Well, a couple friends and I had our first annual Independence Day--"Don't Tread on Me"--Redcoat Shoot. We took our flintlocks out and shot "redcoat" silhouette targets at 200 and 300 yards just to get some idea of what flintlocks can do.
It was tough shooting--200 yards was very doable and the balls only dropped about 2' from 100 yds. From a rest, any British officer would be in real danger.
But 300 yards was very difficult. All our shots were with patched round balls and they are not very efficient. At 300 yards they were really falling and we had to guess hold over of 6 to 8 feet on the targets. Some of our shots missed by several feet--we could see the grass move or dirt fly in the spotting scopes. A couple of our shots were mysteries--I don't know where they went... Still, we managed some hits (and very near misses).
It was a lot of fun and gave me a new appreciation for what the colonial riflemen were up against. My friends and I had the benefit of modern spotting scopes and benches and known distances and NOT being shot at.
My friend Barry did the best at 200 with the two hits on the right target closest to center. Jeff and Barry both out did me at 300. And Barry hit with his first try at 300. I only managed one hit at 300 out of about 6 shots--it was the low "gut shot" on the right target. I did get the head shot on the right target at 200.
A view from the firing line:
A view of the targets from half way down the range:
My rifle:
Barry takes a shot:
Jeff takes a shot:
The 200 yard targets:
The 300 yard targets. It was funny how the shots "grouped." The two three-shot groups on the left target are actually shots from two different folks. The near-misses by the left target's head were both mine.
It was tough shooting--200 yards was very doable and the balls only dropped about 2' from 100 yds. From a rest, any British officer would be in real danger.
But 300 yards was very difficult. All our shots were with patched round balls and they are not very efficient. At 300 yards they were really falling and we had to guess hold over of 6 to 8 feet on the targets. Some of our shots missed by several feet--we could see the grass move or dirt fly in the spotting scopes. A couple of our shots were mysteries--I don't know where they went... Still, we managed some hits (and very near misses).
It was a lot of fun and gave me a new appreciation for what the colonial riflemen were up against. My friends and I had the benefit of modern spotting scopes and benches and known distances and NOT being shot at.
My friend Barry did the best at 200 with the two hits on the right target closest to center. Jeff and Barry both out did me at 300. And Barry hit with his first try at 300. I only managed one hit at 300 out of about 6 shots--it was the low "gut shot" on the right target. I did get the head shot on the right target at 200.
A view from the firing line:
A view of the targets from half way down the range:
My rifle:
Barry takes a shot:
Jeff takes a shot:
The 200 yard targets:
The 300 yard targets. It was funny how the shots "grouped." The two three-shot groups on the left target are actually shots from two different folks. The near-misses by the left target's head were both mine.
