I've been playing around with smoothbores for a while now, including three Brown Bess muskets. One was a Made in India and the other two Pedersoli's. All have given better than expected accuracy in spite of having a front sight that is actually a bayonet lug. It's not exactly an aid to precise aiming. I was reading about the BB's opposite number, the French "Charleville" and noticed that it does have a front sight but the sight is actually part of the forward barrel band. I can't help but wonder how accurate that set up can be. Such a sight would seem to be subject to movement in relation to the barrel due to everything from stock wear to heat to humidity and so on. So I'm asking if anyone has compared the two in terms of accurate shooting? And yes, I know that both were military muskets from an era when armies lined up shoulder to shoulder and blasted away with volley fire. Still, my Bess will tear one ragged hole shot after shot at 25 yards and will put balls in a spot the size of my palm at 50 yards. Has anyone tried this with a Charleville?
Thanks,
Storm