Two years ago today I submitted an article about the Leupold laser range finder. At the end of the article I wondered how far it was from the Gettysburg "sniper's den" on Devil's Den to the top of Little Round Top. Well I can finally confirm that it is 557 yards from the sniper's position to the 44th NY monument (the "castle") on Little Round Top. Quite a shot for a .58 caliber muzzle loader! However, Confederate snipers were picking off Union troops up there on that hill.



If you've never been to Gettysburg I highly recommend a trip! I've been going for the last 30 years, when I had the chance, and still find something new to see and explore.

I think that would be an awesome trip. Just to be able to walk the battlefield where so many fought for their beliefs.

But it won't be this year as we are going to visit the in-laws in Germany during February.

And we want to take the kids to the Black Hills and Deadwood for their graduation.

WOW....557 yards is a hard shot with any military style rifle. What make of .58 calibre rifle did they use Punkin? As you say mate...that is helluva shot from a front stuffer throwing a massive lump of lead.

Wiersay old mate. When you go to Germany, take the time to search out some of the old battle sites from WWI and WWII. I was over there some years ago with the aussie Army and I found it very sobering to stand on these sites...and to visit a German War Memorial in a small town (Lemgo). The War Memorial was actually the remaining bell tower of a bombed out Church. In some parts of Europe they have battle sites identified by old armoured fighting vehicles that remained after the battle.

Enjoy your trip mate.

Cheers, Vince

Vince, the most common rifle muskets used, on both sides, were the US 1861 Springfield and the British P1853 Enfield. Both could fire the same ammo, usually a 500 grain Minie’ ball over 60 grains of black powder. These were pretty low velocity loads, about 950 Ft/sec.

An interesting side note (to me at least) is that the rifle muskets produced a "boom" when fired while the smoothbore muskets produced a "crack". A little research showed me that the muzzle velocity of the rifled guns was subsonic while the smoothbores were actually supersonic, around 1200 ft/sec. So you might be able to tell what was being shot at you just from the sound.

I have reproductions of the P1853 Enfield and an 1842 Springfield, .68 cal smoothbore. One of these days I'll take them both to the range for some live fire and a comparison.

Pumpkinslinger, have you visited there after dark?? I hear its haunted. I would love to see a ghost.

Donut Slayer, I've been all over the place after dark and never saw anything. I've heard all the stories too. Everyone talks about the "orbs" caught in flash pictures at night. Hate to burst the bubble but those are just insects too close to the camera to be caught in focus. I can duplicate it any time by dropping something small in front of the lens as the flash fires. I won't say that ALL of the ghost stories aren't true, I've been told some first hand that would be pretty hard to explain away!

Cool, I'd still like to go exploring up there sometime.

Vince wrote:

WOW....557 yards is a hard shot with any military style rifle. What make of .58 calibre rifle did they use Punkin? As you say mate...that is helluva shot from a front stuffer throwing a massive lump of lead. Wiersay old mate. When you go to Germany, take the time to search out some of the old battle sites from WWI and WWII. I was over there some years ago with the aussie Army and I found it very sobering to stand on these sites...and to visit a German War Memorial in a small town (Lemgo). The War Memorial was actually the remaining bell tower of a bombed out Church. In some parts of Europe they have battle sites identified by old armoured fighting vehicles that remained after the battle. Enjoy your trip mate. Cheers, Vince

I have visited quite a few battlefields in Germany, I was stationed in Aschaffenburg for four years. Ther barracks we lived in were built around the 1890's,. Behind our Kasern was the highest point in the area and it had a tall brick tower that is said to have been one of the observation posts Hitler used to observe the battle. We found underground bunkers and pillboxes throughout the country side. My wife is from a small town close by with very rich history dating back 800 to 900 years. The original wall built to protect the town is still about 75% intact, to include the tower where witches were shackled and burn to death. The locals tell tales of tunnels under the city connecting it to some surrounding cities that are big enoughto house and for tanks to move through. Then army Kasern there was one of the last to close when the US drew down. During WWII the Kasern was used as a POW camp and when the US took over it was a relocation camp. There is a small memorial in town dedicated with all the names of the fallen German soldiers from WWI that I visit every time I'm there. I do want to go and explore more sites there the next time we go I would like to get to Berlin also.

Punkin...they say that every battlefield is haunted with the ghosts of the combatants...I have no doubt of this. There are so many things that we just do not understand about ourselves and our souls/spirits.

I wish I could go with you Wiersay...I didn't get to see anywhere near enough when I was there.

Enjoy your trip mate.

Cheers, Vince