.22LR -vs- Revolutionary Musket - Which is better choice for war?

[Mark W.]

If I have a Bolt action scoped accurate .22 your not getting within 150 yards of me without at least a few holes. If your on a dead run and I pick up you up at 150 yards You will most likely get to 100 yards before I can get the lead on you and drop you with my .50 cal Cap and Ball Hawkin style rifle. If I miss your going to get that second round at about 25 yards maybe closer to me.

With the Bolt action I can put 10 rds into you before you cover the first 100 yards.

Either way if I don't screw up some where around 100 yards from me your going to be out of the game.

I can hit a small Styrofoam coffee cup sized target at 125 yards 4 out of 5 times with my .50 cal 190 gr round ball 70 grs fffg powder. I can do a 2" 5 shot group with my Savage model Mark II FVT .22LR at 100 yards.

Your choice. I'm good to go with either.

 

[The Heretic]

The 22 rimfire would have some advantages, but I think Andy is right, most of the people of the time would go with what they know. Personally I would prefer something like a 10/22 for the rate of fire, especially if it was suppressed. The other advantage would be the "smokeless" powder - you would be much less likely to give away your position.

This all assumes that you would have plenty of ammo.

That said, my preference would be for something with longer effective range than the 22 rimfire. A skilled sniper with a scoped (and preferably suppressed) FN-FAL or M1A or just a bolt action could do some real damage taking out officers at a distance from cover. Backed up by a spotter armed with an AR57 or a PS90 and plenty of ammo to take out anybody who flanked them and got within 200 yards, they would be a force multiplier.

For the infantrymen of the time, I would take them a WWII era Enfield with plenty of ammo and let them have at it.

But there are all kinds of choices.

 

[aikikenjitsu]

or insurrection ...

https://www.quora.com/If-you-gave-a...o-you-think-they-would-use-it-over-the-musket

I know, some guys were very accurate with their muskets. 200 yds. But not MOST. Given a militia, which would be the better arm?

Many opinions at the link.

Most aren't seriously answering you, so here's my sane decision: Of course the Ruger 10/22 beats the musket hands down. For one, using 25 round mags, you more than out do the musket that take much long to load. In say a catastrophe, you do not need to kill someone to stop him. With a 25 round scope you could probably stop twenty attacker from continuing their attack. Imagine a .22lr in a face. That guy is out of commission. Also wilth a pistol grip, the 10/22 is more versatile.

 

[bbbass]

I'll take "My Ruger 10/22 w/ my BX-25 mags" for $300 Alex.

^^^ This.... plus my 50k rounds of stocked ammo and ability to scrounge/steal more. Where ya gonna scrounge/steal musketballs?

 

[DB is Here]

^^^ This.... plus my 50k rounds of stocked ammo and ability to scrounge/steal more. Where ya gonna scrounge/steal musketballs?

 

[bbbass]

View attachment 563165

Always!!!

 

[aikikenjitsu]

^^^ This.... plus my 50k rounds of stocked ammo and ability to scrounge/steal more. Where ya gonna scrounge/steal musketballs?

Right on!

 

[GWS]

^^^ This.... plus my 50k rounds of stocked ammo and ability to scrounge/steal more. Where ya gonna scrounge/steal musketballs?

You dig them out of your enemies, melt and recast them over and over.
Try that with your .22LR!

 

[aikikenjitsu]

You dig them out of your enemies, melt and recast them over and over.
Try that with your .22LR!

No can't do that, but the cost is much lower than yours, so I have five times as much. But whatever works for you. I lilke the small round so if I'm on foot, I can carry quite a bit of 22lr.

 

[bbbass]

You dig them out of your enemies, melt and recast them over and over.
Try that with your .22LR!

Sounds like busywork...

 

[oli700]

You dig them out of your enemies, melt and recast them over and over.
Try that with your .22LR!

Doable

 

[Longbeard]

Judging by the fact that it took about three years for 22lr. To start making limited appearances on store shelves after Sandy Hook and all the while black powder was still available to my knowledge. I would say America has already decided which they would prefer for the end times.

One decided advantage of a flintlock musket is that it is extremely simple technology. In an apocalyptic situation or
EMP attack you will eventually run out of ammunition. With a muzzle loading flint lock you can find natural flint for
ignition & knap your own flint, make your own black powder in the field, cast your own balls , etc. Apparently the
early mountain men preferred flintlocks for this reason.

Longbeard

 

[Longbeard]

One thing to consider when posing questions like those in link , in the OP is...

The way folks thought , their values and mindset was vastly different in the 17th , 18th and 19th centuries , than ours with a 20th and 21st century thought , value and mindset...

They may not be able to , or want to "wrap their head" around the idea of repeating rifle of the modern .22 type.

Please note that I am not against semi auto rifles or the ownership thereof...

I am just saying that we think and act differently now , then the people of say 1776...
And that comparing the two or to place a modern item or viewpoint on folks of that time period , can be misleading.
Andy

I just picked up a .32 cal flintlock, ballistic charts show its slightly more powerful than a .22 mag r.f.. I'll let you
know how it works.
Longbeard

 

[Open_Wire]

EMP attack you will eventually run out of ammunition.

Brass cased, boxer primed smokeless ammo was made well before electrification.

Apparently the
early mountain men preferred flintlocks for this reason.

The earliest mountain men predated the era of common percussion guns.

 

[Longbeard]

Brass cased, boxer primed smokeless ammo was made well before electrification.



The earliest mountain men predated the era of common percussion guns.

Yes, but they retained their flintlocks because of the difficulty of obtaining caps in remote areas & caps
can explode when struck inordinately like in a fall, etc.

 

[Open_Wire]

The later ones, most likely. The Rocky Mountain fur trade was basically over by the time percussion became the default for guns. It would make sense to stick with flint if you had no reliable supply lines, so I don't doubt flint stayed popular among them.

 

[GWS]

Sounds like busywork...

It worked for the buffalo hunters...

 

[bbbass]

It worked for the buffalo hunters...

And I like Snappy Tom in my beer, you?

 

[GWS]

Good lord!They still make Snappy Tom?
I was also surprised when I saw Clamato on the shelf at Fred's

 

[bbbass]

Good lord!They still make Snappy Tom?
I was also surprised when I saw Clamato on the shelf at Fred's

Mmmmm, Snappy Tom (IDK) or Spicy V8, either works. I drink my Clamato strait or with vodka.