A well-outfitted PA or VA rifleman. More often, the hunting shirts that
they typically wore would not have been as fancy as this guy's.
I wonder how long the barrels were on those things. They sure as hell look alot longer than the one on my AR15. lol
I bet those rifles kicked like a mule.
Yes...very long-barreled. That’s one reason that they were not good field pieces. Some were .60 cal, but the American frontiersmen often used smaller calibers so they would need less lead. And I imagine they kicked like a mule (esp. the .50 and .60 cals).
Black powder burns slower than modern powders. Rifles like this don’t “kick” as much as they push. A longer push because the slower moving bullet takes longer to move down the barrel. The longer barrel was for two purposes; more bullet time in the barrel so the black powder will completely burn and more time in the rifling of the barrel to impart a spin on the bullet.
My sons have shot a lot of modern handguns and rifles. They both received a .44 black powder pistol for this Christmas. They both remarked about the “push” and not a “kick”.
Sorry, I am not in a financial situation to adopt anyone.
Black Powder 101 is in session.
I wonder how long the barrels were on those things.
Barrel lengths 42 to 46 inches.
I bet those rifles kicked like a mule.
Actually not so bad. Black powder burn differently than smokeless and with a patch ball pressures aren't nearly as great. Also the heft of the weapon help.
42” or so. And they don’t “kick”. More like a mild shove.
Blackpowder doesn’t generate the breech pressure of modern gunpowder and those guns tended to have heavy barrels. The ones with straight stocks like the Lancaster styles had the least observable recoil. The elegant looking Roman Nosed style rifles tended to push upwards generating a more noticeable recoil.
I have a modern semi-custom repro of one in .58 caliber with a swamped barrel that weighs a little over 10 lbs.
From about 38 to 44 maybe a few a bit longer.
As to recoil- a good Pennsylvania type long rifle was found in 50-58 cal weighed about 7-9 lbs and fired (in 50 cal ) a round ball of pure lead weighing about 180 grains, charged with from 70-100 grains of medium grade black powder, so about as powerful as a 30/30, but with a trajectory much taller- 300 yards is a long ways off with a round ball gun. 54 ball weigh 230 grns.
I can get great accuracy and good velocity with a .495 ball , lard greased pillow ticking patch and 90 grains of 2Fg GOEX black powder- chronograph say 1680 fs.
Kills deer very well with 75 yards, I would not risk a shot past 125 though-but a friend routinely kills deer with a similar flinter ( I built it) out to 175 from a blind with a rest.
Anecdotally, Kentucky Rifles were indeed made in the east-usually PA, VA, MD, and were named such for the long hunters that were trekking into KAINTUCK, past the PA/VA frontier (Ohio was not a state, but rather the greater Ohio territory.
In this pre-revolutionary period, these rifles were not small caliber “squirrel rifles”. This title is reserved for late flint/early percussion period ( early to mid 1800’s, when much big game like deer, black bears, elk and bison were gone from the NE. Then, smaller calibers were adequate for small game- 30, 32, 40 and 45.
From about 38” to 44” maybe a few a bit longer.
As to recoil- a good Pennsylvania type long rifle was found in 50-58 cal weighed about 7-9 lbs and fired (in 50 cal ) a round ball of pure lead weighing about 180 grains, charged with from 70-100 grains of medium grade black powder, so about as powerful as a 30/30, but with a trajectory much taller- 300 yards is a long ways off with a round ball gun. 54 ball weigh 230 grns. Recoil, even in lager calibers, is very mild compared to say a light weight 30/06 etc.
I can get great accuracy and good velocity with a .495 ball , lard greased pillow ticking patch and 90 grains of 2Fg GOEX black powder- chronograph say 1680 fs.
Kills deer very well with 75 yards, I would not risk a shot past 125 though-but a friend routinely kills deer with a similar flinter ( I built it) out to 175 from a blind with a rest.
Anecdotally, Kentucky Rifles were indeed made in the east-usually PA, VA, MD, and were named such for the long hunters that were trekking into KAINTUCK, past the PA/VA frontier (Ohio was not a state, but rather the greater Ohio territory.
In this pre-revolutionary period, these rifles were not small caliber “squirrel rifles”. This title is reserved for late flint/early percussion period ( early to mid 1800’s, when much big game like deer, black bears, elk and bison were gone from the NE. Then, smaller calibers were adequate for small game- 30, 32, 40 and 45.