Smooth Bore Pistol Accuracy

[CKeshen]

I received my replacement IFG (Pedersoli) Charles Moore Flintlock .44 smooth bore last week from Cheaper Than Dirt. They were great about the return.

Tried 10 shots each of 2 different loads - 22 grn., and 25 grn. with 20 grn. of COW over the Swiss FFF. The manual recommends a 26 grn. load.

The 22 grn. seemed to have a better group. Shot the gun again yesterday - 20 shots of the 22 grn. with the COW as stated.

While I'm still trying to figure the best POA the groups were generally about 5-6 inches at 15 yards. Sometimes the shot would go 5 inches high from the POA and sometimes the shot would be POA, POI. This is not the type of accuracy I am used to with my Le Page or my Wm. Parker, both of which are VERY accurate at both 15 and 25 yards.

This is my first foray into flintlock and I'm very happy to just have the gun go off 90% of the time. Is this the type of accuracy I should expect from a smooth bore pistol or do I still need to do more work with different loads?

 

[matt denison]

If you are getting " 5-6 inches at 15 yards." then I fear it is your shooting that is haywire. Are you using a rest? Are you flinching? Probably. Try a tight -er patch, less powder and rest the gun solidly. It may never be a tack driver but 4-5 inches at only 15 yds. is pretty bad and hard to blame on the load.

 

[bpd303]

I agree, first foray into flintlock, usually results in flinch. Work on that by dry firing with a wood flint and on your hold. Groups should improve.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

A major "What they said" Follow through seems much harder to do with a flint than a percussion. Another factor is the learning curve in how to load to minimize the time between trigger release and ignition. Even an imperceptible lag can throw a ball inches off. Flinters have an additional set of cantankerous characteristics to deal with. Each step along the chain of events in a flintlock's firing is crucial and getting the chain to complete in the least time is a help. Usually learning follow through and the muscle control to hold the gun steady to aim and fire, and the knowledge to cut the ignition time start to come together after a hundred or two hundred shots.

 

[CKeshen]

I did realize that follow through would be very important with flint. I seem to be getting fairly quick ignition but it is noticeably slower than with percussion.

I was not using a rest - shooting offhand. I also knew that smooth bore would be a little more of a challenge.

All right, I guess I'm going to have to work on this.

 

[bpd303]

That's half the fun... :thumbsup:

 

[Alden]

In any case I would say that the title IS an oxymoron, like Military Police Intelligence.

 

[tenngun]

with practice and playing with your load you should get tighter grops, however keep in mind that back in the day these were considered hand to hade cobat weopons. When looking a duels, fought at 20 yards we see a lot of missed shots. This was with some extra fine guns. Now I think poor shooting was present. After all holding steady while staring down a cave sized bore just inchs away(or so it would seem)wouldn't be very easy. But the idea of the code was not to kill people, but to defend ones honor, somthing done as well by a miss as a hit. In combat guns were often fired at touching or near toching ranges. Carrerd in the left hand with blade in right, fire flip and use as a club.

 

[Alden]

Carrerd in the left hand with blade in right, fire flip and use as a club.

Well, parrying device at any rate... You really are not going to get to club anyone with your left hand in a Renaissance-era sword fight with a few exceptions.

 

[pargent]

With that pistol you should be almost able to equal your groups with the other percussion pistol once you practice

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Your smooth bore will be capable of 2 inch groups at 50 f. Some do better. At 25 yds it should be capable of groups perhaps 1.25 times a comparable rifled pistol.
a well tuned flint with a proper flash channel will ignite as fast as a percussion.. many equate smooth bore pistols with those 69 caliber tower pistols made in china. No sights, ten pound trigger and 2 yr ignition.
Smooth bore target guns are a very different animal