your thoughts on a pedersoli brown bess???

[quinnconner]

I just bought a pedersoli bess last thursday afternoon.I havent got to shoot her yet.It was made from a kit by a friend of mine and he used it for a number of years.I have been reading the posts here on loads to use.I hope to shoot her across the juniata river tuesday morning to get a feel for the gun.It has probably been a long time, but not the first time that a bess was fired across this river.Ft.Bedford is about 8 miles from me, and Forbes road is right in front of where I live.
I am going to try musketmans idea of gluing a small back sight on her till I get used to shooting with out a back sight.Is your bess a pedersoli to?
Juniata Jack

 

[Teleoceras]

Juniata Jack:

I built my Pedersoli Bess from a kit 4 years ago. Great gun! I did mike the bore though and found that Bessie is really a .74! ::

I have found that she likes a .715RB\.010 patch combo. Using 80grs GOEX Fg powder, I have hit where I point at 25 yards. At 50 yards, the grouping opens up a bit to about 6 inches. I have used 90 and 95 grs with pretty much equal results at the longer range.

You will need to experiment to see what you Bess likes, which is half the fun! ::

 

[musketman]

All the world loves a bess...

 

[Steve44thRgt]

Fired my India pattern BrownBess at cavary breastplate armour at 50 yards. Makes a nice BIG dent and turns the musket ball into a fried egg shape! I would imagine the bloke wearing the armour would have had a couple of broken ribs at least.
At closer ranges the ball will go through and force the edges of the bullet hole into the victim. ::

 

[bob1961]

Fired my India pattern BrownBess at cavary breastplate armour at 50 yards. Makes a nice BIG dent and turns the musket ball into a fried egg shape! I would imagine the bloke wearing the armour would have had a couple of broken ribs at least.
At closer ranges the ball will go through and force the edges of the bullet hole into the victim. ::

ouch :shocking:.........................bob

 

[musketman]

Ouch is right!

Lets fot forget getting hit in the face and arms by splattering lead, the energy absorbed by the impact would have knocked him off his feet as well...

 

[Leonredbeard]

steve,
I was at a smoothbore shoot this past weekend. A tweety bird landed on a standing steel bear at the fifty yard line. One of the 15 year old lads had his bess loaded and fired at the bear to scare the bird. Well, he hit the bear high and the bird fell to the ground. When he checked it out the bird was dead, lead splatter, blood coming out his neck.

Leon

 

[big bore 75]

I own two of them a indian gun and full size 2nd model, these thigs will shoot but you will have to go through lead and powder to get results unless you get real lucky, but this web site has a lot going for it and great advice that I did not have read and learn then practice . Kevin

 

[Steve44thRgt]

A battle field casualty report I read in a the book `Redcoat` by Richard Holmes.

The British officer at the right hand side of his line was in the process of shouting orders when he was hit in the mouth by a musket ball. Several soldiers to his left were wounded by the officer`s teeth being shot out the side of his mouth by the impact of the ball!

In another incident at a different battle an officer in the act of shouting "fire" was also hit in the mouth with the ball passing through both cheeks of his face but his tongue and teeth only lightly damaged!

But then again all officers and NCO`s have big mouths!

 

[musketman]

Talk about shooting your mouth off... :shocking: