Maximum Effective Range

[Forestwalker]

Having shot high-powered rifle competition in my early years, I am still a pretty good shot out to 800 yards with a Garand/M14.

What is the approximate maximum effective range for a .50 cal. rifle. I got a Penn rifle for christmas and love the length of the sighting plane.

I've read history articles from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars about hitting human sized targets at 300 yards, is that really feasible.

Thanks

Guys

[Gil Martin]

Maximum effective range means different things to different folks. There is no doubt that a .50 caliber lead ball will go 300 yards. Hitting a specific target at that range would be a real challenge. I have played with some ballistic software programs and the trajectory of a musket ball is quite something with a lot of drop. My effective range with a muzzleloader and iron sights is within 100 yards. All the best...
Gil

[Jack]

Forestwalker, I have no doubt a hit at 300 yards was done-sometimes- in the old days.
2 things to remember: they didn't write about the misses.
And, a hit, and a quick, humane kill are different things.
For hunting, I think 300 with a ML is not wise.
In my .50, I use a Minie ball, which carries a lot more energy than a round ball at longer ranges. I have shot the rig at targets at 150 yards, and I would consider 150 the farthest I would shoot while deer hunting. And to shoot that far, conditions would have to be perfect- no wind, a solid rest, and plenty of time to shoot at a deer that was not alerted.

[Forestwalker]

thanks guys, definitly looking at hunting situations for a humane quick kill, but also from the ballistics arena, is it possible.

I would like to start doing the old time target shoots and really see how far it will reach.

I was lucky enough to shoot high-powered matchs with real distance at Quanitco Marine Base, those are some nice ranges.

thanks.

[skeet]

what Jack said about sums it up for me. My max range when shooting my 50 Hawken was 100 yds or so with a patched round ball. Usually less. Most deer killed were in the 20 to 70 yd range some less only 2 more than 70

[Adam Helmer]

I agree with all that has been said here. My maximum range with ball or maxis is 100 yards or less and my sights are set accordingly. I have a gong 10 inches by 12 inches hanging on a tree out back. I shoot at the gong from hunting positions and my max range is exceeded when I cannot make any more "music" on the gong.

Adam

[rattus58]

Hi Forestwalker ....

As has been said, effective range is that range with which you can do two things.

One is, can you put 10 out of 10 shots into a 6" pie plate at undisclosed yards. The pie plate which does not contain all your bullets is too far.

Second.. I would take a cardboard box side and paste a 6 " pie plate on the far side (whree you cannot see it) just behind a front stake. This is fun to do, and will also tell you how you manage effective range on a cardboard "deer".

Two. Know your trajectory. Shoot to 100 or 125 yards then shoot back to the bench. Check out your trajectory. It usually means you aim a little low at first, right on from 50 or 75 yards to 100 or 125, then half way up the back to 140 or 150 and top of the spine for 170 to 175 usually. Your effective range, shooting from your best "field" position might actually only be 75 to 100 yards, but you need to know your trajectory too.

Aloha..

[Deerman]

If you are just talking about shooting targets I've hit one at 250 yards just playing with my BP rifle.I'd never shoot at a deer at that range tho.

[rattus58]

Hi Deerman ...

Hitting a target at 250 yards is one thing, hitting it 10 out of 10 is another. Effective range for Hunting means hitting no more than an 8" circle (6" is better) 10 out of 10.

Also, hunting means doing this from field positions, sitting, kneeling, prone, etc. with your field gear on is best.

Aloha.. Tom

[Deerman]

Fully agree.That was "playing".My max range for deer is 100 yards useing conicals,75 with patch and ball.

[eldeguello]

Originally posted by Forestwalker
Having shot high-powered rifle competition in my early years, I am still a pretty good shot out to 800 yards with a Garand/M14.

What is the approximate maximum effective range for a .50 cal. rifle. I got a Penn rifle for christmas and love the length of the sighting plane.

I've read history articles from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars about hitting human sized targets at 300 yards, is that really feasible.Thanks Guys

Yes, it is. But there are a couple of characteristics of round-ball rifles that complicate things a lot. One is that they lose velocity very fast, and have little striking energy remaining at 300-400 yards. Yet there is at least one recorded instance of a colonial rifleman during the American Revolution shooting at two British officers on horseback @ 400 yards. The ball passed between them and killed a horse beyond them. So I guess it's a matter of where the ball hits.

Another bad feature is (actually a function of velocity loss also), is that beyond 100 yards or so, the ball drops like a rock, making EXCELLENT RANGE ESTIMATION AND TRAJECTORY knowledge totally indispensable to making a hit on distant targets. In addition, all ML bullets are greatly affected by crosswinds, and round balls are the worst!

During the revolution, there were "wall guns" or "fortress guns" made to be fired from the walls of forts, that shot round balls of 1" or larger, and these could be used effectively by experienced shots out to 500 yards or more against stationary targets like standing horses or wagons.

By the time of the American Civil War, the Minie ball, a conical bullet, had replaced the round ball for muzzleloading infantry rifle ammunition. The Minie was pretty much in universal infantry use by both sides after 1862. These .58 caliber bullets were capable of shooting the majority of their shots into a 3-foot square at 400 yards, and could be used to kill artillery crews out to greater distances than that! Yet, most commanders still insisted in using the linear, massed-formation close-range tactics of the Napolionic era, causing horrendous casualties given the increased range and accuracy of the rifled musket vs a smoothbore.

What is the approximate maximum effective range for a .50 cal. rifle. I got a Penn rifle for christmas and love the length of the sighting plane.

This depends on the twist of your rifling, whether or not you are using round balls or a conical bullet or sabot round, the inherent accuracy of your individual rifle, and the amount of time and energy you devote to learning the trajectory, and on how well you can estimate ranges!

To start, you'd be well advised to limit shots at game animals to 125 yards or less, particularly if shooting a patched round ball. As you gain experience and confidence, you can determine your own answer to this question!!

[rattus58]

These .58 caliber bullets were capable of shooting the majority of their shots into a 3-foot square at 400 yards, and could be used to kill artillery crews out to greater distances than that! Yet, most commanders still insisted in using the linear, massed-formation close-range tactics of the Napolionic era, causing horrendous casualties given the increased range and accuracy of the rifled musket vs a smoothbore.

You have to wonder just what they were thinking, being a general in the war. It is clear, that then as now, old habits are sometimes hard to break.

Aloha..

[Deerman]

Wow, great history! I didn't know the conical's were that old.

[eldeguello]

Originally posted by rattus58
You have to wonder just what they were thinking, being a general in the war. It is clear, that then as now, old habits are sometimes hard to break.

Aloha..

Absolutely. rattus. And what's worse, this same kind of thinking controlled the command echelons in the first two years of WWI, despite the machine gun. And despite the fact that every major European WWI belligerent had observers over here during our Civil War.... I don't think ANY of them took home any "lessons learned"!

[rattus58]

My Uncle, of whom I was named, died in the first world war during the first assault ever contrived with the use of a tank ... which in those days was more of an armored troop carrier.

Although a good idea, tanks succumbed to the trenches, mud, techniques used to thwart the calvaries of old ... Oh well.. maybe video games will help change all this.... :grin:

Aloha..