Hallo!
No real testing.
I suspect one has to do what, IIRC, Lyman did years ago when they took a gun and kept reducing the barrel length to ascertain performance.
I do have experience in shooting sundry smoothbores with 36, 38, 42, 44, and 46 inch barrels. Sighted and unsighted. 12, 20, 24, and 30 gauge.
My only observation is personal. A .75 Long Land Pattern musket weighing 14 pounds is its own interesting beast off-hand. But, in brief and in general... for me... the shorter guns were a mix. Meaning, the lighter weight meant greater 'control' or steadiness in the shooting,, but the shorter "sight radius' translated any movement or flinching into pulling terh gun off center target much more easily.
And that is also a variable of what was being shot and how. For example, for competition, a pard and I took on a team of six. We lost the match by a fraction of a point on a string measurement, but Rich's musket's frizzen died and he was unable to fire 2/3rd's of the way through.
Part of our secret was that we were both using .735 round ball paper cartridges, while the competition was using either .715 in their .75's or .67 in their .69's. Better shots aside.
Using an N-SSA style say vinyl tube and a naked ball is a complication.
Of course, others' mileage will vary...
Curt
Curt Schmidt
Formerly 17 years a Sherman's Bodyguard
Married to a descendant of Senator John Sherman's wife
Bookmarks