I like the fact that you always wear period attire in addition to the knowledge about the firearms.

I love it when they say “A smoothbore can’t hit the broadside of a barn”

Introduction music is a nice touch!

Yes that target would make an awesome giveaway prize

I am impressed by 80% shooting with a flintlock smooth bore. As always this kind or testing is of interest to me. Military history is more about myth busting than one would think.

"Unfortunately, the Pennsylvania Turnpike is right out there" -- that's why I like Mojave Desert so much! 😉

With this video, it is my firm opinion that you have reached a body of work worthy of several PhDs. You could rightly be called Professor Beliveau. I have learned more about the 18 th century weaponry than I thought possible. Thank you

I read an account of a battle between some town people and some Iroquois. They said they called one guy, "Old dung breeches", after that because when the Indians attacked, "He soiled his pantaloons."

Glad to see your throwing proper sized loads. I use 120gr of 2f and always get people saying it's way to much. Gets me decent results in my bess.

165 grains is a stout charge. I had no idea that they used such a big charge in those guns. The trigger on my Bess is pretty stiff, which is another factor in accuracy.

Well it’s quite obvious you put two rounds through the same hole. ENJOYED!

Good job not flinching. I've been shooting for as long as you probably have, but I'm always fighting the flinch.

Being April 1st I was expecting him to sound like the count on Sesame Street while counting his rounds. Have a great day.

The "at least two teeth" tip for recruitment requirements was awesome !!! 🤣🤣🤣 And YES, a giveaway with that target will be great !!! 😎😎😎

My French Relatives in Massachusetts (Larochelle & Lemere) worked early on at Mills near Worcester, but eventually ended up orchard farmers. One of the patriarchs traveled to the Province of New York that had a foundry and purchased a Long Rifle for squirrels and pests. It was said to be .44 caliber (considered to be a small bore in those days) had deep rifling and accurate out to 200 yards and he was rumored to be a trophy winning Rifle shot. After the march on Lexington & Concord a corrupt Torie Administrator took it upon himself to enter the private homes of the Whigs and confiscate weapons including shot, ball and powder. It is said that a group from our extended family (referred to as the Brothers) appealed to some Narragansett friends and received a pair of .69 caliber (tack decorated) Charleville Muskets. The brothers cast their own .69 caliber balls from molds made in Sturbridge, whose blacksmiths risked their lives by supporting the rebels with ‘smithing when needed. The .69 caliber Charleville took many a British and Hessian for their kit, but by arming all of the Brothers they felt that they had to leave to join up with what had been the Green Mountain Boys but at that time were just a loosely organized militia. Still, operating against the British effectively. We were told that they did not enjoy the accuracy of either the Charleville or the Brown Bess (or the Committee Rifles) but made the best of what they had, they ended up quite the force with the expert tomahawk and bow training of the Green Mountain Rangers and the few allied Native Americans (who had no love for the British.) The war was long with victories and losses, but in the end they had forged a new Nation and the few remaining Brothers returned home to the apple fields.

Very Cool Video Mike, Thanks!👍 P.S. I would LOVE to have that target. 😉

I’m not sure if this is going to work I ain’t never commented before but I recon it’s worth a try. Thank you Mr. Beliveau for making these videos! They are mighty interesting and fun to watch. Reading your articles and watching these videos really helps me with the shooting I do. Thanks!

Wow... Yea, delay is the nice way to put it. I can see it in the video. Damn fine shooting Mike...

Well put together video. Entertaining and educational. Thanks Mike.

As rare as it can be, there's always a chance you shot through the same hole making it appear as if there's a missing shot.

I will take this target brother

I’d say pretty good shootin Mike, all things considered. Plus the great music too! It’s now 2023 but that target would have pleased me just fine. When we learn about and shoot our muskets it gives us an idea of the Patriots that made our country possible today. The conditions, the marching and weather conditions, carrying their musket, powder and balls plus a full pack? Going to the range a few hours, getting dirty hands, perhaps cleaning the bore a few times and of course the cleaning in the field, it’s a tiny taste of the Colonial Soldier against the worlds most powerful army, at least it was believed. They weren’t able to overcome the tenacity and Spirit of the small and under equipped American Militia. That says tons of our Ancestors! Thank You Mike! Many Blessings and home home on your Range! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania

You’ve proven the point I’ve been making to people all my life. People are always badmouthing old gun tech, blabbering on and on about how those things aren’t even considered weapons. I laugh as I invite them to stand down range to prove their point and they never do it. 😆 Its nothing compared to the guns of today but they are still functional AND effective at closer ranges... like up to 100 yards. Thank you for proving this.

Love the music, Mike. Reminds me of the score from Last of The Mohicans.

The sound it makes is incredible. Compared to modern guns it sounds like a cannon.

I'd love to get the target. Signed would be great

The Netflix show "Kingdom" shows loading and shooting smooth bore rifles One character can load and shoot in just a few seconds, and really shows what a smooth bore would fair against a group of rushing zombies

Your videos are getting better all the time Mike. One of the best.

Outstanding job brother

👍Interesting video, well done, Mike!

Always educational and entertaining. Fantastic job as always. Thank you for inspiring me to dive into black powder.

thank you for testing the good old Brown Bess. Was so long waiting for. I make a lot of nice Test with my Pedersoli one, with Buck and Ball etc. Have a nice Easter together

I really enjoy your videos please keep up the fascinating work!!!!

Your channel is a lot of fun. Full of information.

Loved the video and wow that is some great shooting

I'm a new subscriber and I truly enjoy your musket videos. Your approach is down to earth but also very factual to performance. Keep it up. Your added comments about actual use of them is important.

I absolutely enjoy watching this channel, it's the history and variety for me, and now I want a brown bess.

I’d love to have that target. It’d be a good visual aid for Appleseed events.

That target give away is great, however the most valuable thing you share is your knowledge, great video as always.

This is a great video!!! Thanks Mike!!!😃

Great video Mike

I always wondered why they wore those silly triangle hats.

Mike, Really enjoyed this video. I like how you give a history lesson as a prelude before burning ‘charcoal’. As a fellow Bess enthusiast, having your target, signed, along with a photo of you in your outfit would be a Great wallpaper in my workshop. Thank you and keep up your great work!!

Another enjoyable video! Nice target too.You did dress the part. Looking GREATsir!

I think loading for accuracy SOP was to reverse the emptied cartridge case so that the ball went in first, with the empty charge chamber acting as wadding.

Yes! I would be pleased to have this target and most of your others.

great outfit great presentation, excellent shooting and awesome music. Thanks Mike!

Very educational video Mike, thank you.

100 thumbs up!!! Lotsa fun as always Mike.

Great video. keep them coming

The targets are fantastic for muskets. Worth printing and selling, especially at 18th century historic events. Many thanks for showing us the musket. I am juts beginning my research into flintlocks, and have had my eye on the Charleville for some time now. Your videos have been an excellent introduction into the hobby.

Like watching your videos Mike,, would love to have at Target keep up the good work

Great video, thanks for posting!!

Great video Mike, Thank you

Sweet vid as always. A repro brown bess is my next purchase, already got lead, a bunch of Fg powder and flints. Looks like a blast.

Really enjoyed the video.

Entertaining and informative! Superb!

I'm a young fan I'm only 12 and I love your content and Im looking toward to owning and flintlock rifle when I'm older

GREAT VID Mike !! Thx !!

Great video! Well done!

Solid shooting Mike, that is some steady aim.

Great video now with music! Thanks Mike

love the music. very informative video.

Great video!

Yes, that was a great video, very enlightening. Yes I think it would be a great prize.

Great video, Mike! Interesting and highly informative, as usual. Really enjoyed it, from a historical and technical perspective. I normally shoot Ffg powder and patched ball in my Bess. Still quite a lag, between spark and discharge. Holding very steady is definitely needed! These muskets can be reasonably accurate out to at least 100 yards though, as your tests demonstrate. A comment on the battle of the Plains of Abraham. Ancestor of mine was one of the "thin red line"(78th Frasers) that defeated the French Regulars in the battle. Historical side note: Since there weren't enough men to fill the customary three ranks of the normal British battle formation, the troops were ordered to load double ball. With catastrophic result to the massed French battle lines. Events leading up to the battle, including scaling the steep cliffs below the Plains, form an epic tale all of their own. Definitely worth pursuing, for history buffs.

Great video.

Thanks for making the video

Awesome video. Thank you.

You're like the first one to be doing the accuracy test by priming & loading exclusively with military loads, no 3f, no 4f, no 600f priming, no fancy brass loading stick, no patched ammo, no pretty stuff, just A) the gun and what came with it from factory and B) normal service-issue loads. Both of which when combined was rightfully considered enough to put a triple-OUCH on anyone unfortunate to be fired at. I'm guessing the unexplained missed shots back then can be largely attributed to far less than optimal shooting practice for the average British soldier, flinching because of ignition delay, bad battlefield visibility (gun/cannon smoke), less time to aim (some officers would go "present fire" without even pausing), fatigue (sometimes they'd force march for days to reach the battlefield), and the added factor of battle-field stress (which needs no explanation). Even with all those factors added in, based on what I saw in the video I wouldnt want to be a fighting soldier in a 17-18-19th century battle, like.. at all. Heck, considering the projectiles they used, even the "bad" hits like those outer chest shots are sure to rip out a good deal of muscle tissue out the back, rendering the arm and sometimes the leg on that side completely useless (those who've torn a ligament/sinew/muscle on the side/back of their upper torso/chest/back know what I mean), not to mention that inner hip shot, which I commented in the previous video, just... oooofff :(

Great video

Outstanding!

Very nice video. Very informative.

Very nice video. Well done. Excellent synopsis of the effectiveness. I would love to have the target.

Thanks! Awesome vid as always

I love these videos!

THATS A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF LEAD ! AWESOME JOB , NICE MUSIC , THANKS.

Nice music insertion.

Good Shooting Mike ! The Ole Brown Bess lasted as long as it did for that reason .Cheers

I have recently been doing research on the service charges for Brown Bess muskets. De Witt Bailey cites period charges - pre-1828 - from 6 drams to 7.95 drams of powder. This is about 165 to 218 grains of powder. This includes priming, of course. HOWEVER - J.M. Spearman in "The British Gunner" (1844) cites a passage from 1828 that notes that the current (in 1828) charges are too high, and should be reduced by at least one-quarter. The passage states that British powder doubled in strength from the period 1775-1828!!! This explains why their charges were so high in the 18th century. Around 1844 (as I recall from memory) they reduced the official charge to 4.5 drams, which is 123 grains (which includes the priming charge). This is in the neighborhood of the US .69 flintlocks which had a service charge of 130 grains as a service charge. Note that Pedersoli lists the maximum charge for their Brown Bess at 100 grains of Swiss (granulation unstated).

Mike a signed target from you would be cool to have !! And the thought of you selling targets like you got is really good idea . Hope you can cause lots of us won't them . We love old guns and a target like that would fit right in !!! Keep up the great work .!!!!!

Great video Mike. The old Bess is a very capable firearm as you have proved in the video. A great follow up would be showing the patterns out to 40 yards with #6, #5 ,and or #4 shot. On the 18th century frontier in Pennsylvania I cannot think of a better do it all gun Please keep the videos coming!

Very educational as always

Yes! Sure. I'd love a chance to win that target. Not for me but for a friend that follows you as well and is a big fan. He'd love it.

Fortress traces are laid out with a 200 to 250 yds trace for musketry cross cover. Not necessarily to cause heavy casualties, but to harass and interfere with the work of sappers and to delay or defeat escalades.

I think that’s fairly accurate. Off the shoulder, standing. Enjoying this I’m a senior, my dad took me out to muzzle loader shooting when I was a teenager. I kind of would like to take up the hobby again.

Great soundtrack!

Nice shooting Mike. Thanks for the interesting video. I would be proud to win that Target. I remember when in the 4th grade we took a class trip to Philadelphia, PA. We saw the Liberty Bell at Independence Hall. We also visited the home of Betsy Ross. I was surprised how narrow the steps were going upstairs and how small the beds were. The tour guide said that , generally, people were smaller back then. The exception being General Washington of course who, at six foot, two inches, was a giant among his peers.. So your 2/3 normal size target may actually be actual size for the time.

That target would make a great little prize and I would love to see those targets in your store

very interesting video, and nice music.

I really enjoy your level of "historic reproduction" practice of 18th century musketry. While I like your idea of the prize ... I would really like to purchase those targets! Thanks for all your efforts!

Have a replica BrownBess for nearly 40 years now and have always wanted to do this exact test and no place to try it. Thanks

You have too much fun. I want to be just like you when I grow up.

I would love that target, autographed by you. It would make a great addition to the man cave

Good video, Mike. Is that a Pedersoli Bess? They seem to shoot better than the cheaper Indian Besses. Just an FYI, in the 18th C, the tricorn was made so that the back could be loosened and the hat turned around. It made a great sun visor. There is a LOT we don't know about 18th C warfare in the Americas. We do know that the European armies were moving more toward open order, which reduces volley effectiveness, and the American Army was moving more toward the European standard of 1764. British soldiers were taught to aim at a mark and there is good evidence that engagements began at about 300 yards. Granted, casualties were light at that range, but even at close range, casualties were light, considering.

Terrific as always, Mike! I may just have to break down and get a flintlock.

Awesome shooting. I couldn't do that bench rested. Now I want one :)

The music ads a good touch. I'm thinking getting a Brown Bess Trade musket for shot and ball hunting.

Dont worry about the noise. I love your videos anyway

Another great video Mike, thank you so much. I always wondered how a Brown Bess would do with a standard shot charge. I'm thinking if someone was mustered out of the army and took their Brown Bess with them into home life it might be what they would hunt with.