What's the farthest you've ever shot with a long rifle?

[Kansas Jake]

I shot without a backstop on the farm years ago. I don't know how far it went.

 

[Hiparoo]

Regularly shoot p-dogs at 125yds with a .40flinter, I've hit an 18inx18in box target at 300yds with the same rifle.

 

[54ball]

Back in '25 I took a shot at a bull elk this side of the Musselshell. That critter did not move so I took another shot. Still that critter did not move. I then traversed closer, same thing. I moved within what I thought was 4 rods. I could see whiskers on that ole bulls nose. So I took my final shot and heard a "pink".
It was then I realized there was a mountain of clear quartz between me and that ole bull. Being such a clear grade a quartz, that big mountain acted as a lookin glass.
That ole Elk was 150 miles away.

 

[tdoyka]

with my 50 cal flintlock and rb it was 200 yards away. i shot the target 10 times, only 3 of them hit the 3' x 3' target. it was 3' at 200 yards, well the three i could find.

 

[Rudyard]

I was just enquiring about Andy Buckner of Indianapolis & A "Widow Maker " ( Group of Forest Grunge shooters Gentlemen all !) As for long shots I think Figure of a man is about it at 100 yard Ive fired at two Hundred & three hundred you likely will worry your target but that's about the best you aught to expect. if any shoot reliably better at great range well good luck to them but it isn't sporting if at live game .. This is Round ball . The elongated conical I have shot up to 1,000 yards but this is a whole different class of shooting . Ammuseing account re the cristal sheet! Regards Rudyard

 

[cositrike]

Is that Andy Buckner of the Widowmakers posting .? If so Regards From Rudyard or ' Lt Mork ' I just joined this forum

Yes Maurice. That’s Andy the Widowmaker. Simon C

 

[Critter Getter]

I have completely missed 4'x6' piece of cardboard at 50 yards with one of my flintlocks so I don't shoot long range with any of my flinters! I completely missed a doe at 15 yards during a sleet/rain storm once with a flinter as well.......so I don't take long shots with my flinters. ( I have head shot squirrels tho with my flinters and EVEN meant to do it!! My best brag shot ever was a 75 yard head shot on a squirrel that I called ahead of time with my .50 cal Hatfield percussion rifle. Greg

 

[Many Klatch]

Hi Mork

 

[Redstick Lee]

my Pedersoli .50 Ky. will reliably make "head shots" @ 100 yards and "heart shots" @ 50 yds.but it has taken time and testing of many diff. loads to make this happen.

 

[Patrick Thomas]

Back in '25 I took a shot at a bull elk this side of the Musselshell. That critter did not move so I took another shot. Still that critter did not move. I then traversed closer, same thing. I moved within what I thought was 4 rods. I could see whiskers on that ole bulls nose. So I took my final shot and heard a "pink".
It was then I realized there was a mountain of clear quartz between me and that ole bull. Being such a clear grade a quartz, that big mountain acted as a lookin glass.
That ole Elk was 150 miles away.

Old Bill Williams?

 

[54ball]

Old Bill Williams?

Maybe so?
I know it's an old period tale from whom, I'm not sure...Bill Williams sounds right. I read it when I was a kid.

My personal long shot with a longrifle hunting was 94 yards with a 45. It was a heart shot. The deer, he went down quick but for me personally, I would not take that shot today with a .45.

 

[Rudyard]

Hi Mork

Hi Andy Many clatch . Simon Who's handle I know not wrote a few more words .But I trust you are well and oft think of our' Band of Brothers' Ime 74 Wife & two kids Village Counselor, Menz shed ,Search & Rescue two dogs a cat & a garden full of plum trees but I still hunt and make guns . & write even on with a book about my travels in West Africa in 65. " The wildest dreams of Kew are the facts of Timbuctoo' Paraphraised from Kipling who actually wrote' Kathmandu' , but I only got within 140 mile from Timbuctoo, no traffic, no roads either has it limitations .Oh well I did get commissioned into the then Red hats So that's as good Regards Lt Mork aka Maurice / Rudyard

 

[Many Klatch]

Hi Andy Many clatch . Simon Who's handle I know not wrote a few more words .But I trust you are well and oft think of our' Band of Brothers' Ime 74 Wife & two kids Village Counselor, Menz shed ,Search & Rescue two dogs a cat & a garden full of plum trees but I still hunt and make guns . & write even on with a book about my travels in West Africa in 65. " The wildest dreams of Kew are the facts of Timbuctoo' Paraphraised from Kipling who actually wrote' Kathmandu' , but I only got within 140 mile from Timbuctoo, no traffic, no roads either has it limitations .Oh well I did get commissioned into the then Red hats So that's as good Regards Lt Mork aka Maurice / Rudyard

I was wondering if you were still in the Land of the Long White Cloud. The Widowmakers are still doing fine. About 125 members or so.

 

[45man]

Deer at over 100 yards. Just the head and neck from behind a tree. I hit the neck and killed her.But for target shooting 200 yards.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Furthest shot, or furthest hit? Me and my rifle-gun Lucretia once hit two balloons in a row at 140 yards, off-hand. Each balloon was the size of a man's head and hanging on a foot long string, flirting around in the breeze. That was at the Florida State ML Match on the Alafia River in 1974 or thereabouts. I dis-remember the exact date but the match was run by Steve Vienup. My furthest shot, I missed a running Pronghorn on the prairie east of Denver city once at about 175 yards. The ball missed high and the muzzle was pointed east, so there's no telling how far it traveled before touching down. A friend of mine swears he saw the splash when it landed in the Mississippi, but he's been known to stretch the truth - for a good story, don't ye see?

By the way, that stretcher about the Glass Mountain was pure Gabe Bridger, not Black Harris. Black Harris was responsible for the Putrified Forest yarn, told to Melissa Whitman.

There floats my stick,
Tanglefoot

 

[Cpl. Ashencheeks]

What's the farthest you've ever shot at an animal/target with a long rifle? How was it's accuracy, and what mistakes did you make (if any), and how not to do them. By the way, do any of you know why I'm back to "pilgrim" instead of 32cal? Sorry for the change of subject.

Some of the arms mentioned have varied twists to stabilize rb or conicals. In the case of this question I am thinking there might be different effective ranges based on each type to where one cannot necessarily compete fairly based on the type of rifle compared to another.

The Gibbs and other target rifles usually have very fast twists to stabilize a well chosen conical for both accuracy and distance. The Green Mountain GPH barrel can have a compromise twist for both rb and conicals and can also reach some decent ranges within reason. The ACW arms still have some slow twists but some have reached some pretty impressive ranges with both a round ball and conicals general accuracy and good thump at terminal impact.

Perhaps a chart could be made for best ranged and accurate shot on each type of arm.

Slow twist long rifle and musket rb flint or similar open ignition.
Slow twist long rifle and musket percussion.
Compromise twist long rifle flint rb and conical.
Fast twist long rifle and target rifle flint with well chosen projectile.
Fast twist long rifle and target rifle percussion with well chosen projectile.

One of the best shots I have seen recently with a slow twist flint rifle of an 18th century design was about 225 yards. Historically, I think someone during our war for independence has done better (245 yards?) but I forget whether they were a British soldier with an specialized arm or an American colonist with a typical long rifle.

Personally, mine was 150 yards at half and half of the first black ring with a .54 1 in 48" Hawken replica with open sights and Buffalo bullet conical when I first started shooting BP arms. Quite a few flyers and misses on that target and since now I hunt I try not to keep my ranges beyond 80 yards or less.

I do have some fast twist black powder arms, like a replica Sharps paper cutter carbine and a Palmetto inline with possible near future plans to build a fast twist Allen Box Lock which are probably capable of some decent ranges but I am more curious about the range capabilities of the older slow twist rb shooters after reading this thread.

 

[Shot deer]

Historically, I think someone during our war for independence has done better (245 yards?) but I forget whether they were a British soldier with an specialized arm or an American colonist with a typical long rifle

Was it Daniel Boone at the British officer? I think that was around 245 yards.

 

[Cpl. Ashencheeks]

Was it Daniel Boone at the British officer? I think that was around 245 yards.

Sorry about not responding a bit sooner, but in regard to your question, I am not entirely sure, but it may have been. I can't seem to find the reference to this particular event.

However, I did find another reference to another long range event with a weapon that would seem similar to a smooth bore fowler with a six foot barrel similar to some kind of chunk gun or wall gun. It has a pretty interesting story associated with it.

Here is the link to it:
https://allthingsliberty.com/2013/10/long-shot-september-1776/

 

[Road_Clam]

I attempted 200 meters with my Pennslyvania . Too long of a distance for my abilities. I was shooting at a typical 24x30 target board. I put 1 out of 4 on the target. My problem was trying to accurately caculate a come up . I was able to visually observe my missed shots and i shot within a 6' circle, but one shot i dropped in the dirt about 10' in front of the target. I played around with some 50 cal RB ballistics in my Streylok app and by the numbers a 50 cal RB really drops like rock after 150 yds. I caculated about a 24" elevation holdover to reach 217 yds. In the end not any real sucess. So from now on my comfort distance is 50-100 yds max. I shoot traditional bolt action at 600 yds weekly at my gun club, and i have high admiration for those of you ML shooters that can reach out beyond 100 yds consistiently !

 

[cannonball1]

2” group at 200 yds with 45 cal Gibbs rifle. 500+ gr bullet, 100 grs 1f Swiss.

How many shots?