1300 yards with a muzzleloader

[kevwil]

I just find this fascinating. A 535 grain bullet, subsonic muzzle velocity, with iron sights, scoring hits at 1300 yards.

 

[watercam]

Been happening since rifled barrels were introduced. See the book Sharpshooter. Covers sniping from DaVinci through Vietnam but with a heavy emphasis on the Civil War. Some pretty long shots made during that war. One 'hit' on a specific General took weeks to set up at over 1000 yds..
Those heavy slugs just do not give up much velocity!

 

[pahoghunter]

Been happening since rifled barrels were introduced. See the book Sharpshooter. Covers sniping from DaVinci through Vietnam but with a heavy emphasis on the Civil War. Some pretty long shots made during that war. One 'hit' on a specific General took weeks to set up at over 1000 yds..
Those heavy slugs just do not give up much velocity!

Unbelievable isn't it, I knew a fellow in the 80's that had one and said the recoil was bad. He never mentioned the accuracy.

 

[Barlow]

About ten years ago somebody dropped two books off at my house. I never found out who it was. One is "The Muzzle-Loading Cap Lock Rifle" by Ned Roberts. The other "The Pennsylvania-Kentucky Rifle" by Henry J. Kaufman. The one by Ned Roberts is really interesting as it about match rifles and who built them, how they built them and everything else about them. What these old time gunsmiths could do is truly amazing. Like I said I don't know who dropped them off, but I am glad they did. Didn't mean to steal your thread. Barlow

 

[pressedRat]

whitworth. civil war buffs than find whitworth bullets price them high. the barrel is octagonal as are the bullets. from what i understand, the rifle could only be shot a few times before it had to be cleaned as each successive firing made it harder to get the bullet into the rifle. this was the problem that the minie ball resolved for standard rifling.

if you google 'whitworth bullets' you will find some interesting facts about how they were made...