Smoothbore vs. rifle in colonial America

[robinghewitt]

Hawker claimed 500 starlings with one shot, but his punt gun was double barrelled, perhaps that was cheating ::

 

[jd945043]

As far as I heard it was less a question of the price to choose a smoothbore. With a patched ball there's little difference up to 50 yards, but the smoothbore offers the flexibility to fire shot, it's easier to load, and if nothing else is at available, a hand full of small stones would do. So if one didn't want to carry two guns, the smoothbore was the better choice in many cases...

Also as a kid we All started off with a cheap H&R .410. when you could afford it you would get something else like a rifle. I think it was the same back then

 

[Bushfire]

Also as a kid we All started off with a cheap H&R .410. when you could afford it you would get something else like a rifle. I think it was the same back then

Mate you realise this thread is 19 years old?