In 1860, the United States War Department conducted a series of ballistics tests, evaluating the accuracy of various guns at different ranges and wind conditions. Each test consisted of up to 50 balls shot at a 10’ x 10’ target, with marks every foot in the vertical direction and across the middle of the target horizontally. Often the tests had five different men shoot at the target. At other times five different men loaded the guns, but only one man shot the guns.
Contrary to popular wisdom, the shots from the rifles were not much more accurate than the smoothbore musket test. The main difference in the much-discussed outcome of Civil War battles was likely the minié ball. The minié “ball” is conical with an indented base. This irregular projectile deforms on impact, creating much more internal damage than a smooth round ball. In addition, breach-loaded rifles could be loaded more quickly than the old muzzle-loading guns.
The main factor in achieving highly accurate placement of the shots was allowing one skilled shooter to use a rest.
The source material for the images in this appendix is the 1860 Trial of Small Arms conducted by the War Department. The figures in this appendix were created by digitizing the impact points from key targets from the 1860 trials and adding a B-18 torso target to the center of each 10’ x 10’ target originally used.
For a B-18 torso target, the innermost rounded rectangle is the 10 point ring. Competitions are scored by giving each shot the number of points associated with the rings, with the smallest ring having the highest points. Shots impacting on or inside ring 9 would be considered kill shots.
Source:
War Dept 112, Records of the firings and opinions of the Board assembled at the Washington Arsenal for the Trial of Small Arms according to Special Order No. 23, War Department, February 1st, 1860. Reproduced in The Rifled Musket, written by Claud E. Fuller, Bonanza Books, New York, 1958.
Target #37 (see below)
Smooth Bore Musket, Caliber .69, 100 yards, No wind noted
10 men shooting by volley, 50 total shots fired
37 struck 10’ x 10’ target
6 hit NRA B-18 target
0 hit NRA B-18 ring 9+
Target #13 (see below)
Harper’s Ferry Rifle, Caliber .58, 100 yards, Moderate wind from right
10 men shooting by volley, 50 total shots fired
37 struck 10’ x 10’ target
5 hit NRA B-18 target
0 hit NRA B-18 ring 9+
Target #79 (see below)
Harper’s Ferry Rifle, Caliber .58, 100 yards, Calm
5 men loading 5 arms, 50 total shots fired by one man from a rest
50 struck 10’ x 10’ target
48 hit NRA B-18 target
34 hit NRA B-18 ring 9+
Target #70 (see below)
Iron Barreled Rifle with leaf sights and fly trigger, 100 yards, Calm
5 men loading 5 arms, 50 total shots fired by one man from a rest
50 struck 10’ x 10’ target
50 hit NRA B-18 target
22 hit NRA B-18 ring 9+
