Maximun range for replica civil war rifle?

Question

either could be an 1863 model springfield or a model 1853 enfield.

Answer 1

2km

Answer 2

The originals were fairly capable at 50 yards, and accuracy fell off steeply after that.  Much to do with poor manufacturing tolerances of the lead balls, and inconsistent powder measures.

New models with new powders and balls, should be just as accurate as conventional black powder rifles.

100-150 yards no problem, 200 yard limit.

Answer 3

I've heard of accounts of rifle-muskets being used effectively at ranges of up to 600 yards. The sights were often marked up a bit further than that. Maximum range at an ideal angle would probably be in the vicinity of 1 to 1.5 miles.

Answer 4

useful range for say hitting a paper plate reliably? 50 yards.

useful range for hitting a man sized target 5 times out of 10?  200 yards, if you aim right at his head the bullet should land in his midsection.

Beyond that you will need to aim over the target, but at a steep enough angle these guns can still chuck a bullet a very long ways.

At the Sandy Hook tests it was established that a 45-70 using a 500 grain bullet was capable of hitting targets just shy of 2 miles...of course these are targets the size of barns, but then a mass of enemy troops may well be a barn-sized target.

Anyways, the gunpowder used in the 45-70 of that era was the same,  as is charge volume, and while the caliber is a little larger, it is fairly comparable.  Really, metalic cartridges weren't better ballistically, they were just a h**l of a lot faster to reload to shoot again.

So I'd guestimate 1.5miles maximum range if you fire up at about a 30 degree angle (45 degree angle is only best if loss of speed due to air reisistance is ignored)