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Neil Aspinshaw
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 10:08 am |
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The sight ladder on a M-H is to 1700 yards, to the top V notch on the sight ladder,however, Actual sighting shots to a specific point of aim in reality not much more than 600 yards, whereby the sight barleycorn will actually blank out the pysical size of the target.
I would say though though that 500 yards is starting to come into the optimum accuracy range, and a good shot could expect a reasonable hit ration against a static target. Now that is where the whole theory goes awry. The mean velocity of a M-H bullet was 1320 fps, so, at 500 yards the bullet will take approx 1.13 seconds to get there, Zulu's are not Usene Bolt, but say 13 seconds to run 100 yards?...the target has moved along way since the trigger was pulled in 1.13 seconds, even if you employ the same priciples of shooting clays, i.e. clay to shot, you would have to be a very good judge.
In the early 1880's the RSAF were looking at various long range sights, to well over 2200 yards, the IOM suggested that ranges of 2000 yards could be acheived by using the front band cotter pin as a sight point. In reality this was not a bad suggestion, as the Lee Metford and the Lee Enfield used the dial sight, suggested by Mr Speed the RSAF superintendant as standard for long range volley fire. Examples of these experimental long range sights cae be seen in the royal Armouries Pattern room in Leeds.
Doctrine though disctated that a sweep zone of fire anything up to 1000 yards could be employed, a company volley of say 140 would have the same communative effect of a Vickers guns hosing German trenches in WW1 without an actual visible target.
For evidence of the effectiveness of 500-800 yard ranges, study the perfoance of Hector McDonalds Sudanese troops at Ondourman, mass volleyfire against mass enemy, OK, The Zulu's would have been evenly spaced in sirmishing order, with a hit rate of probably less that 1%.
Take smoke, adrenalin, sweat, wind and atmospherics and the hole calculous goes pete tong.
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Neil Aspinshaw
Joined: 05 Sep 2005 |
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Location: Loughborough |
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 9:32 pm |
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When you consider the 1st 24th had been heavily engaged in the run up to 1879, culminating in the Battle of Cetane, they would have been very adept in their weapon system i.e the MH, indeed were considered "old steady shots".
OK reports from Khambula and Ginginlovu do point he fact that the drafts out to the battlefront were not getting range sight adjusted etc, the 24th, the 80th and the 13th had been out in SA for some time and I see no evidence to disprove that they were not top of their game when it came to musketary.
I somehow do not endorse the belief that they were anything other than totally proficient in what they did, Mike Snook would probably agree that the British army, even for 1879, particularily those campaign hardened men were nothing but the best Queen Vic could put out.
Again history is the only barometer, the 66th at Maiwand were battering the Afghans, Abu Klea, Tofrek, Tamaii pretty much the same man with the same rifle.
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