One of my favorite "Plainsmen" long guns

[Big Goose]

 Howdy,
  figured I'd share a couple pics of one of my favorite long guns. It's a Liege, Belgium contract musket produced sometime between 1790 and 1810, built in the pattern of the French Charleville 1777 model. For being some 220 years old it still shoots well and  I was able to harvest a nice buffalo cow with it this fall.  Our muzzleloader season starts tomorrow, hope to connect with a fat whitetail doe...
   Having used several of the 69 caliber smoothbores, ( have a decent 1816 Springfield as well) for many years, I think back in the day I'd have kept my big old musket . They shoot pretty well out to 100 yards or a bit more, and can always be loaded with shot as well.
My thoughts anyways.,
Big Goose

[Niederlander]

Nice!  How far was the shot?

[Big Goose]

A little over 75 yards,  she was the lead cow . I was tucked up against a cut bank on the side of a steep coulee; there were several buffalo that were on either side of me, some as close as 20 or so yards. But they were bunched up and quartering almost straight away, and offered no decent shot.
This part of the herd were all running at first, but hadn't seen me and the big lead cow out in front slowed to a trot and then a walk. I figured she was about 75 yards away and centered the front sight blade down the barrel just in line with the right-hand edge of the tang screw slot. It settled just above and a touch forward of her elbow on her right front leg, and I squeezed the trigger.   She had been getting a bit farther with every step.
   That massive lock throws sparks like a dragon ,and  the old musket belched almost instantly , ShhBOOM.  I lost her in the smoke for an instant but could hear the distinctive Kerrslap of the ball striking flesh. She kicked the air like a donkey and leaped over the far side of the rise.  I reloaded quickly,  with buffaloes streaming past me on both sides,  As it turned out the ball broke a rib on the way in,  went through her right lung and right through the top of her heart, through the left lung, and edge of the left shoulder bone , was puckered in the hide on the far side.  Cool thing about those pure lead projectiles( well, mostly pure is probably about 50/1, just enough tin to cast nicely.) it started out at 433 grains, still weighs 427.  I believe I may hammer it round again and use it for another hunt.  She only took two or three big jumps and collapsed.

[BlackButtes]

That's pretty awesome. Would you go into more details on the hunt?

[Jake MacReedy]

GREAT gun, Big Goose!  Wonderful to see that old smoothbore still out there taking game!  Way to go, sir!

[LonesomePigeon]

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing the story.

[Oregon Bill]

Yes. More please, sir. 

[Tsalagidave]

That is outstanding Goose. what size ball to you use with that musket and do you prefer to patch, wad or a bit of both?

-Dave

[Big Goose]

Thanks Dave,
For this musket and my 1816 Springfield I cast .668 balls from an old Ideal mold. Fairly thick patch out of heavy ticking or medium jean cloth. I use wasp nest wadding over the powder, helps protect the patch from "burnout".
This has worked well in my smoothbores. For me anyways, I've found a patched ball to be more accurate that a naked ball with wadding. In my 20 gauge flintlock English fowler I shoot a .605 ball with the same fairly thick patch and wasp nest wadding with likewise good results.  For reloads in the field I use paper cartridges in a Rev War style cartridge box, the paper patched ball goes down easy and accurate enough for a "Coup de Gras". 
But then the 1836 Waters contract pistol works well for that too....
Goose

[Tsalagidave]

Outstanding. Thanks Goose, you did excellent work in demonstrating how old surplus can entirely prove its worth.  The story of repurposed military arms often does not get the attention that is deserved. To see you document how this actual historic arm can still harvest meat is just amazing.  Thank you for sharing this.

-Dave