JRA Zouave With Hoyt Barrel

[oscarlovel]

Has anyone with one of the James River Armory Skirmish grade rifles with Hoyt's rifling had any success shooting patched round balls? I normally use Minies but local club down here holds a round ball match every month. I'd like to participate without totally embarassing myself.

[Blair]

Clint,

I don't see why you should have an issue with this concept.
You may need to work up a patched round ball load that works best for you (and your firearm)... but it should do you well in this type of competition.

[Eggman]

WARNING: Do not wander up to the line with all your ammunition and truck and stand there and shoot all your shots in a row like a skirmisher does!!!! Various cabals of muzzleloaders will stare at you and pace back and forth and talk about you behind your back, and then eventually someone will walk up to you and say,"Other people want to shoot from this spot you know!"
Footnote: Most round-baller shoots I know of allow use of either the round ball or minie in the musket. Be prepared for the helpful round-ballers that approach you and advise you with absolute certainty that the round ball will completely outshoot the minie.

[Southron Sr.]

Do what I did at a Roundball Shoot a few years ago.

I walked up to the line with my repro M1855 Brass Mounted Harpers Ferry Rifle and fired 5 shots "Rapid Fire" in about a minute and a half.

I looked around and everyone was staring at me with their mouths wide open in disbelief. One pointed a shaky finger at me and mumbled" "That can't be a muzzleloader!" Some weren't even believing what they had just seen.

Needless to say, I had blown a few minds and several wanted to examine my rifle and cartridges carefully. Apparently, they had never figured that a muzzleloader could be fired as fast as I shot my rifle. I was "the talk of the club" for a while!