Shooting the Whitworth Rifle

We shoot the iconic hexagonal-bore Whitworth rifle-musket, using historically accurate paper cartridges. This rifle was one of the first long range target rifles, one of the first to ever use a telescopic sight, and had a fearsome reputation in the American Civil War.

Пікірлер: 125

  • @samcoleman5705
    @samcoleman5705 Жыл бұрын

    Before ballistic coefficient was a thing, it was a thing.

  • @richardglady3009
    @richardglady30096 ай бұрын

    I hear Whitworth, I think Civil War…Confederate snipers. Thanks for the video. I really appreciate the variety of weapons that you discuss and, more importantly, show how they were fired. Thank you!

  • @britishmuzzleloaders
    @britishmuzzleloaders4 жыл бұрын

    Of course no elephants were harmed,..... you couldn't hit one at that distance... Great work Brett, Darrell and Marty! And kudos for persevering in making the cartridges!

  • @duncanandrews1940

    @duncanandrews1940

    3 жыл бұрын

    Anyway Rob, elephants are out of season when there is a 'u' in the month. I thought everyone knew that! Fascinating video.

  • @taproom113

    @taproom113

    3 жыл бұрын

    No elephants were harmed ... but some steel got the Shit beat out of it. Nice shootin' McFly! Generals ... learning the difference between intelligent and smart the hard way, since the beginning of time ... ^v^

  • @jessestreet2549

    @jessestreet2549

    2 жыл бұрын

    dang Rob, these gentlemen are kitted out as well as you.

  • @tomjackson4374

    @tomjackson4374

    Жыл бұрын

    The name of the Yankee general was Sedgwick and he was the highest Yankee general to die on a battlefield. It was over 500 yards shot but I doubt it was a standing shot like here. I guess he saw the elephant and it was the last thing he ever saw. Damn fine shooting Sir.

  • @yknott9873

    @yknott9873

    10 ай бұрын

    @@duncanandrews1940 And as Wallace Greenslade in the Goon Show explained, "There are no elephants in Sussex - they're only found in Kent! North of a line drawn between two points, making it the shortest distance."

  • @axelwancke5260
    @axelwancke52603 жыл бұрын

    A video of the construction and making of both types of cartridge would be really interesting.

  • @johnmcdonald587
    @johnmcdonald5874 жыл бұрын

    Love to see a video of the cartridge's construction.

  • @dannyw.814
    @dannyw.8147 ай бұрын

    Great video. The first Whitworth bullets were also hexagonal matching the bore's hexagonal rifling. I've read 2 books on Sir Joseph Whitworth (father of engineering) a fascinating man. He standardized the inch making “true” drop-in parts possible. A ballistic mastermind including essentially teaching the British Navy the penetrating superiority of flat-nose (wadcutter / semi-wadcutter) projectiles. Apologies for rambling as I'm a Whitworth geek. Glad to have found your channel, Happy Holidays

  • @Ben_not_10
    @Ben_not_10 Жыл бұрын

    Recently watched a review of the new Marlin 1895 and the reviewer had said something to the effect of “the 45-70 cartridge was not designed to be a long range cartridge because it drops to low past 100 yards”. Yet here Marty takes aim and fires and hits first time with a rifle that was designed a full two decades prior to the 45-70 governments introduction. I really enjoy how this channel gives accurate (to the best knowledge of the time) knowledge based on first hand accounts or historical record and not off of cliff notes from gun store fudd lore or poorly written and researched American Rifleman articles.

  • @Face2theScr33n
    @Face2theScr33n8 ай бұрын

    I always wondered what kind of zipping sound one of these would make, thanks for confirming, Brett!

  • @mattfaulk8724

    @mattfaulk8724

    2 ай бұрын

    The artillery whiteworth made had the same sound as the munitions flew through the air... just allot louder

  • @GunDoc39402
    @GunDoc394024 жыл бұрын

    The snap of the Woolwich cartridge being broken is so very satisfying!

  • @alifr4088

    @alifr4088

    2 жыл бұрын

    Also the snap of pritchett cartridge in p53 enfield being broken is very satisfying

  • @Chris_the_Dingo
    @Chris_the_Dingo9 ай бұрын

    Holy crap, that's a very impressive rifle! I grew up near Fort Fisher, which utilized a Whitworth breechloading artillery piece during the war. I've been fascinated with the Whitworth story for years.

  • @peterd.1165
    @peterd.11658 ай бұрын

    What an interesting video - I live just a few miles from Joseph Whitworth's home in Derbyshire in the UK - He was a brilliant man.

  • @tomaspabon2484

    @tomaspabon2484

    Ай бұрын

    James Whitworth basically kickstarted the industrial revolution. The three plate method, standardized screws, precision manufacturing.

  • @jeffadams9807
    @jeffadams980711 ай бұрын

    Gen. Sedgewick Was Shot Under The Left Eye, By A Pvt Ben Powell (CSA) From A Laser Measured Range (By The Park Service) Of 560yds...

  • @peterburgess2831
    @peterburgess2831 Жыл бұрын

    Excellent video Brett, keep up the great content.

  • @thinkingbill1304
    @thinkingbill1304 Жыл бұрын

    I stumbled onto this channel a few days ago. Great stuff! Subscribed.

  • @kennethswain6313
    @kennethswain63136 ай бұрын

    I love your intelligent and humorous presentations I’ve learned so much please continue

  • @DrTarrandProfessorFether
    @DrTarrandProfessorFether7 ай бұрын

    I have three 1860 Henry Rifles, Uberti. Black powder rounds (I generally make my own) with 200 grain bullets give a slight kick. Only 30 grains 3F Swiss I can cram into the round… not 40. My guns are 44/40. Firing smokeless (Ten-X) has 1/3 more velocity but less kick… the rounds comes out faster. It is alway a hit on the firing range. Good aiming at 75 yards but starts to drop at 100 yards… it is only a pistol round in

  • @stevendee2831
    @stevendee28314 жыл бұрын

    Brilliant! Well done!

  • @PaulAJohnston1963
    @PaulAJohnston19633 жыл бұрын

    Brilliant, I work on Sackville Street, the address on the card in the opening page. It's one of the engineering buildings of the University here in Manchester UK>

  • @kevinbarnes5200
    @kevinbarnes52004 жыл бұрын

    Very interesting. Thanks. I enjoy your videos. Being from North Carolina though, I have no understanding of what near zero humidity feels like

  • @paraplegichistoricalsports5700

    @paraplegichistoricalsports5700

    3 жыл бұрын

    I'm in NC too, Sampson co, and I am a muzzle loader enthusiast. I will save my money and own this rifle. I've got to add it to my collection.

  • @kevinbarnes5200

    @kevinbarnes5200

    3 жыл бұрын

    James Sparhawk Carteret County. You should do it!

  • @paraplegichistoricalsports5700
    @paraplegichistoricalsports57003 жыл бұрын

    Yaw done very well with this video! I just subscribed to this channel. I love everything to do with black powder.

  • @brandbienedell7971
    @brandbienedell79713 жыл бұрын

    Outstanding work

  • @dominiksotysik7479
    @dominiksotysik74793 жыл бұрын

    Great Video, most professional. I would love to buy some of these cartridges and learn how to make them.

  • @rafalosiecki3083
    @rafalosiecki30833 жыл бұрын

    Great stuff. I have Parker Hale Withworth and still trying different bullets. Not easy rifle to shoot😉

  • @1337penguinman

    @1337penguinman

    Жыл бұрын

    A sniper rifle before anyone knew what that was.

  • @35southkiwi16
    @35southkiwi162 жыл бұрын

    Interesting rifle and presentation

  • @txgunguy2766
    @txgunguy27663 жыл бұрын

    The way I heard it, Sedgwick was hit right in the middle of saying "distance" and he never finished the word.

  • @pauldockins9635
    @pauldockins963511 ай бұрын

    Was nicely done

  • @ChristianThePagan
    @ChristianThePagan3 жыл бұрын

    The tea breaks were a very nice touch :-)

  • @mikehoare6093

    @mikehoare6093

    2 жыл бұрын

    the honourable Lord Rivers, cannot be bothered with the common loading chores of rank and file !

  • @garykrogers1437
    @garykrogers14373 жыл бұрын

    Sigh ... A Whitworth was already on the "to acquire" list ... now this video helped advance it to a higher priority. Great video as always. I enjoy them so, especially the humor. In the south, we would say "bless his heart" ... LOL ...

  • @DMEII

    @DMEII

    3 жыл бұрын

    I just ordered one two days ago. Caint wait to get it.

  • @peterparsons7141
    @peterparsons7141 Жыл бұрын

    Really Nice shooting. Should be more than capable for deer hunting. Well told story. excellent rifle for modern recreational long range shooting, and hunting.

  • @Roy-tp2iy
    @Roy-tp2iy7 ай бұрын

    In today's cnc world be nice to see a high quality barrel of winworth design and paper pacth it like p53.

  • @duncanandrews1940
    @duncanandrews19403 жыл бұрын

    Looks like my next rifle will be a Whitworth - provided the Memsahib doesn't find out!!

  • @williamhower3636
    @williamhower36363 жыл бұрын

    WOW! I was sent here from another page I just subbed to...... FTG Military History: The Ministry for History. ANyway. 70 gr of powder and hitting hard enough to kill at 475 yards!!!!! I hunt with a flintlock muzzleloader and use 72 gr of powder. I would have thought I could catch the ball in my teeth at 500 yards! Obviously two different animals of a gun but still. Outstanding video, and even better shooting by your Confederate Marksman!

  • @olympicblackpowderrifles3155
    @olympicblackpowderrifles31554 жыл бұрын

    Love it!

  • @doonhamer252
    @doonhamer2526 ай бұрын

    In late 70s was in an armory in Rhodesia, and they had Whitworths on display on racks..

  • @DMEII
    @DMEII3 жыл бұрын

    Hello brett, loved the video. I would love to see a video of making a Confederate Whitworth cartridge. What is used as the little pull tab or trap door for powder? Also, what is the little brass muzzle protector on the ramrod. On pics I have seen of repro ones it is a plastic muzzle protector. I like the brass one in your video, where did you get it?

  • @ScottKenny1978
    @ScottKenny19783 жыл бұрын

    530gr bullet? Woof! That will leave a mark! Hard to find commercially available bullets that heavy today, seems to max out at about 400gr for either muzzleloader or air rifles. Good shooting!

  • @mannequinfukr

    @mannequinfukr

    3 жыл бұрын

    I've seen some 520 grain .454 bullets before (meant for air rifles). I think they're made by hatsan

  • @ScottKenny1978

    @ScottKenny1978

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@mannequinfukr cool, will have to look at those. I keep getting distracted by that Sam Yang .45 cal airgun.

  • @mannequinfukr

    @mannequinfukr

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@ScottKenny1978 i cant say how well they shoot through an air rifle but I'll say they shoot decently out of my sharps in 45-70 (despite being .454 diameter)

  • @matthewsullivan5713
    @matthewsullivan5713 Жыл бұрын

    You all need a wet-plate photographer to photograph you all in your clothing, gear, and rifles! Excellent video!

  • @benrobertson7855
    @benrobertson78556 ай бұрын

    Small correction.this rifle was adopted by British forces.and used in New Zealand.I have a original military nz one…. D360 . Used in small numbers, they created a special crack shot unit equipped with two band versions with bayonets too…used in several battles.it’s well documented in contemporary sources,they stayed in the nz military armoury up to the 1980’s when they were sold or destroyed…..!

  • @slade7354
    @slade73542 жыл бұрын

    Can't hit an elephant at that range, but a general? Well, that's a different matter. Just subbed!

  • @MAACotton
    @MAACotton Жыл бұрын

    I lol'd hard when you took a tea break while loading

  • @jonasjeaggi4575
    @jonasjeaggi45754 жыл бұрын

    Lovely stuff, as always, hope to se more on the Whitworth in future! PS: just out of curiosity, what would charge of powder would be "normal" for target shooters using the WW rifle?

  • @henryofskalitz2228

    @henryofskalitz2228

    Жыл бұрын

    I use 85g or 100g depending on how much power and range i want

  • @Derecq
    @Derecq4 жыл бұрын

    Gently seating the bullet on the powder. Makes a change from watching people pounding on the bullet and compressing the powder in the belief the rifle will become a pipe bomb if there's any space between powder and ball.

  • @joshuakuehn

    @joshuakuehn

    3 жыл бұрын

    Wait, the gun shouldn't blow up every shot?

  • @rogerdeacon5878
    @rogerdeacon587811 ай бұрын

    wow that's very accurate

  • @silentseawolf
    @silentseawolf8 ай бұрын

    yes, the cost of elephants is out of control

  • @erikschultz7166
    @erikschultz71668 ай бұрын

    Does the tube act as a false muzzle?

  • @knightman4574
    @knightman45742 жыл бұрын

    So I sorta spoiler myself, shouldn’t be watching this yet.. so anyway, the Withworth’s new idea for cartridge is a genuine idea! I was amaze of how they think of a way! Salute! 💂‍♂️👏😉🍷💂‍♂️🇬🇧

  • @RonanMacQuarrie
    @RonanMacQuarrie4 жыл бұрын

    Great video! Why is it important not to compress the powder charge? How is it any different from an Enfield?

  • @henryofskalitz2228

    @henryofskalitz2228

    2 жыл бұрын

    The hexagon rifling made it expensive and extremely accurate.

  • @iainsmith6643
    @iainsmith66433 жыл бұрын

    Ok. What medal ribbons are on display.

  • @MrDavidTiller
    @MrDavidTiller3 жыл бұрын

    Bret, I see you are set up for a Vernier sight on the wrist of your Whitworth. I am using the Pedersoli setup right now that uses as screw on metal extension to attach the sight to. Can you tell me what you have on your rifle there and what sight you are using?

  • @papercartridges6705

    @papercartridges6705

    3 жыл бұрын

    David, I’m using the regular iron sights and have never used the vernier on the small of the stock. I bought the rifle secondhand and it did not come with any other sights. I’m 8000 miles away from my Whitworth so I can’t tell you much more about it, until I get home in a few months.

  • @diggernash1
    @diggernash19 ай бұрын

    Where was the long funnel? :)

  • @ykdickybill
    @ykdickybill5 ай бұрын

    My daughter lives in Manchester and I’ve walked down Sackville street where there is lots of Whitworth history to see. Cracking shot Marty by the way. Incredibly impressive. Would love to know the fps of the round….

  • @jochenheiden
    @jochenheiden7 ай бұрын

    Where were you shooting this? This looks like SOCAL where I live. Let me know if you come out this way again!

  • @papercartridges6705

    @papercartridges6705

    7 ай бұрын

    I used to live in California. This was near Victorville.

  • @jochenheiden

    @jochenheiden

    7 ай бұрын

    @@papercartridges6705 BROOO. I was born and raised in Barstow and now I live near Temecula. Too bad you don’t live out this way anymore, I’ve been wanting to get into black powder shooting but I need help and no one I know out here does it.

  • @puhoyzzee4364
    @puhoyzzee4364 Жыл бұрын

    Holy crap

  • @johnfisk811
    @johnfisk8113 жыл бұрын

    Well done Brett. Loved the watch in the introduction. Good to see you shooting standing up as a gentleman should. Joe Whitworth stole the bore off the younger Brunel but that is par for the course for Joe. Where did you find the Royal Laboratory cartridge pattern drawing?

  • @Vo_d_kontra_o_norMAL
    @Vo_d_kontra_o_norMAL Жыл бұрын

    Hey tell me what you guess - is more dificult to a third world home gunsmith build a modern pointy bullet kind of sniper weapon or a oldschol exagonal bullet sniper rifle ?

  • @alexbaker3958

    @alexbaker3958

    8 ай бұрын

    With old-school hexagonal it should theoretically be easier to make an accurate weapon but do your research on this gun. Read as much as you can

  • @mattyallen3396
    @mattyallen33969 ай бұрын

    It saw action in the New Zealand Land wars as a marksman rifle. Waikato Battles

  • @greggwilliamson
    @greggwilliamson8 ай бұрын

    I was worried about all those elephants y'all were killin'.

  • @henryofskalitz2228
    @henryofskalitz22282 жыл бұрын

    I want one so bad

  • @RonanMacQuarrie
    @RonanMacQuarrie3 жыл бұрын

    Where can I get that diagram for the Col. Boxer cartridge?

  • @papercartridges6705

    @papercartridges6705

    3 жыл бұрын

    It’s in Christopher Roads book “The British Soldiers Firearm”.

  • @climbscience4813
    @climbscience48133 жыл бұрын

    Interesting, I think Boxer's father was an ancestor of mine. I know that I have an ancestor named Boxer who was a marine admiral, I just cannot remember his first name. So, I might actually be related to the guy who invented the paper cartridge shown here. :-)

  • @mackenzieblair8135
    @mackenzieblair81354 жыл бұрын

    Oh yesssss.

  • @morganfrmn
    @morganfrmn3 жыл бұрын

    1. Is the modern bullet a long square twist like the ancient ones? 2. I shot with some re-enactment people and I was shocked at the low volume of powder used. 70 gr really. I can't imagine that. When I shot I shot a 100. Gr.

  • @andyedwards9222
    @andyedwards92227 ай бұрын

    Why was the non compression of the powder important? Was it a safety or an accuracy issue?

  • @papercartridges6705

    @papercartridges6705

    7 ай бұрын

    It was for accuracy. If the powder is compressed, it changes the burn rate, which in turn changes the velocities.

  • @andyedwards9222

    @andyedwards9222

    7 ай бұрын

    @@papercartridges6705 thank you. That was my thought but wasn't sure if it might be a pressure issue with the breech.

  • @Dragineez774
    @Dragineez7743 жыл бұрын

    Wish you had a period accurate scope to use with it. Then you could have tried targets 800 yards out.

  • @Make-Asylums-Great-Again
    @Make-Asylums-Great-Again3 жыл бұрын

    Would of been neat if it had its scope.

  • @TheMwarrior50
    @TheMwarrior504 жыл бұрын

    ITS HERE HUZZAH

  • @fedxman202
    @fedxman2023 жыл бұрын

    Great video. Great info and appreciated the uniforms.Outstanding shots for all the shooters. Glad to see that Confederate Sharpshooters, get a ration of Pringles. 😆

  • @papercartridges6705

    @papercartridges6705

    3 жыл бұрын

    It's a fun rifle. And there's another reason for all the Pringles... the cans happen to fit perfectly in our Coehorn mortar.

  • @matthewwaddington2777
    @matthewwaddington27772 жыл бұрын

    Of course, if you want to use this in a pitched battle...You'd better pre-load, and go with the 'Highland Charge.'

  • @cgdeery
    @cgdeery2 жыл бұрын

    Any lead hardening? Or just roofing type?

  • @papercartridges6705

    @papercartridges6705

    2 жыл бұрын

    I use pure soft lead, which was also used historically for the military cartridges made for the British Army. The paper patch usually does a good job preventing leading. Sometimes hardened hexagonal bullets were also used but were far less common than the cylindrical softer lead bullets.

  • @cgdeery

    @cgdeery

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@papercartridges6705 thanks for that..a friend has an Enfield volunteer and uses hardened lead.

  • @ChaikhiamMunowkhiam-cm9yq
    @ChaikhiamMunowkhiam-cm9yq8 ай бұрын

    So smart 😄😄

  • @leadshark9461
    @leadshark94613 жыл бұрын

    How about a " 1859 Berdan Sharps vs Whitworth" video one day? The 2 rifles that people associate with Civil War Sharpshooters.

  • @papercartridges6705

    @papercartridges6705

    3 жыл бұрын

    I'd be happy to try that, just need someone to loan us the 1859.

  • @georgegordonmeade5663
    @georgegordonmeade56637 ай бұрын

    Let’s see… a 45 caliber lead slug backed up by 70 grains of powder. If you combined those measurements, you’d have 45-70! Was the Army inspired by this combination or what?

  • @calvingreene90
    @calvingreene9010 ай бұрын

    The Confederate Marksman never admitted that in his whole two days of shooting he never hit the long service sergeant that he was aiming for. //snark//

  • @presidentlouis-napoleonbon8889
    @presidentlouis-napoleonbon88893 жыл бұрын

    Marksman : I loaded my Whitworth!! Guy next to him : Great, now take out that officer next to the colour. Marksman : Good. Man it took me a minute... BANG! Guy next to him : Did you get him? Marksman : I think so...wait. DAMN. I gotta load it again. Guy next to him : Yeah, you missed, oh the officer is gone. NVM

  • @telesniper2
    @telesniper2 Жыл бұрын

    11:23 the real quote is "why they couldn't hit an elephant at this dist...." He didn't finish the word 'distance'

  • @fortusvictus8297
    @fortusvictus82978 ай бұрын

    At that distance, they were likely as not ducking when they saw the shot. There is actually time to duck between seeing the smoke and the round passing by. Otherwise, yeah, ducking when you hear a shot is simple reflex and not a practical skill that would save your life.

  • @jt6366
    @jt63663 жыл бұрын

    I’m a whitworth!

  • @taggartlawfirm
    @taggartlawfirm5 ай бұрын

    No one really knows what Sedgwick was hit with.

  • @amaree9732
    @amaree97323 жыл бұрын

    If only they had the M82 sniper rifle at Gettysburg. We'd all be speaking Confederate now.

  • @johnsmith-yj2cn

    @johnsmith-yj2cn

    2 жыл бұрын

    even a k98 would have ben a massive advantage

  • @amaree9732

    @amaree9732

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@johnsmith-yj2cn True dat! My great, great, grandfather fell at Gettysburg. He tripped on that monument they have there.

  • @bushcraft_in_the_north
    @bushcraft_in_the_north Жыл бұрын

    I have a original Whitworth rifle.never tried it.👍

  • @alexbaker3958

    @alexbaker3958

    8 ай бұрын

    Probably best to keep it as a historical artifact but of course it's your call. I just like the idea of this crazy gun being intact somewhere for many years to come

  • @tomjackson4374
    @tomjackson4374 Жыл бұрын

    No price is too high to kill a damn Yankee General.

  • @mickeyholding7970
    @mickeyholding79702 жыл бұрын

    Beautiful crack upon firing

  • @jeffadams9807
    @jeffadams98072 жыл бұрын

    Just WAY To Slow In Re-Loading...

  • @brucebehner4142
    @brucebehner41422 жыл бұрын

    Very dramatic showing but it was very time consuming, I doubt many snipers took more than one shot in the same position. It was only used as a sniper's weapon anyway. The cartridges you made werent exactly accurate either, the cartridge was broke, leaving part of the paper in the barrel, like the enfield after flipping to load the bullet, then rammed home.

  • @fatbloke6223
    @fatbloke622310 ай бұрын

    I live in Woolwich….It’s not green or pleasant

  • @papercartridges6705

    @papercartridges6705

    10 ай бұрын

    Dark Satanic mills now I suppose.

  • @Rkolb2798
    @Rkolb27984 ай бұрын

    Funny how the victorians were trusted with firearms , but modern humans can not with some exceptions . So what does that say about modern humans

  • @Zakalwe-01
    @Zakalwe-0110 ай бұрын

    What a bleedin’ brilliant channel. Très amusing loading scene. I wish the whole tea thing was a mere cliché, but it’s not. 🫖🇬🇧

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