know a bit about open roads .
Regards Rudyard

 

[Rudyard]

Nice set, the flint pistol looks like one Curly Gratomsky was selling a few years back.
relic shooter

Out of interest his name was Gostomski
Regards Rudyard

 

[Rudyard]

The most accurate muzzleloaders ever made have barrels under 30".....

What about the Creedmore ? Dollimount /Wimbledon ML matches with Sharpes Bortchards & Gibbs Metfords ? 33" be more their brl length I believe nothing was so short as under 30 inch. owned both never seemed less . Reasearch Press will know . Not that it's a major interesting topic regardless .
Regards Rudyard

 

[TFoley]

It's probably you if your load is right. My PH musketoon will do just under 2in at 100yd.

That said, as mentioned in an earlier post, sight radius and type of sights play a part.

MY Musketoon won't do 2in at 25 yards. Never ever.

 

[Rudyard]

MY Musketoon won't do 2in at 25 yards. Never ever.

That why the bayonet for your Artillery Carbine .

Regards Rudyard

 

[Stantheman86]

My P-H Musketoons are very accurate at 100 and can hit a 6"x"6 steel swinger at 200 if I really get my shooting fundamentals down.

I can even shoot a maybe 3" group at 50 yards with my .36 Navy with a shoulder stock, standing.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

What about the Creedmore ? Dollimount /Wimbledon ML matches with Sharpes Bortchards & Gibbs Metfords ? 33" be more their brl length I believe nothing was so short as under 30 inch. owned both never seemed less . Reasearch Press will know . Not that it's a major interesting topic regardless .
Regards RudyardThe heavy barreled improved American rifles

What about the Creedmore ? Dollimount /Wimbledon ML matches with Sharpes Bortchards & Gibbs Metfords ? 33" be more their brl length I believe nothing was so short as under 30 inch. owned both never seemed less . Reasearch Press will know . Not that it's a major interesting topic regardless .
Regards Rudyard

Different types of shooting methinks. While the light weight long range rifles were often capable of splendid work they could not approach the accuracy of the heavy barreled American target rifles of the time.

 

[TFoley]

That why the bayonet for your Artillery Carbine .

Regards Rudyard

?

 

[Relic shooter]

Out of interest his name was Gostomski
Regards Rudyard

My bad, Curly was a great contributor to our sport & deserves proper recognition.
relic shooter

 

[Rudyard]

Different types of shooting methinks. While the light weight long range rifles were often capable of splendid work they could not approach the accuracy of the heavy barreled American target rifles of the time.

Heavy bench guns hardly practical . Ime curious to learn Research Press' s take on this .
Regards Rudyard