Need some antique ML rifle knowlwdge.

[KCSO]

Round ball rifles accurate to 200 yards or just a little more but our average range is 100 yard targets. At that range my best ever groups was just at 2" offhand. I have hit cow pies at over 250 yards. Round balls do have a lot of wind drift.

Bullets are a whole nother story... Muzzleloading bench rifles and sniper rifles wer actually better shooters at long range than the muzzleloaders when cleaned between shots. A good Morgan James bench gun will hold into 3 foot groups at 1000 yards.

In 40 years as a R/O for the Muzzleloading club I have yet to see a fire on the range. Sometimes we will see a patch smouldering 25 feet or so in front of a shooter but the R/O calls closed and we just stomp it out. Mostly when we want to shoot it rains anyway.

[waksupi]

In your area, fire is most likely not a problem. Here in the dry west, we carefully watch newcomers to our shoots, and if they have smouldering patches, they are informed they must change their lube to shoot on our ranges.
It gets so dry here at times in the summer, some of our shoots had to stop firing at 10 am. Other years, it wasn't even legal to shoot a .22. We have had fires on the ranges, and we have fire watch patrol for four hours after cease fire during fire restrictions. Humidity can be as low as 14%, and the trees are drier than lumber you buy inthe lumber yards. Our yearly rain total is less than many places in the east receive in a week, or even a day.
It just isn't a problem from the central plains on east, that have good rainfall.
Maximum round ball range is 800 yards, at maximum trajectory.
Stick with round balls, and you will do okay. If elongated projectiles are allowed, they will perform like the old time buffalo rifles, with ranges measured in miles.

[Ed in North Texas]

We have some very opinionated (stubborn) individuals on the BOD whom did not want anything larger than .338 . Several members own .50 BMG rifles and the club did not want the risk of neighboring residents complaining to the town about noise. My club sits on 420 acres , and abuted by residents whom are just waiting for some situation to start complaining. As for supersonic only, this was so that traditional centerfire rifle bullet flight will not run the risk of traveling subsonic causing potential bullet instability / keyholing . Lots of wood frame exposed around the targets and we have live manned target pullers and we don't want to risk a stray bullet ricochet off the wood frame.

My club limits .50 caliber, but I've not been hassled over .50-70 or 12.7x44 because everyone knows it is intended to apply to .50 BMG. I just don't get .338 as the limit. No .358 Win, .38-55 WCF, .35 Remington or .375 Win or H&H, etc. Opinionated is being very kind.

[Abenaki]

The Forest Service did a study in 2009 "Ignition Potential of Muzzle-loading Firearms". The conclusion was fires start from un-lubricated patches and not the powder itself. As long as a tight weave lubed patch is used danger is minimal. Ban the characters who think toilet paper is a fine patch.

All I know is that I started a fire with my flintlock rifle.
I can get real dry out here in California.

I was using a stump as a rest. About the 10th shot. I was aiming at the target, when I saw a greyish cloud in front of me.
It burned a spot the size of a dinner plate about 2 feet from the muzzle.

Be careful out there.

Take care
Abenaki

[wch]

Check with <americanlongrifles.org>

[Patrolman]

I have witnessed two fires started by muzzle loaders, both were caused by greased patches(lard).
Some of the shoots limit you to wet patches only.
Calif. does get dry in the summer.