Smooth bore vs rifled barrels

[48mauser]

What are the accuracy difference between a smooth bore verses rifle bore? What are the range limits of each? I'm interested in just a general comparison of a given caliber. Thanks all, Paul P.

 

[Toomuch_36]

In general after a good load has been worked up. A smooth bore will have accuracy comparable with a rifled bore out to about 60 to 70 yards. A rifled bore can reach a consistant accuracy nearing 200 yards with a good load.

Toomuch
..........
Shoot Flint

 

[paulvallandigham]

To understand why smoothbores lose their accuracy beyond about 75 yds, you have to understand how poor an aerodynamic body a round ball is. It sheds velocity very quickly, and this is only overcome slightly by spinning the ball in the air by rifling a barrel. Without any spin, the ball comes down through the Transonic zone at between 1100fps, and 1400pfs. The buffeting that occurs as sign waves speed past the round ball creating turbulance that moves the ball one way or another in this velocity range is one of those laws of nature you can't do much about. Spinning the ball makes the ball fight the friction of the air some, and a spinning ball loses velocity slightly slower than one that does not spin. The advantage to shooting a round ball that is spinning is that it maintains it direction of travel better when those waves and the vacuum that follows the ball either stop, or come forward past the nose of the ball during flight. This is why the spinning ball remains accurate even when its velocity goes below the speed of sound. In fact, slug gun shooters, shooting conical bullets, instead of RB, will try to keep their bullets at a velocity under the speed of sound, if shooting at long range targets, while those shooting at targets of 60 yds and shorter, will often use such a stout load that the bullet, or ball, is still going more then 1400 fps when it hits those shorter range targets. For instance, Chunk Gun shooters who usually shoot at targets set at 50 or 60 yds, often use 38-50 cal rifles, shooting RB, but with velocities at the muzzle reaching more than 2000 fps! What goes fast, also slows down fast, so by the time these balls get to the 60 yd target they have shed more than 25% of their velocity.

Choosing whether to shoot a smoothbore, or rifled gun for hunting depends almost entirely on where you intend to hunt, what you intend to hunt, and how good a hunter you are. If you can kill a deer shooting a shotgun slug out of a smoothbore shotgun, then you can kill the same animal with a smoothbore, large caliber BP long gun. If shots are going to be over 75 yds, you want to use a Rifle, regardless of caliber. The heavy RB loads used in smoothbores will kill at many times the 75 yds we talk about here, but you want to be able to deliver that ball accurately so you can make a clean kill. You would not want to volunteer to be hit at 500 yds with a .600 cal. 325 gr. lead round ball fired from a 20 gauge smoothbore. But the chances of someone actually hitting you at that distance, even when they aim the gun at you, is in the realm of bad luck! Hope that answers the question in terms you better understand.

Paul

 

[TN.Frank]

Another reason why a spinning ball is more accurate then one from a smoothbore is because no cast round ball is perfect in weight distribution. In a smoothbore where the ball isn't spinning the heavy side of the ball will tend to dictate direction and pull the ball off target. In a rifle barrel where the ball spins this heavy side is shifted around by the spin that the rifling inparts onto the ball making the center of gravity more equal and keeping it on a straighter path to the target.

 

[LRB]

Be much aware, that there is a difference in a smooth rifle, and a smooth bore musket. The smooth rifle usually has a good bit more metal in the barrel that tones down the whip vibrations when you shoot. I have never seen any musket type that can compete with a rifle at fifty yards. A good rifle that is. If you have a rifle that cannot noticably beat a smooth bore at fifty yards, you need a better rifle. If you intend to hunt beyond thirty five yards, get a rifle, or a good quality smooth rifle, so that you can place your ball where you want it to go. Most deer I have killed were not beyond thirty five, or forty yards, but I did get one at a hundred and thirty with a .54 rifle. I was feeling a bit desperate and took the chance. I got her, but just barely. I will not chance that kind of range again. It is not fair to the animal. If you want dependable accuracy, get a rifle, and get it with a quality barrel. If you do not shoot beyond forty yards, you can get by with a smoothy. A smooth bore competeing with a good rifle at fifty yards is total BS. Somebody show me a smoothy that will shoot a five shot group under one inch, center to center, at fifty yards, and I will bow to them. I have never seen it done, or even close, and I love smoothies, when used within their limitations.

 

[48mauser]

Thanks to everyone for all the great replies, what a wealth of information on this sight. Thanks, Paul P.

 

I too question whether a smoothbore will match a rifle in 'accuracy' at even 50 yards--let me back off a minute and say that there is a difference between the terms 'accuracy' and 'precision': Certainly a rifle worth its salt is more precise than a smoothbore--although I do not doubt exceptional chance groups. Accuracy means (in a group) that the center of the dispersion is on target, but precision means that the group is very tight. Good rifles are both precise and accurate. Smoothbores are very rarely as precise as an average rifle. OK, I'll stand here and take the hits....

 

[roundball]

No arguement from me...

I will say I'm tickled to death my .54cal GM Flint smooth bore barrel puts them into an orange 3" aim point sticker at 50yds.

And per this thread, I guess it's actually a 'smooth rifle' barrel...thick heavy construction, rifle sights, etc.

( Now if I can just find bucks wearing those orange aim point stickers :hmm: )

 

[paulvallandigham]

No disagreement from me, either, Mark. I was thinking in terms of hunting accuracy from a gun fired off-hand. A .62 cal round ball in the chest of a deer is going to kill it, whether it hits within 1/4" of the aiming point, or 2 " of that same point. I would be rather upset if my rifles could not shoot better than a 2 inch group at 50 yds, from a bench rest, as my best groups offhand have been that small a few times.

 

[Hoyt]

I also agree..don't think a smoothbore with roundballs would be as good as a rifle for shootin squirrels in the head..etc.

 

[TN.Frank]

I also agree..don't think a smoothbore with roundballs would be as good as a rifle for shootin squirrels in the head..etc.

Ahh, but then that's the beauty of a smoothbore over a rifle, you can load it up with some #5 shot and kill all the squirrels ya' want and hit those little critters that take to the wing, can't do that with a rifle. :hmm:

 

[Hoyt]

I agree..I like my birdshot...that is what's in them squirrels and my flathorn..No. 5's.
I keep sayin I'm going too, but have never shot but one roundball out of that .20ga. smoothbore. It was a bare .610" on a Wonderwad with overshot card on top. Hit bout 2" from where I was aiming at 25yds.