Shooting a reproduction Hewes and Phillips .69 smoothbore musket using historical paper cartridges.

In 2016 I started a project to created a reproduction of a Hewes & Phillips (H&P) flintlock-to-percussion conversion of a M1840 flintlock musket. These muskets were hurriedly converted to percussion, and a rear sight was added in expectation of them also being rifled. But they were needed so quickly they were sent out before being rifled. Thus they are a highly sought after type of smoothbore musket as they have a rear sight, which can be very helpful in target or competition shooting.

In this video I am shooting this musket for the first time using historically-accurate US 69 caliber smoothbore paper cartridges. These cartridges historically contained a .65" diameter round ball inside a paper cartridge. The cartridge also contained 110 grains of musket powder. These were designed to be used by tearing off the tail of the cartridge, dumping the powder down the barrel, and then inserting the rest of the cartridge - paper and ball - down the barrel.

Note: Load data given is for historical interest only. Always consult your firearm's owners manual or a competent gunsmith for the recommended load for your firearm.