how about a really fine single barrel

[King Brown]

In the 60s I made a bet with militia cadets that my mint Brown Bess could provide similar results as their semi-auto FNs on the range (knowing they were green.) Well, turned out not quite but close. The Bess was pooh-poohed by cadets because of stories of poor accuracy of muzzle-loaders. They knew the great battle on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec which won the continent from the Arctic to Gulf of Mexico for the British was fought at close quarters. I doubt the Bess had near the accuracy of American-made long guns. (The 1759 battle was over in 15 minutes; the British held fire and let go at close range in devastating salvos.)

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by King Brown

stories of poor accuracy of muzzle-loaders.

The military theory of the day was massed volley fire. a wall of lead sent out at once. In many cases the Bess load was an undersized ball and three buck shot. Speed of loading was the primary concern. At 60 yards a few hundred of these going off at once was brutal. As a reenacter, I have been in a line with several dozen doing volley fire, and even with those small numbers and firing blanks the noise, flame and smoke is impressive, and seeing the other side returning it (knowing theres no lead in it) gives you only a the slightest impression of what the 18th century soldier faced.

But as with a modern shot gun with the right slug, working a load up can give surprising results. My fowler with a tightly patched right sized ball is dead on a 50 yards, if it had sights I am certain that could be stretched to 100 with the right load.

the rifle, slower to load is certainly more accurate, there is a story from the Revolution of a company of Pennsylvania riflemen each stepping to the line and putting a ball in a cedar shingle at 200 yards. I can't, but those guys lived with the rifle.