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Long range roundball

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T*O*F:
Let's put this Gen'l Fraser thing to rest along with the ability of shooting at longer distances.  Below are two pages from an actual wholesale trade catalog.  I have some from other companies as well.  Read carefully to enlighten yourselves.  Guns were advertised, sold and priced based on their ability to shoot at specific ranges.  This is consistent with ALL the companies.  There are other little tidbits of info to be gleaned here as well.

You want it in black and white, here it is.  Beat it to death.

Daryl:
Thanks Dave.

northmn:
Wish it was dated.  Found the globe and peep sights interesting as well.  According to Hansen some of the Hawkens and other later plains rifles were made fast twist to shoot slugs (Hawken Rifles Their Place in History)  These rifles advertised were rated according to gauge as common for the times but imply round ball use.  They were pecussion as noted by the patent breech.  Target shooting became more popular as the country got more settled and more affluent.  Also the ranges were qualified by the bore diameter which makes sense as a 200/pound ball would weigh about 35 grains and would not carry very far.  Also a 50 bore would be about 45 caliber which is the largest in some models and a 30 bore or about a 55 caliber in others.   

Candle Snuffer:
I to wish it was dated though I'm willing to go out on a limb and say we're pretty safe in guessing this information most likely dates from the 1850's and / or after that time period, which would nagate General Fraser's era as the word "Revolver" is used in the beginning...  However....

Still, the information is valid as to ball size and range,,, unless when they say; "Every rifle is accompainied with round 'bullet-mould' and wiper," they are referring to a round nosed bullet mould, not a 'round ball' mould?  Now at what point in history folks stopped referring to round balls as round ball and then began to say 'bullet', I don't know?   However the wording of "Patch Box" does lean one towards the idea that these are round ball rifles.  Unless the patch box is a hold over from earlier times?

Globe and peep sights also do lend  the notion of, are we talking 'Rigby' type rifles here for the 150 to 900 yard 'ball' rifles, or again is the word ball now being used in the military term of 'ball' ammunition - which in many cases and even when I was in the Army back in the 70's, we shot ball ammunition which was marked on those .45 ACP cases, and 5.56 cases.

It's a very interesting two pages to be sure, and I do agree that the larger ball will be more accurate, and it is not impossible for it to carry out to 900 yards.  If I remember correctly, a Creedmoor Target is 6 foot tall x 12 foot wide, with a 3 ft. x 3 ft. bull, 800 yards, 900 yards, and 1000 yards.

I can see the possibilities of hitting Creedmoor Targets with a heavy round ball fired from one of these rifles listed...

Good information! :)

Dphariss:
Remember that by the time this was printed people in the east especially were shooting elongated projectiles for target work and hunting. The cloth patched picket bullet was the hunting version. By 1860 long heavy bullets patched in paper were being used to ranges well past 300 yards in heavy target rifles.
The peep and globe sights became popular with the picket bullets use.
A 50 bore ball is about .455" 200 to the pound is .28".

The catalog is probably from the 1850s at the earliest. Note "Express Office". I don't know when this came about but it sounds post Civil War too me.
Dan

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