:crackup: :crackup: I have to admit, it was one lucky shot. I guess all that practice at the range paid off. It was one of those shots that you just throw the gun up to your shoulder and fire without really thinking about it. It was as if the gun just knew what to do. And btw, you will notice that there is NO pic of a.....deer.... shot by Stumbln in the February issue of Buckskinner :crackup: :crackup:
-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
smooth bore how accurate
- Thread starter more powder
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
:crackup: :crackup: I have to admit, it was one lucky shot. I guess all that practice at the range paid off. It was one of those shots that you just throw the gun up to your shoulder and fire without really thinking about it. It was as if the gun just knew what to do. And btw, you will notice that there is NO pic of a.....deer.... shot by Stumbln in the February issue of Buckskinner :crackup: :crackup:
btw, you will notice that there is NO pic of a.....deer.... shot by Stumbln in the February issue of Buckskinner
Yep, ya got a real good point there. Why is that i reckon? :crackup: Congrats on the rabb, er i mean deer. ::
Yep, ya got a real good point there. Why is that i reckon? :crackup: Congrats on the rabb, er i mean deer. ::
Rat
50 Cal.
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2004
- Messages
- 2,310
- Reaction score
- 593
One of the "tricks" to good smoothbore accuracy is using a TIGHT ball and patch combo.
Another is to seat the ball sprue down. Acts a little bit like a "tail" I think, and keeps the ball from tumbling.
My Brown Bess has rifle sights on it. With a Wonder Wad under the ball, and 110 grains of Swiss BP, she'll do the proverbial clover leafs at 25, 3-4" at 50, stay on the paper plate out to 70 yards. Generally speaking, I think that's about the most range you will get out of a smoothbore, with sights, to stay within the kill-zone on the game you mention.
If you go without sights, in order to be PC, you would be looking at a 50 yard max range, with a lot of target practice.
A rifled bore, without sights, probably won't do much better than 50 yards either.
Rat
Another is to seat the ball sprue down. Acts a little bit like a "tail" I think, and keeps the ball from tumbling.
My Brown Bess has rifle sights on it. With a Wonder Wad under the ball, and 110 grains of Swiss BP, she'll do the proverbial clover leafs at 25, 3-4" at 50, stay on the paper plate out to 70 yards. Generally speaking, I think that's about the most range you will get out of a smoothbore, with sights, to stay within the kill-zone on the game you mention.
If you go without sights, in order to be PC, you would be looking at a 50 yard max range, with a lot of target practice.
A rifled bore, without sights, probably won't do much better than 50 yards either.
Rat
They are accurate. I shoot a Fucil de chasse, 20 ga. no rear sight. Last month ,at a winter rondevoux, we had an
18 shot smoothbore walk through, largest target was about the size of your computer screen at, we guessed, about 125 yds. smallest was,guessed again, about 2" wide and 10" long
at about 60 yds. all offhand. Closest was 40 or 50 yds. I was able to hit 16 of the 18 for the win. Secret is getting your head in the same place for each shot and the longer the barrel the better.
18 shot smoothbore walk through, largest target was about the size of your computer screen at, we guessed, about 125 yds. smallest was,guessed again, about 2" wide and 10" long
at about 60 yds. all offhand. Closest was 40 or 50 yds. I was able to hit 16 of the 18 for the win. Secret is getting your head in the same place for each shot and the longer the barrel the better.
RussB
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2004
- Messages
- 882
- Reaction score
- 13
Guess that is what I was getting at before. Practice and being familiar with that gun and how to hold it determines, at least in my mind, just how accurate a smoothie can be.
One fellow I shoot with is a cracker-jack shot with his smooth bore rifle...I do mean shooting saltine crackers at fifty yards.
However, with my rifle, he can't do it near as well....and he says he loves the "feel" of my rifle.
When I shoot his rifle, I'm much worse off than shooting my own rifle. :crackup:
Based on this one example, I feel very strong about shooting your own rifle.... a lot.... to improve your scores.
So, in regard to the original question...How accurate are smoothbores?
Cheesh! Some smooth bores, with some shooters, are very close to being as accurate as a rifled gun. At least from my observations. Not a good answer I suspect. But just suffice to say that smooth bores can be amazingly accurate.
Russ
One fellow I shoot with is a cracker-jack shot with his smooth bore rifle...I do mean shooting saltine crackers at fifty yards.
However, with my rifle, he can't do it near as well....and he says he loves the "feel" of my rifle.
When I shoot his rifle, I'm much worse off than shooting my own rifle. :crackup:
Based on this one example, I feel very strong about shooting your own rifle.... a lot.... to improve your scores.
So, in regard to the original question...How accurate are smoothbores?
Cheesh! Some smooth bores, with some shooters, are very close to being as accurate as a rifled gun. At least from my observations. Not a good answer I suspect. But just suffice to say that smooth bores can be amazingly accurate.
Russ
more powder
36 Cal.
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2004
- Messages
- 97
- Reaction score
- 0
Thanks to all you folks for your helpful info. Ron
I think most fellas that shoot a lot of smoothbore,agree that shots past 50yds. are a little iffi as to hittin vitals.With my old eyes I have more respect for the game than chance wounding it.But make no mistake, hit right a smoothe will bring down any game in north america.After building a short Bess I was proof firing it into my woods. I had a double charge behind a 75cal. ball. It hit an ash around 6" thru and almost cut it in half. Using one just makes you become a better hunter.And,they are a lot lighter to carry all day.Besides,if I'm going to kill something,I want to look it in the eye first. :thumbsup:
Rat
50 Cal.
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2004
- Messages
- 2,310
- Reaction score
- 593
We tend to think of 50-70 yards as very short range, but really it's very "dooable" as far as getting that close to game, and it's certainly a sure kill way out of bow-range, so it's really not that much of a limitation.
What I really like about a smooth bore is the ability to change from ball to shot, or visa-versa, out in the field. I kind of like grouse hunting in the morning, and then around noon have lunch under a tree, then pull the shot load, put in a ball and go looking for bear until it gets too dark to shoot...or at least having that option.
Rat
What I really like about a smooth bore is the ability to change from ball to shot, or visa-versa, out in the field. I kind of like grouse hunting in the morning, and then around noon have lunch under a tree, then pull the shot load, put in a ball and go looking for bear until it gets too dark to shoot...or at least having that option.
Rat
Similar threads
