Flintlock watermelons...

[bladegrinder]

Today was the last day of the first muzzleloader phase season in my area, while I didn't get anything I did kill some leftover melons from the garden.
here's a couple youtube links. the rifle was a .58 flintlock. the melons get it around half way thru the video. I had to turn the camera on then walk back to the rifle about 35 yrds.

 

[John Wilson]

It never fails to shock me when I see impacts from the old ball and powder guns, even when I know what to expect. I can't help but imagine the scene during the battles of the Revolution fighting in linear formation. When the man to the left or right took a hit it must have been horrific to witness. Of course all war is terrible, but imagine if all anybody was shooting were 12 gauge slugs, and you could watch the opposition loading and pointing at you while you stood there?

How many shots can your rifle get off before it's too fouled to load?

 

[bladegrinder]

I get 6-8 rounds off before it gets tough to ram the ball home. I just run a couple dry patches down and it's ready to go again.
Yea, I couldn't imagine what it would be like getting hit by a .58, lot's of amputations in the civil war.
this rifle is patterned for the colonial era, 1760-1770s and has a green mountain barrel, it's a tack driver or being a .58 more like a rail road spike driver.