Shooting mini ball out of a smooth bore

I'd be surprised if some good ole Southern boy didn't do it in the 1860's. Accuracy would likely be similar to any patched bullet out of a smooth bore. Don't have any documentation, of course. Pure speculation.
 
sunray said:
I'd be surprised if some good ole Southern boy didn't do it in the 1860's. Accuracy would likely be similar to any patched bullet out of a smooth bore. Don't have any documentation, of course. Pure speculation.
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A round ball is inherently stable and many smoothbores can shoot fairly respectable groups out to 75 or 100 yards. Their biggest handicap is often the lack of a rear sight.

I would be very surprised if tumbling mini's would group anywhere near as well. One tumbling in the vertical plane would hit a long way from one tumbling in a horizontal plane.

There is a possibility that you might get a stabilixing effect from the base acting sort of like rocket fins but that would still not likely be even enough to give any impovement.
 
In the 1850s a bullet resembling a shotgun slug was used by some European armies in SB muskets and it was claimed to double the accurate range. There was a long thread on the britishmilitariaforums on this subject. Nettler bullet IIRC.
 
WHY?
I shoot a .50 cal So. Carolina style smooth bore flintlock rifle. To about 100 yds. it will compete with a rifled gun ( if I do my part). Try putting a over powder wad in and a patched round ball.

Carney
 
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