Youtube accuracy comparison - Brown Bess vs Kentucky style rifle

[Tom A Hawk]

I am guessing the targets were shot off hand.

 

[mooman76]

I hope so.

 

[Grenadier1758]

That's like comparing a pickup truck's time trials on a road course to a sports car's time.

Nothing to see here other than comedy.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I would have been embarrassed to turn in the rifle target.

 

[Robby]

From what I read years ago the Bess was not "aimed", but pointed, straight ahead as aligned by their superiors. By an edict from the king, any soldier caught aiming would receive the death penalty, the idea being that if soldiers were allowed to aim at any thing they chose then the fellow on the opposing line with the fancy coat or maybe the tallest guy would receive the brunt of the fusillade and the rest free to continue to return fire.
Robby

 

[rafterob]

The 100 yard rifle target resembles my average 100 yard offhand target. That is mainly due to my sight picture which is not great at 100 yards. I basically see a fuzzy black dot. I feel good if I score all 5 shots on a 100 yard target. 15 years ago when I could still see the 100 yard target clearly, a good target would have had all 5 shots in the black.

 

[Artificer]

In the battle of Hampton, British ships were on the JAMES river in Virginia, NOT the "Hampton River." They were anchored closer in shore than 200-300 yards. American Riflemen fired so accurately that every time the British Sailors opened a gun port, they received a hail of bullets in the gun port from the riflemen. British Sailors attempted going into the rigging to let down the Ships' Sails, but were shot down so effectively, that wasn't possible. Finally, the British ships cut their cable tows (anchor lines) and DRIFTED downstream out of the American line of fire. However, two of the ships collided because they could not steer the ships from the deck. This resulted in the sinking of one of their supply ships.

Gus

 

[tenngun]

The 100 yard rifle target resembles my average 100 yard offhand target. That is mainly due to my sight picture which is not great at 100 yards. I basically see a fuzzy black dot. I feel good if I score all 5 shots on a 100 yard target. 15 years ago when I could still see the 100 yard target clearly, a good target would have had all 5 shots in the black.

This is important, there was no corrected vision for most people. And even the best rifleman was under pressure to get a shot off fast, under poor conditions. There was no half an hour to shoot off five shots. And I doubt most rifleman of the time got the best out of their rifles
Hitting a squirrel head, throat, upper shoulder puts meat in the pot, but won’t win you a ribbon at a shoot.
There was certainly Ticklicker and crack shots but I bet this is closer to the average rifleman
One Virginia rifleman hit a 5”x7” shingle with eight consecutive shots at sixty yards to the amazement of an eastern audience. Not extraordinary shooting.