Muskets were essential for the battle tactics used during the time. Both armies would stand in formation opposite of eachother and shoot in volleys at the other side. The goal wasn't to shoot down every man, because the muskets had low accuracy. They actually were used to fire in volleys to shoot multiple men at once, and this would continue until one side broke formation. From there you could march forwards and charge with bayonetts.
So the key to this tactic isn't neccesarily accuracy, rather speed. The muskets could be loaded and fired in 15 seconds at max, or 45 shots in a minute. Muskets didn't need to be accurate as long as multiple people were shooting at once; that way at least some of them would hit the enemy lines.
So the key to this tactic isn't neccesarily accuracy, rather speed. The muskets could be loaded and fired in 15 seconds at max, or 45 shots in a minute. Muskets didn't need to be accurate as long as multiple people were shooting at once; that way at least some of them would hit the enemy lines.
Rifles
Rifles were much different than the muskets, which gave the patriots a huge advantage. They had spiraled grooves on the inside of their barrels that made their shots much more accurate. The only problem was that they took almost thirty seconds to load.
Because they take so long to load, these weapons were not used in the open battlefield, despite their accuracy. Instead they were used by snipers to pick off British officers and upper ranks. With their superior aim and range, combined with the stealth of a sniper, the British were as good as dead when they entered the forest.
Because they take so long to load, these weapons were not used in the open battlefield, despite their accuracy. Instead they were used by snipers to pick off British officers and upper ranks. With their superior aim and range, combined with the stealth of a sniper, the British were as good as dead when they entered the forest.