200 & 300 yard shooting

[Buck]

Sometimes I shoot at a range and this year there will be 200 & 300 yard competition for musket. I have an Armisport Model 1855 which is shooting very well at 100 yards where I normally go. I have been shooting one of Lyman's Old Style Minies (about 480 grains) and it has grouped very nice. I'm going to experiment with another Lyman minie at 530 grains and see how that works. I was wondering if anyone has shot at these distances and what kind of powder load was used. For example, GOEX 3F 50 grains at 200 yards using a 560 grain Gardner. Was the same type and amount of powder used for both distances? Or was more powder required to shoot at 300 yards?

Thanks for the help,
Buck

[tony 1st regt]

I shoot the 200 yd competition at NSSA with my euroarms Miss in 58 cal with a benton screw sight. I use an appox 500gr bullet like the lyman old style, (my usual hogdon does not group well at 200) After a bunch of testing I now use 64 grains of 3F swiss. This is a heavy load but the 200 yd results are great. I have not shot my musket at 300, but I would think the results would be equally as good.

[DAVE FRANCE]

Buck and Tony,

I have shot at 200 yrds several times. I shot an original Mississippi with a Bill Large Barrel. I also had a Benton rear sight and used about 45 grains of 3f and an RCBS Minie that was about 520 grains.

I have shot Sharps rifles and carbines agains modern rifles (30-06, etc.) several times. I used a 500 grains bullet with 50 grains of 3f. One time a friend and I who was in the N-SSA shot at 200 yards agains modern rifles with scopes. We won first and second with sharps carbines without scopes. My friend did that several times at the gun club he belonged to.

I think the following things are necessary to do well at 200 yards or more.

A relatively heavy bullet with a good design to limit drag (no semi wadcutters, Hogdon bullets, or barrel shaped bullets).

Heavy powder charge. 3f is better than 2f.

Adjustable rear sight for elevation. As the light changes during the day the humidity changes and the a correction is needed for the rear sight. Even an hour can make a difference. It isn't too difficult to use Kentucky windage to adjust for wind, but it is hell to adjust that way for elevation also.

Good quality bullets. If a bullet shoots off an inch at 50 yards because of imbalance, it should only be about be about twice as much for 100 yards unless the imbalance is very bad. But after a point, imbalance makes a very big difference.

David

[marv762]

I shoot 200 yards every month in NJ with a 58 cal Robinson musket. I use the 510 grain Rapine bullet with a charge of 48 grns of 2f goex. We shoot metallic silhouette rams that weigh in around 75 lbs. The bullet will take them down all day. I also have two other Enfields that get the job done. Marv

[Buck]

Thank you everyone for your comments. I went today to shoot at the range and shot a 500 grain minie with 50 grains 3F GOEX Express at 100 yards. The range I usually shoot at only has a 50 yard and a 100 yard. It will be a couple of weeks before I get a chance at 200 yards. But this minie and the powder load did pretty good at 100 yards today. I appreciate it.

[Buck]

Hi Dave France,
I sent you a PM. Hope you got it. I live in Corpus Christi. Not many Civil War skirmish shooters in our state and wanted to say, 'hello.'
All the best,
Tom

[DAVE FRANCE]

Buck,

I didn't get the PM. You can send a message to my email address if you want.

There is a skirmisher who belongs to a club where I shoot. Another skirmisher and Friend lives in Phar. I think he only plans to attend one more National and then stop skirmishing.


David

dave-france@live.com