How small is too small before accuracy disappears? In this video, I shoot three different sized bullets from a .54 caliber rifle to test overall accuracy potential. From a .54 caliber ball, to a .50 caliber ball, and down to a .44 caliber ball, I examine just how consistent smaller bullets may have been.

Carrying a smaller sized bullet for your flintlock was a known method to speed up loading times during an emergency and reduce the chance of getting a bullet stuck in the barrel. I have always wondered what a smaller roundball, without a patch, would do when fired out of a larger caliber. Let's dig in and find out!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:31: Carriage of Undersized Ammnition
00:56: Henry Jolly Quote
01:25: Breaking Down Jolly's Quote
03:03: Combat Accuracy with a Muzzleloader
03:42: Wetzel and the Tall Pine
05:08: Captain Samuel Teter and smaller bullets for fewer issues
05:51: Choking your Gun
06:52: Historical Engagement Distances
07:30: Shooting from a rest and Doddridge
08:24: Shooting the test
13:14: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants/That's a wrap

Many thanks to David Ervin, William F Brown III, and Ty Davis for the conversations and research discussions that led me to put this together and get out and try it. I hope you have as much fun watching it as I had filming it.

Many thanks again to D.Wiggins for the comforting and dynamic music.